morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-03
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Liberty Spring Campsite
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

It was chilly last night! I don't know how chilly but I was able to see my breath. With it cool and being wrapped up in my sleeping bag I slept very well. Stretch and I got up and took our time since it was only going to be an 11.5 mile day. It's nice to be hiking with a familiar face, having someone to laugh with and share frustrations with. I'm glad Stretch took a few days to hike. We had an immediate climb up to South and North Kinsman Mountain. We had some very nice views along the way. We were able to see Franconia Ridge. We then then had a five mile descent to Franconia Notch. Along the way we stopped at the Lonesome Lake Hut. I had a couple pieces of fantastic, thick chocolate cake. It gave me the fuel for the rest of the day. Stretch took the lead from Lonesome Lake down to the Notch. He's faster at descending than I am. Unfortunately we had to pull off the side of the trail countless times. With the holiday weekend there we SO MANY hikers. We had to take turns letting other hikers by. There were a few hikers who were absolutely clueless though. They wouldn't move over and let us by even though we were right behind them. I had to ask them to move. Common curtesy people...move over!But we made it to the Notch in really good time. We hit some trail magic too: Gatorade and Oreo's!It was only 2.7 miles, all uphill, to camp from there. I took the lead on the uphill. It wasn't too rocky and we continued to make good time. We made it to the campsite at 4:55 and I checked in with the caretaker. He tried putting me, Stretch, and two other tents on one tiny wooden platform. There was absolutely no way they'd all fit. We tried it anyway but the caretaker eventually he gave us some dirt to set up out tents in. We were so much happier!With our new campsite, we ate dinner and relaxed. It was quiet and we aren't among the herds of hikers. It was a nice ending to the day.
Date: 2015-07-04
From: Liberty Spring Campsite

To: Guyot Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Happy 4th of July!The days in the Whites are long. The miles go by very, very slowly. Instead of hiking at 2.5 miles an hour, it's now 1 or 1.5 or so. It's not the elevation change that's slowing but rather the rocks. They are large and they require much more effort to step up on. It's difficult because it's slowing and the rocks have been wet or muddy. On a good note, my feet were FINALLY dry today. It feels like the first time in weeks. Apparently it was the rainiest June in 130 years. The water just never went away after it. Stretch and I had a big climb immediately out of camp. It went up Franconia Ridge and summitted Little Haystack, Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette. The views were amazing and I could see for miles and miles. I could see Mount Washington way out in the distance. It was nice on Franconia Ridge. It was above tree line and the sun was shining down. There were quite a few other day and section hikers enjoying the views too. This area, Lafayette specifically, is famously photographed and I've been here once before. This is as far as I've hiked up north though. From Lafayette on, it's all new. We continued hiking and came off the ridge. We then were ascending and descending multiple times. There was a small waterfall we practically had to walk down. The trail is routed down this way but there was a path with room to walk without having to be in a constant flow of water. It was just difficult because the hike was near vertical in many sections. That's the story of the day. There are many hikers at the shelter for the holiday weekend. Since there's no tent space left, I'm in the shelter too. Oh well. Hike on in the morning!
Date: 2015-07-05
From: Guyot Shelter

To: Crawford Notch Campground
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: light rain

It was pretty cool last night. It never became completely dark. I could see from where I laid down, the sky was dark but there was a silhouette of the White Mountains. It was really nice. Stretch and I hit the trail at 7 AM and we're looking forward to the flatter elevation profile. It had a few steep descents and was a little bit rocky. It was a much needed change when we stopped by the Zealand Falls Hut and the terrain was flat. It literally was rock free and smooth. I couldn't believe it!We stopped in the hut for a 15 minute break. Each grabbed a couple slices of chocolate chip bread and filled up our water bottles. We didn't want to stay long though. We still had 7.5 miles to go.We hiked on and the miles went by very quickly. Lately each mile, each step, we've had to fight tooth and nail to get. The rocks have been large, slick or steep. The ground has been muddy and wet. Today was a break from it. I know it's not going to last but it nice!We finished our miles and made it to the parking lot at Crawford Notch around noon. We took a walk down the road and someone left ice teas as trail magic. It was fantastic! We took a few minutes to enjoy them and then walked to down to Route 302.At Route 302, we walked 1 mile west to the Willey House. It was a gift shop and restaurant type place at a beautiful parking area. The Willey House sits on a busy two lane road, surrounded by mountains for as far as the eye could see. We sat down and enjoyed some lunch¢¦ And snacks and ice cream.As we enjoyed ice cream outside we talked about the experiences so far; His experiences from Georgia to Damascus, Virginia, and my right up to here. For me, it's been about putting in miles lately. It's tough to not think about this journey ending. I don't always think about it as a journey but lately more of a destination. I don't always take it all in because I'm so focused on getting to a specific place at a specific time. I don't always stop and smell the roses.Even though the day was not nearly over, I knew I really enjoyed it. I was able to relax, talk with a friend, and enjoy some food without worrying about the miles. It was something I haven't done in quite some time.We finished our ice cream's and walked back to the Route 302 parking area. Adam, Nikki's cousin, came up from Connecticut, picked us up and brought us to the Crawford Notch campground. We quickly set up our tents, grabbed showers and got ready for the rest of the night. The three of us went into North Conway, NH for some burgers, fries onion rings. We also hit up Walmart for my resupply and then returned to camp to end the night. Stretch is going to leave tomorrow morning. It's been great hiking with him, catching up and having a "trail family" member again. It sucks he's leaving but we will catch up again in the future.
Date: 2015-07-06
From: Crawford Notch Campground

To: Stealth camp near Madison Spring Hut
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up this morning and drove to the trailhead parking lot to start our day. That's were Stretch took off to finish his journey on his own. I don't know if he continued hiking on his own, went to a hotel or went home. Either way, it was his journey too but it was great to see him again.Adam and I set out with a very steep and rocky climb up Mount Webster and Mount Jackson. On the way up I slipped and fell hard on my elbow and side. Although bruised and a slightly scraped, I was all right and continued the climb. We continued climbing until we stopped at the Mizpah Hut for snack and to refill on water. We didn't stay long though. We had many more miles to cover today. From the hut we climbed up Eisenhower, Franklin and Monroe. The walk between those peaks was all above treeline and on a ridge. Often times I had 360° views of the surrounding mountainsFrom Mount Monroe it passes another hut before the big climb up Mount Washington. The climb to Mount Washington is only 1.3 miles but it is entirely through a boulder field. It's surely not a linear trail but it was surprisingly easier than I thought. I'm good at the uphill so I guess it wasn't too bad.I made it to the top and took a few pictures with the sign at the summit. There are quite a few tourists and the Cog Railroad was busy. That's when Adam made it to the summit and we headed to the cafeteria for lunch. A couple chili dogs and an order of nachos later, we were walking towards camp¢¦ Another 6 miles. So off we went at 5 PM from Mount Washington.We had long and steep descents from alpine terrain and boulder fields. We could see mountain range beyond mountain range, each with their own shade of green or hue of blue. It was interesting. As I hiked I couldn't help but think this terrain looks like Mars. It's completely different than anything I've seen in the entire 1,800 mile trip so far. It's huge fields of boulders, near vertical peaks of rock and a lack of trees are any significant vegetation. It's not a place to get stranded. As the hike continued on, the sun began set. The mountains turned shades of red and orange and it looked like a whole new landscape. It cast rays behind five and 6,000 foot mountains leaving nothing but outlines of these high peaks. It was spectacular. We had 5 miles to go and made good time on the way. At 9 PM we showed up to the Madison Spring Hut. We quickly filled our water bottles and took a walk to find a campsite. The actual designated campsite was .6 on the side trail. We stealth camped .2 down it instead. Dinner and a phone call to Nikki concluded the night¢¦Until 2am. Large gusts of wind blew through the campsite. My tent acted like a sail and one of the tent stakes pulled out of the ground. No big deal. I went back to bed.
Date: 2015-07-07
From: Stealth camp near Madison Spring Hut

To: The Barn - Gorham, NH
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I was a bit tired today. I guess it's for good reason. It's really because of the lack of sleep and not for yesterday's miles. My body is good with the miles. It's been conditioned these last four months. It's not conditioned for lack of sleep.Adam and I left the campsite and had a large climb up Rocky Mountain Madison. It was beautiful at the top and the trail followed more alpine ridge line. When it eventually dropped off the climb down was very long. The three-mile dissent really took a toll on my knees. I feel good overall but I can tell down hills on my body more than anything else.We made it down to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center about 2:00pm. He then took a shuttle to his car and came back to pick me up. While I waited I sat and wrote in my journal. Once he picked me up we headed over to the White Mountain Hostelbut when I got there I found it to be full. We then headed 3 miles down the road to another hostel called The Barn. It has Wi-Fi, a shower, and other hikers I know. That sounds like a winner! I dropped off my things and we took a trip to McDonald's and Walmart. Adam had to get back to Connecticut so it's just me from now on. It was fun seeing him again and getting to spend some time outdoors.My original plan did not include a stop at a hostel tonight. My plan was to be here Thursday instead. The weather made that call for me to stay tonight. That's okay, now comes the final push to Maine.
Date: 2015-07-08
From: The Barn - Gorham, NH

To: Imp Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

It started off overcast today. There were some light rain showers early this morning before I hit the trail. But when I started the day, at about 8 AM, it only sprinkled for about a half an hour. Then as I climbed up Wildcat Mountain the sun came out and there was a slight breeze. There was even a rainbow that came out. It was interesting because I was above it and the rainbow was on the mountains below.Wildcat Mountain had near vertical rock faces. It was so steep that I needed to crawl up the mountain in certain places. Eventually I made it to the top and Wildcat (also a ski area) even had gondola rides available. I didn't take the trip on one but it looked like it would've been fun.Along the way I called REI and ordered up a new pair of shoes. The ones I'm wearing only have 400 miles on them but will not make it much further. The soles are literally chunking and tearing off. They have developed a couple holes and are ready for the trash. These NH rocks have just destroyed them. My new set will arrive in Rangley, ME and I'll only need to get 220 miles out of them. At least I'll have them for when I'm done too.With my shoes ordered, I continued on to Carter Notch Hut where I had a quick lunch. I didn't want to stay long because the terrain makes for really slow miles. I had a very tough climb up Carter Notch and then a treacherous climb down. I had to hold on to roots, limbs or just slide on my butt. I needed to go very slow and not risk slipping or sliding out of control.Eventually I made it down to the shelter at 5 PM. I'm not pressing on because it's just 8 miles into Gorham, NH tomorrow. There I'll resupply, eat and get ready for the next town. That's all for the moment. To town tomorrow...
Date: 2015-07-09
From: Imp Shelter

To: The Barn - Gorham, NH
Miles today: 8.0

It was an easy day on the trail. The weather was perfect for hiking and the terrain was mild. I got up and hit the trail around 7:15am. I knew I wanted to get back into Gorham so I made good time. I made it to the Route 2 parking area an waited for a ride to the hostel. Paul, the owner, picked me up.I took a shower, did laundry and went to the Post Office to send back cold weather gear since I'm out of the White Mountains. I also hit the Chinese buffet in town. That's pretty much it. A low key, but nice, day.
Date: 2015-07-10
From: The Barn - Gorham, NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

It was warm but breezy today. The weather has cooperated and I surely hope it continues. It's been really nice hiking with the sun out, since we've had so much rain lately. It makes hiking and morale much better. Paul, the hostel owner, dropped me off at the trailhead first thing this morning. I had one goal in mind: make it Maine. It didn't matter what time it would take to get there but Maine was the motivator. I had a long climb, first thing, to Mount Hayes. The climb felt longer because my pack was heavy. I'm carrying five days of food to get me to Rangeley, ME. I chose to skip Andover, ME which is right in between. I'd waste too much time hitching in and out. I hate carrying five days of food but this will save me time in the long run. The terrain was mostly mild. I'd say the most mild in the last two weeks. The climbs and descents weren't overly rocky and I was hiking at a quicker pace...until I slipped and fell on my elbow and shoulder. Other than a scrape, I was surprisingly fine. I banged out the first 12 miles by 1pm. That was really good considering how slow the hiking has been lately. The last five miles were a bit more difficult and slowed my pace. It was rockier but manageable. I just continued on, knowing I'd be in Maine in a couple hours. I hiked 4.5 of those last five miles and came to a white sign on a wooden post. It was the New Hampshire/Maine border sign! It took 130 days to get here. It brought a tear to my eye. It was the joy of knowing how far I've made it to this point. I sat on a log across from the sign and just reflected and enjoyed the moment.It's unbelievable when I think I've walked through 13 states to get to Maine...the 14th and final state. I find it interesting to look at the border sign and see the mileage I've walked. I know the final 281 miles are not going to be easy. I am ready for the challenge though. I left the sign and hiked the remaining half mile to get to the shelter. It's just me and Sweetblood here. We are both excited and can't believe how far we've made it. We each had our dinner and just relaxed, resting up for the big day tomorrow. It's surely going to be a tough one!
Date: 2015-07-11
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Baldplate Lean-To
Miles today: 16.4

It was a tough day of hiking. The trail zapped a lot of energy from me. It was a physically demanding day. I hiked 11 hours and only did 16.4 miles. Mile number 4 through 7 made me really work. It started with Mahoosuc Notch. It's car-sized or larger boulders that I had to navigate my way through for a full mile. The guide lists it as "The most difficult or fun mile of the AT. Make way through jumbled pit of boulders". It was fun for sure. When I dropped down into the pit, the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees. There were actually blocks of ice still around. I had to hold a chunk of it when I saw it. It was difficult for sure too. I had to hop from rock to rock. I had to hold myself up with my arms. I had to support myself when dropping down multiple feet. I had to crawl on top of boulders. I had to crawl under boulders. I had to take my pack off and push it through spaces of the boulders I had to crawl under. It was challenging. Once through the mile of boulders I had a steep mile and a half climb up to Mahoosuc Arm. It was slick rock but it was thankfully dry. It would have been increasingly difficult should it have been wet. After Mahoosuc Arm I stopped at the next shelter for a break. I could tell it took a lot of energy and my body was tired. At this point I still had another 7 miles to go though. I was dreading these upcoming miles. I was thinking of how tired my body would be. But, after hiking 1,900 miles I'm physically and mentally conditioned to do it. The final miles went by relatively quickly. My body felt pretty good actually. Along the way I stopped and talked to a couple SOBO's (southbound hikers who start in Maine and walk to Georgia). It's great to see them so fresh, excited, smiling and loving this trip. They have done 265 miles so far. I remember my first few hundred miles too. I was just as excited. It was new. Now, with 265 miles to go, the mentality is different. I'm enjoying this trip. It's just a different type of enjoyment than it was when I first came out here. Now it's the excitement of "graduation" on the horizon. It's the joy of knowing how far I've made it to this point. I know that I'm going to miss this though. One day, soon after I'm done, I'm going to wish my hiking shoes were on and I was walking toward Katahdin all over again. I am going to enjoy these final few weeks of this amazing journey.
Date: 2015-07-12
From: Baldplate Lean-To

To: Sawyer Brook Campsite
Miles today: 15.5

I was really tired today. It took every effort to walk. Hiking the Notch and the Arm really took a lot out of me.It seems like everyday, as soon as I start my day, it's always a big climb. There's no 15 minute warmup. It's just get on my shoes and get climbing. So...I did. I climbed up Baldplate Moutain at a slow pace. It was just a very steep, slick rock mountain. It didn't have any switchbacks. It was just UP. It was a great way to get the heart rate going and the blood pumping. I continued on the mountain and eventually it descended 1,500 feet to the Frye Notch Shelter. I stopped for a 10 minute break and to chat with a few SOBO's. In reality I was just stalling. I had 10 more miles to go. I left the shelter and the elevation change wasn't too steep. It has its bumps but it was relatively mild. It was of course rocky and there were large roots along the walk. There was a little bit of mud but nothing too bad. It sounds like there is some deep mud ahead. Some of the trail was in really bad shape. The tops of trees were broken off. The trail must have sustained some serious storm damage at some point recently. There were numerous blow-downs that were cut and tossed off to the side of the trail. The trail was also seriously overgrown with brush and small tree branches. It felt like I was was walking through saloon doors. It was abrasive on my arms but I had to push on through. The night concludes at the Sawyer Campsite. It's just me here. This is the first time in this entire trip I'm at a site by myself. It's peaceful.
Date: 2015-07-13
From: Sawyer Brook Campsite

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 19.6

It was a hot one today! It was bright and sunny and in the low 80's. Often times I was above tree-line and completely exposed to the sun. I made myself constantly drink water so not to get dehydrated. I think I caught a little sunburn though. I had two large climbs today but most of the day was mild...for rugged Maine. This state is very challenging and it's tougher to make the miles. I have to hike a couple hours longer to get the same mileage in. It's just annoying.I was originally going to stop at mile 15 today but I arrive at my destination with it still early in the evening. With such a late sunset it allows me more time to get in miles. So I pushed on another four miles. Other than it being very buggy it was an easy hike. On the way I saw another moose. The first one was in Mass, now one in Maine. Awesome! This one was really big and right in the middle of the trail. Other hikers I've talked to haven't seen a moose, bear or anything. I've seen two moose and three bears so far. Sometimes I'm lucky. The shelter I'm staying at is very buggy. There is an enormous pond just a couple hundred yards away that is a home for mosquito factories. The good part is the pond is beautiful. It's surrounded by mountains and there is a spot for hikers to swim too. I got to the shelter at 6:30 and still had to eat dinner and get ready and whatnot. No swimming for me tonight. Tomorrow will be a shorter day and I'll be in town for the night. I get my new shoes too! The ones I have been wearing have pretty much disintegrated. Pair number five is it now?
Date: 2015-07-14
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: The Farmhouse Hostel
Miles today: 9.4

It was perfect hiking weather today. It was warm, sunny and allowed for great views. What more can I ask for?I left the shelter to start on an easy 9 mile day. It was pretty enjoyable with minimal elevation change. Because of the lack of rain recently, the mud was firm and easy to walk on top of without sinking in. The miles went by quickly and I made it to Route 4, just outside of Rangeley, ME. I took the .3 mile road walk to the Hiker Hut to pick up my new shoes I had shipped there. I grabbed them and headed back out to the road to try and get a 9 mile hitch into town. Sure enough, the first car to came along gave me the ride...oh, it was in a BMW 740 too! I was dropped off at the IGA so I could resupply to get me through the 100 Mile Wilderness which I'll start to go through in a week or so. The 100 Mile is one of the final sections of trail before I reach Katahdin. There are no roads through it so I need to make sure I have everything set beforehand. I will ship my food to Monson, ME (the town before the 100 Mile) so it's one less thing I have to do when I'm there. I picked up all of the items I need to get me through that week. With bags in hands, I stared the .8 mile road walk to the Post Office. To my luck, Stoat and Poppins were doing some trail magic in town. They summitted on the 11th so they are giving back to hikers. They picked me up, gave me a cold lemonade and drove me right to the Post Office. There I shipped my food ahead and sent my old pair of sneakers back to REI. As soon as I was done, Stoat and Poppins drove me 1.3 miles to the Farmhouse Hostel. They real helped me out today. THANK YOU!!!I checked in to the very nice hostel and proceeded to do laundry, shower and charge my phone. Once complete I took a mile walk into town to a little place called Sarge's. I had some spinach artichoke dip, a really good burger and fries and a Happy Hour beer. It was just what I needed. Final things on the agenda were to update my trailjournal and call Nikki. She's getting just as excited as I am that I'll be at Katahdin soon enough. It will be nice to "graduate" and be back home once again. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain a bit. It sounds like other hikers aren't getting on the trail until later in the day. Me? I'm hitting the trail at 7:00am. No sense waiting around for the day to start. I'm hiking!