morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-16
From: Main Street Norwich Vermont 

To: Main Street Norwich Vermont 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

July 16Main St. Norwich VT - Main St. Norwich VT 0Zero day in Norwich VT and Hanover New Hampshire. Big thumbs up to Norwich Inn. Hiker rate is considerably lower than normal rate. Nicest place we have stayed on AT. Surprised they let us check in yesterday the way we looked and smelled. AT supporters in Hanover New Hampshire put together a list of individuals who will host hikers and/or provide shuttles, i.e., Trail Angel's. We called Marilyn from the list and she picked us up from the Norwich Inn at 10 am and took us to; outfitter. grocery store, optical store and AT&T store. What a great service and a huge assist to us to get all errands and resupply accomplished! Relaxed and arranged pack the balance of the day. Dan & Whit's is a General Store next to the Norwich Inn. It is a community institution and caters to AT hikers. In fact, they give AT hikers free day old sandwiches. As we enter New Hampshire the difficulty of hiking increases. I have heard the expression that while we have 20% of AT left it will require 80% of total hike effort. Many hikers before me have completed this next section and I am determined and confident I can do the same. Tomorrow we move forward!
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Main Street Norwich Vermont 

To: Goose Pond Road
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

July 17Main St. Norwich VT - Goose Pond Road15.4Road walk out of Norwich VT across the Connecticut River and I entered New Hampshire. Twelve states complete with two remaining. AT takes you through Hanover, NH, home of Dartmouth College. Very nice affluent college town with many restaurant options. We chose Lou's for breakfast, they offer free donut or muffin to hikers. I enjoyed a great breakfast sandwich and maple donut. The place was jammed, so we sat at the counter. Adjacent to us were Missy and Rich from the Baltimore area. They were visiting their son. Rich had roots in the Staunton VA area. We had a nice conversation with them over breakfast. AT followed through downtown Hanover and entered the woods near the football stadium. Continue to meet south bound AT thru hikers who started about 5 weeks ago from Mt. Katahdin. Enjoyed trail magic from Dennis and Marsha at 3 Mile Road and Goose Pond Road - Coke, Hot Dogs, Chips, Baked Beans and Donuts. Big Thank You!. It made a difference having two hiking poles again and new shoes. Hopefully my equipment is all set for the finish. Trail was not overly difficult today, but we called it a day around 5:30 after 15.4 miles. We are stealth camping near Goose Pond Road. Stealth camping is camping not in a designated area, basically find a spot.
Date: 2016-07-18
From: Goose Pond Road

To: Hexacuba Shelter 
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

July 18Goose Pond Road - Hexacuba Shelter14.7Stopped at "The Ice Cream Man's" house. Home of Bill Ackerly who for many years provided ice cream bars, place to camp, WiFi and power connection to AT hikers. He also was a croquet master and took on all AT hikers who dared challenge him. Regrettably Bill passed away in May 2016. His family is working to keep the tradition alive. When we stopped no ice cream was available, but we were able to get water, use WiFi and charge phones. Big climb up Smarts Mountain, 2400 feet with several steep rocky sections. Also encountered considerable mud which required the talent of a ballerina to negotiate stone and tree limbs as stepping stones. Met Handmade on the way up Smarts Mountain who was using an axe to clear trees across the trail. He thru hiked last year and was disgusted with lack of trail maintenance. He vowed to return and perform trail maintenance on trees across the trail. He started in Lincoln, New Hampshire and has been working his way south. Today was a tough hiking day for me, i.e., considerable elevation change, steep and rocky. All conditions I will encounter going forward and preparation for what awaits us in the White Mountains. As I write this it is raining and I am at Hexacuba Shelter.
Date: 2016-07-19
From: Hexacuba Shelter 

To: NH 25
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

July 19Hexacuba Shelter - NH 2514.8Significant thunderstorm last night, glad I was in a shelter. We experienced the impact today as many trees were down across the trail, which requires either a walk through or around the debris. Also saw the work of "Homemade" in terms of trees he cleared from the trail with his axe. Commendable that he has taken it on himself to clear tree blow downs. Unfortunate the local AT Club has not done a better job performing blow down maintenance and trimming of over growth on the trail. My local AT Club, Roanoke VA AT does an excellent job maintaining their 113 miles of the trail. I do not always see this level of diligence on other sections of the AT. Significant steep rocky climb up Mt. Cube to start the day and then an easier last 10 miles to NH 25 and Hikers Welcome Hostel. As we descended Mt. Cube we met a southbound hiker by the name of Wrong way. We first met Wrong way on May 25 as we left Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. He thru hiked in 2015 and rode his bike from New Mexico via the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He was headed to Mt. Katahdin to begin a southbound thru hike. Little did we know we would meet again on the AT, quite a coincidence. Continue to meet more southbound thru hikers all left approximately 5 weeks ago. Tomorrow we begin hiking the Whites with Mt. Moosilauke our first 4000+ Mountain in New Hampshire.
Date: 2016-07-20
From: NH 25

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: few clouds

July 20NH 25 - Kinsman Notch9.3Taking advantage of opportunity offered by Hikers Welcome Hostel to slack pack Mt. Moosilauke. This is our first 4000+ Mountain in New Hampshire and is just before we enter White Mountain National Forest. Steep rocky climb along a waterfall for the first 1 1/2 miles followed by walk thru high pine forest to the open area at the summit of Mt. Moosilauke. The smell of "Pine Sol" was in the air. Once I reached the summit the temperature dropped and the wind picked up considerably. In fact, I put on my puffy jacket and beanie. View was a 360° with a great look at the upcoming White Mountains, including Mt. Washington. Took several photos and hunkered down behind a rock wall to eat our lunch. On the way down we encountered our first Moose (see pictures). It seemed to be guarding the trail and required a slow walk to get around it. I am told it is unusual to see a moose at high elevation. With a big climb comes a big descent and this was no exception. Completed hike around 3:30 pm and felt good to have Mt. Moosilauke complete. Spending the night at Hikers Welcome Hostel. We will be shuttled back to Kinsman Notch tomorrow morning and head north
Date: 2016-07-21
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Kinsman Pond Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

July 21Kinsman Notch - Kinsman Pond Shelter10.5Today was the most difficult hiking day I can remember. Instead of normal pace of approximately 2 miles per hour I averaged around 1 mile per hour. I had thoughts during the day that if everyday in the Whites is like this I am not sure I can make it. I spoke to several hikers who have previously hiked this section. They indicated it was an especially difficult section and is not indicative of what I will face. This helped my outlook. Several steep rocky climbs, highlighted by 1000 foot climb up South Kinsman Mountain in 1 mile. The views at the top were spectacular and this usually makes you forget the difficulty of the climb. Trail was up and down, root covered and muddy. I could never get into a hiking rhythm. What I have to guard against is getting "angry" at the trail. It is what it is and I must adapt to it. Needless to say the Whites will be a challenge and my pace slower. I need to take my time and enjoy the spectacular scenery/views. Today was a great example of the value of a hiking partner. If I was hiking alone I would have probably stopped at the Ezra Brooks Shelter at 3:30 pm and called it a day, I was spent. Forrest wanted to hike on and it was the right decision. It helped that the next 1 mile was along Eliza Brook, which was beautiful and calming. As a result we hiked another 4 miles to Kinsman Pond Shelter, which was the right decision. The conventional wisdom is that your pace in the Whites slows and you are happy with 8 - 10 miles/day.
Date: 2016-07-22
From: Kinsman Pond Shelter

To: Franconia Notch 
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: overcast clouds

July 22Kinsman Pond Shelter - Franconia Notch4.8When I arrived at Kinsman Pond Shelter last night it was full of trail maintenance volunteers from the Appalachian Mountain Club. This is the club that maintains the trail in the Whites. All the volunteers were women and they reluctantly made space for a sweaty male thru hiker. I was very tired from a tough day hiking. All I wanted to do was set up my sleeping pad, sleeping quilt, eat something and go to sleep. The shelter was adjacent to a pond, which allowed me to wash my legs and face off. I was the first one to go to sleep, but was awaken by the loudest snoring I have heard from a female in a shelter. Her trail name should be "Freight Train". I fumbled around and located my ear plugs, which did the job and allowed me to sleep. I was up early and Forrest and I left by 6:30 am. Forrest tented and avoided the snoring in shelter. Trail was steep and rocky leaving the shelter, but improved after 2 miles as we reached Lonesome Lake Hut. Huts in the Whites are operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). They are very popular with families doing day or section hikes. The rate is $120/night, which is high for AT thru hikers. They do provide leftovers to AT hikers. We were given all the oatmeal we could eat. They also provide soup for $2, all you can eat. I plan to take advantage of this. Short hike to Franconia Notch and resupply in Lincoln, New Hampshire. We are staying at Autumn Breeze Motel in Woodstock, NH. Very hiker friendly, picked us up at trailhead, did our laundry, shuttled to resupply and had cold drinks and beer in fridge for us. Recommend to AT hikers. We head out tomorrow morning. Weather forecast is good for the next several days, but unusually warm
Date: 2016-07-23
From: Franconia Notch 

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: scattered clouds

July 23Franconia Notch - Garfield Ridge Shelter10.3Big thumbs up to Autumn Breeze Motel in North Woodstock, NH. Highly recommend to AT hikers. Four mountains today, all over 4000 feet, i.e., Little Haystack 4800, Mt. Lincoln 5089, Mt. Lafayette 5263 and Mt. Garfield 4458 separated by Franconia Ridge. Hike up to Mt. Lafayette and Franconia Ridge was tough, but enjoyable. Views came and went with clouds and sun alternating. Enjoyed lunch on top of Mt. Lafayette. This section of Franconia Ridge is very popular for day hikers and given it was a Saturday the trail was crowded. It felt like we were at Disney World at times with kids running the trails and darting in and out. Around 1 pm everything changed, a thunderstorm rolled in and everyone scattered. Franconia Ridge is above tree line and not a place you want to be in a thunderstorm. We moved as quickly as we could to get below treeline, but frankly I was worried about lighting strikes. It rained on and off with several claps of thunder and lighting as we made the 4 mile hike to Garfield Ridge Shelter. Arrived at the shelter wet, but unscathed.
Date: 2016-07-24
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter 

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

July 24Garfield Ridge Shelter - Zealand Fall Hut9.6No rain today with blue skies and temperatures in the 70's. Hiked 2.7 miles to Galehead Hut and bowel of oatmeal, provided at no cost to AT thru hikers. I loaded it up with brown sugar and cream cheese frosting. Not necessarily an oatmeal fan, but it tastes great for a hiker. After the hut we faced an extremely rocky steep climb up South Twin Mountain. Climb was 900 feet in .8 miles to an elevation of 4902 feet with excellent views. Hiking today was difficult, which requires me to dig deep mentally. The Whites are testing me physically and mentally. We hiked 9.6 miles today and ended the day at Zealand Falls Hut, which is located next to a waterfall. Frankly, I am spent as we arrived at the Hut. We are staying at the hut under a work for stay arrangement, which means we get a dinner, place to sleep in exchange for 2 hours helping with chores. The Hut guests are paying $120/night for bunkhouse and meals. My dinner was quinoa, curry chicken, lasagna, mushroom soup and garlic bread. I had two helpings, which tasted great. I definitely need the calories. My chores were to wash cups and glasses, it took me approximately 30 minutes. Other thru hikers arrived later and were given our leftovers. I know they appreciated the food.
Date: 2016-07-25
From: Zealand Falls Hut

To: Crawford Notch US 302
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

July 25Zealand Falls Shelter - Crawford Notch US 3027.6Short fairly easy hike to AMC Highland Center for rest and recuperation, also allow time for blister on right heel to heal. I switched shoes in Norwich, VT and have been fighting a right heel blister issue. It is better, but the steep up hills put additional stress on it. In addition, weather forecast was for thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening and did not want to get caught above treeline, if I can avoid. Next two days weather looks good and plan is to reach Lake of Clouds Hut Tuesday night and ascend Mt. Washington on Wednesday. Pinkham Notch is goal Thursday. I am following the advice of previous hikers and taking it at a pace I am comfortable with and enjoying the incredible scenery. Thanks for support and encouragement, it is appreciated, helpful and needed.
Date: 2016-07-26
From: Crawford Notch US 302

To: Lake of Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

July 26Crawford Notch US 302 - Lake of Clouds Hut11.0Started climb up to the "Presidential" range, although all peaks are not named after presidents. Once again the pine smell is strong and invigorating, best described as an open bottle of Pine Sol. I felt really good this morning. I attribute it to the dinner and breakfast I had at AMC Highland Center. We stayed in their bunkhouse, which included dinner and breakfast. Dinner was a buffet and I loaded up on pork loin, chicken fingers, rice, broccoli, salad, bread and cheesecake, multiple helpings. Needless to say I got my monies worth. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, cereal, home fries and orange juice. I had multiple helpings of bacon. Our bunkmates gave us a ride to trailhead from AMC Highland Center, Trail magic. Today was a climbing day, i.e., 1277 feet to 5095, including Mt. Webster, Mt. Jackson, Mt.Pierce and Mt. Franklin. Stopped at Mizpah Springs Hut at noon and enjoyed soup provided To AT thru hikers for $2. After lunch it was series of small climbs, but all were above tree line. Above tree line you are exposed to weather changes and I experienced it today. Weather changed from sunny to foggy with winds gusts 30 + and light misting rain, which required rain jacket. Our objective was Lake of Clouds Hut, which we reached around 4 pm. We were able to secure work for stay. Our work involved taking an inventory of freezer and organizing items. Forrest and I did an outstanding job. We will get a meal and place to stay. We are 1.5 miles from summit of Mt. Washington and will reach it tomorrow morning. As I write I am watching clouds roll by the hut windows and the expanse of mountains in front of me. Meal was salad, lasagna, corn, soup and brownie, it filled me up.
Date: 2016-07-27
From: Lakes of Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tent Site
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

July 27Lakes of Clouds Hut - Osgood Tent Site11What a difference a day makes, clear sky, with no fog or cloud obstructions, but temperatures in the 80's most of the day. Started with 1.5 mile hike to Mt. Washington, which is the second highest point on the AT at 6288 feet. Outstanding views from the summit. I got a surprise visit from Chris List. Chris was an Appalachian Trail Institute participant and has closely followed my hike. He also met us in Hot Springs, NC. Great to see Chris, we may get together on Thursday in Gorham NH. After leaving Mt. Washington the AT parallels the Cog Railroad, which we watched bring visitors to Mt. Washington. It reminded me of the little engine that could as it chugged up the mountain. The AT follows a ridgeline after Mt. Washington and crossed or skirted the following mountains; Mt. Clay, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Madison. The trail is rocky and involves considerable up and down. It is above tree line for approximate 6 miles, so having good weather is critical. It also meant we were in the sun most of the day, got a little sunburned on neck. Stopped for a break at Madison Hut and eat our lunch along with bowel of free oatmeal. Leaving we had a steep 500 foot boulder climb over 1/2 mile, followed by steep descent over rocks/boulders for 3 miles until we reached Osgood Tent Site. My knees were "screaming" at me during this descent. Passed a couple of hikers who were stopped to take "Vitamin I", hiker jargon for ibuprofen. Happy to reach Osgood Tent Site, set up tent. I ate dinner and went to bed quickly, long tough last half of the day. Tomorrow our plan is to reach Pinkham Notch, 5 miles and stay at White Mountain Lodge and Hostel, resupply and get rest before we finish the last 21 miles of the White Mountains.
Date: 2016-07-28
From: Osgood Tent Site

To: Pinkham Notch 
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: few clouds

July 28Osgood Tent Site - Pinkham Notch4.7Short hike into Pinkham Notch this morning with plans to stay at White Mountain Lodge and Hostel in Gorham. Will rest and resupply. The white blaze trail marking system in the White Mountains is not always utilized. In some cases you rely upon rock cairns to identify the trail. Leaving the campsite this morning neither Forrest or I read our guidebook closely and we missed a key cutoff trail. As a result, we hiked probably an extra hour, lesson learned. There is a section of the AT in which no white blazes are used. We hiked this section today. For the life of me I do not know why or the rationale. The white blaze system has worked for over 1800 miles and someone smarter than me from the Appalachian Mountain Club decided not to use blazes. I have heard several comments from other hikers frustrated with lack of or confusing signage in the section of AT maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), enough venting. Rested and cleaned up items this afternoon. Met Chris List for dinner and a resupply trip to Walmart. Thank you Chris! Plan is to complete the final 21 miles of the White Mountains over the next two days.
Date: 2016-07-29
From: Pinkham Notch 

To: North Carter Mountain 
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

July 29Pinkham Notch - North Carter Mountain Stealth Campsite11.2Another Pine Sol day with hiking in high pine areas. Stayed at White Mountain Lodge and Hostel last night. Good hostel, recommend for AT hikers. They shuttled us to trailhead and we got started hiking a little after 8 am, which is late for us. Day started with climb up Wildcat Mountain Peaks A,C,D & E, an elevation change of 2200 feet to 4422 feet. Wildcat is a large ski resort and peak D was the top of their gondola system. As has been typical the climb was rocky and steep. Just as we reached peak D it started to drizzle, but fortunately did not last long. The balance of day was sunny and warm. Reached Carter Notch Hut around 12:30 pm and stopped for lunch. Carter Notch Hut is the final hut for northbound hikers. Enjoyed a bowl of Moroccan Lentil soup and bread. This was the best soup of any of the huts. Big 500 foot climb out of hut to Carter Dome and Mt. Hight, which provided great views of Presidential Range. After a long day Forrest and started to look for tent sites and located a site near North Carter Mountain. It was not ideal, but worked. Overall happy with 11.2 miles over some tough terrain and sets us up for 10 mile hike into US 2 Gorham on Saturday.
Date: 2016-07-30
From: North Carter Mountain 

To: US 2 Gorham NH 
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

July 30North Carter Mountain Stealth Campsite - US 2 Gorham NH9.9Got on the trail by 6:30 pm. Slept well last night in my tent with temperatures dropping into high 40's/low 50's, great sleeping weather. Climbed Mt. Moriah early with outstanding views back to the Presidential Range, i.e., Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams and Mt. Madison. It was a clear day and we could see auto road up Mt. Washington and various towers on top. Which are usually obscured by clouds. This was followed by long rocky descent to the Rattle River. After the Rattle Rivet the trail was nicely graded and gently sloping downward, probably the easiest trail we have walked in the Whites.This allowed us to pick up our pace and reach US 2 Gorham by 1:00 pm. Unfortunately, the White Mountain Lodge and Hostel was full, but Marnie the owner drove us into Gorham. We secured a room at Northern Peaks Motor Inn. My Merrill shoes that I received from Merrill in Norwich VT started to rip on one side and the tread was peeling. The Whites with the rock/boulder scrambling is tough on shoes. They lasted less than 200 miles. I was able to visit an outfitter in Gorham and secure what I hope will be my final pair of shoes. Met Chris List again in Gorham and he took me to Walmart for a couple of resupply items. Finished day with large dinner of Spaghetti and Meatballs at Mr.Pizza. With our arrival in Gorham we have finished the AT portion of White Mountains. This was tough/difficult hiking, but I feel a sense of accomplishment to finish. The scenery and views were amazing. We are 17 miles from Maine and expect difficult hiking the first 80 - 100 miles of Maine, but at this point the goal is closer. The words of encouragement and support from friends and family have driven me through difficult days, especially words of encouragement from my wife Jill!
Date: 2016-07-31
From: US 2 Gorham NH 

To: Carlos Col Shelter 
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

July 31US 2 Gorham NH - Carlo Col Shelter 17.0Chris List picked us up this morning and took us to trailhead. Words cannot express the appreciation of his assistance the last couple of days! Big thumbs and Thank You to Chris List. A bit of a road walk to start and climb up Mt. Hayes and more walking thru the "Pine Sol" forest. Walked by two good size ponds, i.e., Page and Dream that given the right time of day would be good spots for a Moose sighting, did not see a Moose. Final climb was up Mt. Success, which is aptly named since it is the last mountain in New Hampshire for northbound hikers. I did feel a sense of success going up and over it. A few miles later I reached the milestone of entering Maine, my final state. I have completed 13 states and 1907 miles. However, tough hiking remains over the next 80 - 100 miles, including Mahoosuc Notch. It is a jumbled pit of boulders that has been described as the hardest or most fun mile of the AT. I will let you know tomorrow which category I put it in.