morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-30
From: Cooper Lodge

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

I found a really nice lunch spot at Kent Pond today. I spent a little extra time there to dry out my tent too. It was a short day for me, with a late start and early stop because I was a little too far out to try and get to Hanover in two days. In my spare time at the shelter, I practiced hanging my food bag and staking out my guy lines after yesterday's mishap on the tent platform. I wound up hanging my food from the shelter, even though I'm tenting, when a couple of SOBOs showed up and did the same.
Date: 2012-07-31
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

The weather was beautiful today. I ripped off almost fourteen miles and a side trip in under five hours so I could have a pint of ice cream for lunch at the first road. Unfortunately, I dragged from there until I reached Cloudland, which was closed. Thankfully Richard, who was watching the place, let me get two liters of cold water from the barn. While the sunny, cool and breezy day made me feel great, I did not drink enough water and had dehydrated myself. I felt better by the time I got to Thistle Hill Shelter, which was at a good distance from West Hartford and a potential second breakfast tomorrow.Bigfoot and Big Orange gave me a scare this morning when I passed them hiking in the opposite direction. It turned out they were slack packing southbound back to wherever they had stayed last night. I really don¢t like seeing people I know hiking towards me when I¢m hiking alone. For a second, I had a flashback to Virginia and wondered if I had gotten turned around again.
Date: 2012-08-01
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover NH
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

West Hartford was pretty cool, between the trail magic list of people who will left hikers crash with them and second breakfast. I crossed the bridge into New Hampshire meaning I have only one border crossing left! I stopped at the pizza place in town that gives a free slice to hikers. Its a great strategy because I stayed for lunch and sat with Toto. While I was there, the young girl I saw hiking with her father at the Vermont border asked if I remembered her. Its bizarre how and who you run into again on the trail. I ran into Connect Four, who I met at the hostel in Manchester, at CVS and wound up staying with her at Karen W¢s house since I was having trouble with my cell service. I had to apologize to the first guy I called, using Connect Four's phone, since lack of a signal prevented me from reconnecting with him to arrange a pickup. We were the only two in the basement and I think they'll allow me to stay a second night even though Karen will be gone tomorrow.
Date: 2012-08-02
From: Hanover NH

To: Hanover NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I had a very relaxing day. I got leftover pancakes for breakfast and a ride back into town. I resupplied at the Co-op, had an all you can eat lunch at a pizza place, and ate a top ten burger, that was name done of the ten best in the U.S. from a local bar. I'm back at Karen's house tonight and I have the basement to myself. I forgot to mention I picked up my winter gear mail drop yesterday.
Date: 2012-08-03
From: Hanover NH

To: Firewarden's Cabin
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Hanover was awesome! It was hard to leave. I met and hiked with Mr. Blue, who started on May 8th. We stopped at Bill's house, since he gives free ice cream and water to thru hikers, and chatted for awhile before moving on the Firewarden's Cabin because we don't tend to rest for long. I was going to continue until I heard thunder as I passed the shelter. It rained for like three seconds so I could have continued without getting wet. But since I stayed, I got to climb the tower to take pictures and view the sunset.
Date: 2012-08-04
From: Firewarden's Cabin

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm under four hundred miles to go. I also fell hiking uphill in dry conditions so experience only counts for so much. I scared something big, probably a bear, although I hoped to see a moose, off the trail before seven this morning. I couldn't see what it was because the sun was in my eyes and it was off the trail before I rounded the turn. I couldn't get a signal from the road so I stopped by the Glencliff hostel to see if I could use there phone to check if my shoes had arrived at the park. I could but I only got their answering machine. I moved on since it is supposed to rain tomorrow and the guys at the hostel told me I didn't want to be hiking down Moosilauke in the rain tomorrow. On the plus side, I filled up on soda, water because I ran out of Aqua Mira today and ice cream that was left at the hostel by someone who had rented a large pushcart full of it for the weekend and had a bunch leftover. I also took a picture of the word document that showed stealth locations in the Whites, in case I have the need for that information. At the shelter, I practiced hanging my food bag, again, in case I wind up tenting on my own in the next few weeks.
Date: 2012-08-05
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

The Whites kicked my ass today! Moosilauke was cool, misty, breezy and foggy at the top. It was a nice taste of what bad weather could be like up here without actually dealing with the bad weather. The descent was ridiculous compared to what I¢ve seen so far, but it was cool. It was slightly wet and it took about seventy-five minutes to descend the mile and a half from the shelter. At first I found the caution sign before the descent amusing, but understood why it was there once I saw the rebar and wood steps built into the rocks. I liked the waterfalls in the stream alongside the trail. It made it easy to stop at take a break every now and again. I should have stopped to eat at the parking lot but I didn't want to be around a bunch of day hikers so I took a short snack break at the bottom of the next climb. I found out that unlike the rest of the trail, I can¢t hike sixteen miles without lunch in these mountains. I bonked going up that climb and struggled until I reached Eliza Brook Shelter. By the time I felt good enough to hike again, it was close to three and I stayed put to avoid getting caught in the predicted storm. As it turned out, that was a good call. The sky opened at around five and unloaded a few times during the night.
Date: 2012-08-06
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Lincoln NH
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Thanks to the two female hikers I met around ten who told me to stop by the Lonesome Lake Hut for free pancakes. I could go for a second breakfast of leftover pancakes every day in the Whites.I was slipping down the wet trail so I called it a day at The Flume. Thanks to the SOBOs I met at the shelter last night, I had a business card for a shuttle that would charge me five dollars to get to Chet's hostel. Bigfoot and Big Orange happened to arrive after me and were nice enough to drive me to Lafayette Campground to pick up my free shoes since one of them had a rental car having just returned from a wedding in Connecticut. Afterwards, I went into town for a couple of meals, to do a mini-resupply, and bought Aqua Mira from the outfitter. The only downside was I left the current section of my map out at the hostel and now its gone. Ranger, who I haven't seen since Harper's Ferry showed up late to night. He shuttled in from the previous notch and is just a day behind me.My heels have finally stopped bothering me and I think I figured out why. The two nights I stayed in Hanover I got to sleep with my feet hanging off the bed. I think not having the pressure on them all the time, either hiking or sleeping on my back, was all I needed to get them back one hundred percent healthy.
Date: 2012-08-07
From: Lincoln NH

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

It took me an hour to hike the first nine tenths from the Flume since I hiked back via the road and walked passed where I had come out of the woods the day before. I wound up turning around at the next exit and walking back through the woods via the Basin Trail to connect with the trail at a spot before the one that I came out of the woods yesterday. It had been a while since I had lost something or missed a turn so I guess I was overdue.The trail was still wet and I was slipping and sliding throughout the day. I¢ll be lucky to finish if this keeps up.I arrived at the Galehead Hut at four so I decided to do work for stay as opposed to continuing onward. I ate lasagna, chicken, salad and chili in exchange for cleaning dishes, sweeping the floor, and hanging with the cool AMC croo.
Date: 2012-08-08
From: Galehead Hut

To: Mizpah Spring Hut
Miles today: 21.1

I left before six and stopped at the Zealand Hut for pancakes in exchange for doing dishes. There were excellent views again today. I took a picture of a cool bird atop one of the mountains this morning. Next I want a picture of a red squirrel.Webster Mountain kicked my ass today. Luckily, the eight miles before it were mostly flat. Hey, a twenty mile day in the Whites is possible. I did work for stay, washing dishes again, at Mitzvah Hut since I was the only thru-hiker there. It is nice that the kids running the hut think I'm only twenty-five. Most people assume I'm in my late twenties or early thirties which is fine by me. I¢m hoping for good weather and views over the next day or two while I'm above ridge line, especially Mount Washington. I'd like to make it to Madison Hut tomorrow.
Date: 2012-08-09
From: Mizpah Spring Hut

To: Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: fog

I left the hut before seven, got to Mount Washington before ten, and to Madison Hut around noon which is a no-no if looking for work for stay. I hauled ass over Washington to Madison in order to avoid the rain, which thankfully was only a sprinkle, although it did make the rocks slippery. I was hoping the note I carried from the last hut for a croo member at Madison would help me with work for stay but the girl in charge didn¢t seem to care. While waiting around, I met a guy named Tony who was nice enough to give me some of his extra cliff bars since he's completing his hike and going home tomorrow.When I asked for work for stay at four the girl in charge made me wait to see if anyone else showed up before letting me stay when a sole section hiker showed up after six. I didn't necessarily want to stay at the hut but it was the only place I could stay near the trail that would keep me dry tonight. Oddly, for the third straight night I'm the only NOBO at the hut.The rain arrived after dark so I was happy to be bloated and dry inside the hut. I hope to make the last hut tomorrow and be in Gorham the next day. I got a good picture atop Washington, which is the first one above six thousand feet this hike.
Date: 2012-08-10
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Carter Notch Hut 
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: fog

I cleaned up the bunk rooms this morning and left after nine. As I left one of the croo told me I could do work for stay at the next hut since he would be there that night. It rained off and on most of the day. Thankfully there was no lightning and only a little thunder. There were some excellent views after leaving Madison but it poured going up the Wildcats. Because of the weather, there were cancellations at the hut and I got to stay in an empty bunk room with the SOBO couple doing work for stay.
Date: 2012-08-11
From: Carter Notch Hut 

To: Gorham NH - White Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up at four-thirty because one of the self proclaimed SOBO thru hikers, who I found out actually started in Andover and had no plan to go back and do the part they skipped, started vomiting outside the hut. Evidently, she had been sick with the noro virus in Gorham and now he had it but that didn't stop them from doing work for stay and exposing everyone else to it. I waited for the first croo to get up, told him what I knew, since I doubt the couple would have said anything, and left early to get to town to rest. I fell eight times, seven on the final long descent, on wet boardwalks, leaves etc. trying to get to town quickly. On the first fall, I was lucky to catch myself after sliding about a foot instead of continuing down the rock another eight feet.
Date: 2012-08-12
From: Gorham NH - White Mountain Hostel

To: Gorham NH - White Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

Today was a zero day. I definitely have the noro virus or some kind of bug. I napped during the day, have a fever, and avoided throwing up during the night by drinking Dr. Pepper when nausea hit. Even though I have a bunk I'm sleeping on the couch trying to avoid and not disturb others.
Date: 2012-08-14
From: Gorham NH - White Mountain Hostel

To: Gorham NH - White Mountain Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept in my bunk last night from around nine-thirty until after eight this morning. I don't feel nauseous or sick today and am looking forward to leaving tomorrow. I still don't have a full appetite though. There are a couple of familiar faces here, Tex and Dirtygirl. They were nice enough to take some cash and pick up some resupply items for me while I was sick.
Date: 2012-08-15
From: Gorham NH - White Mountain Hostel

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

My appetite is getting better as I almost ate a full breakfast. Thanks to the hostel, I was able to buy frozen pizzas from the fridge the past few days instead of eating out or dipping into my resupply.It started to rain just as I began to hike around seven so my shoes are wet for the eleventh straight day. The last mile in New Hampshire and first half mile in Maine were tough. There were three spots where I thought 'how do I get down this'. If I make it through Maine and in particular the Mahoosuc Notch without incident I'll be amazed.I¢m staying in a shelter tonight because it is supposed to rain again. Ranger caught up to me for the first time since the Shenandoahs.
Date: 2012-08-16
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: light rain

I got drenched today despite trying to out wait the rain. I gave up, started around nine and trudged through the muck until reaching the net shelter at noon. I decided to stop for the day when I realized how long it had taken to get there and knowing the notch was ahead. I had been advised to avoid doing it in the rain and I can't imagine how much longer it would take when slippery given my pace today. I¢m glad I have my winter gear with me to keep warm. The shelter is full of NOBOs, including Tex, Ranger, Murph and Mange, who likewise are hoping to tackle the notch in better weather.
Date: 2012-08-17
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Fry Notch Lean-to
Miles today: 15.5

Today¢s the day to tackle the notch and arm! It took five hours to hike the first five miles. Part of the reason was the trail was unmarked and underwater when it turned. I wound up following a wrong path for a minute or two a couple of times trying to find the trail. Eventually, Ninja found it but I had to go back to the wrong path another time to look for my trekking poles which had fallen out of my pack. It took an additional twenty minute detour to find them off trail. I think the bag they were in got snagged on a branch when we were looking for where the trail should be by wandering in the woods by the stream. I¢d estimate it took two hours to go through Mahoosuc Notch. Fortunately, the rocks had dried out after all the rain yesterday. Thanks to Lefty and Scrabbit for the trail magic(soda and chips)and to Mange for the headlamp batteries. I had planned to stop at the shelter before Full Goose but my ego wouldn't let me do such a short mileage day so I pressed on after taking a quick break past the shelter. I had to hustle over the next mountains before another storm which arrived about five minutes before I reached Full Goose and snagged a spot in the shelter.
Date: 2012-08-18
From: Fry Notch Lean-to

To: South Arm Rd-Andover Pine Ellis hostel
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Somehow I missed seeing trail magic cookies a little ways off the trail this morning. Thanks to Murph for giving me some of the ones he took when we stopped for lunch.I wasn't planning on staying in Andover but I couldn't hike another eight miles to the next shelter and with a four mile day since my last resupply I needed to get to town. The hostel will shuttle you, for a fee, from and to the trail which is fine since you can walk into town to resupply and eat dinner once you're settled.Unfortunately the owner was out of town and another hiker brought two loud drunk chicks, who were staying in my room, to the place. Despite his hollow apologies for their behavior he never took them to a hotel like he said he would if they were a problem, which they clearly were. I guess the guy in charge didn't want to throw anybody out even though I seen it happen for much less a couple times on this hike. Oh well, I've only got a couple of weeks and a few hostel stays left.
Date: 2012-08-19
From: South Arm Rd-Andover Pine Ellis hostel

To: Little Swift River Pond Campsite
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The drunk chicks started arguing again at four-thirty so I showered and arrived at the diner at six. I think I'm finally over the noro virus as I'm back above twenty miles a day. I almost had a camp site to myself until two other hikers arrived at dusk. I haven't been alone except for two nights sleeping by roads, at all on the hike. I guess that's what happens when you hike through the bubble. Between the huts, an extended stay in a hostel to get healthy and the recent rain storms, I realized tonight is the first night in two weeks that I'm using my tent.
Date: 2012-08-20
From: Little Swift River Pond Campsite

To: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 23.5

There were great views atop Saddleback Mountain but I cooked myself today. I didn't drink enough water early and paid for it later. I hadn't planned on reaching the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to but I couldn't find a campsite after Orbeton Stream. The upside of hiking those extra miles is I should be able to reach Stratton tomorrow.
Date: 2012-08-21
From: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

To: Stratton - hostel
Miles today: 13.5

I ran into Olympus heading southbound atop the last mountain before town. It was good to see him again, to know that he¢s still on trail and on pace to finish his flip-flop near home in New Jersey. Thanks to Greg and his family for giving me a ride into town when they saw me on the phone trying to get a shuttle. I also ran into Mange, who is trying to finish by the end of the month, resupplying in town. At the hostel, I a pair of my underwear, that had disappeared in the laundry at the hostel in Gorham, when I ran into Dirtygirl. He had brought it with him when he jumped ahead of me because he has a deadline to finish by. He knew what they looked like and had left me a voicemail that he would leave them somewhere for me to pick up but I caught him before he had the chance.I had planned to go out tonight but was too tired. I ate at the hostel and took a nap instead. I also booked a flight home from New York on September 6th. I think I should finish around Labor Day or possibly before. This will give me a few extra days to finish the trail and crash at my friend's place in Connecticut before heading home.
Date: 2012-08-23
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 28.7
Weather: clear sky

I took it slow this morning and got a late start knowing I couldn't make the morning ferry across the Kennebec River. At the first shelter, I met the dude who ran the nearby campground who told me I get get water from the cabin if I wanted. If you arrive early and sign up you can buy a pancake breakfast from the cabin. Unfortunately, where I ended up last night wasn't conducive for having a meal at the cabin today or tomorrow. I thought I'd take it easy until I reached the river but there were like twenty fifty foot climbs and descents in rapid succession that don't show on the map profile for the area.Thanks to Hillbilly Dave for ferrying me across the Kennebec on his lunch break and for the reports on the weather and terrain. I was having soup when he arrived but I cut my lunch break short so as not to make him wait. I stopped at the next shelter to fill up on Starburst, the rest of my lunch, in order to make the climb over the mountain that he said I wouldn't want to do in the rain. I had just started my descent when it began. I was pretty fortunate today as I'm now only a day from Monson instead of two.
Date: 2012-08-24
From: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to

To: Monson- Lakeshore House
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: clear sky

I reached the trail head to Monson at four to find Toto waiting with the hostel van. Another hiker had called for a shuttle and let Toto go to pick them up. Luckily, there was enough room for one more, me. At the hostel, I ate a large pizza and pint of Ben & Jerry¢s ice cream for dinner. I'm bloated again, but may have overdone it a little much as I wound up lying on my cot most of the remaining day. I resupplied at the hostel and gas station which were both reasonable priced. Murph, Mange and a few other hikers I recognized were there, so we all chipped in a dollar or two for laundry. I think I'm gonna try and summit on my birthday, the thirtieth.
Date: 2012-08-25
From: Monson- Lakeshore House

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: few clouds

I booked a bus from Portland to Boston and then a train the next day to Connecticut before shuttling back to trail this morning. AAARGH!! I fell on my right side while crossing a stream, atop a waterfall, that I thought was the trail, soaking the pocket containing my iPhone and breaking the camera function! Only the bottom of my pack got wet and since my sleeping bag was in a dry sac everything else is fine.I stopped for the day atop the first climb in the Hundred Mile Wilderness because I was told the source at the next shelter was dry. There are some hikers listening to music by the pond so I'm in the shelter tonight since the few other spots are taken. I also managed to get a signal during the day to call and change my bus and train tickets from being mailed to my home address to being held at the terminals.I've got less than one hundred miles to go!
Date: 2012-08-26
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to

To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 27.6

It was an unusually long day. Within an hour of leaving the lean-to, I drilled my knee on a boulder that was on the trail but hidden by a branch covering it. I hit it solid too. I heard a loud hollow sound, threw down my poles and had to stop for a few seconds. I figured it was only going to stiffen up when I stopped so I decided to hike for as long as I could. I also managed to walk face first into a root of uprooted tree on a switchback and cut my leg on another branch during the day.There were really nice views atop Whitecap Mountain that made me wish I had a functioning camera. I saw a spotted goose chillin' three feet in front of me on the trail, but again no camera.Because I didn't want to stop and drink enough water, I cooked myself today. I couldn¢t finish my dinner and had to eat some extra snacks, which I'm now low on, afterwards. Can you tell, I'm ready for the hike to be over?Thanks to the caretaker or ridge runner, whatever they are called up here, for the info on the terrain and water sources today. Also, for letting me know I can get a disposable camera at the Abol Bridge camp store before I summit Katahdin. I should have spent more time atop the last mountain of the day but since I didn't have a camera and didn't know what I was looking at, I just kept moving. I'm done with the two big ranges in the Wilderness.