morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-20
From: Trescott Rd, Hanover NH

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept pretty well. In the late evening, one of the cats had brought a small mole into the house and put it down. The mole then ran under a heat radiator as the cat attempted to recapture it. This went on for a while. Both cats snuck into the room where Puddles and I were sleeping at different times and cuddled up with each of us, but one of them smelled a little ¢skunky¢. Even so, it was still nice to have some home-like comfort from them. When I got up in the morning, I found the mole, dead, under my bunk. I was so glad it wasn¢t delivered directly to me. We said our goodbyes to Jennie, the animals, and a woman renting a room from Jennie as Bill Young picked us up to take us to the trail. He came up to the house and introduced himself to Jennie. Even though they were both trail angels on the Hanover/Norwich trail angel list, they had never met. Bill took us into Hanover where we took a photo of our feet on the AT plaque embedded in the sidewalk in  Hanover. It is a brass plaque, provided by the Dartmouth class of 1954. We also went to Lou¢s Restaurant, where they give a free donut to thru hikers. In addition to my free donut, I had a maple bacon donut. It was covered with maple frosting and sprinkled with bits of bacon. I figured it would be the one and only time I would ever eat one. Once again, Bill paid for whatever we got at Lou¢s, despite any resistance. He was very knowledgeable about the area and hiking, and shared interesting facts with us as we drove and walked around town. Bill dropped us off at Trescott Road and we hiked to Three Mile Road, where my friends Joe and Ali were picking us up for lunch. Joe and I have know each other since 2008, when we attended the FBI National Academy together. We had tried to coordinate something when we were in the New York area and it didn¢t work out. They were currently on the way to a conference in Quebec and had time to stop for lunch. We went to Latham House Tavern in Lyme. They were very hiker friendly. When we went in, we were taken past a wall with an AT map that had recently been put up, and told to sign our names and where we were from on the wall. We had a good lunch and even better conversation, before going back to the trail. It was great spending time with Joe and Ali, even for the little amount of time we had. Thank you for lunch!We hiked over Moose Mountain South, Moose Mountain North, and along Holt¢s Ledge, stopping at Trapper John Shelter. It was a full house. There were some familiar faces, Stripper, Chilli, Iggy, Ryan, Krista, and Wind Eagle, just to name a few. Many of the tent sites were taken, but none of them were great. Almost all of them had a slant. We got in late and quickly set up camp and ate dinner. Many thanks to trail angels Jennie, Bill, Joe and Ali!!!
Date: 2018-07-21
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was a nice day with good views from Lambert¢s Ridge, Smarts Mountain Fire Tower, and Eastman Ledges. It was a nice but sometime tough day of hiking, but I thoroughly enjoyed NOT being in the rain. We stayed at Hexacuba Shelter with Stripper, Chilli, Pirate, Oatmeal, and Wind Eagle. The shelter is a unique six sided shelter, and quite roomy and comfortable to sleep in. There was no water source at the shelter, so we had to get water and carry it up the last 6/10 of a mile to the shelter. When I stopped to get water, I had taken my Z Seat and put it inside some webbing behind my back on the borrowed pack I was using. When I got to the shelter, I realized it was gone. Chilli was kind enough to run back toward the creek where I last had it to look for it. He caught up with some SOBOs (south bounders, going the opposite direction of us) and asked if they had found a z seat. They thought they had struck lucky trail magic, and disappointedly admitted they had it and gave it to Chilli. He showed back up at the shelter, Z seat in hand! My story is that Chilli beat them up to get my seat back, which is more fun to tell, and SO opposite of who Chilli is. He is one of the most amazing young men I¢ve ever met. He is kind, introspective, and always smiling. You can¢t help but feel good and have a great outlook on life when you¢re around him. We ate dinner and turned in. We would get up at 4:30am to get to the road for a shuttle pick up to the Hikers Welcome Hostel before the rain hits in the morning.
Date: 2018-07-22
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: NH 25A
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: light rain

We got up to the 4:30 alarm. I packed up and had a snack bar. One by one we headed out to beat the rain. We went through Quartzite Ledges and over Mt. Cube. It was extremely windy on top and I had to lean into it so I wouldn¢t get blown over. It reminded me of how I¢ve had to lean forward for shotgun recoil during qualification shoots. There were good views, which I enjoyed for a few minutes before moving on. Two miles out, I contacted the hostel to pick us up at NH Rte 25C. When I got down to the road, Bisquick was there with a van and everyone was loading up. Stripper asked Bisquick if we could make a quick stop to find something to celebrate Wing Eagle¢s upcoming birthday. She found a large Whoopi pie, big enough for several people to share, at a local country store. We arrived at the hostel and selected our bunks. The hostel was modest with the toilet, shower, sink, washer and dryer outside under a canopy. The common room inside served as kitchen, dining, computer room, and movie room. Showers and laundry were first priority, as always. We were driven to a local restaurant to pick up food to go for dinner. Puddles and I had the unfortunate situation of two thru hikers sleeping in the bunks above us, and neither taking a shower. There is no stank like thru hiker stank when showers are not taken, and clothes not washed. Normally when arriving at a hostel, everyone is fighting to get in the shower. It amazes me when people don¢t take advantage of the opportunity to be clean. Don¢t get me wrong, I don¢t smell like a peach. I am embarrassed about the odor that emanates from me after 3 days of not showering. I cannot wait to take a shower, even if it¢s only 1 day. I don¢t like  walking around with a ¢pig pen¢ cloud surrounding me.The hiker above me layed on his bunk for a while, and when he got up, the odor lingered from his sheets. Ugh! Tomorrow we¢ll take advantage of a slack pack.
Date: 2018-07-23
From: NH 25A

To: NH 25
Miles today: 9.7

A short time before my alarm went off, the hiker sleeping above me climbed into his bunk. I woke up to an alarm, and stanky hiker #1 standing in front of my bunk talking to stanky hiker #2, telling him he was going to take a shower before starting his hike. Now the shower situation makes even less sense to me. I didn¢t sleep much last night due to a guy who was staying at the hostel who was talking loudly downstairs after quiet hours. He was a previous thru hiker who appeared to just be hanging out, and providing a few rides. He slept upstairs in the bunk room on the sofa, but even kept me awake with his snoring and coughing. I can usually sleep through anything.I got up and ate breakfast and caught the shuttle out to complete a 9.7 mile slack pack from 25A to 25, basically hiking back to the hostel. It was a uneventful day of hiking in the rain. It¢s never fun hiking in the rain, and today was no different. I do enjoy my umbrella though. It keeps the rain from pounding on me, and allows me to take some photos. I was treated with trail magic in the form of an ice cream sandwich at the end of the day from a trail angel in the parking lot.During the night last night, Rainbow, who had been camping behind the hostel, got out of her tent briefly. She had left a snack in the tent, and left the door open. When she returned, there was a skunk who had gone inside to eat the snack. Needless to say, shooing a skunk out of tent isn¢t a viable option, so she ended up going inside the hostel to crash. She told me the young stanky hikers were trying to stay awake all night last night, and in their research they learned it¢s easier to stay awake if you don¢t take a shower. Lucky us that they decided to do that on the night they slept in bunks above us!
Date: 2018-07-24
From: NH 25

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

Ryan, Krista and Iggy were leaving the hostel today, so we said our goodbyes, not knowing if we would see them again. We were hoping for dry weather today, but it wasn¢t in the cards. It would rain most of the day. We would be going over Mt. Moosilauke, with an elevation of 4802 feet. The climb is approximately 4 miles, with an average grade of approximately 16%. Of course, when hiking up, one also has to hike down. We hiked the 9.5 miles southbound, as it was the safer direction, and ended up at the road where the hostel was located. Moosilauke starts the beginning of the hardest part of the trail, which ends approximately 225 miles north, after the Bigelows in Maine. That is not to say that the rest of the trail is easy. Far from it. The consensus is that it is the most difficult. Hiking paces slow down due to significant elevation changes. The hike started along Beaver Brook and up to Beaver Brook Falls. As it rained, the trail turned into steep rock slabs and water puddles. The goal was to stay safe, and get it done. Some parts were so steep, there were wooden steps attached to the rock faces to walk up. As I approached the top of the tree line, the wind picked up. Above tree line, it was like a monsoon. The wind was blowing the rain sideways, and I had to lean into it as it pushed me sideways as I walked. My umbrella was nearly useless, although I did turn it toward the wind to help shield me. The rain stung as it hit my legs. Visibility was poor as I stopped briefly to take fuzzy photos at the peak, then moved quickly to get below tree line to finish the hike down. The sun came out before the end of day, and some of the trail went through a field. There was trail magic again today at the parking lot at NH 25. I joined Puddles and a couple other hikers, choosing a Long Trail Ale as my treat. After enjoying our trail magic, we headed back to the hostel for a shower and dinner. Tomorrow we will head toward the Kinsmans.
Date: 2018-07-25
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: light rain

I had oatmeal, a croissant breakfast sandwich, chocolate milk, and Mountain Dew for breakfast. I said goodbye to Wind Eagle before jumping in the van to get shuttled to Kinsman Notch to start hiking. I¢m sure we¢ll see her along the trail again. We hiked over Mt. Wolf, a 3500 foot, tree covered peak. After crossing over the peak, we ran into Mudsmeller and Cutie Handful sitting on a log at the side of the trail. They were changing their hiking plans a bit, because they were moving slower than expected. They had some reservations at huts, and wanted to keep them , so they decided they would do some day hiking, instead of trying to cover ground backpacking. The trail was covered with large puddles of water and mud because of the large amount of rainfall in the past few days. There were some bog crossings where the logs put in place to walk on, had sunk and were impossible to walk on. Puddles and I had to bushwhack around one of the bogs, as the water was at least 1 1/2 feet deep when I checked it with my trekking pole, and we did not want to find out if it was any deeper. Most of the day was spent navigating water, mud, wet tree roots, and wet slabs of rock. Some of the trail was forgiving, with pine needle covering it, along with the familiar balsam scent that I¢ve become accustomed to and enjoy immensely. Throughout the day, the hiking required pulling myself up and down with exposed tree roots as well as rock climbing. After having fallen twice yesterday and once the day before, I was happy that I didn¢t fall today. Hiking this section of the trail requires focus, and today I found myself getting mentally drained. Just when I think I have good solid footing, my foot slides down a rock or along a tree root. Most of the time I catch myself before losing my balance or falling. When I do go down, it happens so quickly, I barely know what hit me. Today was a day of no views. The only view I had all day was when the forest opened up to an area cleared for power lines. I was able to see some mountains in the distance, and a mountainside near the clearing. I did come across a bird nest in the ground at the side of the trail with newly hatched babies. I discovered it the same way I did the last one, when an adult bird flew in front of me, coming from the ground.We arrived at Eliza Brook Shelter and set up inside the shelter. Rainbow was there with her tent set up. She shared some delicious tea with Puddles and I, which hit the spot after hiking in mucky conditions all day. Several hikers came into camp, many setting up tents. Several wet hikers set up in the shelter. I scoped out Eliza Brook, which we would be crossing in the morning. It appears there is a route across some boulders that we should be able to navigate. Puddles and I plan to get up at 4:30 and hike out if it isn¢t raining.
Date: 2018-07-27
From: Lonesome Lake Hut

To: Franconia Notch - Liberty Springs - Interstate 93
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: overcast clouds

July 277/27 - 2.9 to Franconia Notch Interstate 93 (Liberty Springs) (Motel)I woke up and packed. I slept well during the night. While waiting for leftovers for breakfast, I went down to the lake to see the sunrise. After eating, we were given the job of thoroughly cleaning the bunk rooms. This included wiping down window sills, wiping down bunks, folding blankets, and sweeping floors. The four of us went to work and finished as quickly as we could, while providing quality work. Puddles and I were motivated by meeting Brian and niece Lauren for lunch. Lauren was going to hike with us after lunch. We got a later start than we wanted because of the work for stay, but only had 2.9 miles to hike. Brian and Lauren picked up Puddles, Rainbow and I, and we went to lunch. Afterward, we came out to pouring rain. Buckets of rain. I had reached my breaking point after days of rain, wet and steep rocks, walking through water, hiking up streams of water on the trail, and being wet. I broke out in tears and said I couldn¢t take the rain anymore. We were planning to hike an additional 3 miles, but with the amount of rain we were getting, we would be walking up a stream. We decided to take a nero day and stay the night in town. We ran errands for supplies and food. I replaced another lost bandana. Rainbow, knowing that I lose bandannas (and qother items) on a regular basis, picked up a nice bright green one from the hiker box at the post office for me. Hiker boxes are all along the trail at locations frequented by hikers such as hostels, motels, hotels, post offices, restaurants, and stores. Hikers can donate things they don¢t need such as food and gear. Hikers can also take what they need. We tried to find a place where Puddles, Rainbow, and I could stay in the same room, but just about everything in town was booked. Puddles and I ended up getting rooms at the Liberty Motel and Rainbow made arrangements to stay at a hostel. We dropped off Rainbow and after getting taken out food for dinner, headed to the motel. Wing Eagle was there with LeAnn. Wing Eagle is experiencing some severe knee pain and will be going home to see a doctor. Puddles and I set up a shuttle back to the trail for 6:15am.
Date: 2018-09-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept in then got up and helped myself to some delicious left over french toast in the fridge. I watched news about Hurricane Florence, which had not made landfall. Today we would get laundry done and repack our gear. I spent some time with the cats, one of which doesn't come up to strangers, except me. Every time I open the door to go outside of the pool house, the cat would run across the pool deck and wanted attention. It felt like home. By the afternoon, we were ready and headed out. We stopped at grandpa's house, where Blueberry and I were given a bag of dried fruit medley to take with us. We left and headed toward the trail. We would be starting at Fontana Dam and hike south three days to Franklin, NC. At Franklin, we would assess the weather and if it was good, would continue three more days to Hiawassee, GA. On the way, I took a look at the trail alerts. An alert had been issued while we were visiting with grandpa which indicated the trail where we planned to hike was being closed the next day at noon. We stopped the car, checking all the information. We were done. Florence had taken a more southernly route and was projected to follow a different path. Based the information we had when we decided to to go south, it all made sense, but Florence had a different idea. We stopped and picked up some food and beverages on the way home and talked about how we would likely be changing our plans down the road for the rest of the hike to accommodate the delay. After dinner we went for a nice boat ride and enjoyed a great sunset. Blueberry and her parents could not have been nicer. I settled in for another night of great sleep in a comfy bed, ready to wait out the storm in Tennessee.
Date: 2018-09-13
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

During the night, I dreamed I went home and during my time at home, I had a muscle activation technique (MAT) treatment. As I was waking in the morning, but not fully conscious, I started my morning stretching ritual which begins with stretching my legs lengthwise, as if I¢m trying to make them longer (as if...). I then attempt to contract my quads. This is something I have been doing for a few weeks, but barely get a response, and it causes pain in my kneecap. My knees and patellar tendons are inflamed and tight. I have lost a lot of mobility since starting my hike, especially during the time I hiked through the White Mountains where they were pounded by going downhill on rock. My knees have hyperextended more times than I can count, and every time they do, it causes a shooting pain that stops me dead in my tracks until I recover. I stretch every morning, but with my quads not contracting properly, I am unstable when I hike, especially when going downhill and down stairs.  I have learned to widen my stance as I hike to make up for the instability. Going down is the hardest part of hiking for me as it is painful, and my right knee occasionally gives out. As I laid in my half asleep state, thinking that I was home, and just had an MAT treatment, I couldn¢t figure why my legs didn¢t work. As I woke up, I realized I had been dreaming. This prompted me to take another look at the possibility of going home. Airfare was expensive but a rental car $99 plus tax, and a 7 1/2 hour drive. I got a ride from Blueberry¢s mom (¢The Warden¢) to pick up a rental car, and I was on my way. I made a quick stop in Cincinnati for a break, and to say hi to my friend Jo, who came out to be a trail angel in Pennsylvania on Memorial Day. I dropped the car off and got a ride home from my friend Sherri. It was so nice to be home, in my own bed.
Date: 2018-09-21
From: Snickers Gap, VA Rte 7

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

After being home for a week and off trail for nine days, I returned to the trail. I stayed home a few extra days to give myself more time to recover. I had a lot of body work done while home, and appreciate everyone who made time for me at the last minute to do so. It will certainly help in keeping me healthy to finish the trail.Mike, a shuttle driver, picked me up from the airport, stopped so I could get fuel, and took me directly to the trial. It wasn't raining, but it was damp and the trail was wet. When I left off, I had completed 4 of 14 miles of the "Roller Coaster", a 14 mile stretch of steep climbs and descents with few views. In addition to the climbs and descents, there are several rocky sections. It was a good re-introduction back to the trail. The day was relatively uneventful and I ended up at Rod Hollow Shelter with Gizmo, Dreamer, Spirit, and Jim, who arrived after I did.  I arrived a little late and did not feel like setting up my tent, so I slept in the shelter. No one else was in the shelter when I arrived, and I took a spot on the upper deck, primarily because the lower deck smelled like "cat piss" as was noted in the comments in Guthook. said the shelter smelled like "cat piss", and it did. I was glad to get the roller coaster done. I had dinner and went to bed early. The days are getting noticeably shorter.
Date: 2018-09-22
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: VA 55, Linden VA
Miles today: 15.4

The day started off with no rain, then turned to a light rain. Dreamer and Spirit were the first to leave camp followed by Gizmo and myself. Everyone except Jim are "Flip Floppers" who have completed the north part of the trail and are headed south to Georgia. The trail was a mixture of woods and open fields today. There was more mud than yesterday. There really hasn't been much give in the weather to have the trail dry out. The rain stopped after a short time, and I ran into a lot of day hikers, some in large groups, including boys scouts. I talked to a few day hikers who were curious about my hike. Many people don't know much about the Appalachian trail, even though they're hiking on it. I can't say that I knew a lot about it the first time I hike on it either.I hiked 15 miles to a point that I could get picked up by Mike, who also has a hostel. I will be staying at his hostel and doing some day hiking, also referred to as "slack packing". I want to keep my feet dry, so staying at a hostel affords the opportunity to dry out wet shoes and clothing. It also gives the opportunity to do some day hiking, which helps keep the body healthy by not carrying a full pack, along with the ability to hike more miles. Hostels are also more reasonably priced than hotels, and provide picks ups from the trail. I will likely be taking advantage of hostels and day hiking opportunities during the southern half of my hike.After Mike picked me up from the trail, I mentioned stopping someplace to get some craft beer. We stopped at the Front Royal Brewery and had a flight of some excellent brews while watching college football. A great end to a second day of getting my trail legs back under me.
Date: 2018-09-23
From: VA 55, Linden VA

To: Compton Gap Horse Trail, Shenandoah National Park
Miles today: 12.0

Mike dropped me off at the trail. It was a misty day with light rain. I hiked with my umbrella all day. The trail was wet and muddy with no views. There was a section of trail that went past property that is owned by the National Zoo. From what I learned from Mike, there are few animals there, but it is a large fenced in area. I saw a few day hikers today and ran into one of my hiker buddies, Wing Eagle. We were hiking in opposite directions. We met at the beginning of my hike in Harpers Ferry and have run into each other several times. She had to come off trail a couple times for injury and illness, but still going strong. We have kept in touch with each throughout the summer.I made it back to Mike's hostel where I could dry out my shoes and clothes. I've been in touch with Puddles, who waited out Hurricane Florence with Eddyman at Mike's. They are several days in front of me and I'm hoping to catch up and be able to hike with them again, before coming off trail again. I have previous commitments that will take me off trail a couple more times before I complete my hike, so it looks like I will keep playing catch up. I'm hoping that doing day hiking will assist me, but I'm not sure if Puddles and I will be able to finish together, due to the number of days I will be off trail.