morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-07-22
From: Andover Guest House, Andover, ME

To: Andover Guest House, Andover, ME
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Andover, ME - Zero Day - Day 20 - July 21stAfter getting up early today (7am) for no good reason, I literally sat around all day today. It was a much needed day off, and there were lots of SOBOs in the house. Megan and Jo (two girls from Emory) were taking a zero as well as many others (Chef, Worm, Pounce). The hostel also had many others come in tonight to take a day tomorrow. Von Frick & Co., as well as Cheesewhiz, Finding Peace, Ozzie, Swing, & Juicebox. I don't think I'm going to end up in bed until 2am tonight hanging out with everyone (and watching Executive Decision & Trading Places & Desperado). It's ok though, because I am slackpacking (hiking without the weight) tomorrow with Swing, Juicebox, Finding Peace, and Ozzie. We are doing the 10.1 miles between South Arm Road and East B Hill Road. It's always fun to hang out and take a much needed zero.Andover, ME - South Arm Road - East B Hill Road - Day 21 - 246.4 - 256.5 - July 22ndToday was awesome...after getting up at 9:30 and getting breakfast, the five of us didn't hit the trail until 11:30 this morning. The hike was fairly easy, and we took our time. This was the first time in a while I have hiked with people, and it was very enjoyable, as the company was awesome. It also was a rain-free day, and we haven't seen many of those around Maine lately. We got down to East B Hill at 6pm and found Stretch and NoCar (among others) waiting to also get a ride into town. After fitting 11 people and packs into the wagon, we got back to Andover for another fun night. It has been a great 3 nights at the Guest House and I really appreciate Joel and the rest of the staff there. I'd highly recommend it for anyone stopping in Andover. Tomorrow I will be hitting the trail again. Baldpate and the Mahoosuc Range await. Only 25 miles left in Maine, but they are VERY hard. I'm excited even though the weather is supposed to be awful. I'm not sure where the next update will be from...I might stop in Gorham, Pinkham Notch might have internet, and I might stop in Glencliff (all 3 in NH). Feeling drier and fresher and ready to go again!
Date: 2008-08-07
To: Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 25.8

Afternoon off during the Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Flood Warning...here's an update...Lincoln, NH (I-93) - Kinsman Notch (NH 112) - Day 35 (Slackpacking) - 372.7 - 389.0 - August 5thWell, no Batman last night...just a good dinner and a relaxing evening. Today's 16.3 mile slackpack was very enjoyable. I was joined by Spencer & Jenny and 2 NOBOs. We actually went NOBO today going from Kinsman North to Franconia. The hike had a decent amount of views and the trail was still soaked. I took a big fall today in front of Stretch and Ozzie as well as the 2 NOBOs. My poles took the brunt of it, breaking my fall and the middle section of one of the poles. We are under a flood warning for tonight and tomorrow and am unsure if I will be able to hike tomorrow, considering there are 2 streams to ford. Megan, Jo, and Footnote have also joined us tonight. We'll see what happens tomorrow morning. Lincoln, NH - Zero Day - Day 36 - August 6thMost everything is flooded here. The evening news is featuring the washed out roads around this area. The rain is supposed to stop between 11pm tonight and 4pm tomorrow, allowing things to get back on/below their banks (temporarily). This should allow me to go up and over the last 4000-footer til' Virginia, the last mountain above treeline on the entire trail, and the end of the Whites...Mt. Moosilauke. Today has become a SOBO reunion with nearly everyone I've seen after Stratton...it's been fun! It is just amazing how awesome the trail and its culture are! The culture I really am falling in love with. All people are straight-forward, real people who are so diverse, yet share a common thing in the AT and everything associated with it (struggles AND triumphs). On another note, Chet is truly an inspiration and I can't explain how hospitable he is. If you've met him, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Well, I'll finally be leaving here tomorrow and moving on. I've enjoyed these last few days and hope to keep having this much fun...even in the rain!!! Oh, and we've set a new record tonight at Chet's with 31 thru-hikers!!!Lincoln, NH (Kinsman Notch - NH 112) - Glencliff, NH - Day 37 - 389.0 - 398.5 - August 7thStaying at my last hostel until Manchester Center, VT tonight while things are storming and flooding...today's hike was not too difficult, and the rain held off until I got in around 3pm. There were lots of great views on the top, and I have many emotions with this peak. I'm feeling accomplished, having completed the hardest part of the trail now. I also will miss the challenges of the Whites, but at the same time am looking forward to the ease in difficulty over the next few months. The only issue is that we are supposed to pick up another few inches of rain all day tomorrow...we don't need it. Saturday is supposed to be ok, then rain again Sunday before some clearing. I've gotten to see some spectacular lightning in this stretch. I'm the only SOBO here tonight with ~8 NOBOs. We'll see how much easier it actually gets (besides the rain and mud) tomorrow!!!
Date: 2008-08-10
To: Dartmouth College - Hanover, NH
Miles today: 42.7
Weather: clear sky

Quick update today...Severe thunderstorm warnings are keeping me inside right now...I'm hoping to get over the NH/VT border at some point...Glencliff, NH - Firewarden's Cabin - Day 38 - 398.5 - 418.5 - August 8thIt's amazing how different the trail is from one side of NH25 to the other. The trail is now dirt with few rock like it is in GA. If it wasn't a flooded swamp out there, I'd really be able to fly. As it is, I did today's 20 miles in less than 10 hours total. I did get rained on for a couple hours at various time, but I did have good views on Mt. Cube (which was the rockiest part of the day). I'm staying in an old Firewarden's caub that is now maintained as a shelter. The 2 brothers I hiked with & rode into Lincoln with are here as well as Bungee, a SOBO. I'm going for another big day tomorrow trying to catch NoCar, Stretch, & Ozzie...it's much easier with this type of trail...hopefully we break the 9 days in a row of rain tomorrow!Firewarden's Cabin - NH 120 (Soccer Fields) - Day 39 - 418.5 - 441.2 - August 9thWhere to start today...the bad: the entire trail is still a swamp. Other than that, all good! Today was the first warm and sunny day in 10 days. The trail was not too challenging and offered fantastic views at times. I really enjoy being able to put on the miles in chunks like today (22.7). It is wierd now, though, hiking through fields and backyards and hearing lawnmowers and such. I'm only 3/4 mile from downtown Hanover and am excited about seeing the town and Dartmouth tomorrow. After that, it's only 0.5 miles to Vermont! I am feeling very accomplished for getting through the hardest 2 states on the trail. As for company tonight, it's just me on the soccer fields 50 yards from the Co-Op. Well, time to rest and to contemplate why dogs are so afraid of hiking poles...hmmm...oh, I've been seeing large rock walls that look like they were barracades in the Revolutionary War or something...wondering about that too..
Date: 2008-08-20
To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 81.8
Weather: clear sky

Staying at the Birdcage in Dalton tonight...gone 82 miles in 77 hours...whew...Manchester Center (VT 11/30) - Story Spring Shelter - Day 47 - 537.8 - 558.9 - August 17thWell, after a great dinner, a pint of Ben & Jerry's, and 5 hours of Olympic coverage (Phelps & Bolt...whew) I finally got to bed after midnight last night. The new shoes and poles are great, and I was able to move pretty fast in the mud all day. The top of Stratton was the big highlight of the day. The views were nice, but it was a zoo up there because of the Gondola that takes people up to the top (and it was Sunday). The weather was again sunny and warm and windy, the forecasted conditions for the entire week. It would be nice to have a long period with mostly good weather. The shelter area is packed tonight, and Stretch and NoCar have gotten 10 miles ahead. Tomorrow goes over Glastenbury, the last big mountain in Vermont...exciting!!!Story Spring Shelter - Congdon Shelter - Day 48 - 558.9 - 582.2 - August 18thWell...actually this is the 4th time in a row now I've started an entry with "well." Kind of a boring 23.3 miles today. Glastenbury had no great views because of the haze today. It was a repeat of yesterday's weather except for the massive thunderstorm that passed through around 7pm...after I got in around 6. It feels great when you beat the weather! Nothing particularly interesting to report today except bear sighting #2. It happened early in the day and I was very comfortably far away as it ran through the woods. I'm now only 10 miles from Massachusetts and will be there tomorrow and then Dalton Wednesday...I hope!!!Congdon Shelter - Mark Noepel Shelter - Day 49 - 582.2 - 605.9 - August 19thUp & down day today. On the trail, the worst thing to wake up to (other than an injury) is rain. Today I woke up to rain and hiked in it for the first six miles. Between the rain last night and this morning, Vermud became Verlake. But, just as a book would tell it, the skies and fog cleared when I got to the VT/MA border. After that, the rest of the day was great with a nice breeze and sunny skies. The view up to and on top of Mt. Greylock (highest point in all of Mass.) were breathtaking. 68 miles in 3 days has caught me up to Stretch and NoCar just in time to get into Dalton tomorrow. Crossed over the 600 mile mark today...woohoo!!!Mark Noepel Shelter - Dalton, MA - Day 50 - 605.9 - 619.6 - August 20thNice early hike this morning with Stretch and NoCar got us into Dalton around 12:30 this afternoon. It's amazing how many miles you can go in such a short period of time once you get to flatter ground. Anyway, had pizza for lunch and picked up the mail drop...time to do some resting before heading out tomorrow...only 3 more days until we cross into Connecticut. Oh, and happy 2000 miles to NoCar today...he's only got a week and a half left!!! This has really been a fun experience so far, and the terrain is getting easier right now, which is allowing me to do more miles and have even more fun. The thing I miss the most: sports. My favorite part about the trail so far: the people...by far
Date: 2008-09-03
To: The Mayor's House, Unionville
Miles today: 57.4

Staying at the Mayor of Unionville's house tonight...here's the latest:Ft. Montgomery - Bear Mtn. - Day 61 - 785.7 - 788.3 - August 31stWeird day. After not leaving the hotel til' 12:30, resupplying and going to lunch, we didn't get to the zoo/park til' 2. When we got there, we saw ~5000 people (no exaggeration) crawling around the zoo/park for Labor Day weekend. We didn't get up to Bear Mtn. until 6:30 and called it a day up there. According to the AT Guidebook, water was supposed to be up there, but there was none, so we had a tough time at night. We were going to try to do a midnight - midnight tomorrow, but on 2 hours of sleep, I'm not sure if we're going to be able to do more than a few hours. On a positive note, this section shows views of the Manhattan skyline from many of the high viewpoints.Bear Mtn. - Island Pond Outlet - Day 62 - 788.3 - 802.6 - September 1stWell, after just a few short hours of night hiking, both Stretch and I decided we were too tired from yesterday and went to sleep a handful of miles down the trail. Once we woke up at lunch time, we were both still drained from the odd hours of hiking. As a result, we stopped early at a nice spot on Island Pond right after the Lemon Squeezer (which was lame). After a nice swim and dinner (and a normal night's sleep), we'll be ready to resume a normal thru-hike tomorrow and will cross into New Jersey!Island Pond Outlet - Wawayanda Shelter - Day 63 - 802.6 - 826.2 - September 2ndToday was a really fun day. Stretch & I got up and got out around 7 and continued going over the rocky section of NY. We stopped for lunch at a lunch truck on the side of the road and then walked 2 minutes to the Bellville Creamery and had ice cream. We then proceeded to New Jersey where the rocks stopped and the terrain flattened. Tomorrow we're headed to the mayor's house in Unionville...I'm excited!!!Wawayanda Shelter - Unionville, NY (Lott road across the NY/NJ border) - Day 64 - 826.2 - 843.1 - September 3rdAnother fun day today...after getting a decent start today, we stopped at Heaven Hill Farm and got a muffin and some fresh fruit...kind of reminded me of a similar place in NY from my early childhood. After a quick lunch at a shelter, we headed down for the last 5 miles in a flat field. It was sweltering. 85-90 degrees and muggy pretty much made the last hour and a half really miserable. However, after it was over, we headed to the mayor's house. He opens his house up to hikers and cooks dinner and breakfast for all (for free)...what a great place!!! It's another example of the generosity of people on the trail! Two days now to Pennsylvania and less than two weeks to the Mason-Dixon line. Exciting!!!
Date: 2008-09-14
To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 110.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Taking a zero in Duncannon today before heading out for the week...we're going to try to be in Harpers Ferry Saturday morning to catch the train to DC for the weekend...here's the latest...Palmerton, PA - Bake Oven Knob Shelter - Day 70 - 930.6 - 938.3 - September 9thAfter a late morning, lunch, and a trip to the library, the storms passed and we hopped on the trail around 3 to get in a short 8 mile day. We're going to bed early tonight so that we can go 33ish miles tomorrow all of the way to Port Clinton...the weather is going to be nice, so we're good to go!Bake Oven Knob Shelter - Port Clinton, PA - Day 71 - 938.3 - 970.9 - September 10thWhew! Essentially, today consisted of many ups and downs with the occasional rock scramble. The views are still of the same farmland, although the views from The Pinnacle were pretty awesome (all of the way back to DWG). Stretch and I are trying to make a crazy run of 91 miles in 60 hours. 32.6 down, 27+ tomorrow, and 30+ Friday...we'll see if we can do it!!!Port Clinton, PA - William Penn Shelter - Day 72 - 970.9 - 998.7 - September 11thAnother long day today after staying at the Post Office until 9am. Nothing really to report other than there are still a ton of rocks here. 31 more tomorrow and we would complete a sick run in 3 days...time to rest!!!William Penn Shelter - Peters Mtn. Shelter - Day 73 - 998.7 - 1029.5 - September 12thUnreal. If it wasn't going to be hard enough today, it rained all day. The 3rd big day in a row exhausted both Stretch & myself. It was a big challenge to do 91.2 miles (3 1/2 marathons) in 60 hours the last few days...and all in daylight. Now it's an easy 11.4 to the Doyle tomorrow where a shower, laundry, food, spirits, and the football game await...woohoo!Peters Mtn. Shelter - Duncannon, PA - Day 74 - 1029.5 - 1040.9 - September 13thAfter not getting out until 9am this morning because we were so tired, we hiked into town around 1:15. After laundry and a shower, we started enjoying ourselves at the Doyle with some great food and such while watching the Dawgs win the atypical UGA-USC game. After all, a win is a win. We then continued splurging while watching the USC-OSU game, in which the country was once again showed why Ohio State and the Big 10 are such a joke. We're considering zeroing tomorrow, but we'll make that call tomorrow. Duncannon, PA - Zero Day - Day 75 - September 14thWe decided to take a zero today because the Doyle is awesome and it sets the rest of the week up well to get to Harpers Ferry by Saturday to spend the weekend in DC. I'm looking forward to more food and more football today while resting up for the next week!
Date: 2008-11-18
To: Fontana, NC
Miles today: 56.3

The snow and extreme cold part of the trip is in full swing...Winding Stair Gap ¢ Cold Spring Shelter ¢ Day 138 ¢ 1940.2 ¢ 1956.0 ¢ November 16thToday was cold and snowy with some great views. The sun was actually out most of the day even if it never broke freezing up at 4000+`. The Northbound section has begun and I am hiking solo. I did receive great trail magic near Wayah Gap from Apple¢¦thanks!!! I think this flip is going to be fun¢¦I ran into 2-Liter, Sweet-Sweet, & The Natural among others today and it was awesome seeing them again before the finish. Now I understand why No Car liked flip-flopping!!!Cold Spring Shelter ¢ Sassafras Gap Shelter ¢ Day 139 ¢ 1956.0 ¢ 1974.4 ¢ November 17thIt was actually decently warm today. The skies were somewhat clear today, but it seemed to be hazy and views were not clear. The NOC seemed to be a really cool place. I actually broke one of my poles on the way down to the NOC, and the Outfitter there replaced it right away. I would like to go back sometime and enjoy the whitewater. The climb out of the NOC really wasn¢t quite as hard as I had expected (it was still long and strenuous, though). I ran into Rainfrog, Emergency Shit, and Shep again today which was nice¢¦inside tomorrow¢¦it¢s going to be FREEZING tonight!!!Sassafras Gap Shelter ¢ Fontana Dam ¢ Day 140 ¢ 1974.4 ¢ 1996.5 ¢ November 18thFRIGID. Coldest night/day on the trail yet. Water froze in my bag and my beard has icicles. Nice view on Cheoah Bald and that was it. Today was about movement to stay warm. Going into the Smokies and crossing 2000 miles tomorrow¢¦at least it will be a little warmer¢¦7 inches of snow in the park right now¢¦not too bad¢¦
Date: 2008-11-21
To: Franklin, NC - Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 72.1
Weather: clear sky

Finishing around Noon on Thanksgiving Day. I'll definitively be at the Tech game next Saturday to see everyone. It's been an amazing journey and it's hard to believe I've only got 6 days/107 miles to go. I haven't been in my home state of Georgia since I left on a Greyhound Bus on June 30th. I'll be crossing the NC/GA border Sunday morning...hopefully there is some relief from the cold/snow sometime soon...Fontana Dam ¢ Derrick Knob Shelter ¢ Day 141 ¢ 1996.5 ¢ 2019.2 ¢ November 19thWhole lot going on today. Finally got back to the trail around 8:15. Found out @ 5000` the high/low yesterday was 18/9 and at 6400` it was 10/3 (that¢s in Fahrenheit, not Celsius). Good night to be inside last night. Today I headed up into the Smokies and hit my 2000 mile mark! Woohoo!!! Hard to believe I¢ve only got 8 days left. About my hiking day: The first 16 miles didn¢t impress me at all, but the last 7 (especially Thunderhead) were spectacular! Today¢s terrain: some hard snow, some 12+ inch powdery snow, some ice and some dirt. This is like the Black Diamond of hiking (or my thru-hike final exam). Over 7000` of uphill today in varying terrain was tough. Thankfully it was actually decently warm. I¢m actually alone in this shelter¢¦hope to see 40 degrees tomorrow¢¦ha!Derrick Knob Shelter ¢ Icewater Spring Shelter ¢ Day 142 ¢ 2019.2 ¢ 2040.2 ¢ November 20thIt¢s cold. The trail/park has some spectacular views. There is still LOTS of snow and ice. Clingman¢s Dome was pretty cool. Long day tomorrow after what looks to be a COLD night tonight. Oh, and my camera isn¢t working¢¦it¢s either out of batteries or too cold to work¢¦ugh¢¦Derrick Knob Shelter ¢ Davenport Gap (Franklin, NC Round 2) ¢ Day 143 ¢ 2040.2 ¢ 2068.6 ¢ November 21stLong, snowy, freezing cold day. Oh, I did I mention cold? Wind chill in the single digits. My camera still isn¢t working¢¦ugh¢¦Now that I made it through today, I¢m back in Franklin to finish the last 107 miles Southbound again¢¦6 more days¢¦whoa.My observations about the Smokies: It¢s cold and it¢s the nicest and most treacherous section since the Whites. I¢ll be back (when it¢s warmer)
Date: 2008-11-24
To: Helen, GA
Miles today: 56.7

Loving my last town stop at the Bavarian Paradise of Helen...Franklin, NC ¢ Standing Indian Shelter ¢ Day 144 ¢ 2068.6 ¢ 2092.1 ¢ November 22ndNice day today. Nice to be SOBO again. It actually warmed up nicely until around 2 when a bunch of clouds moved in and cooled things off. I also finally got through the snow zone in the last 5 miles today. I¢ve hiked in snow since Sunday last week¢¦glad that¢s done with. Tonight is going to be bitter cold, but it¢s the coldest night left. Standing Indian Mtn. at the end of the day today is the last 5000` mtn of the trail. The hiking today was spectacularly graded with excellent views fairly often. I now also have under 100 miles to go! Crossing into GEORGIA tomorrow morning!!!Standing Indian Shelter ¢ Deep Gap Shelter ¢ Day 145 ¢ 2092.1 ¢ 2112.2 ¢ November 23rdBoring hiking day ¢ no good views. It was pretty warm today (~50), which was a nice change. I¢m along at the shelter tonight after being at a packed shelter last night. Milestones reached today: Last State Line (finally back in GA!) / Last 100 mile crossing (over 2100 miles done). 4 days & 64 miles to go¢¦short (13 miles) day into Helen tomorrow to get warm and dry again and get my LAST resupply!Deep Gap Shelter ¢ Helen, GA ¢ Day 146 ¢ 2112.2 ¢ 2125.3 ¢ November 24thIt was rainy/misty all day today with a fogged in trail. I feel like I missed some great views on Tray & Rocky Mtns today¢¦oh well. Got a hitch into Helen from a guy who lives in Athens (& went to Central Gwinnett HS) ¢ it¢s so nice to be back near home. Hard to believe I¢m less than 70 hours & 50 miles from being home again. The weather is actually looking decent for the finish¢¦Today marks my last resupply, last hitchhike, and last town stay! Daniel, the preacher from Murphy is going to Neels Gap tomorrow to take me out to dinner after my 20 miles tomorrow¢¦I¢m looking forward to that too!!! Go Dawgs¢¦wreck Tech!!!
Date: 2008-12-03
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Well, I've been home-ish almost a week now and it's finally starting to hit me. The trail was spectacular. By far the most difficult, most rewarding, and most fun thing I have ever done. I also love the people on the trail. I miss being out there already (but am enjoying modern amenities). My LSAT is Saturday and I'm really not too concerned...it's no lightning/rain/wind storm as I'm climbing up the Baldpates. For the people wondering about equipment, I loved every piece of my equipment. I went through 3 pair of shoes. Merrell Chameleon, mid-ankle Montrails, and Solomon XT Wings. They were all great. The tread on the Merrells were perfect for the rocks in New England. I especially loved my "pool float" Big Agnes sleeping pad. Guestbook me with any other equipment/trail related questions...I'll be happy to help...Thanks again to everyone who made the trip successful...there were a whole lot of people that contributed. I'm sure this will be something I'll be talking about when I'm 70. The beard and hair are now off & I look normal again...the haircut yesterday was my last big physical attachment to the trail (other than the 12 pounds I gained along the way...ridiculous). I will never have a longer beard again. To everyone who I met along the trail, Facebook me and add me as a friend so we can stay in contact. There aren't many Jarrett's @ the Univ. of GA. I'm looking forward to getting Stretch & Co. off the trail next week & will probably be out for the day here and there over the winter...Happy Trails to all!!!