morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-09-04
From: Piazza Rock Lean To 

To: Hiker Hut Hostel/Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 1.8

Today was a zero day. I hiked less than 2 miles to the highway and 0.3 miles to the Hiker Hut Hostel. They shuttled me into Rangeley to stock up for the remaining miles on Maine.
Date: 2013-09-06
From: Bemis Mnt Lean To

To: Hall Mtn Lean To 
Miles today: 12.8

I don't think there was any frost, but definitely the coldest night since this spring. Hiking felt cool most of the day, with strong North winds. In the shelter log, I found a reference to Bemis Mfg, in Sheboygan Falls, WI and aslo in yesterday's Lean To. Bemis is just a few miles down the road from where I grow up in Kohler, WI. I guess I'm not as far from home as I thought!
Date: 2013-09-07
From: Hall Mtn Lean To 

To: Baldpate Lean To
Miles today: 14.0

Baldpate Mtn, East Peak was the highlight of the day. 360 degrees of views. I got a look forward at the White Mountains. And a look back at where I've been hiking. The other place of note was Denn Notch and Falls. I saw the lower part of the falls, where the water goes through a very narrow cleft in the rock.
Date: 2013-09-08
From: Baldpate Lean To

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 12.0

It was raining this morning and tough to get going. I finally got going about 8am, during a lull in the showers. I started with my rain jacket on, then I took it off, then as the elevation increased and temperatures dropped, I put the jacket back on, then close to the summit of Old Speck, I put my gloves on. The descent from the summit was in the open. The wind was strong enough, thst I struggled to stand. I hadn't been this concerned about my safety, since that ice storm in late March. Once I got down to the trees, things improved dramatically. It was a long descent down Mahoosuc Arm and finally into the trail that required squeezing under or between rocks. I have to admit I enjoyed the challenges of the Notch.
Date: 2013-09-09
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Trident Col Campsite
Miles today: 14.5

Today I completed the state of Maine. It's the ninth state I've finished hiking through. As of yesterday, I've entered into the domain of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). They are sometimes referred to as the Appalachian Money Club. They're able to charge for tent sites, shelters, and the hut system through the White Mountains. There are a lot of other restrictions as to where hikers can camp. I'll see how it works out.
Date: 2013-09-11
From: Gorham

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 0.0

After the thunderstorms of yesterday and the rain showers all day, everything is very saturated. This includes the trail, my equipment and me. I was told that the views are impressive, The clouds, rain, and wind nixed the views and spending any time at the summits.I've gone over 1800 miles for my trip.I'm staying at Carter Notch Hut. The hut crew is allowing any thru hikers to stay because of the nasty weather. I'm not getting a real feel for the "work for stay". Normally each will only take 2-3 thru hikers each night. I got supper and a bunk. It works for me.
Date: 2013-09-12
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: Osgood Tent Site
Miles today: 10.9

Breakfast was OK, given the number of thru hikers here. I could have eaten more foood. I did wash some dishes. Not bad for two meals and a bunk. It was still raining this morning. It really didn't matter much. None of my clothes did any drying overnight. The range of peaks I climber today were the Wildcats. Creatively named A-F. I didn't have to climb peak E. The climb down to Pinkham Notch took the better part of two hours. The climb up into the Presidential Range followed.
Date: 2013-09-15
From: Osgood Tent Site

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 10.1

The morning started with two moose browsing between the platform my tent was on and the platform next to me. The first was a bull with velvet still hanging off his antlers. He was followed by a cow. She was taking her time pulling down branches and eating leaves. They showed little concern for me moving around trying to take photos. The rest of my time was spent climbing over Mt Madison and Mt Washington. For lunch, I stopped at the Madison Spring Hut. After my whining about views, today was near perfect for views. A cool wind made hiking pleasant.
Date: 2013-09-16
From: Lake of the Clouds Hut

To: Lake of the Couds
Miles today: 0.0

A cold front moved in late yesterday. Winds increased to over 25 mph, temps dropped, and I decided that taking a zero day at the hut was the smarter thing to do today. I've been cleaning bunk rooms with more that a few other thru hikers, doing the same thing as me.
Date: 2013-09-17
From: Lake of the Couds

To: Ethan Pod Campsite
Miles today: 14.1

The hut crew showed their appreciation for the work the four of the thru hikers, that work there for two days, by feeding us the same time as the guests and way before the other thru hikers that were there only one night. I was on the trail by 7:45 am. I had to make a couple of purchases to cope with the low temps. The rain pants were for the wind break and the fleece pull over for after hike warmth. The morning warmed up quickly and I was shedding layers by 10am. The new purchases will serve me as the Fall season sets in. Today I hiked passed the half way point , mileage wise, to Connecticut.
Date: 2013-09-18
From: Ethan Pod Campsite

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 14.5

Another beautiful day of hiking. The Zealand Cliffs were interesting, with cliffs high above and the boulders that have fallen below the trail. It made me wonder about being on that trail when one comes down. I met three other hikers from Wisconsin today. Two from Verona and one from Wautoma.
Date: 2013-09-19
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite

To: North Woodstock
Miles today: 10.3

I couldn't have wished for a better day. I've seen photos of the Franconia Ridge since I started planning this trip and was tooking forward to being able to hike it. The views were incredible and the weather near perfect. At Franconia Notch, I was picked up by Patriot. I hiked with him on my north bound and saw him again as he was near completion of his hike in August. He lives about an hour away and came up to do some "trail magic" for me. We had lunch and he drove me around town. I was able to get some things done that I otherwise wouldn't have had time for Thanks Patriot!
Date: 2013-09-20
From: North Woodstock

To: Eliza Brook Campground
Miles today: 8.8

I had to mail some items home and the Post Office didn't open until 9:30 am. That meant a late start hikng. With six days worth of food, the climb over North and South Kinsman seemed to take a lot of effort. You'd think I'd known better by now when it comes to pack weight. One of the items I purchased yesterday were boots. My feet survived today surprisingly well.
Date: 2013-09-21
From: Eliza Brook Campground

To: Hiker's Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 16.8

It was get over Mount Moosilauke day. The trail up to it follows Beaver Brook and its cascades for about a mile. It was most impressive. Once above the tree line the winds on Mount Moosilauke were 30+ mph. That meant standing up took a lot of effort. The views were great, but I couldn't stop to enjoy them. I made it to Hiker's Welcome hostel before it started to rain.
Date: 2013-09-22
From: Hiker's Welcome Hostel

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 14.8

Rain was in the forecast, but it held off all day. The trail was very wet from last night's storm. Looking at a map today, I realized that I had left the White Mountain National Forest and the shelters are now managed by the Dartmouth Outing Club. Part of today's hike included the flattest 10 miles that I can remember in a long time.
Date: 2013-09-23
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 12.0

Today was one of those days. I fell hard three times during the morning. That required a change of destination plan. I decided to stay, ironically, at the Trapper John Shelter. Unfortunately, the MASH unit must have "bugged out", because there weren't any medical personnel there. I would have loved to see a beautiful nurse! They even took the still-dang it! On the Eastman Ledges, this morning, I could see how much the color of the tree canopy is changing.
Date: 2013-09-24
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 16.6

A day later and much easier terrain, makes for a much better day of hiking. The trail was a day dryer which didn't hurt either. Today's trail went over Moose Mountain. I didn't see any moose and only one moose track. The day's biggest decision was whether or not to hike into Hanover. And it had nothing to do with the season premier of a TV series with the initals NCIS.
Date: 2013-09-25
From: Hanover, NH

To: Norwich, VT
Miles today: 2.5

I walked around Hanover during the morning, I wasn't able to get all the things done I was hoping to. I did enjoy walking around Dartmouth College. It will be as close as I come to being an Ivy Leaguer. By lunch, I was in Vermont. Well....it only took walking across the bridge over the Connecticut River. Vermont is the twelfth state I've hiked in on this trip.
Date: 2013-09-26
From: Norwich, VT

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today was the first full day of hiking in Vermont. So far, the larger gaps in the forest have fields, not rock outcroppings. At times it has been difficult to tell where the trail is. When there is little understory to define the treadway, an even distribution of fallen leaves and few hikers shuffling through, makes the trail hard to make out at times.
Date: 2013-09-27
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: The Lookout
Miles today: 14.2

There seem to be more road crossings here than in Maine and New Hampshire. That means climbing down to the road and then back up again after crossing. The treat of the day was some trail magic, a can of cold soda at one of the road crossings. Maybe road crossings really aren't that bad! I'm staying at a cabin that the owners leave open for hikers to use. They have built an observation deck onto the roof of the cabin. WOW! What a 360 degree view!
Date: 2013-09-29
From: Yellow Deli and Hikers Hostel

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: clear sky

The Yellow Deli served some great food. Dinner and breakfast were served to the hostel guests while the deli was technically closed. It gave the hikers a chance to interact with each other and with our hosts. After getting there late yesterday, I still needed to do some shopping this morning. The Walmart was only a couple blocks away. That made the food purchases easy. I also needed some items that required a two mile walk each way, not good. There was a bus route that took me back to the trail crossing for only $2.00. I was able to be back hiking by 1:30 pm. Today's milestone is that I have less than 200 miles remaining on my hike.
Date: 2013-09-30
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday's shelter was on Killington Mountain, one of the Northeast's premier alpine ski destinations. Another great day to be hiking, the weather is near perfect. Clarendon Gorge was beautiful. I would like to see it when the water levels are higher. Today's milestone is going over 2000 miles for my hike. I'm getting there!
Date: 2013-10-01
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Lost Pound Shelter
Miles today: 14.9

I'm starting to watch the mileage count down and the calendar too closely. It's not making the hike go any faster, maybe just the opposite. Another beautiful day on the trail. I hope I'm not jinxing this stretch of weather by commenting on it too much. I didn't find the pond, apparently neither can anyone else!
Date: 2013-10-02
From: Lost Pound Shelter

To: Manchester Center
Miles today: 14.8

I've tried to get up earlier, but I'm usually leaving between 7:30 and 8:00 am. I'm going to blame the later sunrises. I did get to the Manchester Center by early afternoon. Much to my surprise Green Mountain House Hostel had reopened for the Fall. It's one of the great hostels on the trail. And that's before the included Ben and Jerry's pint!
Date: 2013-10-03
From: Manchester Center

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather held again today. We'll see for Friday, the forecast is very good. The climb to Stratton Mountain was not too difficult. There was an old fire watch tower at the summit. The views were great! Views back to the Vermont sky hills I've hiked over and Mt. Greylock, the tallest peak in Massachusetts. I'll be hiking to it on Monday. The relatively easy terrain enabled me to hike over 20 miles today. I haven't done that since June. The shelter was almost full when I got there. It's been about a week since I've had to share a shelter with anyone.
Date: 2013-10-05
From: Melville Narbien Shelter

To: Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 20.0

My plan was to hike into Williamstown, MA. That meant a 20 mile day in wet muddy conditions, After a long day of slogging through it all, I found that most of the motels were full. College towns on himecoming weekend! I finally found one, but it was a long walk. No choice but to walk another three miles. It sure felt good to dry off and lay down. The best part of my day was going under 100 miles remaining on my hike. I'm anticipating finishing Oct 13 or 14.
Date: 2013-10-07
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Mark Kiepel Shelter
Miles today: 9.6

Yesterday I took a zero day, I needed to get a heavy dose of the NFL. Sadly, the Packers weren't on in Massachusetts. Geez!My goal for today was to get over Mount Greylock and to a shelter before the wind and rain arrived. The wind was increasing on my climbs over Mt. Prospect and Williams. By the time I got to the top of Greylock, it was blowing pretty good. The only view was of the blowing mist clouds. I kept on moving down the trail. The rain intensity increased the closer I got to the shelter. Fortunately, the shelter had lots of spots for hanging wet clothes.My total hike mileage went over 2100 today! If my plan works out, I'll be finishing on Saturday 10/12.
Date: 2013-10-09
From: Kay Wood Shelter

To: Upper Goose Pond Campsites
Miles today: 17.6

My sightings of larger mammals has fallen off drastically since the White Mountains. The largetst mammals I've seen since then are chipmunks. I did get a very early wake up this morning. A pack of coyotes started howling, that sounded very close to the front of the shelter. With my headlamp on I still wasn't able to see them though.
Date: 2013-10-12
From: Glen Brook Shelter

To: Salisbury CT, Cobble Rd
Miles today: 13.8

This was my last day on the trail. Grrrr met me with about 2 miles from my finish. It was great to see him. We hiked out together. My AT hike was completed by walking across Cobble Rd at the point I walked into Salisbury last June. Not the climatic finish that climbing Katahdin would have been, but a completed thru hike.My thanks - for the support of my family; Lynn, who managed my shipments from Wisconsin;And my sister for transcribing my emails for this Journal;And to the many hikers who's paths crossed with mine during my hike.Happy TrailsZook
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Dalton MA mile 620.1/1564.1

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

Hiked form Dalton MA to Mark Noepel Shelter.  Started the day getting the trash out of the house. Was going to try and get a hair cut but barber wasn't going to open till nine. We got on the road to Dalton, MA, about 8:20. We made a stop in Pittsfeld, MA. For gas. Arrived at the trail about 10:00 am. Wasn't sure I really wanted to start today. Once I put the pack on and started up the trail at  about 10:15 almost seemed like 10 months had not gone by since I got off the trail last August. Shortly after starting I passed East Coast going South. He was out hiking Mt Greylock with friends. He is from Allentown and said he was going to hike home which would be the Delaware Water gap area. When I started this morning it was very light rain. By the time I arrived at the shelter it was a full on down pour. So, I had a great welcome back to the trail day. Cool temperatures, light rain, medium rain, and heavy rain. When I got to the shelter it was about 16:00, a guy named Wombat was here. He had come in from the campsite about 4 miles North out of Dalton MA.  First thing I did is get out of the wet clothes and put something warm on. Then fixed a hot lunch - black Bean Chili. Then  got water. Next a nap, then dinner of Marakesh soup at 7:30. We sat and chatted for a little bit before I started this journal entry. That's it for today. May read for a little now.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Mark Noepel Shelter

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

hiked from Mark Noepel Shelter to Seth Warner shelter. Started up the trail at 8:00  Hiked to Bascom Lodge and had second breakfast. Spent a little over an hour there. Had potatoes and vegetables and a cup of fresh fruit. Was a lot better than the cereal with water on it I had for first breakfast. While heading into North Adams caught up with Snakeman. He's from someplace in North Carolina and has been hiking the trail for a number of years. Picks up where he let off the previous year at the same time the next year. He got his name because he likes to pick up snakes. If they are venomous all the better. He stopped today at North Adams and was going to stay at one of the Inns tonight. I took a half hour break break on a bench along the trail just the other side of the Housatonic river.  Arrived at the shelter at 17:45. It's an 8 person shelter; there are 7 in it now with me here. Tis a bit cozy. There is also a dog in it with us. Right now my dinner is steeping. So, I'm going to cut this short and eat it soon. Till tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Bennington VT
Miles today: 10.5

Hiked from Seth Warner Shelter to Bennington VT. Started the day hiking at 7:30 or so. Was still sort of raining. Someone referred to it as holy water, the water that comes off the trees when the wind blows. I got a lot of that today. Going across a power line clearing the wind picked up a lot. Put a real chill in the bones. When I got to Congden shelter there were still people in it. That was about 11:00. I sat down and had lunch. Not sure when I finished. Guess they were getting a late start. A number of them had started from North Adams, MA. There was only one that had started from Springer. Said he started on March 17th. Three months seems a little quick to me to be this far north. As I followed him out of the shelter he was moving fairly quickly though. The trail was mostly a creek again today. At a certain point I gave up on missing the water on the trail and just started hiking through it. I decided I should be like the water. Take the path of least resistance. Once that decision was made you start to move easier and a little quicker. Although sometimes the mud just about sucks the shoes off your feet. The descent to VT 9 was really steep and rocky. Slipped once and bent one of my poles a little bit. Didn't really have any cell service at the road so couldn't get a cab or find out when the bus comes through. I started to hitch into town. I ended up walking about a mile or so before I got a ride. It ended up being a guy from NJ who has a place close to Bennington VT. He took me right to the Post Office. My mail drop was there. The web says I picked it up at 14:22. Guess I made good time today.  There is a Brew Pub in town. Leave it to me to find micro brew beer along the trail. It draws me like a magnet. Also found a pizza place that does not put eggs or dairy in their dough. So, it was veggie pizza for dinner.Since I'm a day early it means I'm going to have extra food going out of town. Oh joy extra weight. It means I could also take more time getting to the next drop. Problem is it looks like I can do 3 ten mile days as it is. Which is kind of a good pace to start. Not like the last three days.
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Bennington VT

To: Goodard Shelter
Miles today: 10.1

Hiked from Vt 9 Bennington, VT to Goodard Shelter. Was a short day but was probably one of the most miserable. The trail was a stream most of the miles. The temp. was in the low 40s. The trail itself was not that bad. When I arrived at the shelter Sprout and  Leonard were here. They had settled in and everything was spread out throughout the shelter which is a 12 person shelter. Since I got here three other people have arrived, AJ, Bright Side, Larryboy. They all came in soaking wet and really cold. Larryboy started shivering shortly after he arrived. He got out of his wet clothes real quick and into some dry ones and into his sleeping bag. Now everyone  is all snuggled up in their sleeping bags. A couple of them only have 40 degree bags and not enough clothes. They wrapped there sleeping bags and themselves in a tap. Everyone turned in early. AJ is getting up early to head out to meet his folks around 10 am tomorrow.  The temp is now down to about 30 degrees
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Goodard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: light rain

Hiked from Goodard Shelter to Stratton Pond Shelter. This has been the best weather day so far on the hike. It did start to rain a little when I reached USFS 71. It stopped shortly after it started. When I arrived at Stratton Pond Shelter there were three people here. One guy is in for the weekend; the other two are heading South for a while. They came from Hanover, NH. A group of five or six came in - a bunch of friends. They have made a tradition of going out for Father's Day weekend. There are a couple of people here who are doing a little warm up for a section of the AT in the South. One young woman is hiking the LT.  Amy is her name; no trail name yet, though Mike keeps calling her Molly. It just may stick as a trail name. Hoot is here, he had to abort his thru hike last year due to Lyme. He has decided to get off again tomorrow. Says it's just too much right now. Slow Mosey came in a little bit ago, not sure if he is section hiking or thru hiking. I think that just about covers everyone. I'll be getting up early and on the trail by 7:00. Hoot has offered to give me a ride into Manchester Center. His wife is picking him up tomorrow. So, I should try to get to sleep soon. It's 21:30 right now.