morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-06
From: Gentian Pond Shelter and Campsite

To: Gorham, NH 
Miles today: 11.7

I felt much more energized today as I had a little under twelve miles to make it to the town of Gorham, New Hampshire. The hike was much more forgiving and there were no steep rock scrambles for a change. It was a nice morning but by mid day it was hot and I was glad to be close to town. I checked into the White Mountain Lodge and Hostel at 2:00pm. I got cleaned up and did chores and then took the shuttle to town for some supplementary resupply items. This place is over capacity tonight with over twenty hikers. I am not even trying to get to sleep as it is almost 11:00pm and people are still up talking and moving around. Tomorrow I start the Whites. I am excited, but it is more hard climbs, but even longer ones then I have been doing. It was good to get off my feet this afternoon. I hope the rest, and the fact that I have been eating all day helps me get up into those big mountains in the morning with some good energy.
Date: 2016-08-07
From: Gorham, NH 

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 21.1

Today I opted to hike northbound. The hostel shuttled a bunch of us to Pinkham Notch and I set out from there. There are several very steep climbs and it is strongly encouraged to go up them and not down them. So that is why I did it this way. The hiking was really good today and the weather was much cooler and felt great. I stopped at the Carter Hut and they fed me left over scrambled eggs and then chocolate cake after. The cake was awesome. I took my time on the two big climbs and really enjoyed looking over at the presidential range all day. The view form Mount Hight was fantastic. I was going to split this range into two days but I felt so good I did all twenty one miles today. I am back at the hostel now and looking forward to starting the presidentials tomorrow. I am pretty tired so that is it for tonight.
Date: 2016-08-08
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: broken clouds

I started my hike of the presidential range today. I was excited to get going. My pack was a bit heavier then usual with five days of food on board. The first five miles were moderate and easy going. I ran into Forest, then Odisius, and then Sprinkle Toes. I hiked and camped with all of them down south on multiple occasions. It continues to be nice running into people from when I was down south. I spent one of the best camping nights with Forest and a few others on a mountain top ridge in Virginia. The sunset that night was one of the best. After all my run ins I soon had to start the 3000 foot climb up Mount Madison. It was tough, but I just went slow and steady and soon enough I was above tree line. The wind was crazy. It was practically blowing me over. I have never hiked in winds this hard and steady. It was slow going. I made it to Madison Hut around 3:00pm. I was very tired and asked to do work for stay. They said eventually yes and I spent the next hour or so washing dishes. I am here with Bear Bag. Forest Gump, Pumpkin, and a few others. All nice people. We have been sitting here most of the evening just talking. We were given the left overs for dinner which was awesome. We are all sleeping on the floor in the dinning area tonight. It is still so crazy windy outside. I am very great full to be inside and nice and warm. It would not be fun to be tenting tonight up here that is for sure. This Hut is at 4500 feet and it is not only incredibly windy outside as I can hear it whipping as I lay hear, but it is also very cool with temperatures in the forties. Tomorrow is Mount Washington day and ridge hiking all the presidential range. I am excited, but I hope the wind calms down.
Date: 2016-08-09
From: Madison Hut

To: Saco River
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

I did not sleep very well on the floor of the Hut last night. The wind was very loud and it blew incredible strong all night. There was also a snorer in the room. It was still an experience and I am glad I did it. I do not think I will be doing it again unless there is bad weather. I left Madison Hut a little after 6:30am. As soon as the sun came up the wind subsided substantially. It was a beautiful day with low humidity, a lot of sunshine, and great visibility as far as you could see. It was a perfect day to hike the presidential range and that is what I did. It is a rough rocky trail from Madison to Washington and it is very hard on the feet. I took it slow as it was only a six mile hike to Mount Washington from the Hut. I arrived there at 11:30am and the place was mobbed. I had some lunch from there kitchen and I saw a bunch of NOBO's I knew from down south. ETA, Soule Asylum, Slow Jam, and Wicks. I also ran into Teridactyle later in the day who I met briefly down south. Apparently I missed Chuckles when we passed each other as I was told he was days ahead heading north. That was a bummer as I was hoping to see him. As I went to get a picture with the summit sign I realized the line was very long so I did not get one. I have one from the first time I hiked the mountain a few years ago anyways. I was glad to get a move on after about forty five minutes. The trails going south from that point on were inundated with day hikers. Too many people. I stopped at Lakes of The Cloud Hut and had some cake and tried to relax, but again too much noise because of so many people. I headed back on the trail and decided one day on this range would be enough. The views were spectacular and the highlight of the day, but I got so use to to quiet solitude of the Mountains in Maine and I loved that. This day was lacking in that department that is for sure. I made my way down to the Mizpah Spring Hut and met up with Data and Caddyshack, both SOBO's who I have seen a talked to a few times. We hiked the rest of the way out of the range and down to the Saco River where we are camped tonight.
Date: 2016-08-10
From: Saco River

To: Garfield Pond
Miles today: 18.3

The day started out with a gentle uphill followed by five miles of easy flat terrain. It was like being down south again for a few hours. I stopped at the Zealand Hut for a snack and Leamonade. I sat with Data and a few other hikers. The day was overcast and the views of the Pemi Wilderness at Mount Guyot were fogged out. I made my way up and down South Twin Mountain and Garfield Mountain. By the time I reached Garfield the clouds had lifted and the sun was out. It was a great view of the Pemi Wilderness. I hiked Garfield a few years ago only to get all the way up and get fogged out, so it was nice that I got the view this time. I hiked down the mountain where I am camped tonight at Garfield Pond. Data and Caddie Shack showed up an hour later after dark. They watched the sunset from the top of the mountain. Pretty cool. Tomorrow is the Mount Lafayette and the Franconia Ridge walk. I have done it before and it is incredible. The weather looks good and I am excited to get up there.
Date: 2016-08-11
From: Garfield Pond

To: Kinsman Pond shelter and campsite
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Hiking the Franconia Ridge is one of the highlights of this whole hike. It was a very sunny, warm and hazy day. The haze limited the long distance visibility, but it was still a great walk up there. Being above tree line so much lately has seemed to suck a little energy out of me because it has been rather warm also. I was dragging coming down the long downhill off of the ridge. As I got towards the bottom I kept passing these nice clean streams and every time I passed them I poured water on my face and head and it was very refreshing. I had to make a two mile round trip visit to the Flume Visitor Center to pick up my food for the next four days. It was very hot as I walked on the asphalt bike path. I was able to get some real food from there cafeteria which was a big boost. I loaded up my pack with all the food from my resupply box and headed back on the trail and up the Kinsman Mountains. I stopped in at the Lonesome Lake Hut around 5:30pm to fill my water bottles and get a quick snack. Nobody had taken work for stay yet. I thought about it, but I really wanted to get up the mountain to set up tomorrow. We also have some questionable weather for the next few days so I hiked on to where I am now, which is The Kinsman Pond Shelter. The elevation here is over 3700 feet so it should be a cooler night. I met Lou and Julie here by chance. I hiked with them down south in Virginia for a short time. It was good to see them and I went to their tent site and we talked for a while before I headed to my tent for the night. I should make it to Mount Moosilauke tomorrow which is the last 4000 footer I will hike. However Lou and Julie told me my decent off of the Kinsmans will be more daunting. I have come to not like steep downhill descents. They are mentally taxing and just very nerve racking. If I did not have a thirty pound pack it would be a much different situation. I will just go very slow and hope I can avoid the wet areas. This campsite makes you use wooden tent platforms. I hope I get a decent night of sleep. Last night I did not sleep well at all. I am listening to the Red Sox/Yankees now so all is very good.
Date: 2016-08-12
From: Kinsman Pond Shelter and Campsites

To: Beaver Brook Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a surprising hard day of hiking. The decent down South Kinsman was the most treacherous and stressful decent of the entire trail, plus it was soaking wet. I was being as careful as I could but I still ended up falling four times. The last time I bounced off my butt and landed off the trail in a grove of small hemlock trees. I landed in a position that was actually comfortable and the hemlock smelled so good so I decided to just lay there for five minutes before getting up. I had almost made it to the base of Mount Moosilauke when the rains hit. I got wet for the first time since being back on the trail. Now the trails were all soaked and I had one of the steepest hardest climbs on the entire trail in front of me. The good thing was it was only 3:45pm. I had plenty of time to do the one on half miles straight up to the shelter. I went very slowly and carefully up the mountain. I got a nice surprise today as I ran into IPA, who I hiked and camped with on and off from Virgina to Pennsylvania. He is a great guy. Then I ran in to Bagger and Thin Mint. I hiked and camped with them on several occasions down south. We talked for a bit before we all were on our way. I remember Chuckles and Thin Mint being so nice and accepting of me on Silver Bald one evening. It is funny how a few small gestures of kindness can effect you and I will never forget how nice and positive they were that night. We had one of the best sunsets that night too. I am at the shelter with Survivor, Waker, Trout, Rockford, and Doc. It is a raining and stormy night so I am staying in the shelter for only the third time. At least it is with a bunch of really nice people. It is really coming down now. I am very happy to be in this shelter.
Date: 2016-08-13
From: Beaver Brook Shelter

To: Hiker Welcolme Hostel
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Staying in the shelter last night was a good call. The thunder and lighting and hard downpours went on for quite a while. I did not sleep very well but I was still very happy about being warm and dry. I was able to get a few hours of sleep which was good enough. The trail was soaked this morning and the forecast was for more heavy rain and storms. Survivor, Waker, Trout, and I all headed out around 7:00am in hopes of making it over Moosilauke before the rains. The mountain was socked in with clouds so there was obviously no views. I ended up hiking down the back side of the mountain with Waker and it started raining just as we got to the hikers welcome hostel. I was not planning on staying but I was pretty tired and have not had a break in a little bit. The rain came down hard so it was a easy decision to call it an early day and spend the rest of the afternoon and night here. My body was very happy with the decision. I only hiked about 8 miles in all today and they were pretty easy. I spent the afternoon resting in my bunk and doing chores. This evening I watched the movie Old School with a bunch of other hikers. It felt good to just relax and laugh. The movie really cracked me up and the other hikers as well. I have run into Trotter here at the hostel who I hiked with on my last day in Pennsylvania. Jersey and Paul are here as well. I camped and hiked with them in Virginia through Harper's Ferry. Boston, who was hiking with them just got off the trail a few days ago and they do not think she will be back. I was a little bummed because It would have been nice to see her too. Trout, Waker, Survivor, Data, and Caddie Shack are here tonight as well. The place is packed at over capacity with around forty hikers. It is pouring out tonight. I have 44 miles to Hanover where I will be getting off trail for a few days and staying at my sister house. It will be good to get a little rest before the last stretch of my hike as I have not taken a zero since I flipped flopped at Katahdin. I can not believe I am almost done with New Hampshire and Maine. These are by far the two hardest states physically.
Date: 2016-08-14
From: Hiker Welcolme Hostel

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

So last night was another poor night of sleep in a hostel due to hikers snoring. It was really stormy and rainy out so it was still worth it. After I ate the breakfast that they served, which was really good, I set out on the trail. It was a extremely humid day out again. I was soaked in sweat all day. I hiked pretty slow and again today and I ran into more people I knew from down south. Tick Talk, Shiv, and Betsy. I stopped and talked to them all. The NOBO's I am running into now are a little more relaxed. These are the hikers who are taking there time and going slower. They seem to be enjoying the trail more then the group I witnessed while hiking through Maine. I ran into two trail magics today. This nice man named Carl had a big table out in the woods with water, orange juice, cookies, corn bread, and bananas. He was really nice. I sat and ate with Data for a short while while we chatted with Carl, and then we were off. I only had one smaller mountain today. Cube Mountain. It was really nice on top with good views. I took a break up there for quite a while with Trout, Caddie Shack, and Crunchy. I then hiked another few miles to the Hexacuba Shelter. There are probably about fifteen people here tonight. I am tenting, but it took a while to find an expectable spot. There are a mix of NOBO's and SOBO's here. SOBO's Eskimo, Crunchy, and Trout are here. Feels good to be in my tent, my little home.
Date: 2016-08-15
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Mouse Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.7

I am really starting to notice the days getting shorter this week. It is not getting light until around 6:00am and it is starting to get dark around 7:30pm. I am not liking it as I am feeling rushed at the end of the day now. I will have to make some adjustments soon and stop hiking earlier in the evening. Today looked to be an easier day, but looks can be deceiving. I had three good climbs and I was kind of dragging and my body just did not want to go. I know I need some R&R and thankfully I will be in Hanover tomorrow and at my sisters tomorrow night. I am not sure how long I will stay. Maybe two or three nights. I actually have a lot to do to get ready for my final push of this journey. I have less then 500 miles left. I discovered yesterday that I have broken the backplate in my backpack. This is not good. I called Granite Gear today and they are sending me a replacement for free. The backplate has a lifetime guarantee. It will be there by Thursday, which is perfect. I have fallen down quite a bit lately and I believe that is what broke the plate. I ran into more people I knew from down south today. Mud Puppy, Loud Mouth, and Clean. I stopped and talked to them all. I really have enjoyed running into all the people I knew from earlier in my hike. It is also nice to see there positive reaction to seeing me. I hope to run into Rock City tomorrow. I will be bummed if I miss her. I am tenting tonight at Mouse Mountain Shelter. The others who I have been camping with lately stayed back six miles at different shelter. I hope to be in Hanover by early afternoon and I got all the hard hiking done today so it should be an easy hike into town.
Date: 2016-08-16
From: Mouse Mountain Shelter

To: Norwich VT
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

I was excited this morning because I new I would be in Hanover today and then into Vermont. The hike into town was the easiest hiking I have done since the 100 mile Wilderness in Maine. I really enjoyed the hike in. To make things even better I ran into Rock City which was really nice. We dropped our packed and talked for a good 15-20 minutes. We got picked up together the day before we began this adventure at the train station and then hiked and camped together several times in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. She is awesome. After I saw her I then saw Elizabeth. She is the 67 year old women who I hiked with around in Virginia. A super nice lady from Germany. Shortly after seeing and talking to her I ran into Shades who I met many times. It was crazy how many NOBO's I saw today and it seemed like they all wanted to talk which was fine with me. I had a short day to town so I had tons of time. Later in the day I ran into Flash and Wolverine at the NH/VT boarder. I spent one fun night camping with them and we all remembered the night very well. Good Talk and Scorpion were also there that night as well. I just continue to see all these nice people who I met when I was going north. It is so cool. I eventually made my way into Hanover. What a nice town. I made my way to the pizza house where thru hikers get a free slice of pizza. It was very good. I then had to have some frozen yogurt and I also stopped at Lou's Bakery where thru hikers get a free muffin and it was very good. I walked around town a bit more and then headed down to the Connecticut River where I would enter Vermont. I can not believe I am done with Maine and now New Hampshire. The two hardest states on the trail. I walked into Norwich and reached the side road that the trail takes just as the rains came. Fortunately there was a big covered gazebo right at this corner with benches inside. I want in and sat down to wait out the rains when Caddie Shack came by and sat as well with a friend of his. I ended up just staying here until my sister Becky came and picked me up. She brought me to here house where I am staying for the next few days. Her Husband Kyle bought these huge steaks and grilled them up. It was nice to have a big meal. The steak was awesome. He gave me a huge one and I did not think I would be able to eat it all, but I was wrong. I ate it all with out a problem. It was nice seeing Bennett my nephew too. He is getting so darn big already. Today was a great day. It is good for me to take a few days off from hiking, but I am looking forward to getting back at it soon.
Date: 2016-08-17
From: Norwich VT

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

No hiking for the first time in the last 31 days. I did a lot of chores. It was nice to have my sister Beckys car for the day as I am readying for the final part of my hike. For the forth time I cleaned all my gear and treated everything with permethrin. I should be getting my new back plate for my backpack tomorrow. Then I can fix the pack, which will make a big difference. It is no fun hauling thirty plus pounds with a broken pack. Tonight I will just be taking it easy and tomorrow I hope to do nothing but lay on the couch, except my mom is coming, so I will visit with her for a while, but other then that I am just resting. I have less then 500 miles remaining and I expect to be done in a month or less.
Date: 2016-08-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day two of no hiking. Much more relaxing day as most of my chores were done yesterday. My Mother and Chuck came for a visit and I watched a few movies and the 1986 NBA finals. The Celtics 16th championship. That will never get old. Larry Bird is my favorite athlete ever. When my mom was here she said I posted the same post on here two days in a row. The way I do the journal is I write it all on my phone in the notes section. Then I copy and paste it into the journal page. It is the easiest way. Apparently I copy and pasted the same entry two days in a row. I have gone back and edited it so now the proper entry is in there for yesterday. I am watching Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy now. Becky, Kyle, and Bennett will be here soon. Spaghetti for dinner tonight and then back on the trail in the morning. These two days off have been really good for me but I am looking forward to the trail. The trail feels like my home at this point....... Because it is my home.
Date: 2016-08-19
From: Norwich, VT

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: mist

My sister Becky dropped me back off on the trail in Norwich just before 8:00am. I can not thank her and Kyle enough for letting me stay there the last few days. It was really good to get a little rest. As I started my first day of hiking in Vermont it was as if I was in a totally different country compared to what I have been hiking in over the past month. The trail was either flat packed dirt or flat packed pine needles. The walking was simple with no crazy obstacles. It is a nice change. There were some moderate ups and downs but with good footing it was no problem. I stopped in at a permanent trail magic stop in West Hartford where about a dozen NOBO's were already hanging out. I had a soda and ate my lunch. The lady whose house it is is named Linda and she brought out fresh cold watermelon. It was really good. It was a pretty warm day. Across the street was a bridge going over a river and some of the NOBO's were jumping off the bridge into the water. It was quite high and I decided against it. I hiked very slowly today and stopped early as well. I was at Thistle Hill Shelter at 4:30pm after only hiking a little over 13 miles. I hope I have more pep to my step tomorrow.
Date: 2016-08-20
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Stealth spot mile 476
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up at 5:00am and it was pitch dark. Today is the first day I started packing up in the dark with my headlamp on. The sun is not coming up until after 6:00am now. I can not believe how fast we are losing daylight now. I liked it much better when it was light at 5am and did not get dark until after 9:30pm. I guess fall is on the way. You would not know it by the weather though. It was another nice sunny day and it was hot again. Although the trails are very smooth now I still spent the whole day going straight up and straight down and sweating my butt off. I also hiked through quite a few fields and every time it was uphill. It is much hotter in the fields then in the woods. The fields were nice but darn, was it hot out there. It was a pretty uneventful day. Vermont is so different. It reminds me a little like parts of Virginia. I did not make it to the shelter I was shooting for. I found a stealth spot with another SOBO named Wallibe. We ate together and chatted before heading to our tents for the night. He is a super nice guy. The highlight of the day was Blackberry picking. Three times I stopped and picked and ate loads of wild blackberries. They were so darn good. That is why I did not make the shelter but I do not care, those berries were awesome and so worth not hiking another three miles. I am happy right here. Maybe I will make up those miles tomorrow or maybe I will eat more wild berries.