morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-22
From: Greenwall Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter 
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

6/22Clarendon Shelter8.8 milesI woke up more tired than when I went to sleep. That's not how that's supposed to work. Thanks a lot, body. Thanks bunches. Phat D said bye on his way out, and I told him I was revising today's plan. Fifteen miles seemed out of reach. But bad weather is predicted for tomorrow, so getting as close as I can to the base of Killington would be nice. That way I could maybe get over the peak before the worst weather came in. I put on podcasts and let Sawbones distract and entertain me. I started to feel better as the morning went on. I ate tons, trying to use the food for energy. I think it worked. By the time I got to Clarendon Gorge, I felt almost normal. I decided to walk the half mile to the Whistle Stop to see if it were open, as I had conflicting reports. And I really wanted a coke. Sadly it was closed. And empty. And for sale. I wasn't overly surprised or disappointed. I turned around and walked back to the trail. It was worth the 25 minutes to check. The hike up the boulder filled ravine took about forever. When I got to Clarendon Shelter, I was ready to try for more, but everyone else was stopping. I really didn't want to go to Governor Clement myself, given its party reputation. I eventually decided to take the short day. Given how I felt in the morning, its probably for the best. Or so I tell myself. I have enough food to accommodate an extra day. I'm definitely looking forward to a day off, though. Not that it will feel much like one by the time I do my chores. One of these times I'm going to take a double zero. How decadent that sounds! Two whole days off in a row. I could eat six restaurant meals in a row. Mmm, mass quantities.
Date: 2017-06-23
From: Clarendon Shelter 

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

6/23Churchill Scott Shelter14.8 milesI got up as soon as it was light-ish, around 4:15. I was on the trail by 5:30. I once again let the weather worries of others affect me. In fact, there was a short period of light rain today, and that was it. Not worth any fuss!The climb from Clarendon Shelter north was a beast. I wished that I had had coffee. Eventually my heart sputtered up and it didn't feel like I was dying as I trudged up the hill. It reminded me of the midnight fire alarms in college, when my sleepy legs had to go up five flight of stairs afterward and it felt like burning. Killington went on forever. The weather wasn't a problem,but the bugs were. They bit right through my pants. How? I don't know but it hurt like hell. When I got to Cooper Lodge I took the peak trail so I could visit the cafe at the gondola up top. It was not hiking. It was a long steep rock scramble and no cafe at the end. Fortunately a couple was at the top and took me on another trail to the cafe. The cafe was closing early because they were hosting a wedding today. I got there with twenty minutes to spare and ordered a $16 burger and a coke. Not worth the tough climb up. However as I was leaving I met VitaMan who told me there was a short, easy trail (with stairs!) to take back to Cooper Lodge. I was thankful but also furious that there was no way to tell that before I went up. I definitely would not have dragged my sorry ass over all those rocks, had I known. After that I headed on to Churchill Scott Shelter. Not sure who all is tented, but I'm in the shelter with Powerhouse. Whistler made dinner at the shelter and Lilo and Stitch sat here for a while too. Apparently while I was focused on climbing today, my fanny pack chafing got out of control. Powerhouse helped me put bandages on it. At least she doesn't think it looks infected. I need to figure something out. Different fanny pack? Hang it from my neck? I dunno but my skin sure doesn't like the way things are right now. I'm missing home a lot right now. It's been over two months away, and it will probably be two more before I see my house. At least I get to see JD soon. He's going to visit me on the trail for a couple of days. They can't come too soon for me.
Date: 2017-06-24
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Yellow Deli Hostel
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: moderate rain

6/24Yellow Deli Hostel in Rutland1.9 milesMy sleep last night was restless. I put bug junk on my face to keep the gnats away, but the smell was so strong it was hard to sleep through. Then I had nightmares about a man coming to steal my food bag. Which is at least a very thruhiker dream to have. It rained as I walked down the mountain. I think technically it fogged, but it did so very wetly. Every wind shivered drops off the leaves. I finally got to the road and settled in to wait for the bus. But after fifteen minutes or so I started to realize that it could be a very long time before I saw a bus, and I stuck my thumb out. Five cars later, Kristin "Siren" McLane pulled over to pick me up. She was in town to take some folks on a backpacking trip, and was coincidentally driving down the road as I was standing there. So cool! And nice to see her!She dropped me off at the hostel in town. I got a bunk, a hot shower, and a filling breakfast right off the bat. I washed my clothes, then went out to buy supplies.  But first, more food at the brewpub next door. It doesn't do to shop on an empty stomach. Not that mine was. I noticed a movie theater and checked the time on Wonder Woman, then went back to the hostel to relax. I decided on movie theater popcorn for dinner, so no need to do anything about that meal. At six I headed for a theater, bought a popcorn that really deserved its own wheelbarrow, and settled in. The popcorn was a mistake that left me queasy, but the movie? So. Bad. Ass. I loved it!Back at the hostel, all these vibrant young people are still having fun at 10 pm, and for some reason somebody is using power tools. Argh! This was why I really would have preferred to stay in a motel. Not that I've never heard noise at a motel. The hostel is convenient to things I need, and they are extremely kind and helpful. But it's still a hostel, bustling with humanity.My plans for tomorrow are unclear. I know I don't want to stay here. My knees and skin irritations might like another day off. If so, I'll trek to a motel somewhere. Or maybe go back to the trail for a couple more miles and see if they have a room at the Inn at the Long Trail. If not, I could at least console myself with a beer at their bar.
Date: 2017-06-25
From: Yellow Deli Hostel

To: The Inn at the Long Trail
Miles today: 1.9

6/25The Inn at the Long Trail1.9 milesFor some reason construction happened after 10 pm last night. The thruhikers were all "argh!"I woke up around 6:30 and got up to make a cup of coffee. At 7:30 I found my way down to the deli for complimentary breakfast. It was pretty great. Coffee, eggs with corned beef and tomatoes in them, brown rice, fruit, and carrot cake. We ate at a big round table. It was nice. I have to say that despite the Yellow Deli's funky religious reputation, I really enjoyed my stay. It's well run, clean, kind, and thoughtful. Nobody pressured me to do anything. We were welcome to join in on a group thought sharing session, although I didn't.  It was easy going. This morning, the manager said to us "If you aren't likely to need a nap, please strip your beds." I mean, they are okay with, aware of, and plan for naps!After breakfast I caught the bus back to the trail. Within fifteen minutes I knew I wanted to stop for the day at the Inn at the Long Trail if they had a room. My chafed parts still hurt. Either way, though, I'd get some lunch there. They did have a room, yay! I checked in and ate a huge lunch - potato skins, turkey apple sandwich, slaw, two Guinness/Harp half and halfs, and a root beer float. I thought I was full until I saw the root beer float on the menu..Then I took a really excellent nap. There has been insufficient napping in my life as of late. I woke up around six and toddled downstairs. Agent Starling was in the bar, and I enjoyed talking to her while I ordered and ate dinner. A few other hikers came in, and we had a good time talking. Back at my room I cleaned up as well as I could. I'm kind of long term smelly by now. But I washed and stuff. And I put ointment on my many owies. I may try more bandages tomorrow to see if it helps. It's ludicrous how problematic my skin is. I'm lucky not to have gotten any infections yet. I've known hikers who ignored their chafing and ended up having to take antibiotics after the wounds got infected. Yikes. This next section will see me enter New Hampshire. Then the most strenuous part of the hike begins.
Date: 2017-06-26
From: The Inn at the Long Trail

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

6/26Stony Brook Shelter8.1 milesI've been thinking about this all day. I better write it down so I don't have to think about it tomorrow. You can use the horse and rider relationship as a metaphor for your mind body relationship when you're doing yoga. Specifically when you consider people forcing a stretch, this seems apt to me. When you ride a horse, you hold onto the reins and pull on them to do things with the horse's head. If you pull hard, to protect himself the horse will tighten his jaw, neck, and other muscles required to support the head and neck. He will pull just as hard against the reins as you are pulling on him. You, the rider, will also tighten your arms and back, which is needed to support your arms. With both of you tight, you sacrifice flexibility and posture. The horse will focus on resisting at the head, and his back and hips will reflect the tension you have inflicted. If, however, you supply a gentle tension, the horse does not need to resist, and can in fact relax a little bit. Without the threat of force, he can choose to submit to the pressure and stretch through the neck muscles. If you imagine that the horse is your partner, you can compare it to the partner stretches done in dance or martial arts, where one person pulls and the other person relaxes and is passively stretched. If you've ever experienced this kind of partner stretch, you know that it feels amazing. So when the horse is able to stretch using the gentle pressure you provide, it can be pleasant for him. And it leaves him not resisting, and very aware of the tension you are supplying. The softer the tension, the more precisely he can focus on it, as one can focus on the incredibly soft touch of a feather on one's skin. Applying this metaphor to your mind and body, your mind is the rider and your body is the horse. If you push yourself to stretch deeply by pushing or pulling strongly, your muscles tend to resist. You can tear a muscle (or a ligament!) by trying to force it to stretch past the point it is ready for. However, if you lean very gently into a stretch, and breathe, you can allow your muscle to relax gently. On the next exhale you can provide room for your muscle to stretch a little more. Just as I must listen to what my horse is telling me through the reins and how he is using his body, so I must listen to my muscles as they tell me how much they are ready to stretch in any given moment. Forcing the issue in either case leads to resistance and a loss of the flexibility I seek. I hope I don't have to think about that all day tomorrow. Today's hike was pretty painless. My two short days with lots of food and rest worked their lovely magic.
Date: 2017-06-27
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Winturri Shelter 
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

6/27Winturri Shelter9.9 milesIt continues to amaze me how much comfort I take in sleeping in the company of virtual strangers. Some primal part of me feels the safety in numbers. I felt that feeling last night and I slept so well. Though it could also have been the Benadryl. It poured last night after I got to the shelter and I was happy to be indoors, for certain values of indoors. It's three sided, but it has a roof and that's the key. I packed insufficient snacks today so I had to walk the last couple of hours hungry. I got to the shelter around two and plunged into my food bag, eating a little of everything. When it finally got to be five, I heated water for dinner and ate it hungrily, scraping out the last bits. I think my hiker hunger has ramped up. It was weird to stop so early but the shelters are awkwardly spaced, and I don't recall good campsites either. Last time I ended up camping on a slope, which isn't fun. I'm trying to tell myself the trail gave me the afternoon off, but I just feel slack. Tomorrow is only a little over twelve miles - still not ideal. But I'm hoping to stop at a farm market and eat a pie (not a slice. A pie.) so that'll take up some time. Tomorrow looks like maybe the first and only rainless day this week. It sure is turning out to be a wet year. Most days it isn't torrential rain, for which I remain grateful.
Date: 2017-06-28
From: Winturri Shelter 

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

6/28Thistle Hill Shelter12.3 milesThis morning we were all energized to get to the farm stand. Le Chef, Safari, Boss, Goddess and I walked the four miles together. I had coffee so I mostly kept up. I've camped with them the last few days and they're a great bunch - a husband and wife and a mother and daughter. I demolished a blueberry pie and two cokes, and picked up two packets of Gatorade powder for later. We headed across route 12 and into a section that seemed radically longer than the book says. It has a lot of steep trail, of the kind where there isn't a good place to push off. Very few rocks or roots to give a solid base. That terrain is awful for me - my calves overstretch and burn. The other four went ahead and I followed at my own pace. At Pomfret Road there was trail magic - sodas next to a stream. I chugged a root beer. I ate a whole lot of snacks today so I hope I have energy for the trek into Hanover tomorrow. We called a local trail angel who will let us stay at their house tomorrow night. That will be nice. I just want the basics out of Hanover. Shower, laundry, groceries, a good meal. I guess I need some non basics after all, because I also need denatured alcohol and preferably adhesive backed Velcro. My new shoes should be here soon and they'll need Velcro so they hold my gaiters on.
Date: 2017-06-29
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Norwich
Miles today: 12.2

6/29Norwich VT/ Warren's house12.2 milesWe all woke up feeling tired from yesterday. It was Le Chef's birthday but he wasn't really talking but his body language was glum. We all made coffee, ate breakfast, and started walking. The terrain was 100% easier than yesterday. The hills mostly only went on until I was just on the edge of needing to stop, then they'd level out. Boss and Goddess surged ahead while I walked near Safari and Le Chef. When we got to Norwich, Goddess waved at us from a porch so we went over. Randy and Linda have drinks and snacks for hikers. Somehow Linda created a surprise birthday cake for Le Chef! And they brought out little ice cream cups too. The look on Le Chef's face was amazing. It turned out that he had been having neck and back pain, though. Linda agreed to slackpack us four women, and Le Chef rode with her to the house of the trail angel who was putting us up in Norwich. The four of us moved quickly. Well, only three did until I figured out that I had to rotate my fanny pack around to my back. Otherwise sciatic pain slowed me way down. We arrived at Norwich to meet Warren, our host. I liked him immediately. I made much of his dog Nellie and we all had showers and washed clothes. Warren took us to Carpenter and Main, a fancy restaurant in Norwich. We had a wonderful but expensive meal. I tried to buy Warren's dinner but he refused. Sadly during dinner Safari announced that Le Chef was leaving the trail. We sure will miss him, Safari most of all of course. After dinner we went to Dan and Whit's general store across the street so I could get adhesive backed Velcro. They appeared to have one of everything. It was a pretty amazing store. I could have bought a full resupply there if I'd had time.
Date: 2017-06-30
From: Norwich

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: broken clouds

6/30Tented at Velvet Rocks Shelter1.4 milesApparently it poured last night. With my earplugs in, I was oblivious. The others were grateful, though. When Warren got up he offered to get some breakfast sandwiches at Dan&Whit's, which we accepted. We made coffee and all ate sitting on his porch, looking out at his beautiful view. Warren really has a great house. And I think he's a pretty special person. I was so glad to have a chance to meet him, and greatly appreciated his generosity. He even lent us his car so we could visit the grocery and outfitters. I bought a wool base layer and a fleece top which I already regret. My pack was beastly heavy when I left Hanover. It felt fine at Warren's. Something about the gelato, pizza, and beer I had in town made it heavier. I hope it feels lighter tomorrow. It probably won't though. We left Le Chef behind at Warren's. He's catching a train tomorrow. Safari is obviously going to miss him. She hadn't intended to do this hike solo. She'll still see him, though. He's going to get their car and see her between sections. I bet he even slackpacks her a little. There could be worse things in life. I checked the forecast and kind of wished I hadn't. There's a chance of large hail, damaging winds, and up to an inch of rain tonight. Good gravy. I'm in my tent thanks to mosquitoes. I hope it's still a tent in the morning.
Date: 2017-07-02
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Fire Warden's Cabin
Miles today: 4.7

7/2Fire Warden's Cabin4.7 milesI woke up at 7 and honestly I could have slept more. Yesterday was a hard, hard day. The rain made walking much harder as we dragged ourselves against the current of the water flowing in the trail. Each step that slipped used up more energy. Counting the seconds between flash and kaboom added to the anxiety of the day. Today dawned bright and clear and beautiful. It was hard to believe I was in the same world as yesterday. As we packed up, a woman with two dogs walked up and spoke to Safari. She hollered "We're going to her house!" Ann invited us back to her place to dry out. And have coffee. And have a full breakfast. And charge things. And pet her dogs. It was pretty much an oasis. Unfortunately I was feeling crumby so I was kind of green. After a while just lay down and watched the clouds go by until everybody was ready to leave. Due to the rain yesterday there was pretty serious flooding, and Ann had received a phone call that people were to stay off the roads except for emergencies. But she figured we weren't going too far so we all piled into her truck to ride back to the trail. After the long walk down the mountain to Ann's none of us wanted to walk back up the mountain just so we could walk back down on the AT. So she drove us down the road and pointed out where the trail crossed, then said "Why don't I take you to the base of the mountain?" She received unanimous agreement. We walked up Smarts Mountain and all agreed that it was a tough walk. When we got to the top I was doing mental math about how long it would take to get to Hexacuba and I was overjoyed when everybody else wanted to stop for the day. Wahoo!The bugs were awful outside so I've been hiding in the cabin. As usual we've been laughing loudly at our own jokes and I'm pretty sure scaring off all the men. Which is just fine by me.
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Fire Warden's Cabin

To: Ore Hill Tentsite
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

7/3Ore Hill tentsite12.8 milesThe hike today was ludicrously difficult thanks to damage done by the storm. Trail was washed out, flooded, slippery, silted in, and sometimes missing. In areas it looked as if there had been a lahar, with mud not local to the site covering the ground. One of the stream crossings had been eroded so ruinously the multiple trees on both sides had fallen into the stream. I was glad that we stayed where we did last night, as streams we crossed today were still running high. Signs of flooding further up the embankments made it clear that the levels had come down, but we easily could have found many of the streams impassable. My feet were wet all day from fording streams, walking through mud, falling into wet areas, and otherwise having a not fantastic time. Late in the day we crossed a paved road which had been washed out and undercut on one side. The little bridge near it had water running under it, nearly touching the bridge. It's clear that we had walked through a very serious storm. It had felt like heavy rain, and was surely impressive up on top of the mountains, but I didn't realize how destructive it would be. The effects will be visible for some time to come. Safari is ready for a day off, and I am too. But JD is coming soon and it doesn't make much sense for me to take a day off just now. I'm not sure what I'll do. It might be good to bank some miles so I get to keep hiking with my friends after JD's visit.
Date: 2017-07-04
From: Ore Hill

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

7/4Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff7.3 milesI slept awfully. My sleeping pad was on a slant and had roots under it. There were fireworks going off. I ached so much that it was hard to fall asleep. When I finally did, I had to get up to pee three times during the night. At two I got cold and had to put on more clothes and put my foam pad under my air mattress. I wanted a solid ten hours, but I figure I got a sketchy seven. At six I heard rustling and saw that Safari was taking her tent down. Bitching mightily, I packed up. She informed me that the branch our bear bags were on broke during the night. Luckily nothing came and ate our food. I made coffee. Out of poptarts, I had a protein smoothie and a snickers for breakfast. I may have snarled at all my camp mates. Everyone else left and I went to visit the privy. Somebody had gotten cute and gone with a medieval theme. The throne was literal. I fell within the first half hour thanks to the fricking mud. As this was clearly going to be a day in which things went wrong, I tried to walk as carefully as I could. I listened to podcasts and walked. No sights were noted. No efts were seen. Eventually I got to the road and walked down to the hostel. At the hostel I got a cold coke, which always helps. And a gorgeous hot shower. And a variety of boxes. I now have new shoes, a warm sleeping bag, and gloves. I'm ready for the whites. Oh and my new backpack! It will take a few days to sort out all the adjustments. For tomorrow I've borrowed a daypack from the hostel to slackpack Mooselauke southbound. I did it that way last time and still feel it's the safest way. I'll carry my pack back into the woods the day after that.
Date: 2017-07-05
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

7/5Kinsman Notch / still at hostel9.3 milesWe got up early to be ready to leave by 7 and were headed up the north side of Moosilauke by 7:30. Although the others quickly disappeared into the distance, I was pleased by how easy the climb felt compared to last time. When I reached the summit, I found spectacular views and it was surprisingly not chilly at all. I expected to need a jacket but instead I borrowed sunscreen from Safari. On the descent I stupidly took somebody's advice and took off my shoes to ford a river. I was reminded that I had good reason for deciding to wear my shoes in rivers years ago. Walking on the river bottom hurt! And then I didn't have any way to really clean the sand off my feet, so the last quarter mile to the hostel abraded skin off my feet. Oh, was I grumpy. But a shower and dinner helped. I talked to other hikers and ate hot dogs. Then I lay in a hammock, staring up through leaves as a man played a guitar and sang. I couldn't distinguish the words but it was soothing. I've had pretty bad cell service so my contact with JD is maybe not so contacty. I may be reduced to wandering the town of Lincoln, looking for a large man in search of his wife. At least Lincoln isn't a large town to be lost in.