morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-18
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: light rain

Another good day for hiking. Sunny all day with temps in the 70s. Got a late start because I had a nice breakfast with Wonder at Bob's Diner. Pretty tired by the end of the day maybe because I have done a lot of 20 mile days in a row. A nice weather day on a Saturday means a lot of people on the trail in Vermont. Many day hikers, families, and people out for the weekend. I did not meet any new thru hikers. I did run into a group from Delaware Water Gap in PA. They were very interested in how their town rated as a trail town.At the end of the day I had another small world experience. I was resting at a dirt road crossing when nine US Forest Service Police cars and SUVs passed by. For Vermont it must have been the whole police force. A family came out of the woods at the same time. We got to talking and apparently all the vehicles were coming from a rainbow convention up the road. After talking for a while longer I found out the dad was an uncle of one of my former students. It never ceases to amaze me how interconnected we all are. Once again cell phone service was pretty poor for most of the day. There were no opportunities to slide into town for a bit, either. There were several swimming holes during today's hike but since there were so many families about I did not want to risk a naked Santa scene.
Date: 2016-06-19
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

Most notable for the day is that there is just under 500 miles to go! Started hiking at 6am and several small peaks to climb and descend before stopping for lunch. Took a half mile detour to eat at The Whistle Stop. I had remembered that it was a hiker friendly place from a section hike a couple years ago. Today they were my number one hiker friendly place by a lot. As I was setting my pack down outside, one of the waitresses came out to tell me that they had a charging station for my phone. I mentioned that I was going to change into my sleeping clothes because I was extremely sweaty. She pulled out a clothes drying rack and put it in the sun so I could dry out my sweaty clothes. I had a most excellent double cheeseburger for my Father's Day lunch. While I was eating a local gentleman came over to give me tips on where to stay for the next several nights after hiking. Overall just a great experience, well worth the extra half mile walk in and out. This afternoon was very hot so it was a bad day to lose my sweat bandana. Although my clothes had totally dried at lunch I still had to wring my shirt out twice in the afternoon. I met a nice woman waiting for her husband to finish his hike down Killington (what I will go up tomorrow am). She gave me some juice and a brownie which was quite nice. I saw very few people on the trail today and there are only weekenders and section hikers at the shelter tonight.Looking forward to summiting Killington on what should be a clear morning. Will descend near Rutland where I will meet up with Wonder.I have a two part wondering to finish off this post. First, wouldn't it be cool if all the spider webs that I have broken with my face and arms and legs could be magically weaved into a web shield from the bugs? Second, assuming the first could actually happen, how long before my protective web suit was so full of bugs it would look like the front grill of a truck?
Date: 2016-06-20
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: US 4
Miles today: 10.6

Nice short day today. Met up with the whole family at the RT 4 trailhead after I went to the summit of Killington and then down towards Rutland. It was a beautiful clear morning so had wonderful 360 degree views of the area. Got there too early to visit the lodge, it did not open for another two hours. Hike was much better than a few years ago. Several sections have been redone so the climb and descent was easier. It got hot on the way down so the bugs were out in full force. I briefly saw two hikers, MacGyver and Ear. Other than that it was just me. It was kind of weird exploring a deserted ski mountain peak.Super awesome to see the whole family and eat at Pizza Hut. Wonder has returned to hike so the team is back together. Should reach Uncle Kevin and family in Hanover in a couple days.
Date: 2016-06-21
From: US 4

To: Stealth Site
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

We slept really well last night- I even slept through the thunder and lightning storm. Up early even though breakfast wasn't served until 7. We went downstairs to wait and they didn't even open the breakfast room until 7:30. Breakfast was worth waiting for though. Orange juice, omelette, bacon and toast for Santa. V-8 juice, hot chocolate, French toast and bacon for me. We ate and picked up our packs and walked down to the trail head. It was wonderful to be hiking again and doing our usual rituals of a kiss at every trail head. We chatted as we started our hike for the day.We were passed by Mantis who we haven't seen since the half way point. He got off for his sisters graduation and some other family stuff then he had to take a week off for UVA business school orientation. But he still hikes fast enough to do all that and pass us again. His dad is coming to hike The Whites with him so that will slow him down again.At Gifford Woods State Park we stopped at the office to use the bathroom and get a snack. We each had a Coke and Santa had an ice cream cookie sandwich.Then we walked up a mountain and down a mountain. I can keep up with Santa on the ups but he crushes me on the downs. Today the downs were especially difficult because my right knee was starting to hurt. We got to a road crossing and stopped for a snack and to chat with people at the parking lot. I turned my phone on and had a message from my doctor to call. When I spoke to her she said I have a tick borne illness and need to start on antibiotics. We had them with us but need to get more in Hanover because I have to take them for three weeks. I took one and almost immediately regretted it, the pill made me nauseous. We climbed some more and stopped at a shelter for lunch (cheese, pepperoni, crackers and Doritoes). There were two young men there that were section hiking for ten days. They had never camped before so they had lots of questions. Ten more miles to go so we moved on. I am not doing so well. My feet hurt, my knee hurts and I'm trying to keep my lunch down. I put my iPod on and listened to a book and then some music. It helped a bit but not enough. We decided to go 15 miles instead of 20 today. And we had a long talk about how this isn't going to work for me. Santa said I need to listen to my body and it was telling me that I am done. I knew that but I don't want to quit and I want to finish this adventure with him. But I am slowing him down and I can't walk downhill without wanting to cry. So lots of tears from me tonight. Santa is going to continue and I am going to see him every 3-4 days when he resupplies. He's already given me a list of things to do get the bathrooms remodeled, have the heater installed on the pool, and figure out how to move DCF along so we can have a special little boy live with us sooner rather than later. So I will be busy but I will still miss spending every minute of every day with a very special man.
Date: 2016-06-22
From: Stealth Site

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a tough day. I had organized a meeting point with the girls so they could get Wonder. The meeting point was nearly 8 miles from where we camped and mostly downhill. The downhills are what really hurt Wonder's knee so this leg was slow and painful. It was clear that there is most likely something more than overuse going on with the knee. In true thru hiker luck it rained for the last mile. For the last mile I carried her pack because she was in a lot of pain. I balanced it on my head and the top of my pack. It must have looked pretty funny. We got to the meeting point just about on time but the girls were not there. As it turns out we were not actually at the right meeting spot which was all my fault. Courtney was at the right spot and was hiking up to meet us. She never would have found us because we were on a different part of the trail. Wonder and I decided to hitch to the store that I told the girls we might go to next. Lots of cars passed us but most people do not want to pick up two soaking wet hikers. Eventually a young man excitedly picked us up. While we were driving and talking it dawned on me that we were not in the right place. Eventually Courtney reached a spot in her hike where she had some cell service so she called us. We unraveled the mystery, set a new meeting point, and Court and Casey eventually were able to rescue us. We did some shopping at EMS, had lunch at Chili's and then the girls brought me back to the trail and Wonder home. I started hiking again at 2:30. I was able to do enough miles so I can reach Kevin's family in Hanover tomorrow.Not much to report about happenings while hiking. Since we have now split off from the long trail and it is a weekday, I do not expect to see a lot of hikers. Today I did not see any one until reaching the shelter.
Date: 2016-06-23
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Etna-Hanover Center Rd
Miles today: 20.5

My only focus today was to get to Hanover, NH as quickly as possible. I reached Hanover just around noon. Got to hang with my brother Kevin's family for a while, had a good lunch, then finished the last five miles with Kevin. Afterwards had a tremendous dinner and went to watch Liam play on the right side of a blowout soccer game. Overall the quick visit was awesome. It reminds me how great support people my siblings are.Started my hike at 5:30am and only an hour or two into the hike got some trail magic breakfast. I passed over the bridge and into West Hartford, VT and heard someone ring a bell. A woman in a house across the street called me over and cooked me scrambled eggs for breakfast. She told me she served about 1300 people last year. It really amazes me how some people are truly dedicated to the hiker community. I did not see many hikers and no animals of note. Passing into Hanover marked the milestone of reaching the second to last state.
Date: 2016-06-24
From: Etna-Hanover Center Rd

To: Smarts Mountain
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

Today was a very hard hike. I made the false assumption that there was not going to be much elevation change so did not bother to look at the book or plan for the day. After the first climb of Moose mountain I checked the terrain for the day. It included three hard New Hampshire climbs with no switchbacks. It reminded me of North Carolina months ago. I was exhausted by the end of the day but managed to reach the fire wardens cabin at the top of Smarts mountain to take the last available spot in the cabin. The other five spots were already taken by section hikers. There were no real spots to put down my three person tent so I would have been very unhappy to have to keep going. Had some beautiful views because it was a clear day and several view spots with all the climbs. The most exciting point of the day came when I saw a small bear cub only about 40 yards away. It was hanging out on a dirt road close to the famous "ice cream mans" house. The bear sort of stared me down while I tried to stay still and take a picture. It slowly wandered into the woods after about 30 seconds. For the next several minutes I was on high alert for mama bear, but luckily she did not appear to be around. A hard but rewarding day on the trail.
Date: 2016-06-25
From: Smarts Mountain

To: NH RT25
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a great day all around. Weather was clear and warm but not too humid. Had only one big climb at the start of the day, Mt. Cube. I ran into The Spaniard early in the morning and we hiked most of the day together. Had some very interesting conversations about the vote in England to withdraw from the EU. It was great to hear thoughts from a well informed European. Had several trail magic events. One from a man named Carl and his wife. He had a list of thru hikers he had been following on trail journals and was able to guess who I was from his list. It was enlightening to see how creative some people are in trying to follow and help hikers. I saw him again later in the day as he was using his construction skills to improve on one of the popular sites for hikers to get water. The best trail magic came from Wonder and my daughter Kristin. They met me and the Spaniard about 10 miles into our hike. They had sandwiches, fruit and cold drinks. Then at the 15 mile mark they met me again. Wonder and I shared a sub, had more cold drinks, then Wonder accompanied me for the last five miles of the day. It was great to have her company. It also was kind of a test to see how her knee would feel without a pack. She was successful in the hike but her knee was not happy at all. Another milestone met right at the end of the day, just under 400 miles to go. Taking a day off tomorrow at home in Pike, my body really needs a rest. My knee is starting to act up now, I am hoping I can finish the remaining miles before my body gives out. Have been communicating with Northstar, trying to see if he can catch up so we can hike together. I hope we can get it together.
Date: 2016-06-27
From: NH RT25

To: RT 112 Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: clear sky

Nice short distance day. Flip-flopped and slackpacked Mt. Moosilauke with Northstar. Was a sunny and beautiful day for most of the hike. It was fun to southbound for a day because we ran into a few northbound hikers that we knew. Saw the Spaniard and Marshall separately. Also saw a moose in a bog on the drive to start the hike. Wonder got a picture. The wind started to pick up when we were above tree line but it was refreshing because it was hot. Climb down was relatively uneventful. Had a great dinner at home in Pike and celebrated Wonder's birthday. Seemed much easier to southbound Moosilauke instead of northbound.
Date: 2016-06-28
From: RT 112 Kinsman Notch

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Slackpacked the Kinsmans today. This was a very strenuous 16 mile day. Lot of steep ascent and descent over rocks and roots. I am thankful that I did not have a full pack, I might have fallen over backwards several times. It was supposed to rain on us today but it did not. I am not sure how some of the terrain can be climbed in the rain. The descent from North Kinsman had every type of step you can imagine. There were rock steps, board steps rebarred into the rock, steps carved out of the stone, as well as ladder steps. All were very steep and tricky. The weather cleared as we began to descend the Kinsmans so we had some nice views. Saw very few people except for some families when we reached our first hut in the White's. Very tiring but productive day. I can certainly see why many hikers slow down in the White's. Had a nice dinner with Northstar, his wife, and Wonder. Also saw three moose at the same spot we saw one yesterday. One strange thing today was that for most of the hike we heard no birds at all. They did not start singing until late in the day.
Date: 2016-06-29
From: Franconia Notch

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Today was a grueling 13 miles. I can certainly see how some thru hikers slow down in the Whites. We had a lot more climbs and descents on rocks and roots. We went over 5000 feet. It has been many months since we were at that elevation. We got rained on briefly when we were above tree line on Mt. Lafayette. It rained just enough to be wet for the rest of the day. Two more strong thunderstorms rumbled close to us but passed us by. It was great hiking with Northstar because he knew the trail well and kept an eye on me especially when I was struggling later in the day. We are staying at Galehead Hut which is his old stomping ground so he was able to score us a good deal to stay for the night. We did not see any other thru hikers and wildlife was scarce. Happy to see a few more miles completed from the Whites.
Date: 2016-06-30
From: Galehead Hut

To: US-302 Crawford Notch
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I have been hiking with Northstar for the past few days and hope to do so hopefully to the finish. We started off the morning with a sharp climb up South Twin Mountain. It was cold and cloudy to start but it looked like it would clear quickly. It was still cloudy when we got to the peak. Northstar stayed for a while waiting for it to clear while I headed on since I am slower. Unfortunately not long after, I missed a turn and went .6 miles on the wrong trail until I figured it out. I had to backtrack and get on the correct trail. For most of the rest of the day I hiked alone trying to catch Northstar who had passed me by during my detour. The clouds cleared and the rest of the hike was clear with beautiful views. I crossed several streams and saw a couple small waterfalls. Other than a few day hikers towards the end of the hike I saw no people. I could tell from talking to the day hikers that Northstar was just ahead of me. I was surprised when I got to the trailhead before him. As it turns out he detoured into a shelter a couple miles before the end of the hike so I must have passed him there. Since we were in the valley most of the day there was no cell service, not even in the parking lot. I wonder what we would have done if we had been more separated. I am doing laundry and enjoying an evening with Wonder who met me at the end of the day. Mt. Washington looms for tomorrow. It looks like the weather forecast is ok. This is one of those places where you need to respect Mother Nature!
Date: 2016-07-01
From: US-302 Crawford Notch

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

I tried to get an early start today because there were threats of afternoon thundershowers. Since I am still in the Whites and I got off at a road crossing yesterday I had to start the day with a big climb. It was very clear and no wind. Lots of view points and several cliff walks. As the elevation rose I had some clear views of Mt Washington (this does not happen very often). I finished hiking at Lakes of the Clouds hut at about 2 pm. Elevation is just over 5000 feet. The wind is really picking up and thunderstorms are on the way. I am happy being safe and staying the night. I saw Northstar going southbound today and just saw Phat Sister and his friend. Mantis is due in shortly. That covers most of the thru hikers that I know are in the area. Many day hikers and section hikers, this is a very popular area. I was surprised to see some moose prints in the bog at about 4000 feet, but have not seen any wildlife.
Date: 2016-07-03
From: NH-16 Pinkham Notch

To: US-2
Miles today: 21.1

Stayed at The Hiker Barn so I could slack pack the Wildcats and the Carters. This was another long White Mountain climb day. I had breakfast with Phat Sister and Lost Pony at Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. I like the Center because they have hiker hours and have a great buffet for each meal. We all started hiking together but within minutes the young boys were way ahead of me. It was another hard day of climbs but I enjoyed being able to go at my own speed. I saw many day hikers and families as well as a few southbounders. It was a bit windy but it helped keep the temps down. I stopped at the Carter Notch hut for lunch. It was at a nice site with two ponds nearby. I had a nice conversation with the two hut workers who were there. I left about 2 pm and realized I had not even reached the halfway point for the day. I had to move a lot faster for the afternoon but at least I could look forward to a zero day with Wonder. I finished just before 8 pm. At the parking lot I met Magic and several other thru hikers. I have not seen Magic in months. It was nice to catch up with him. It is amazing to me how fluid our pack of hikers is. We were together for weeks then slowly split up, some faster and some slower. It appears now that we are beginning to come together again. Today's milestone is just under 300 miles to go. As the young boys told me today, that is 15 twenty mile days or 20 fifteen mile days. Either way the end is approaching.
Date: 2016-07-04
From: US-2

To: US-2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Zero day in Gorham, NH with Wonder. Stayed at Libby House B&B. Very nice place that shares facilities with the Hiker Barn. Got to see Butter and Digger (formerly Bean) who were at the Barn. Butter started this journey the same day we did. Gorham is celebrating their 180th birthday this weekend. There is a small town fair on the town commons which is across the street. There was a kiddie parade this morning and another parade this afternoon. Fireworks tonight which we can see from our room. Great day for Wonder because she got to eat a funnel cake, cotton candy and a snow cone!
Date: 2016-07-05
From: US-2

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

Today it was a refreshing change to hike on soft ground and leaves for half of the hike instead of constant boulders. All morning there was a steady stream of southbounders, one of them was named Brightside. In addition I passed three camp groups, two were boys and one was girls. They all planned on staying at the shelter and campsite that I am at. There is not enough space for that many tents so the last group in will have a problem. The shelter is not full. I am surprised that there are no southbounders here. I got an early start today so it was nice to be done at 4:30. Another sunny day with a breeze so it was not too hot. Some more great views and no wildlife. There was a lot of moose scat. Best part of the day was passing into Maine. I am in the last state. Also passed 1900 miles. Worst part of the day was the last half mile. My map had the shelter before a spot called the ledges. It turns out the shelter was after the ledges. I went back and forth trying to find how I missed the shelter and finally came to the conclusion that the map was wrong. So I had to do the ledges to get to the shelter. The ledges were huge vertical rocks that were very treacherous. After finishing that short section I wonder how southbounders can get up these crazy rocks. Not my issue.
Date: 2016-07-06
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was a short mileage day but very physically taxing. I hiked a good portion of it with Northstar, Phat Sister, and Lost Pony. We competed two of the classic Maine sections; Mahoosuc Notch and the Mahoosuc Arm. I was concerned about the Notch because it was supposed to be a mile long boulder scramble where you have to pick your way over, under and through huge boulder formations. I am claustrophobic so I was uneasy about the under and through part. As it turns out it was not a big deal, there were some cave type action but very short and you could always see out. Also my hiker friends kept an eye on me. By far the hardest part of the day was the climb into the Notch and out of the Notch (the climb out for us was the Arm). I do not know why there is a name for the way up and not the way down because they seemed to be the same. Only hiked 9.5 miles but my knees hurt and I feel like it was more than a full day. For the first time I had to pay $10 to stay in a shelter, AMC seems to constantly find ways to get money from you.