morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-17
From: Cheshire Mass church 

To: Williamstown Mass
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Rained a lot last night .Love the sound of the rain on my tent so I slept really great.Woke up early to try to get a view on top of Mt Greylock which is our big climb this morning.  Climb up seemed pretty easy even though it was the biggest climb in quite a while.Made it to the top and it was just totally in a cloud.Really thick.Hard to see 10 yards in front of you.Bascom lodge is on top so I went in to check it out.Really nice place.ET was there and is taking a zero today.Smart girl because the weather is going to be really bad.They sell food and beer at this lodge.Tried to get a beer but they wouldn¢t sell me any until noon.It was only 9 am.Went over to the Greylock war memorial tower.Really nice one.Ive been wanting to climb Greylock forever So was kinda bummed there was no view at all today.I will definitely come back on a nice day.We started down the mountain and all hell broke loose.Really hard and cold rain,intense lightning and thunder right on top of us.Greylock is the highest point in Mass and not the best place to be in a bad lightning storm.It lasted a long time.Trail was like a river.Rain felt pretty good after all of the humidity lately.I was totally drenched.Nothing keeps you dry when it rains that hard out here.  Numbs girlfriend Leah was coming to visit so we decided to stay the night in Williamstown Mass.We had time to kill before she picked us up so we walked into the nice town.We came across a bicycle shop named Spokes and asked if there were any good places to eat around.It was still raining so a girl that works there said we could hang out there until Leah showed.There was a beer store next door so I asked if I could buy some and have a few while we waited.She was so nice and said ¢yeah no problem,we drink in here all the time!¢Really cool place and all the workers were really cool.The owner was so interesting and fun to talk with.He has done some really cool things and wanted to know all about the trip so far.We were there for almost an hour and they treated us great Leah showed and we did a quick food resupply and ate at the Purple pub.Really great food and beer Went back to the hotel and it was weird because I was all alone in my own room.Got pretty lonely so I made a person to talk to out of food and beer cans.She turned out beautiful.We had a fun night.
Date: 2018-07-18
From: Williamstown Mass

To: Harmon hill
Miles today: 16.8

Woke up extremely hungry today.At 6am I ate 2 triple cheeseburgers,a jar of polish sausages,and 2 bananas,and drank 4 beers.Sounds gross ,but man it was so good!Fell back asleep and slept until 9:30 which is really late nowadays.  Leah brought us back to the trail and it was a stunningly beautiful crisp day.Probably the nicest weather day of the whole trail.   Hit the Vt / Mass border early.Was a great feeling to get another state done and be back in Vt..I hiked the Long trail in Vermont 2 years ago so I know how nice the trail is here.Not long after that we hit 1600 miles completed.Still can¢t believe I¢ve made it this far and get to wake up and do this everyday.Love it so much! Trail was really beautiful crossing many streams and ponds.Vermont even smells better to me for some reason.Everything seems more bright and vivid too.Lots of people on the trail today.Congdon shelter was mobbed inside and with tents everywhere.We decided to push on a few extra miles to Harmon hill.Kind of cool because this is where I spent my first night when I did the Long trail.Great stealth spot overlooking Bennington Vt..It¢s so clear tonight I am just cowboy camping.Its crystal clear and just an amazingly beautiful star filled sky tonight.This kind of thing is all I need to be happy.This trail helps you realize what really matters .To me it¢s not things ,it¢s moments and friendships and memories
Date: 2018-07-19
From: Harmon hill

To: Story Spring shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: clear sky

Had such a great night !Just so many stars filled the sky.And looking down into Bennington was really cool.So many lights everywhere.  Very crisp this morning.Its weird to see your breath in July.Very steep down climb first thing.Then very steep way back up. Favorite spot for me today was Glastonbury mtn.Really nice firetower on such a clear day.Could see way back into Mass and Mt Greylock.And the views north of what¢s to come was probably the best view I have seen since Virginia.Nice strong breeze on top too.  Trail was really nice all day really.Met a lot of Long trail hikers going both directions.Many southbound AT hikers are coming through now too. Staying at Story spring shelter with a bunch of Long trail hikers.Really fun group.Also Vagabond Jack is here .Cool guy hiking the AT northbound I haven¢t met yet.Also met Wayward today.Cool guy who wants to do the whole trail by himself and stay away from everyone.Super nice guy that just wants to be alone.Thought that was kinda cool.  Nice to have some fresh minds to talk with tonight! ¢If I could hold on to just one thought for long enough to know, Why my mind is moving so fast and the conversation is slow  You burned off all the fog and let the sun through to the snow  Let me see your face again before I have to go¢-Neil Young
Date: 2018-07-21
From: Spruce peak shelter

To: Manchester center VT
Miles today: 2.8

Last night in the cabin was amazing.Drifted off to another world of vibrant colors.Early this morning I had mice running across my sleeping bag.As long as they stay away from my head I am fine. Really easy Nero day today because my Bethie and Numbs Leah are coming for a visit.Had an amazing breakfast at Bobs diner.I had a huge burger and 2 large beers.Was wonderful.Stayed at a nice ski resort.Had an excellent Mexican dinner and then to Ben and Jerry¢s for some Phish food.Was great seeing Beth and we all had lots of laughs all day and night.Its going to be really hard,to leave this bed in the morning
Date: 2018-07-22
From: Manchester center VT

To: Lost pond shelter 
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: heavy intensity rain

So glad we ended up in this hotel because it poured all night and into late morning.Had lots of fun with my Bethie during the night. The girls dropped us back to the trail around noon.Had a steep climb right away up to Bromley mtn.Was raining pretty good still so we were wet instantly.There is a nice ski warming hit on top that is left open for hikers.Was a great place to drink a few beers I packed out and a burger from Mc Donald¢s.I really hate fast food in real life,but out here it¢s like gold. Rained light to hard all day.Came to Mad Tom notch road and met Two trees.He just finished the Long trail and decided to do some trail magic before he went home to Mass..Really nice guy.He made us hot dogs and cheeseburgers that were SO good!And beers!!We stayed there for a while because he was just a cool guy to talk with.  Rained all day until almost the end.Trail is still really beautiful tho.Sky cleared a little on Baker peak which had a really nice view with views of a storm coming towards us.So we made it to Lost pond shelter where we are staying inside of tonight .So strange that we are the only ones here again.Really nice spot with a nice stream close by that I am sure I will fall asleep to.More rain coming tomorrow.Ive noticed that when it rains all day music really boosts my mood and keeps me positive.Thought of this song today ¢When the music is your special friend,Dance on fire as it intends. Music is your only friend,until the end,until the end¢-the Doors
Date: 2018-07-23
From: Lost pond shelter 

To: Clarendon shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: moderate rain

Really quiet night last night.Were some owls hooting early this morning close by again.Really like waking to them.  Another rainy and wet day.Nice trail though with lots of nice stream crossings.Clombed up to White rocks which was a part of the trail I was looking forward to.When I did the Long trail it was 100s of balancing rock formations people had made out of beautiful white stones and rocks.There was even a little city of buildings someone made.Not so this year on the trail.You could see where someone went and knocked them all down creating a huge mess.Its too bad,used to be such a cool spot.  Had a couple more climbs in the pouring rain and decided to take a lunch at Minerva Hinchy shelter.It was just a long drenching rain.I ate ,layer on my back ,and dozed off to the sound of the rain hitting the tin roof.Only for about 10 minutes,but felt so good.Met 4 leaf there.Cool young guy that started this whole thing a few days after us and we just met him today.  Still raining.Clarendon gorge is a beautiful spot with great places to swim.From all the rain it was raging big time today.Water was all muddy from the force of it.So no swimming for me.Met some local partiers there who asked all about the trip.Scored a beer from one of them! After the gorge there is a steep rock scramble up to Clarendon shelter where we are staying inside of tonight.Was a fun climb using all fours to get up.Really nice shelter .Its in a big open field and the rain has finally let up a bit.Staying here with 5 southbound AT hikers who were really nice.We all gave each other some great info on what lies ahead .Anchor,a LT hiker showed up too.I know him from a couple of nights ago.Really funny guy and we had some laughs while everyone slept.I have been out here a long time and still can¢t get to sleep early like everyone else.Like to talk too much I guess and other stuff
Date: 2018-07-24
From: Clarendon shelter

To: Inn at the Long Trail
Miles today: 16.2

So happy to wake up to no rain for a while!Nice hiking with cool and dry weather.Started the long hike up to Killington mtn..The trail takes you close to the top but not all the way up.It was a nice day so decided to go to the top.Super steep to get up.Really great day though and the view made it all worth it.Lots of day hikers were asking us about the trip and couldn¢t believe how far we had hiked so far.Sat and watched the clouds move really fast just above.Today was a great day to be there.Went to the lodge on top of Killington and found my favorite beer¢sip of sunshine ¢.Its hard to find anywhere so I was really excited.Bought two big cans and drank them while watching the view from a different side of the mountain.Talked to a few mountain bikers and they thought the whole trail thing I am doing is really cool too.The next part of the trail was tough.Going back down that really steep section was a nightmare.Usually wouldn¢t bother me but I had a strong buzz from my sips of sunshine.Its strong beer.Legs were rubbery and I was off balance for sure.Made it down unscathed.Pretty proud of myself for that.  Next great part of the day was hitting the 1700 mile mark!Really starting more confident that I may finish the whole deal.Anything can happen on this trail though.It has taken out way better hikers than me already this year and lots of them.Just going to try to watch every step now and be careful,so probably no more drunk hiking!    Made it down to US 4 and were going to get a beer at the Inn on the Long trail,a great place I stayed at when I did the LT.A bus picked us up and gave us a free ride 1 mile up the road.We met Squidword,a LT hiker on the bus and she said she was willing to split the cost of a room with us.Worked out great.30$ each to stay at this great place.We got the family suite so she had her own room and Numb and I got the kids room with two small beds.We didnt care.Just a bed and shower was delightful.Had a really fun night having drinks at the bar.Numb,Squidward,Wayward,Anchor,and Waterboy were all there.Also had a great conversation with a guy from southern Va..He wants to hike the trail in a few years. Everyone is asleep again and I am wide awake.Gonna sit back and draw for a while and see what comes out from behind my eyes
Date: 2018-07-25
From: Inn at the Long Trail

To: The Lookout
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a nice night of deep thinking last night.Some things I haven¢t thought about in years just kind of popped into my head.Didnt sleep much but feel happy and ready to go today.  Left the Inn after an excellent breakfast they serve there.Huge omelette was like heaven.Squidword ate with us.Was a fun morning  Very pretty trail all day.Lots of streams and nice woods.Maine junction is where the Long Trail goes north and the AT goes east after being the same trail for 100 miles.Last time I was at this junction when I did the Long Trail I wondered if I would ever do the AT someday and get to head east.I am here doing it!!  Next stop was Gifford woods state park.A really cool 2016 thru hiker was giving out trail magic so I talked with him a while.He pretty much does tattoos half of the year to save money so he can just travel the rest of the year and hike all over. Thundering falls was a really nice spot.Really tall and were really moving from all of the rain.Speaking of rain,it¢s raining again .Pretty much feels just normal to be wet all the time now.  Lots of little ups and downs today.Was pretty tiring.Staying at the Lookout tonight.Its a huge cabin with a loft and a fireplace inside.There is a ladder that goes up at least 30 ¢ to a platform on top of the cabin.Really beautiful view up there.Staying here with 3 AT southbound hikers.All of them were really nice and had lots of questions for us.Anchor and Rx showed up too.Was nice to catch up with them..Very fun night once again.  I am ready to fall asleep and there is an owl very close outside.Love hearing them.Raining hard too.So happy I am in this cabin!
Date: 2018-07-26
From: The Lookout

To: Thistle Hill shelter 
Miles today: 14.8

Very wet and misty morning today.Didnt rain hard though.Trail is wet and muddy and slippery.  Today was another day of steep little ups and downs.In the morning we were told about a farmers market we should stop at because they had great home made pies and all kinds of things.I had a burrito and bought myself a pie .It was the most incredibly delicious thing I have ever eaten.It was the everything pie.Had blueberries,strawberries,raspberries,and blackberries.Cant even describe how bad I would like to have another one right now.I really don¢t even like sweet foods,just had a huge craving for it.We were also told by some hikers to stop by Loon and Fireflys house just up the trail.They hiked the trail in 16 and help hikers and sell some delicious homemade treats.I bought a gigantic Whoopie  pie and some fresh hard boiled eggs.Whoopie pie was so good!  Throughout the day today there were amazing old rock walls along the trail.Must have been farms way back.Rock walls are beautifully made with huge slabs.Not sure how they lifted them way back then.They are standing perfectly from all that time ago.Sorry,I have a thing for rock walls I guess.Have always liked looking at well made ones  Lots of Southbound AT hikers are coming through now.They ask a lot of questions and want to know how it feels to be so close to finishing.For me I am really happy that I to have come this far,but sad because I know I am really going to miss being out here everyday when I have to go back to reality.  Ended up at Thistle hill shelter tonight.Thor and Rx are here.I haven¢t seen Thor in months.Really nice kid from Minnesota.Rx is just funny,the way she describes and talks about things.She is from Canada.Ended up being a nice night .Nice and clear.Decided to tent and in a really cool spot away from everything.Another owl is hooting away.Can hear coyotes in the distance too doing their eerie sounds.
Date: 2018-07-27
From: Thistle Hill shelter 

To: Velvet rocks shelter 
Miles today: 16.1

Really great breeze through my tent all night,and NO rain!!Woke up to a beautiful sunshine from my tent.Bright red sun through tall trees.Great way to start the day.  Really great day for hiking.Had some really nice views of under cast clouds with mountain tops poking through.Always love seeing that. Was a lot of road walking today.Vermont has some really beautiful old houses.Walked through Norwich Vt.Tiny little town .Started road walking towards Hanover on busy roads.Was really cool because lots of people were giving us the thumbs up and waving.Walked over the Connecticut river and hit the Vt/NH border.For some reason I was so happy to finally get to NH.Just really happy that I have made it this far.Feeling more confident I may finish this whole thing now.  Hanover was just mobbed with people.Its a college town .I couldn¢t wait to get out of the crowded section.Its so weird to be around big groups of people now after being in the forest for so long.Just feels too fast and like everyone is in such a hurry.We found a-great pub called Salt Hill Pub.Had a really great lunch and some Irish beer.Was SO good!It started raining really hard so we stayed there until it ended.Drank while waiting.We we¢re going to stay in town but it was just too mobbed.Did a quick food resupply where I found some more Sip of sunshine beers to take to the shelter we were headed to.Met a really nice thru hiker from Ireland while there.Older lady that¢s really liking the trail.Really liked talking with her.Hope I see her again  After a steep climb we are here at Velvet rocks shelter.Lots of southbounders here.Found a nice tent spot away.Drinking some beers in my tent because it is raining again.Weather is supposed to start improving tomorrow.If it rains it rains,I am just really happy to be doing this everyday.
Date: 2018-07-28
From: Velvet rocks shelter 

To: Trapper John shelter 
Miles today: 15.2

Really poured again last night.I didn¢t set my tent up really tight so I had a little pond form by my feet.Not a big deal and it¢s the first time it¢s happened this whole trip.Sleeping bag is soaked though so just gotta find some sun rays hopefully today to dry it.   Very pretty morning.Lots of mist in the air so there were really cool sunrays pointing in all directions in the forest.Crossed many more streams too.Water is so unbelievably clear here.  First great view of the day was from Moose mtn..It¢s easy to know that I am in NH now.The views really show much bigger mountains than I have seen in a long time.This makes me really happy though because I have climbed all the 4000 footers here in NH and know how beautiful they are and I get to see them again!They are much harder ,but so worth the views.  Holts ledge was my favorite spot of today and maybe one of my favorites on the whole trail.Really big drop offs right next to the trail .Really stunning views of the cliffs,mountains ,and a lake.Falcons live on the cliffs.Watched them for quite a while.They are just so fast and were chasing each other around right below where I was.Just a really cool spot . Decided to stay at Trapper John shelter.Met a lot of really great southbound AT hikers staying there.Most were in there 20s.They were all really nice ,just kind of wish there were more hikers my age out here to talk with.There are just none now.Really appreciating my wife and certain friends I can talk with out here.It definitely has been a little lonely out here for me lately.  Looking forward to my Bethie visiting me tomorrow.Need to resupply and all of that stuff.So decided to take a Nero and hang out in Hanover with her.Will be nice.  ¢Something about you robs my good sense blind.Dont know what it is but I don¢t mind.Every night I see you in my dreams.I haven¢t kissed your lips in years it seems.  I¢m like a stranger everywhere I go.There ain¢t nobody here I really know.I count the miles and I¢m feeling incomplete.Iguess the distance makes the closeness oh so sweet.So seeet¢-    Jackie Greene
Date: 2018-07-29
From: Trapper John shelter 

To: Hanover hotel
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: broken clouds

Really nice night last night.Talked to one of the southbounders about everything last night.He and I are on the same wavelength.Probably never see him again,but a great talk we shared for sure. Very easy hike down to a gravel road to meet my wife today.Passed a really nice pond with fog hovering over it.A bunch of Canadian geese were in it.Just looked really cool with the sun hitting it. Got to the road a little early so chatted up some southbound hikers that were coming through.Gave them info on some great places to stay.They did the same for me.  Bethie showed up right on time.Drove 3and 1/2 hours to bring me my new hiking shoes and visit.Really appreciate it !We went to a store for a resupply of food .Beth noticed how most people are looking at me like I am a homeless person.She laughed about it.They even try to avoid looking at me.Its funny though because others are so nice and know I am doing the AT by my new look.They want to ask all types of questions.  Beth really took care of me at the hotel.Was amazing!Thanks Bethie!!  We went into Hanover and did a little shopping,which I hate.It was fun though today because we found a store that sells records which we like to collect.We are both huge music fans.Found some great deals on hard to find ones.I bought a Johnny Cash,Tom Rush,and Neil Young record.Beth bought some too.Went to Salt Hill Pub after and had a beer.Beth found a ring she liked and bought it.She is so happy with just little simple things.She is very unmaterialistic which I think is very rare these days.Really like that about her.Was just a great day together   Had a nice evening at the hotel just drinking some beers and laughing.Thanks again for visiting me Bethie!And taking care of me the way only you know how!
Date: 2018-07-30
From: Hanover hotel

To: Ore Hill campsite 
Miles today: 16.3

Nice to wake to Bethie¢s face and voice.First thing this morning I ate 3 big slices of pizza.Drank a half gallon of chocolate milk too.Then went back to bed for a while.Appetite is going insane again.Cant eat enough of everything.Woke back up ,packed up,drove back to the trail,and had to say goodbye again.Seems like it should be getting easier because I am getting closer to finishing.Its not though.I can¢t stand it when I see Bethie¢s pretty eyes crying.It kills me.I have to finish this though and she wants me to finish too.We wil get through it.  Cloudy today ,but really nice!Started with a long and steep climb up to Smarts mtn..One of the steepest climbs of the whole trail so far.Has a great fire tower on the summit.Views were absolutely stunning.NH is just SO beautiful.Layers and layers of mountains in every direction.Was hard to leave this spot today.Met a 19 year old up there named Pebbles who started May 15th.He will have the whole trail done in 3 months.Thats pretty incredible.He is doing around 30 miles a day.I would most likely die if I did that for even 1 week.  Pretty rough terrain down Smarts and up to Cube mtn.Cube mtn had a gorgeous view back to Smarts and to the north of what¢s to come.Pebbles,Rx,and Thor were up there.Had a nice chat.Was a great spot to do so.Long descent from Cube turned into a really soft ,pine needle covered section of trail that was a nice relief for my aching feet.Some really nice crystal clear streams along the way too.Hoping to see a moose soon because their poop is everywhere lately on the trail.  Ended up tenting at Ore hill campsite tonight.Met some awesome section hikers who have been working on getting the trail done for years.Also met Late start.A NYC girl who is super friendly and fun to talk with.Was a really great day of views and talking(which is my favorite thing lately with the right people) ¢Summers on the rise and I am flyin.The good days have come around again.I¢m up on top of a big huge rock with some people I call friends.We¢re half a mile to heaven and back again.Oh and I¢m never coming down from the mountain.And never will I forget about today.I¢ll always smile when I think about it.This life is a crazy parade¢-Grace Potter