morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-20
To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

It was a beautiful sunrise this morning. I took my time packing up and was on the trail just before 7am. I walked through an area that has many trees downed by the same storm that hit N VA when I was there. You could see the massive amount of work it took to cut the large oaks that were across the trail. The trail had lots of short rocky hills that made progress slow. I decided to keep going since it was a nice day. I'm at a shelter that is near town and others here ordered Chinese food. Tomorrow will be another small resupply. With stores close together I only have to carry a few days of food.
Date: 2018-06-21
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 13.4

The shelter I stayed at last night is privately owned and I met the owner this morning but didn't know it until a couple of hikers told me they also met him. I came upon a trail volunteer painting blazes on a tree. We had a good chat and he told me his trail name was Elvis Trailsly and he had hiked the entire trail twice in sections. I told him I was from MN and we had a good discussion of our epic mosquitos. I also met Hank from NJ a week or so ago also painting blazes. I told both that I appreciated their work. Without the volunteers the AT and most other trails would not exist. I want to give a shout out to all trail volunteers and thank you for your dedication. Today's hike started on a wet trail after last nights rain. I stopped at a deli about mid morning and had a big brunch. I also bought a few more resupply items. The trail today was a little easier but still had a few short steep rocky hills. I learned a new term the other day for mosquitos. An Aussie hiker I met calls them mozzies. The mozzies have been out the past few days.
Date: 2018-06-22
To: Ten Mile River Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

The first milestone I reached today was crossing into CT. I also reached the one third mark of the hike. I am halfway from my start in Daleville VA to the northern terminus of Mt Katahdin in ME. I planned the hike to be two thirds going north and one third going south. So far everything has gone as planned. Today's hike was on easier trail with a few hills to keep me honest. I stopped at a garden center next to the trail that also has hiker food. I bought some ice cream and a few supplies. I now have enough food to reach Salisbury CT in 42 miles for my next resupply. There is a dad and three kids ages 5, 7, & 9 in camp tonight. They had lots of questions for me and the other thru hiker. This is a brave dad starting an eight night hike. The next two days are supposed to rain. I hope they can stay dry.
Date: 2018-06-23
To: Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: broken clouds

What do you call the three sided structures that are at the camping areas? Along most of the AT, they are called shelters. But in some areas they call them something else. In Shenandoah NP they call them huts. Shelters there are structures for picnics or a simple roof with no walls to keep the rain off your picnic basket. Here in CT they call the camping shelters lean-tos. I guess they just want to be different. After a little rain overnight I thought the trail would be wet but it was fairly dry. Good thing because the trail was rocky and steep in places. The dad and three kids from camp last night would have much difficulty. I hope they made it or turned around. I have one more full day on the trail and then I should reach Salisbury by Monday afternoon. I'm contemplating a zero there after good progress over the past two weeks.
Date: 2018-06-24
To: Belters Campsite
Miles today: 15.3

Today marked the end of my second month on the trail. I hiked 435 miles this month compared to 337 the first month. You can see that I got my trail legs. The terrain was also a little easier. I averaged about 14 miles a day over the 31 days which included a couple zeros and a few neros. I've developed a pretty good routine in which I hit the trail early and try to get to camp by 5pm. This allows some time to relax and get my chores done so I can get plenty of sleep. I don't think I will get in as many miles in the next month since I will most likely hit the White Mts in NH within the next 30 days.I camped with a couple of people from MN. They were from St Cloud and Walnut Grove. It was good to talk Minnesooootan. Today the trail was a mix of easy and hilly and rocky. I got to camp just before a thunderstorm and was able to get my tent up and gear inside. Forecast calls for rain overnight but sunny tomorrow. A heat wave is forecast for later this week. I can hardly wait.
Date: 2018-06-25
To: Salisbury CT
Miles today: 10.0

After more rain last night I packed up wet and hit the trail by 6:40am. It was a fairly easy hike with some road walking and a few hills. The sun finally came out and the wind picked up making it a comfortable morning for a hike. It was only a half mile road walk to Salisbury and the hostel where I'm staying. The town has some restaurants, a grocery store and a bakery all within a couple blocks of the hostel. I think a day of rest is in order which will let me take my time resupplying. I stopped at the grocery store today and bought a bunch of fruit and sat on a bench outside the store and ate it all while I talked to other hikers.
Date: 2018-06-26
To: Salisbury CT
Miles today: 0.0

I slept until 7:30 this morning which is the latest I've slept the whole trip. I had breakfast at the local coffee shop and bakery then bought a NY Times and sat on a bench and read. It was wonderfully relaxing. I hung out at the library and then got lunch from the grocery store deli. I bought my food resupply in the afternoon and walked a couple blocks to the local tavern for a beer. I had my lasagna dinner delivered and am now getting ready to put my pack together for an early departure. I have four days of food and hope to get to Dalton MA by Sunday if the rain then heat don't slow me too much. I will hit MA after about 6 miles tomorrow.
Date: 2018-06-27
To: Hemlocks Shelter
Miles today: 13.4

I got going this morning by 6am and was soon headed uphill with a heavy pack. There was one really long gradual hill and a shorter steep hill. I also went down a very steep hill. It started raining just before I got to camp and then stopped for a while. I'm staying in a two story shelter sleeping up top in hopes the bugs will leave me alone. Its raining again and it's supposed to rain all night and all day tomorrow. The trail tomorrow won't be as steep so it might be a good day for a hike in the rain.
Date: 2018-06-28
To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

It rained hard most of the night and was still raining in the morning. I delayed my start until it let up some. Needless to say the trail was wet and slippery. I took it pretty slow including a huge descent off the ridge I had been on. The low area was very swampy and buggy. I stopped at an antique store that sold Coke and Snickers bars. The sun came out briefly and it got hot. Shortly after thunderstorms came through and soaked me. I made it to camp by the time the rain quit. The forecast calls for sunny and hot for the next few days.
Date: 2018-06-29
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 15.0

It cleared up overnight and was a nice morning with cooler temps and a good breeze. The trail was wet and flooded in areas but dried where the sun and wind could get at it. It was still slippery so I walked a little slower. Not many hikers were out this morning. I encountered a southbound hiker who was hiking barefoot. He was in his 60s and carrying an older style pack. He didn't see me until he was right next to me because he was concentrating on the trail. We said hello but he didn't seem to want to stop and talk. I suppose he is tired of answering questions about bare foot hiking. Like they say here on the AT, hyoh.......hike your own hike. At one of the road crossings there was a trail stand. It had a mini fridge with cold drinks and assorted candy bars, trail bars and hard boiled eggs. It was all on the honor system and there was a picnic table and outlet to charge your phone. The weather forecast is calling for about a week of temps in the 90s with high humidity. Time to cut back on miles or take another day off.
Date: 2018-06-30
To: October Mt Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

I was on the trail this morning by a little after 6am. It wasn't too warm until after 9am. The trail was fairly easy with only a couple of bigger hills. There were a lot of day hikers out but I only saw one other thru hiker until camp. As I was climbing a long hill near a road crossing I saw a cooler and a new garbage can. The cooler was full of quarts of Gatorade and the garbage can had chips, crackers and pop tarts. I drank a Gatorade and ate a large bag of chips. More kind souls leaving trail magic. I met another hiker in camp who is also journaling on trailjournals.com. Its nice to put a face to his journal. I'm heading for Dalton MA tomorrow and getting a room at the motel. I will be getting a small resupply and also a mail drop on Monday morning.
Date: 2018-07-01
To: Dalton MA
Miles today: 12.0

I was up by 5am and on the trail by 6, my earliest start yet. It was warm, humid and buggy to start. I had a fairly level trail until the last couple miles. I got to town by noon and was pretty worn out from the heat. There were places to eat and resupply within a couple blocks of my motel. Since the temps were in the mid 90s with high humidity, I decided not to venture very far. I have to wait until 8:30am tomorrow for the post office to open so I am planning a really short day because of the record heat. I will be climbing Mt Greylock, the highest point in MA on Tuesday.
Date: 2018-07-02
To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: mist

I was able to sleep a little later in air conditioned comfort. I went out for breakfast and slowly packed up while waiting for the post office to open at 8:30am. I was on the trail by 9 and it was already hot. The mile walk through town has very little shade. When I did get in the woods the bugs were bad. After a sweaty climb the bug situation improved. A long descent brought me to Chesire MA and an ice cream shop followed by a hot street walk. The end of the hike entailed a long uphill climb which led to a very crowded shelter and campsite. I think there are at least 25 people here maybe more. I had a hard time finding a spot for my tent. My method for trying to stay cool on these really hot days is to dunk my bandana in a creek and drape it over my head. I also make sure I stay hydrated. The heat sucks your energy away quickly. I was very pleased with my progress today given the heat, humidity and hills.
Date: 2018-07-03
To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning to find a guy I hadn't seen since VA had arrived late and set up his hammock nearby. It was fun catching up on news of others we had hiked with. He had taken a little time off trail which allowed me to catch up. It was another warm morning with a climb to the top of Mt Greylock to start the day. After some photos I headed down the long descent. It was very hot walking through N Adams MA and then starting a long climb. The climb ended with a steep vertical through a jumble of boulders called the Rock Garden. It was a parting gift from MA just before I entered VT. On cue the trail became muddier and I can see how the state earned the name Vermud. Not as many in camp tonight which allowed me to get a decent place to set up my tent. Another hot day in the books and I had to hike a long time to get the miles in. Tomorrow I'm heading into Bennington VT to resupply and stay in a motel. A number of other people I know are also headed there in hopes of a good small town 4th of July celebration.
Date: 2018-07-04
To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 11.6

I was on the trail by 6:20am excited about getting to town and a hotel room and enjoying air conditioning. The hike was fairly easy as the temps rose on another warm day. It was a steep descent to the highway heading to town. There was trail magic in the parking lot with hot dogs, chips, cookies and sodas. Four of us got a shuttle to the motel. After a shower and laundry it was time for lunch and resupply. I had pizza delivered for dinner and watched baseball on tv. It was a relaxing 4th of July. Tomorrow should be the end of the hot weather with a day of rain on Friday followed by cooler clear weather.
Date: 2018-07-05
From: Bennington

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

This entry didn't post last night due to a weak cell signal. I got a ride back to the trail from the hotel owner and was hiking by 9am. It was a large hill to start in the heat. It was a long hot day and I got to a crowded shelter after 5pm. Lots of new faces as it seems a new bubble of hikers has caught up to me. Rain predicted for tomorrow.
Date: 2018-07-06
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

It started raining around 4am and it came down hard for a couple hours. I slept in and slowly packed up and hit the trail around 8am. It rained on and off all morning and the trail was rocky and slippery. It started to clear up in the afternoon. The trail climbed Stratton Mt and led to a fire tower. I climbed the tower and the views were spectacular. Stratton Mt is the location that Benton MacKaye was inspired to propose the creation of the AT. There is a big change in the weather, gone is the heat and it's replaced by cool air. The temp is supposed to be in the 40s tonight. Good sleeping weather. The shelter and camping area is not as full as last night with only about 12 people compared to the 20 or so last night. The cool weather is forecast to be around for a while.
Date: 2018-07-07
To: Bromley Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

Last night was chilly but it felt wonderful with temps in the 40s. The trail today was fairly easy and all the hikers I talked to were in good spirits because of the beautiful weather. I hiked a short day because of shelter and water source spacing. Its almost eight miles to the next shelter and water. I will hike a longer day tomorrow as I plan to meet my son Erik near Wallingford on Monday. He haa been car touring through eastern Canada, ME and NH. I'm looking forward to hiking with him for three days.
Date: 2018-07-08
To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up to beautiful morning and was on the trail before 7am. It was uphill a mile to the top of Bromley Mt where there is a ski hill. A number of people were tenting up there. After a long downhill I climbed another peak. After that it was easier trail with the exception of a tough short climb up to Baker Peak. I ended up camping at Little Rock Pond which is a really beautiful spot. Not many hikers were on camp tonight.
Date: 2018-07-09
To: Rutland
Miles today: 6.3

I was able to sleep in and get a later start because of the short hike. After hiking to VT Hwy 140 I met my son Erik and we headed to Rutland to resupply and get a motel room. Erik will be hiking with me for the next three days. We had dinner at a nice restaurant in a mostly deserted downtown. We have arranged for a shuttle in the morning so we can hike towards Eriks car. That will give us more options at the end of the hike. My food bag is getting ridiculessly heavy after resupplies as I try to eat enough calories to maintain my weight. As I enter areas where I can't resupply as often I will be eating less and losing more weight.
Date: 2018-07-10
To: Govenor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 13.4

We started our day by driving to a parking area near Killington VT and getting shuttled back to Wallingford where Erik picked me up yesterday. We started with a good climb to get us warmed up. We decided to stop at the first shelter for a break. There were two people there and we overheard a guy say he was from MN. I asked what city and he said Duluth. I told him we were from Duluth and he asked my trail name and said he had heard of me. I had heard about him from someone about three weeks ago. A little while later another group came to the shelter and it turned out one of them was from Duluth. That made four of us from Duluth at one shelter. We had a great conversation about our favorite places and things to do in Duluth. We took a group picture and agreed to contact each other to get together next fall to compare stories. After hitting the trail again it got warm and we had a couple long steep hills to climb. Later in the day thunderstorms moved in and got us soaked. We arrived at our shelter destination wet but glad to get out of the rain. We set up tents after the rain stopped. On his first AT day Erik got to experience nice weather and good trail, heat and hills and then rain. It was a good taste of the AT in one day.
Date: 2018-07-11
To: Killington
Miles today: 14.5

We woke up to overcast skies but it looked like no rain in sight. We started with a long climb of Mt Killington. We dropped our packs for the last short steep spur trail to the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view if the area. After we hiked the rest of the way to the car in Killington. We hiked our planned three days in two so we got a motel room and went to the Inn at Long Trail for a beer and dinner and were rewarded with seeing a number of people I know from the trail including our new friend from Duluth. It was great that Erik could meet some of the people I've got to know. After dinner it was back to the motel to organize food and gearqqq
Date: 2018-07-12
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 11.6

Erik and I stayed at the Killington motel and their continental breakfast was by far the best I've ever had. They had fried egg and ham on English muffin, pancakes, fruit, Apple breakfast cake and they roast their own coffee which Erik enjoyed. We ran errands on the morning including a haircut, outfitter and hardware store. Erik dropped me at the trail at noon. I was sad to see him go. The hike had a few hills including one steep long one. Just before I got to the stream I was going to camp by something came running out of the woods right at me. When it was a few feet away I yelled and it turned away. It was a grouse and my heart was beating a million miles an hour. I thought it was a fox or groundhog. About a week ago another hiker told me a grouse came at him. Must be protecting little ones. Cell signals are sporadic in this area so updates may be infrequent.
Date: 2018-07-13
To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Today was a big day - I hit the 1000 mile mark. I'm into four digits and I like the sound of it when I say I walked a thousand miles. It is also the 80th day of the hike. That means I'm averaging around 12.5 miles a day. I still have the big picture in mind and realize that I'm not even halfway yet. But I'm going to enjoy the milestone tonight. The day started with a climb up to a privately owned shelter that has a lookout built on top that provide great views. The trail had lots of hills both short and long. The saving grave was there were three chances to get ice cream not far from the trail. I went to a farm house owned by 2016 thru hikers and had a huge ice cream sandwich which was chocolate chips cookies with an inch of ice cream between. With the White Mts looming it's good to eat lots of calories. I should get to NH Tomorrow. So far VT has been my favorite state with VA a close second.
Date: 2018-07-17
To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 11.3

Woke up to overcast wit rain forecast. I got on the trail early to beat the rain. It started about 7am and thunderstorms hit shortly after. I was headed for a hostel in Glencliff NH. I got there soaked around 11am. It was nice to take a hot shower and set stuff out to dry. I went to the post office and picked up my new shoes and threw the old wet ones away. The hostel filled up and I saw many familiar faces. We got a ride to get some dinner and resupply. It cleared up by evening and was fun to catch up on trail news.
Date: 2018-07-18
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 14.0

The day started with a big climb up Mt Moosilauke which was 3500ft over four miles. The top a above the tree line and the views were spectacular. The wind was around 30mph and you had to be careful to not get blown over. The hike down the other side was very steep and the views of a series of waterfalls was worth stopping for numerous photos. The terrain was rough throughout the day and I ended up stealth camping. Tomorrow is another resupply. I'm trying not to carry too much food because of the steep hills.
Date: 2018-07-19
To: North Woodstock NH
Miles today: 12.4

It was great sleeping weather last night with temps in the 40s. The trail was rough and hilly and then we climbed Kinsman Mt and were rewarded with great views. After a very steep descent we stopped at one of the AMC huts for soup and lemonade. I got to Franconia notch and called a hotel for a shuttle and got a room for the night. I resupplied and sampled a beer or two at the local brewery. Tomorrow I have a very long climb to start the day.
Date: 2018-07-20
To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.1

I got a later start because my ride back to the trail left town after 8am. The day started with a long steep climb up to Franconia ridge. After getting above the tree line, the clear weather afforded great views. The ridge trail led to Lafayette Mt which tops out at over 5200 ft. While taking a break there I discovered that I was at the halfway point of my journey. I celebrated by eating another Snickers bar. The last part of the day included a very rough descent, followed by a shorter steep climb and another rough descent. This was my hardest day on the trail and I only covered 10 miles.
Date: 2018-07-21
To: Ethan Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.5

I slept soundly because I was so exhausted. There were more rough ascents and descents in the morning. I stopped at one of the Appalachian Mountain Club's huts to see if there was any leftover breakfast food. They usually give their leftovers to hungry thru hikers. I was in luck as they had overdone cookies and a few pancakes. A handful of thru hikers made quick work of the free calories. It was a much easier day and I stopped at another AMC hut to get some soup and chocolate cake. We have to pay to camp at shelters in this area but they give you a card for some free soup and baked goods at the huts. The AMC huts charge people over $100 per night to stay there and function as hike to resorts in beautiful alpine settings. They also allow thru hikers to sleep on the floor in exchange for work, usually some type of clean-up. The day ended with some welcomed easy miles. I booked a motel room in North Conway NH because of predicted rain and winds on Mt Washington. I plan to take a much needed zero and rest until the weather improves.
Date: 2018-07-22
To: North Conway
Miles today: 3.0

The rain held off in the morning which allowed me to pack up and hike the short distance to the highway. I took out the sign my daughter made that says "Hiker to Town" on one side and " Hiker Back to Trail" on the other side. Just when I was starting to hitchhike a couple of other hikers joined me. Since one was a female we let her hold the sign. We got a ride right away from a woman who owns a local yoga studio. It was a longer than usual ride and she showed us some of the local sights on the way. I checked in to my motel early and went in search of brunch. North Conway was packed with tourists not wanting to be hiking on a rainy day. I wasn't able to get a seat at the nearby restaurants. Since it started to rain O went back to the motel. I was successful in finding a place to eat a few hours later. I saw the couple o hitched into town with and they showed me a video from another hiker on Mt Moosilauke in 60mph winds. I was glad I was in town. I had dinner at another busy nearby restaurant. It was a good day of rest and I'm looking forward to a zero tomorrow.