morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-17
From: Goddard Shelter

To: William Douglas Shelter 
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 104I slept like the dead last night. After crawling into my tent I ate two dinners. I just can't get enough food in me. I'm in a constant state of hunger. I was so tired afterwards that I cleaned myself up (as best as possible) and crawled under my quilt. Ten hours later, it was time to hike again. I can't remember the last time I ever slept ten hours.  I've seen bears, lots of dear, turkey, snakes and now I've seen evidence of moose. The "evidence" tells me that it was a very large moose. They have the entire mountain range, but they have to use the trail to do their business.  By now those that follow my journal know that I post every day, every day that I have data service that is. Verizon has been fantastic for my entire journey, but it's looking like service may diminish a bit. I'll continue to write my journal and will upload when service is available.  The green mountain range is lush and yep green. If the rain thus far is any indication of normal rain fall, I understand why they call them the Green Mountains. The mud covered pretty much of the trail today.  I slipped and fell three times so you can imagine how filthy I was.  It's been over a week since I've done laundry so I'm going to have to get to a town.  A town with a couple restaurants would be good... While finishing up my first lunch today I met "Kazoo" and "Milly". These very young 18 year old twins had recently graduated high school and decided they would hike the long trail. This is their last thing they will do together before heading off to separate universities in the fall.  I had the pleasure of meeting Hugh and Jean Joudey today as well. This couple have been the caretakers of Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower for many years (since 1947). It turns out that Hugh has his roots in Nova Scotia so they invited me to sit in their cabin to chat. That was fine by me as they are a lovely couple and I got to get away from the black flies too..."Scooby" update:I spoke with "Scooby" this evening and he is doing great. He took the day off in Dalton to make himself take it easy (actually went to see Wonder Woman).  He will hike again tomorrow, but is trying to keep his miles down.  Whistler
Date: 2017-06-18
From: William Douglas Shelter 

To: Manchester
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 105: As those that have been following me on my journal know, "Scooby" had to take some time to allow his shin splints to heal. I attempted to hang with him through that process, but he wouldn't allow it. His concern was that it could take a long time or possibly they might not heal at all. I reluctantly moved on, but stayed in contact. Last night we talked and it looks like "Scooby" is on the mend. I've decided to slow down my northerly migration to allow "Scooby" to catch up. I pulled a Nero today and will Zero tomorrow. I'll hike out on Tuesday, but will keep my miles down. If all goes well we will meet up in less than a week.  Today was a simple 5.3 mile hike to VT 11/30 where I was able to hitch a ride into Manchester. Thank you trail angel Nicki who saw me while heading in the opposite direction, turned around, picked me up and drove ten miles out of her way to deliver me to McDonald's. While there, "Crispy" came in and chatted for a bit while we both did some homework.  While eating my Egg McMuffins I was working the phone to find a place for the evening. And then I found Terry... Terry picked me up and took me to her home. I was able to shower and do laundry. When all cleaned up I tried to help out by painting a table for her. We finished up a respectable days work, got cleaned up and went out for dinner.  Hiker advice... stop in Manchester... loads of dining and resupply options. It's a very hiker friendly community. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-19
From: Manchester

To: Manchester 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 106:I spent the night in a real house and slept in a real bed last night and will again tonight. Terry had most recently placed her name on a list as a Trail Angel willing to take in thru-hikers. I was her first thru-hiker... I mentioned that I painted a table for her yesterday and this morning I painted her recently renovated bathroom. This was after she prepared a terrific breakfast for me. She also prepared dinner as thanks for the work I was able to do while here. I guess this falls into the category of "work for stay". After I finished painting, I asked Terry for a ride into town where I got lunch (McDonalds never tasted so good), coffee at Starbucks (welcome to civilization Whistler) and to catch a movie. I saw The Mummy with Tom Cruise (don't waste your time or money). I was going to hike out after breakfast, but it's calling for heavy rain and area flooding of streams and creeks. I'm staying with another Trail Angel tomorrow as Terry's place is not available. I hope "Scooby" is better off where he is, but I doubt it. The weather system I'm looking at is covering most of the Eastern Seaboard. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-20
From: Manchester 

To: Manchester 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 107:The good news is that "Scooby" is making great progress. We spoke early today and texted later. He is just 30 miles back so it's possible we will meet up on Friday,  Saturday at the latest.  The bad news?  There is no bad news... I wanted to mention one of my favorite daily stops while here in Manchester. Mrs. Murphy's Donuts has been my favorite place for afternoon coffee and donuts these past three days. It's an old time shop that has been recognized as Vermont's best donut shop. Having opened in 1977, they are celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year. It was fun seeing all the old timers sitting around drinking coffee and eating donuts while they solved all the worlds problems.  Tonight I am staying at Jennifer's home with a young couple from Montreal. Gabriel and Camille are hiking southbound on the Long Trail which was helpful for this Northbound hiker. I was able to glean a bit of information regarding what's coming up.   Jennifer will drop me off at the trail head in the morning after one more visit to McDonalds for a couple of Egg McMuffins to go...Whistler
Date: 2017-06-21
From: Manchester 

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 108:I was up and about way too early this morning, but I just couldn't sleep anymore. Jen had set the coffee pot up the night before and baked a blueberry walnut coffee cake. I flipped the switch on the Mr. Coffee and cut a slab of coffee cake off that was about as big as the plate I put it on. A couple of hikers came in late last night and joined me a bit later (I was having seconds). "Goddess" and "Boss" are mother and daughter and started their hike where they left off last year at Port Clinton. Jen was up a bit later and was ready to drop us off at the trail head. But, first we had to make a quick stop at McDonald's for a couple of Egg McMuffins to go... at my request. The weather could not have been better. It never got out of the sixties, no rain, part sun and a nice stiff breeze that kept most bugs at bay. The trail was actually in really good shape today as well, some mud, but not too bad at all. Some of you out there may not know what today is. Yes, it's the Summer Solstice, but it's also "National Hike Naked Day". I would have, but I didn't remember until I was in my tent for the evening. Apparently, no one else remembered either (at least none of those hikers I had seen today). There were several really beautiful views today as well (no nudes, just beautiful mountain views). I was really able to take my time today in order to enjoy them. I actually took my pack off and sat down to admire the views a couple of times as well. I was done with my miles by 4:00 and had my tent pitched by 4:10. Remember, I'm trying to do low miles so "Scooby" can catch up. I was bored beyond comprehension. That only leaves one thing to do...eat. Okay, dinner prepared and consumed by 6:00. Now what? Nothing left to do but hang my food bag and go to bed.  Whistler
Date: 2017-06-22
From: Lost Pond Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter 
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 109:I didn't intend to hike 18.6 miles, it just seemed to happen. I got a good late start this morning knowing that I had an easy day. I finally started at 7:00 and really took my time. Elevations and terrain were favorable too. One of the more interesting sites along the trail today was the "Rock Gardens of White Cliffs". These stacked stone cairns are said to have been placed there by gnomes. The picture shown here does little justice as there are hundreds of these stacked cairns, too many to count and too difficult to clearly show in a photo. When 3:00 came around I decided to continue to Rt. 103 where my guide describes Que's Whistle Stop restaurant. Now, in all fairness, Guthook's Guide (AT hiker app) does say that it might be closed. I was willing to take a chance. I hiked the half mile along the 103 and found that it was indeed closed and for sale. I was about to do an about face and hike the half mile back when a car pulled up. I asked if there might be another restaurant close by. "Why sure there is". Loretta's is "just a half mile further up the 103". Well, as my wife always says, " In for a penny, in for an pound". Onward I marched... when I arrived I ordered an Italian "grinder", that's what they call a sub sandwich in this part of the country. It was really a great sandwich no matter what you want to call it. I followed that up with a Coke, Gatorade and a pint of ice cream. While I was eating a gentleman named Uwe sat and chatted with me and offered to take me the mile back to the trail head.  This was definitely a worthwhile trip.  Whistler
Date: 2017-06-23
From: Clarendon Shelter 

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 110:I wouldn't have gotten up so early except for feeling rain in the air. It was to have rained last night, but that rain skirted around us. At around 5:30 I just felt like I needed to get moving. My tent was dry and I didn't want to push my luck. I was hiking by 6:15 and was in no rush to be anywhere in particular. The rain did find me and did its job well. I was soaked to the bone in no time flat. I didn't even bother to put on my rain jacket as it was way to hot for that.  I just took my lumps and hiked on. I did have my sights set on the lodge on top of Mt. Killington. Mt. Killington is the second highest peak in Vermont and home to an exclusive ski resort. The 2,000 feet climb to the 4,000 plus feet peak was not a very difficult one, but the chair lift is a lot easier I'm sure. Anyway, as I had said earlier, I knew I was hiking a short day because "Scooby" and I had made our plans to meet on Saturday. So I spent three hours at this lodge where I had an incredible meal. I also sat at the bar and enjoyed a local beer while I took in the incredible views. The staff at this very high end establishment were running around setting up for a big wedding that evening. I had to laugh to myself with the thought that the mother of the bride might have been there and her looking at me wondering when I would be leaving, or possibly wondering if I was one of the groom's guests. The thought of crashing the wedding did actually occur to me. Although, I might have stood out...especially when I asked the bride for a dance.  When I arrived at Churchill Scott Shelter this evening I ran into "LILO" and "Stitch". They are a wonderful couple that I've leapfrogged numerous times. Anyway, they snapped a tent pole while setting up and were really upset and concerned. Not to worry, "Whistler" to the rescue. I had a piece of tubing for tent pole repairs that I've carried 1,700 miles. It finally came in handy.  "Scooby" is just five miles behind me and will meet me where I'm camped tonight first thing in the morning. We will hike five miles to Mountain Meadows Lodge, grab a bite and make our plans.  "I love it when a plan comes together." Whistler
Date: 2017-06-24
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Mountain Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: light rain

Day 111:Yep, I know, a whole 5.9 miles hiked today. I can explain the reason for this seemingly pathetic day. "Scooby" met me at the Churchill Scott Shelter at 8:30 this morning as planned and we hiked the couple of miles to the Inn at the Long Trail as planned. We did laundry and waited for the pub to open at 11:30... as planned. From there we started to make our way to the Mountain Meadows Lodge.  We took a slight detour though. While on the trail we met "The Bear" who was posting a sign for trail magic. "The Bear" had to come off the trail for a blown knee and decided he would offer an act of kindness. Hot dogs and pop makes for happy hikers. We spent about an hour there and enjoyed hearing his stories as well.  After our hot dog snack, we made our way to Mountain Meadows Lodge, checked in, showered and obviously made our plans for the next feeding. With pizza on the way we finalized our plans for the next few days. It's hard to believe that we will be entering New Hampshire this week (state number thirteen) and the much anticipated White Mountains. From my perspective, I'm really pleased that my hiking buddy is back. It's much more enjoyable to share this experience, especially with a great guy like "Scooby". Whistler
Date: 2017-06-25
From: Mountain Meadows Lodge

To: Stealth camp
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 113:With breakfast included in our room rate, a late departure was predictable. Cereal, orange juice, coffee, fruit salad, yogurt and quiche demanded our time and attention. Once our breakfast obligations were met we were on the trail by 7:45. "Vermud" was actually kind to us today.  With the most beautiful clear skies, the mud was not bad at all, especially when you consider all the rain we have had recently. There were a couple of big climbs, but I looked at them as training for what's soon to come in the "Whites". Actually the entire previous 1,700 miles has been our "training" for the "Whites". A couple notable sites today included Thundering Falls and The Lookout. Thundering Falls is the largest waterfall in Vermont that is on the AT. The Lookout is privately owned which hikers are allowed to use. There is a stair type ladder that leads to a railed platform on the roof. The views from this platform are priceless. I could have sat up there all day.  The incentive to move on from The Lookout was ice cream at the On The Edge Farm on Vermont route 12. "Scooby" and I polished off a pint each and washed it down with a cold pop. That was just what the Dr. ordered for our last 2.5 miles of the day. Tomorrow will take us to the town of Norwich where there are a couple of mail drop boxes waiting me. More on that tomorrow...Whistler
Date: 2017-06-27
From: Norwich, Vermont 

To: Smarts Mountain tent site
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 115:We were up and ready to roll early this morning. We had made our plans last night which included breakfast in Hanover this morning. Crossing the Connecticut river had us leaving Vermont and entering New Hampshire in our first thirty minutes of hiking this morning. Once in Hanover we were kindly directed by a passerby to Lou's restaurant. Lou's must have a history that I'm unaware of, but the free doughnut for hikers as a starter to my breakfast certainly got my full attention. I ordered the Red Flannel Hash which is corned beef hash with two poached eggs, potatoes and toast. It was a perfect start to a perfect start. A problem did rear its ugly head when I discovered one of my trekking poles was missing its tip. This required some "working the smartphone". I had my REI order done while enjoying my last cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I really needed the new poles ASAP and had to order them via overnight delivery. A hefty mailing fee made the purchase a painful one, but they will be waiting for me to pick them up tomorrow... they better be. "Scooby" and I hit the trail a bit late because of my trekking pole mishap while knowing that we had to hike twenty five miles. New Hampshire was proud to give us a small taste of things to come with a few big climbs too. A threat of late afternoon storms just missed us. We could feel the air changing, see the dark clouds roll in and could hear the thunder. The radar on my phone showed the storm band splitting and going around us... how lucky. Our luck ran out though. Later in the day we still had another hour of hiking to get to our planned camp when another storm brewed. We were going as quickly as our tired bodies could go, but not fast enough. The skies opened up with high winds, rain and hail just as we reached the top of Smarts Mountain; now that really smarted. We were soaked in no time and freezing cold. All I could do is put my rain jacket on and wait it out (kind of like closing the barn door after the horses got out). When it finally quit I found a small patch of flat ground between two tents already pitched. Seriously, I pitched my tent within inches of these other tents. It's all I could do as the space was so limited. I crawled in, dried off and put on dry clothes. I wish they were warm clothes, but those get picked up tomorrow. Susan mailed them to the Hostel we will be staying at tomorrow. Here I am in my tent, shivering with my winter gear twenty miles further north... misjudged that one by one day... oops!Whistler
Date: 2017-06-28
From: Smarts Mountain tent site

To: Mt. Katahdin (very soon, God willing)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Good morning to all of Whistler's "constant readers".Ann Marie here, a.k.a., "the one waiting".  Bill asked that if there are days without a journal entry from him, that I let you know I have heard from him (via cell phone yesterday morning) and he and "Scooby" were enjoying hiking in New Hampshire, especially the weather (so far).  I believe they are staying in a hostel tonight so all of you will be able to 'catch up' with him tonight or tomorrow morning.I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for all of the support given Bill by so many of you along his journey; signing his journal guest book, sending him emails and texts, the mailing of drop boxes filled with delicious foods, the many, many "Trail Angel" moments, the Sunday updates given by our dear neighbour Sarah in church each week, the list just goes on and on.Blessings,                                                                                                    Ann Marie
Date: 2017-06-28
From: Smarts Mountain tent site

To: Welcome Hikers Hostel 
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 116:I posted my journal for yesterday, but what nobody knows is that I wrote it at 1:30 in the morning. After getting caught in that rain, sleet and hail, I was so wet and cold that all I wanted was to get warm and go to sleep. I eventually woke up and wrote and posted my journal and then went back to sleep. Fast forward to 5:00 AM when I rolled over and went back to sleep. Fast forward to 6:00 AM when I woke up again and realized that I had to get up. It had to be forty degrees if not colder. "Scooby" and I agreed on a 7:00 AM departure so I really needed to get moving. Oatmeal was cooked and eaten and coffee was being enjoyed while I packed up. We started down Smarts Mountain and ran into "Acorn" whom I had not seen for weeks. I was in the lead when I came to a boggy spot on the trail. I stepped on what I thought was a secured bog board, but was actually a floating log. I ended up in the bog up to my thighs. Yep, it wasn't pretty. I was covered in mud and I ended up with a two inch gash on one leg. I got as clean as I could and hiked on to the next creek where I was able to clean and dress my wound properly.   A bit later we had another good climb up Mt Cube. At just 2,900 feet, the views were almost 360 degrees. This was just a tease for what we will start seeing in the coming days while hiking the White Mountains. We met "Huff and Puff" while at the summit. When we got around to sharing trail names he recognized me and then "Scooby" by association because he follows me on Trail Journals.  About five miles later we met Carl the Omelette guy. Carl is set up directly on the trail with a huge canopy tent and outdoor kitchen. This is his second year making omelettes for hikers. He provides trail magic all hiking season long... every day May through September. He'll make you an omelette or pancakes. He has coffee, juice, muffins, cookies and bananas. The best part for me was when I walked up he recognized me from Trail Journals too. He was able to recite everything about my hike. I thanked him for his generosity and for following me on my journey. Tomorrow is when we actually enter the "Whites", specifically Mount Moosilauke which is almost a five thousand foot peak. More on how that goes tomorrow. Whistler
Date: 2017-06-29
From: Welcome Hikers Hostel 

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 117:We had agreed to make today a short one for a couple of reasons. First, we knew Mt. Moosilauke was going to be a bit of a challenge. At just under 5,000 feet we wanted to get our "feet" wet and take our time. We also knew of the bad weather that was expected and planned accordingly. And finally, we really wanted to enjoy the summit as much as possible. The climb up was steep and rocky, but with no serious risks. The summit was absolutely breathtaking. At this elevation you are completely above the tree line with 360 degree views make for an all inspiring experience. From my perspective the reward far out weighs the effort of the climb. The first thing "Scooby" and I did as we approached the summit was to "suit up". Rain/wind jackets were needed to provide shielding from the intensively high winds and the rain that was just starting to come down. The winds would easily knock you over if you didn't brace yourself against it. The cold rain and wind helped guide our decision to start our long descent on what we knew was the steep side of this intimidating mountain. To top things off the rains intensified to the point that we needed to seek shelter. Fortunately, Beaver Brook Shelter was half way down so we made that our destination. As we arrived at the shelter it really started to pour. "McFlurry", "Sequoia", "Laser Snake", " Grizzly" and "Lobo" were already in there enjoying what we were seeking, the safety of shelter. Now out of the rain, I put on some warm clothes and made myself lunch. I checked the radar on my phone and it didn't look good. It was only 2:00 in the afternoon and it was looking like we were trapped. An hour later I saw a break coming on the radar and "Scooby" agreed that we should make a run for it. My thoughts were that the rocks couldn't get any wetter. It was very slow going, but that's OK if we get there safely. As steep as it was on the south side coming up, it was twice as steep and difficult on the north side. We took our time and we're so lucky that the rain held off. We are stealth camping at Kinsman Notch where we pitched our tents, ate dinner, hung our food bags and crawled into our tents just as the rain started coming down hard again. We must be living right. Anyway, I'm in my tent, warm, safe and dry on the Appalachian Trail. It was a good day, a very good day. Whistler