morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-18
From: Nauheim Shelter 

To: Campsite at Black Brook
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Another sunny day that actually got fairly hot this afternoon. Hiking in the southern Green Mountains is fairly easy. Longer uphill grades and longer downhills. Nothing spectacular. An odd view here or there.  Tomorrow I will climb to the summit of Stratton Mtn. The first of many ski areas in Vermont. Two noteworthy events today. One, the black flies and Deer flies were out in force. These were the worst bugs I have experienced to date. They did taper off once the sun got low and things cooled off. For awhile I had to wear the head net I took from the hiker box in Duncannon. I was actually thinking of getting rid of it. The second was seeing yet another bear. That makes 11 overall. This one was just walking through the woods and coming right toward me. When he was about 10 yards away I had to make a noise so he knew I was there. When I did that he paused then turned around and ran off. I could have taken my camera out instead but I didn't want to have it be surprised too close to me. Today I saw Brightside again. I hadn't seen him since the Dairy Queen in Pearisburg. I also met Captain America who walked by my camp about seven o'clock. I was going to go about a mile further this afternoon and stay at a roadside camp but when I got to the Black Brook crossing there was a sweet little campsite. It was almost six so I decided to quit, pitch camp, and have a Maine bath with Dr. Bronner. That felt great and I will definitely sleep better tonight having cleaned up. Had cheddar broccoli rice with bacon for dinner, one of my favorites, with some beef jerky and chopped dates for dessert and also a nice cup of tea. After hanging the food bag, I made a cute little fire for fun and am writing this as I enjoy the flames. All in all, a very pleasant evening. Unless something unexpected happens, this will be only my second night camped alone on the trail. It is very peaceful here. I hope to sleep well!
Date: 2016-06-19
From: Campsite at Black Brook

To: VT Rte 11
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

A quick day today as I was on my way to meet my relatives this afternoon. Left before 7 and had breakfast on Stratton Mtn. There was some sort of yoga festival at the ski area so there were lots of women in yoga clothes at the summit. Apparently I could have walked 3/4 of a mile to the gondola, ridden down to the base, and gotten coffee and free food. Since I had an off trail plan already, I didn't go but Captain America decided to check it out. Never saw him after that.Stratton Pond was beautiful and the rest of the hike was uneventful until i saw Sherrie and Bob who had walked a ways up the trail to meet me. Nice surprise! No bears today.
Date: 2016-06-20
From: VT Rte 11

To: Little Rock Pond
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today ,was a very hot day. Maybe not by Florida standards but certainly by Vermont standards. Fortunately for me most of the climbing was finished by noon. I crossed through the Peru Peaks wilderness over some nice peaks that featured boreal forest. That is my favorite environment in which to hike. I took the opportunity to camp at Little Rock Pond tonight. I hiked by here once before years ago when Ann and I started a thru hike of the Long Trail. While I could have made a few more miles, it made sense cause the heat had worn me down, it was a decent day mile wise, and I could enjoy this place and go swimming! The water was beautiful. It was the first water I've been in that I could actually stay in. Every other time I've gone swimming I've jumped in and jumped right out again. Tonight I am with Dreamer, an AT northbounder, Coyote, an LT southbounder, and a young woman named Quasar Surprise. This is not her trail name. It is one of the coolest names I've ever heard of. She is an LT northbounder. She is a science teacher at a neighboring high school to mine so we had some common ground.Being the summer solstice, this is hike naked day. While I did not fully participate, I passed a large group of people on the way up to the pond who did. There were close to 20 of them. Oddly, there was only one woman. Apparently skinny dipping in the pond was their business of the day. As always, Vermont takes its eclectic holidays seriously. Well, it is almost 10pm and I can still see light on the horizon. It is a far cry from the 13 hour nights I had when I first started this hike. Happy summer solstice!
Date: 2016-06-21
From: Little Rock Pond

To: Governor Clement Shelter 
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night at Little Rock Pond was a very nice time. I stayed out by the pond with the other three thru hikers and just talked about whatever. This morning Miss Quasar took her time eating as she only had 10 miles to make today. I was reminded that I really like camping and backpacking. That may sound dumb considering it is all I have done for almost four months but there is a difference. Thru hiking for me has a deadline and it has left me feeling pressure to make miles. Shorter trips leave plenty of time for relaxing and hanging out. I believe I would like to do more of that.Tomorrow I am going to go to my house which will be an hour away in a car. I believe I will take two days off to rest my shins (they are making some noise), do some planning for Maine, and eat some of my own home cooking which I always enjoy. When I start again on Saturday I will have 489 miles to go. If I take no more zero days, I could average 13.2 miles and still finish by July 31. If I took five zero days, I could average 15.3 miles a day and still finish by the 31st of July. Any way I do the math, I have the opportunity to slow down. I will make an honest effort to do so. I wonder if I can?Today was a beautiful day. It was about 15 degrees cooler thanks to a cold front that came through overnight in the form of thunderstorms. I had pitched my tent on a platform and that did not go well. Water found its way under and through my tent due to the fact that I could not truly get the fly taut. It was wet enough that I took my stuff and moved to the shelter between showers so my sleeping bag would stay dry. My tent was pretty well soaked when I took it down this morning. Looking for some sort of diversion today, I decided to hitch into Wallingford for coffee after I had hiked about 7 miles. I got a ride in quickly and enjoyed a roadside coffee at a small deli/store. The bright sun and warm pavement allowed me to dry my tent fairly quickly. While getting back to the trail wasnt as easy, I finally got picked up by a young couple in a Subaru, of course, who are participating in the Rainbow Gathering that is happening on the Green Mountain National Forest this summer. They were peaceful and friendly and their car reeked of weed. I was grateful for the ride and while I briefly considered checking out the Rainbow, I got back on the trail. Elapsed time for coffee break, an hour and ten minutes. No trail highlights today although I did see a lot of evidence of flooding from hurricane Irene several years ago. The trail has clearly been re-routed as a result of that storm. Tonight I am camped with one AT northbounder, one LT northbounder and one flipper. 10 miles to go for pickup in Killington and the 1700 mile mark!
Date: 2016-06-22
From: Governor Clement Shelter 

To: VT Rte 4, Killington 
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

After much hype by the Long Trail hikers, they were all nervous about the climb up Kilington Peak, I found it to be quite pleasant. It was a 2000+ foot climb over 3.9 miles. While some portions were steep, many were flat and went through more boreal forest. I woke early and saw what looked like another sunny day coming up. While breaking down my camp, it got suddenly cloudy and the air took on a definite wet chill that felt like rain. After eating some oats, I headed out by about 6:40am under partly sunny skies again. I got some nice morning views on my way up but by the time I got to Cooper Lodge, the worst shelter on the LT in my opinion, the clouds had settled in. Shortly after I left, it started raining, hard. It continued for the remaining five miles to Rte 4. It was a cold rain with wind that I didn't mind because I did not have to figure out how to manage it as Lady Grey and Ann were meeting me at the Long Trail Inn. That made the miserable weather very easy to tolerate! After a very nice lunch in the pub, thanks again LG, we headed home where I left almost four months ago. It is surreal to be here but also very nice. Plush is the word I'll use. It is comfortable, clean, and convenient! So much easier than on trail. Nothing to think about or figure out. While I know I could get used to this, I will wait another month. I believe I'll stay here for two days and my brother will bring me back to the trail on Saturday morning. For now the Red Sox are winning so think I'll stay up late and watch the rest of the game!
Date: 2016-06-24
From: VT Rte 4, Killington 

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 46.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It was great to be picked up by Ann and Lady Grey and have the chance to spend a couple days at home. My initial fears about being sucked in and off the trail permanently were unfounded. Pretty much hung out one day which included a trip to Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington where I bought a couple resupply items like aquamira and a gas cartridge. Did some other errands and then headed back to Bristol for a meal at the Bobcat Cafe, the local pub, with Ann. Lady Grey, and Ranger Ray. Also saw my good friend Gary at the bar. Friday was dedicated to re-packing, and putting together a plan for the 100 mile wilderness which I did. This involved a four day re-supply box being sent to Monson and a two day box being sent to Whitehouse Landing where I will spend a night when I get there. It felt odd to be planning for the end but also welcome to know that the end is real. Tomorrow my brother Neil will bring me to Hanover, NH where I will pick up the trail once again.
Date: 2016-06-25
From: Hanover, NH

To: Bill Ackerly Property 
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

As promised, my brother brought me to Hanover this morning. This is the place where I ended my Eastern Vermont section hike last summer. After the ride down, and breakfast at Eaton Sugar house in Royalton, I got a true New England Alpine start right around 10:30am! This left me feeling a lot of pressure to make miles as I am hoping to meet up with Santa and Wonder tomorrow afternoon at a road crossing near their home. Wonder has had to end her hike which is very unfortunate. Santa and I have been a couple days apart and agree that it is more fun to hike with someone else. We're going to get together and see how things go. I am looking forward to seeing them as I haven't seen them since Pearisburg, VA.While today was very beautiful, it was quite hot in the afternoon. I had hoped to make around 20 miles but the climb up Holts Ledge late in the day took some wind out of my sails. I had planned to camp near a brook partway up Smarts Mtn. Shortly after I crossed the Dorchester Rd., I came across the sign for Bill Ackerly's place. I thought perhaps I could offer condolences to his family if I stopped by. While nobody was home, I met Goat, his wife Chica, and a young man named Thomas from France. Goat is originally from Turkey and lives in Arizona. Chica is from Mexico. He was a northbounder who finished in May in 85 days. Wow. He is now heading south with Chica. They had pitched their tents in the yard which is beautiful. It was well after 6pm, I was hot and tired, so I gladly did the same. It was an interesting group, the four of us all being from different countries. This was a first for me on the trail and quite fun. I took an opportunity to speak French with Thomas. I think I surprised him. This spot is much like the Murray Property in New Jersey though smaller. I am grateful to be here tonight although it means a slightly longer day tomorrow. I can tell I am in New Hampshire as there wasn't a switchback to be seen on any of the climbs today. Tomorrow will feature three climbs, 2400 feet, 1500 feet, and 900 feet. Of course there are the associated descents as well. With a goal of 21 plus miles, I will be busy. NH will be challenging but it is great to be back where I spent my late adolescence!
Date: 2016-06-26
From: Bill Ackerly Property 

To: NH Rte 25C
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I must be a bear whisperer. I do not try hard to see them but this morning I saw another. This makes 12 overall. I spotted this one's butt. It was an odd looking black shape in the early morning woods. Sighting confirmed when I saw that shape move! It had no idea that I was there. It was peacefully feeding along. I watched it until it moved out of sight then I hiked on. I feel as if I have been very lucky seeing wildlife. As a hunter you learn that you can't expect to see any game if you're constantly looking at your feet. Now that Pennsylvania is behind me, I've been freed up to look beyond the two feet of trail in front of me. Far more relaxing!Tonight I am the guest of Santa and Wonder in their New Hampshire home. He picked me up this afternoon at Rte 25C. Tomorrow Santa and I are going to slack pack over Mt. Moosilauke southbound. This was an idea he had long ago. I'm pleased to be able to participate. I will need to hike an additional 5 miles in order to be fully caught up with him at Kinsman Notch. The next day we will slack pack to Franconia Notch where Wonder and Ann will meet us for a night in town. We are currently planning to hike together thru the Whites and beyond. Wonder and her daughters cooked a wonderful meal which I was able to share with Santa's brother and both families. The Spaniard was also here for dinner. He is staying at the nearby Glencliff hostel.It was another hot day today. Despite the heat, I successfully covered the mileage I had planned. A 6:00am start allowed me cooler temps for the hardest part of the day, the climb up Smarts Mtn followed by Mt Cube. The last five miles were easier which was good because I was tired. I must have drank at least a gallon and a half of water today. A quick thanks to the trail angel who left snacks in suspended buckets just north if Rte 25A. I understand you have been reading my journal and appreciate both that and the trail magic!
Date: 2016-06-27
From: NH Rte 25C

To: Kinsman Notch, Rte 112
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

Today Santa and I hiked together for the first time since back in Virginia. Wonder dropped us off in Kinsman Notch and we slack packed over Mt. Moosilauke southbound. It is the first time in years that I had hiked up there. As always the view was stellar! The weather was very nice with a modest breeze that kept us cool and dry. We spent some time on the summit before heading down the carriage road and on to Glencliff. Wonder and her daughters met us there where they all went swimming and I continued on another five miles to Rte 25C to complete the section. Santa met me there and we returned to his place then worked on resupply. A very nice meal on the deck followed which included a birthday celebration for Wonder. Happy Birthday!I am very grateful to Santa, Wonder, and their daughters for putting me up and taking such good care of me. Tomorrow we will slack pack the next 16 miles over the Kinsman range and into Franconia Notch where Ann will pick us up, Wonder will meet us, and we will spend the night in Lincoln. It is always fun to be in the White Mtns. I have fond memories of trips here with my Dad. Occasionally my mother would come but the Whites were mostly our place. He would take me and my brother day hiking. Sometimes we would stay over and do more than one hike. Dad helped me with a few false starts on sections of the AT where things didn't go according to plan and he would bail me out. I do wish he were around to know that I have lasted this far on the trail and that it is becoming increasingly likely that I will complete the whole thing. I know he would like to live vicariously through me for this adventure and that he would be proud of me for finally doing it!
Date: 2016-06-28
From: Kinsman Notch, Rte 112

To: Franconia Notch, Rte 3
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

Welcome back to the White Mountains. Today's hike featured the most difficult climb on the entire AT so far in my opinion. That would be the climb from Eliza Brook to the summit of South Kinsman. While the Beaver Brook trail up Moosilauke is one of the five steepest miles, this climb was sustained for well over 2000 vertical feet and involved much stepping on large rocks. It is not atypical of many White Mountain climbs. It was a real example of the kind of hiking we have in store in the coming week or so. The section of the trail from Kinsman to Lonesome Lake hut, while not as steep, was also very rocky. These are not like Pennsylvania rocks, these are very large, with ledge, that lead to many power steps both up and down. Our original estimate of getting into Franconia Notch was about an hour an a half off. When we arrived, Ann was waiting for us and we headed into town to meet Wonder and celebrate her birthday at a nice restaurant in Lincoln. The weather was far better than forecast today which led to some nice views. We will have to temper our expectation of how many miles we can make based on the terrain for sure!
Date: 2016-06-29
From: Franconia Notch, Rte 3

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

Another rugged day in the Whites. Significant climbs and descents. We were mostly fortunate with the weather on the Franconia ridge. We got a few views from time to time and it only rained once. That happened to be when we were summiting Mt. Lafayette. It was a quick, cold rain that managed to turn the trail quickly into a small creek. We were soaked most of the day anyway due to the high humidity. After leaving in the eight o'clock hour, we didn't make it to the Galehead hut until after 4pm. Another example that miles don't come easily here. Tonight we are staying in the hut which is a treat since it has been showery all afternoon. I haven't been a guest in a hut since I was about 14 years old. It is a different experience for sure. Many thanks to Erica and the croo for sharing their mountain hospitality! The meal was great and it is a pleasure to be here again. I was the hutmaster here in 1983 and Ann and I were the spring caretakers in 1988. We came up the day after we were married. Our croo pic is actually one of our wedding pictures. Check it out if you ever come up here!
Date: 2016-06-30
From: AMC Galehead Hut

To: Crawford Notch, Rte 302
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Today was perhaps my best/favorite day on the trail overall. The weather was ideal. Cooler with very dry air and clear skies, after awhile that is. Left the hut around 8am after a nice AMC breakfast. The trail today led me through my favorite part of the White Mtns. I have always loved the long ridge that connects South Twin to Mt. Guyot and Bondcliff trail. I can't describe how beautiful it was up there this morning. I took a brief side trip off the AT to the summit of Guyot. From that point you are in the heart of the Whites. The view is incredible. You can see every major ridge in the range. It is one of my favorite spots in the world. Today's hike also led me by some other favorite places that I hadn't been in years including the Zeacliff, Zealand River, Thoreau Falls, and Ethan Pond. There was beauty everywhere. I have a lot of history here and it brought back many memories for me of hikes and skis with old friends and family from my high school and college years to now; hikes I have done and trips that I've led. My one regret of the day is that I could not spend more time at each place. One big theme about the thru hike is you have to keep moving. I could have happily spent several days in the area I passed through today. With the goal of completing the AT by the end of July, it is not easy for me to consider stopping and hanging out for an afternoon. I will probably look back on this and wish I had been able to relax more and take more time. This is the disadvantage of having to be home by a certain date. The good part for me is that these mountains are close to where I live so in the future I could come back most anytime I want. I had been thinking that I might never backpack again after I finish the trail. Today gave me reason to believe that I will!
Date: 2016-07-03
From: Pinkham Notch at Wildcat Ridge Trail

To: Gorham, NH Rte 2
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today's hike was a repeat of two day hikes Ann and I did last summer. She was working on completing her four thousand footers in NH so in two trips, we did the Wildcat range and the Carter-Moriah range. Yesterday's hike for me combined the two and added the leg down the Rattle River into Gorham. The winds were still around and it was cooler in the morning. The Carter section is a nice mixed bag of boreal forest with enough above treeline stuff to keep it interesting. There were many fine views of Mt Washington and the northern presidential range.I met Ann at the road crossing around 500pm and we went to the local walmart for a few day off supplies. While there I ran into a hiker with a backpack in his cart, a sure sign of a thru hiker. Wolverine told me he was traveling with Magic and a couple others and that Magic was in the store! I soon found him and it was a great reunion. We hadn't seen eachother since the Grayson Highlands in VA. He is a quality young man who's company I always enjoyed. We gave him, Nascarand and Wolverine a ride back into Gorham and ran into Spidey, who I hadn't seen since NC, Puzzles who I met once in Damascus, and Gadget who I met once in Daleville. It was so fun to run into all of these guys more than a thousand miles further north!After dropping them off, we returned to Jackson for one more night with Pete and Em at their home. They have been such a great help with their hospitality, willingness to ride me around, and other hiker logistics. I will definitely miss meals with them and fun times but we will see eachother again later in the summer. Thank you so much you guys! For now, Happy Birthday America today and back to backpacking tomorrow.
Date: 2016-07-04
From: Gorham, NH Rte 2

To: Gorham, NH Rte 2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Great zero day on the 4th of July today! Breakfast with Pete and Em, carnival foods in Gorham, got my first sausage with peppers and onions of the season and some hand cut fries, watched a red sox game and enjoyed Ann's company. Had dinner with Santa and Wonder then got packed up to hike out the next day.
Date: 2016-07-05
From: Gorham, NH Rte 2

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

Back on the trail today. Ann waited for me while I did the short one mile road walk without my pack. We said goodbye and I headed into the woods to begin the last big stretch of the hike. Mantis was also being dropped off by his Dad so we hiked together fIr awhile. It was a beautiful day but hot and humid enough that I had to wring my shirt out several times. It has been many years since I last hiked the Mahoosucs. The last time was probably when I led trips for Outward Bound. I remember them being very challenging. Nothing has changed. Had lunch with Sister and Lost Pony and we hiked together off and on for the afternoon. I came to Carlo Col Shelter to find Santa and spend the night. Sis and LP decided to stay too. We are sharing a platform. There are four northbound thru hikers here and a couple section hikers. There are also three camp groups so it is very busy. Tomorrow we have the Mahoosuc Notch to look forward to. It is considered the most difficult mile on the AT. I have done it a couple times before but as mentioned, not for many years. Should be fun. Highlights of the day, crossing 1900 miles and crossing into Maine! Can I come home now?