morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-04
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Manchester Center VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today Uncle and I zeroed so we could spend the day together before he flew out of Albany NY the next day. We walked around town and I resupplied and got some long johns from a local outfitters. Then we had lunch at a place called cilantro. It was similar to Chiptole back home. Then we walked some more and had some ice cream at a local restaurant. Afterwards we went back to the hotel to relax and realized that Jeykl, Ange, and Tasha were staying at the same place. We all decided to go to dinner together and we went to a place called Gringo Jack's. It had really good Mexican food. After a lovely dinner we went back to the hotel where I skyped my GF and Uncle went to bed. It was a very good final day together and I'm glad it worked out that way.
Date: 2017-06-05
From: Manchester Center VT

To: Little Rock Pond shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: moderate rain

Today I set out on my own for the first time in 735 miles. It felt weird! I was sad to not have my partner with me. The hiking was fairly easy after climbing Bromely Mountain. The walk up to the top of it was up a ski slope with near zero visibility. If you've ever skied before you know how steep a ski slope is. At the top I met another thru hiker named Zenman. He was lost and I helped him find the right path. Along the way I passed 2 other thru hikers Tumeric and Dory at a side trail to a shekter. I asked Dory how far it was to the shelter and she said .2 miles with a very southern drawl. Later when I arrived at the shelter skyman(swiss guy) was there along with Idaho Bones and Foghat. I found out that Foghat had hiked with Jeykl before. Then Tumeric and Dory rolled up and I found out that indeed Dory was from Mars Hill NC and I was correct about the southern drawl she had. Her and Tumeric are a young couple doing a thru hike together. I was exhausted and think I was the 1st asleep.
Date: 2017-06-06
From: Little Rock Pond shelter

To: Rutland VT
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was another miserable rainy cold day on the trail. I left out about 7:30am as I was waiting for the rain to die down. After about 3 miles on trail I had to cross a river. I should have taken my shoes off and walked across it, but instead I tried to walk across a log that was about 15ft long and 5ft over the water. I made it about 10ft across and then lost my balance and fell into the river. I landed on my back so my pack broke my fall. But I was soaking wet after the fall and freezing cold. I had planned a 24 mile day to a shelter before the fall but afterwards I knew that I needed to get off the trail and get dry asap or risk potential hypothermia. I remembered from looking at my guidebook eariler that there was a road 13 miles out that would take me to Rutland if I could find a ride. So I booked it ten miles to the road freezimg the whole way. At the trailhead a guy was getting into his truck and I asked him if he was going to Rutland. He said no that he was going to eat lunch. So I went to the road and stuck my thumb out to no avail. Then I walked back to the trailhead kiosk and pulled out my phone. Just then the guy I asked eariler felt sorry for me I guess after seeing me thumbing and decided to give me a ride afterall. He dropped me off at a Quality Inn and thats where I am now. Tomorrow and the next day look like good weather finally! I can't take much more rain!
Date: 2017-06-07
From: Rutland motel

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today I got a late start from the hotel. I left with a taxi driver as there were no ubers about 10am. The weather was actually sunny all day today! I didn't pass or see anyone on the trail today except for at lunch. I was eating at a shelter and a group of 10 day hikers walked up. They asked me all kinds of questions as I was the first thru hiker they had met. They also gave me some delicious cookies. After lunch was a steep climb up Killington Mountain and then down to the shelter for the night. I stayed with foghat for a 2nd night. He's a 60ish retired doctor.
Date: 2017-06-08
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I had an easy five miles to a place called Big Meadows Lodge. It is right outside Killington VT. It's hiker friendly so I left my pack there and walked the .4 side trail into Killington. I stopped by the outfitters and picked up a belt which I badly needed. My pants dont fit now that I've lost some weight. Then I hit up the local deli and got a roast beef sandwich and a couple of beers. Then went back to the lodge and sat outside for a nice lunch with a view of kent pond. I ran into Foghat and Skyman while there. After lunch I had to climb up Grimby Mountain which was a really steep climb. The mountains of VT are no joke. I had planned a 21.5 mile day to a shelter  but Grimby took it out of me as well as the ups and downs after it. So I decided to camp by a stream 4.5 miles short of the shelter.
Date: 2017-06-09
From: Campsite

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Today wasn't a bad day of hiking, the trail wasn't too steep and the weather was fine. But I picked up some hiking boots my parents sent me that I had used in Korea I really liked. I wanted proper hiking boots for the whites. Well it turns out that was a bad idea. The shoes gave me blisters and they weigh a ton when wet. So I had homebase order a new pair for me and have them shipped a few days ahead to Lyme NH. There was a place called edge of the woods farm about .3 off the trail that sold snacks and sodas. I stopped by and it was a lovely treat. Tonight at the shelter I ran into Red Pill again, a thirtish guy from Maine doing a 500 mile section. There were also a few weekend hikers. One girl was an atheltic trainer for some uni in NH.
Date: 2017-06-10
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I had 15 miles into Hanover where Dartmouth Uni is. I planned to take a shower and do laundry at the rec center there. The girl who was an atheltic trainer woke up about 4 am and headed out about 5. She was really loud about it as well. So red pill and I woke up about 6 and we both left around 7. I had the goal to see if I could catch her and make up the 2hr difference. I caught up with her 2 miles short of Hanover! When I arrived in Hanover it was Saturday and it happend to be Dartmouth's graduation weekend. The town was overrun with people which is a shame because it is a really hiker friendly place. The rec center was closed so no showers or laundry. I did here that the shelter had no water from another thru hiker named Chinook, so I carried 4 liters from Hanover to the shelter a mile steeply uphill. 4 liters weigh about 8.8lbs. No fun! I stayed that night at the shelter with Red Pill, Chinook, and a guy named Smitty.
Date: 2017-06-11
From: Velvet Rocks Shelter

To: Trapper John Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was a pretty pleasant trail day. It was up and down all day but the climbs were never too long. Towards the end of the day I was 2.9 miles from the shelter and I decided to eat some lunch. After I finished and was packing up an older couple pulled up and asked if I was thirsty and hungry. Of course I said yes even though I had just eaten because a thru hiker can always eat more. They pulled out a grill and cooked up some hotdogs and had cold sodas. Smitty showed up soon after and we both put down 3 hotdogs apiece. Afterwards it was a steep 3 mile climb up to the shelter. Red Pill was there and was moving on, I had to stay because I had shoes at the Lyme PO which was just down the hill the next day. I stayed with Smitty and Chinook again.
Date: 2017-06-12
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I had a .8 mile downhill walk to the road that ran into Lyme NH. I had to hitch a ride into town and back to the trailhead. It went fairly smoothly. I waited about 10 minutes for someome to stop for the ride into town. Then after getting my shoes at the PO I went to the local store and got a chocolate milk and a sausage and egg sandwich. Then I walked back to the PO and sat outside of it asking people for a ride back to the trailhead trying to look as pitiful as possible. It took about 5 people but someone finally said yes. When I got dropped off I had about 15 miles of steep ups and downs. I had to first climb Mt. Smart and then as soon as I climbed down it I started up Mt. Cube. It was a preview of what the White Mountains will be. But the views were pretty awesome. When I finally came down Mt. Cube there was a stream with a nice campsite beside it. So I setup there for the night. Later a SOBO hiker came in to camp. He was a fit Army guy about 23 years old. I asked him about the upcoming whites and he said that they weren't too bad. I doubt that will be my description of them!
Date: 2017-06-13
From: Campsite

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

Today was an easy 9.9 mile day into Glencliff NH. I wanted to nearo in and rest up and resupply here before I start into the whites. I have the option to slackpack tomorrow but am undecided wether I will or not. Part of me wants to carry my own pack the whole way but looking up at Mt. Moosiulake makes me want to slack pack it. I guess I will decide tomorrow morning. Also, I think some of the shelters I've stayed in are cleaner then this hostel. Was planning on 2 nights here but looks like only one.
Date: 2017-06-14
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I started with a climb up Mt. Mossilauke. It was the first 4K footer of the White Mountains. The climb up wasn't too bad and the view from the top was great. The climb down was very steep and would be suicide if it was raining. After the descent I had about 7 miles to the shelter. They were very tough with a lot of steep climbs. I had to climb over Mt. Wolf which was steep and offered no views from the top. The shelter was nice and new and there were only a few people at it. It was a solid first day in the whites.
Date: 2017-06-15
From: Eliza Brook shelter

To: Garfield Ridge shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a long 19 mile day. I started out with a steep climb up the liberty spring trail to Fraconia Ridge. It was the steepest climb I have done yet and was very difficult. I had perfect weather and the views were great. Mt. Lafayette was at the top and 15 miles into my day. 1.1 miles downhill off the AT was an AMC hut I planned to stay at. But after seeing the downhill I decided to push on a few more miles to the next shelter. It was tough and I was exhausted when I arrived at the shelter. Some dayhikers who underestimated the whites showed up at 11pm and were very loud. I didn't sleep well tonight.
Date: 2017-06-16
From: Garfield Shelter

To: Ethan Pond shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: fog

Today I started late as it was raining and super windy outside. I waited for it to calm down until about 10:30am but it didn't. I climbed over 2 4K peaks and the wind was blowing 20-30mph and the rain felt like rocks when it hit you. I stopped into the Zealand Falls Hut and had some coffe to warm up. Then I pushed the last 5 miles to the shelter. There I met Dilly Dally and Butttape(his pants blew out and he taped them up) a couple from Asheville NC. I changed into dry clothes and got into my sleeping bag to warm up.
Date: 2017-06-17
From: Ethan Pond shelter

To: Lake of the Clouds hut
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: fog

Today's weather was good and it was nice walking on the ridgeline. It was a steep climb up from Crawford Notch as it usually is walking up to the ridgeline in the whites. I ran into Red Pill again for the first time in a few days at Mizpah Hut where I had a nice bowl of soup and something called a snikerdoodle. I finished at lake of the clouds hut where I did work for stay. I washed some dishes and in return got to sleep in the hut and eat some leftovee dinner and breakfast.
Date: 2017-06-18
From: Lake of the Clouds 

To: Libby House Hostel
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: few clouds

Today I set off to climb up Mt. Washington which was covered in clouds. I had about 200ft of visibility on the climb up and down. The wind was somewhere around 20mph with much stronger gusts. The next 5 miles were walking along a ridgeline and the weather was pretty windy and cloudy. So there were no views but it was interesting to walk above tree line in bad weather. I stopped by Madison Hut and had some pancakes and eggs leftover from their breakfast. Then I had to climb up Mt. Madison which was .5 miles straight up a big pile of rocks. After that it was a walk along the ridge line then a steep downhill walk to Pinkham Notch where the hostel owner picked me up. I met Norm at the hostel who is a guy the is just over 300 miles from completing the triple crown. Pretty amazing.
Date: 2017-06-19
From: Libby House hostel

To: Libby house hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I took a zero day at the hostel because they were callong for bad weather up in the mountains. I walked to the PO and got my new trekking poles black diamond sent me to replace the one that broke. My third pair now. I wouldn't recommend their poles. Then I went to Subway for lunch and relaxed at the hostel. Later that day Red a sobo hiker came in as well as Tumbleweed a nobo hiker I have ran into several times. We hung out and watched tv. I ordered a calzone for dinner and ate the whole thing. It was a great zero day and I rested up well. The libby House Hostel is really great and I would recommemd it to anyone hiking the AT. Paul the owner is great.
Date: 2017-06-20
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Rattle River Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I wanted to finish the whites. So I decide to push and do 19 miles. I had 4 big climbs or so for the day. The first climb was up to Wildcat peak E. After that it was on to Wildcat peak D C and A. It was abou 2500ft over 5 miles. Then I descended into Carter Notch(a gap is what we say down south) and it was straight up to Carter Dome which was a 1500ft climb over 1.2 miles. Steep! The rest of the day was ok but there was a steep descent to the shelter which killed my knees. It was a tough day but felt good to be done with the whites. I was the only one at the shelter except about 1000 mosquitoes. I set my tent up in the shelter to avoid them.
Date: 2017-06-21
From: Rattle River Shelter

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I had originally planned a 19 mile day today to cross over into Maine but my legs and knees were wore out from yesterday. Plus NH wasn't done with me yet as the trail was pretty rough all day. I got to the shelter around 3pm but it was 6 miles to the next one with two steep climbs. So I called it a day. There was an older section hiker at the shelter and later a younger section named Andy came in. It was jis first day on the trail as he had to get off in Gorham last year. So he is finishing up his last section. NH/ME is not where you want to start hiking without your trail legs as we call them. When I got to the shelter it was hot and so was I. So I decided to take a swim in the pond and it was lovely.
Date: 2017-06-22
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I got a rough awakening from ME. I thought I was done with the tough stuff after the whites. Nope! The trail in ME is brutal. You're either climbing or descending. There is no flat trail. Half the time I had to throw my trekking poles ahead and rock climb up or down. But it's kinda fun. Andy and the older guy left out about 5:30am from the shelter. I left out about 7:30am. The first 8 miles today were just up and down steep mountains. I ran into Andy about 1pm at the top of a steep climb. He was exhausted and taking a nap on his pack. I felt bad for him because I have been hiking for 70+ days and my thighs were on fire from the days hiking. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling like in his 2nd day out. But he only had 4.4 miles to the next shelter, I'm sure he made it. Shortly after leaving Andy I ran into the other section hiker and we hiked to the next shelter together. I had lunch there and the other hiker decided he had had enough after 9 miles. I pushed on to the next shelter which was 5.1 miles away. I had to go through Mahoosuc Notch(the toughest mile on the AT) which took 50 minutes and then climb up Mahoosuc Arm which is in the top three steepest ascents on the AT. It took me about 4 hours to do the last 5.1 miles and I was exhausted when I arrived to the shelter. The shelter was brand new and very nice though.
Date: 2017-06-23
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Pine Ellis Hostel
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Today was another tough day in ME. It started out with a climb up and over Speck Mountain. It was also pouring down rain until about noon today which mad the descents fun. After the descent into Grafton Notch I had to climb up Baldplate Mountain North and East peaks. The east peak ascent was straight up a granite rock face. If it was any steeper it would need ropes to climb up it. The way down was the same and there actually was a spot with ropes and some ladders. I stopped for lunch at Frye Notxh lean to(shelters are called lean tos in ME) and ran into some sobos, one was an NC State grad. Then I had an easy 4.5 miles into Andover ME. The trail puts you out on a road 8 miles west of Andover. I was planning to call the hostel to pick me up but had no phone signal all day. So I waited by the road and finally a car came by and was kind enough to pick me up. The local restaurant had prime rib on sale for 16 bucks so I had to go for that. It was only my 2nd steak on trail and it was delicious! Supposedly ME gets better in about 60 or so miles. We will see!
Date: 2017-06-24
From: Andover

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: light rain

This morning it was raining so I got off to a late start around 9am. I still encountered 1 rain storm after I started hiking. The trail was muddy and wet all day. I started to get some blisters around my ankles from wet socks. The trail over Old Blue Mountain was the worst I have seen. Full of mud and nowhere to step around it. I had had enough after climbing it and set up my tent. I spilled my dinner but had an extra one so it was ok. It started raining right after I got into my tent for the night.
Date: 2017-06-25
From: Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was the first actual decent day in Maine. The trail wasn't too bad and the ascents and descents were on normal trail, not rock scrambles or anything. My blisters did continue to get worse as I went. I planned to finish in Rangely ME but stopped 4 miles short because my blisters hurt. I'm in the SOBO bubble now meaning I'm passing many people traveling the trail southbound.
Date: 2017-06-26
From: Campsite

To: Poplar Ridge Lean To
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was a tough day because my blisters were hurting pretty badly all day. I had to climb three steep mountains today Saddleback, The Horn, and Saddleback JR. They were all above tree line and offered some decent views when they weren't in clouds. I had planned a 24 mile day but stopped at the shelter 8 miles earlier because of my feet. Tonight there were about 9 sobo hikers that came into the shelter. Uggh. I haven't had to worry about crowded shelters until now.
Date: 2017-06-27
From: Poplar Ridge Lean To

To: Stratton Motel Hostel
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: broken clouds

This morning I taped my ankles real well and put moleskin over the blisters. I knew I wanted to make it to Stratton but also knew it was 21 miles. I had 3 or 4 big climbs for the day. In the morning I put on a podcast that was over 3 hours long. These are great to hike to and before I knew it 10 miles were already knocked out. The tape held up all day and my ankles didn't  hurt too badly. The last 5 miles were downhill, but when I started off down the mountain a hailstorm came through. I got hailed on for about 20 minutes and the trail looked like it had snowed. When I got to the road that led to Stratton there was a truck sitting in the parking lot. A guy got out and asked if I needed a ride. Turns out he saw the hailstorm come through and decided to sit out by the trail and see if any hikers would come through needing a ride. Lucky me! Time for a zero day tomorrow to let these blisters heal up.
Date: 2017-06-29
From: Stratton motel

To: Little bigelow lean to
Miles today: 15.0

Today I hiked out nice and rested up. I finished up the last tough climbs of Maine except for a mountain or two. The views from Bigelow Mountain were awesome and the weather was nice. At the shelter I stayed at there was a guy from Morganton who knew how to say "Churville" correctly. I tented at the shelter because the bugs are so bad. I don't remember the last time I actually slept in a shelter because of the bugs. Maybe Vermont.
Date: 2017-06-30
From: Little bigelow lean to

To: Pierce Pond lean to
Miles today: 17.7

Today the weather was pretty good, but the trail was muddy and wet all day. It was also full of roots. There weren't really any climbs but it was slow going because of the wet trail. My shin is still hurting so it is slowing me down after about 10 miles. The mosquitoes in Maine are no joke, and even rain doesn't keep them at bay.
Date: 2017-07-01
From: Pierce Pond Lean To

To: Caratunk B&B
Miles today: 3.6

Today I got to the Kenebec River amd had to take a canoe across. The ATC contracts out a company that does runs from 9-2 everyday. After the crossing I came to the city of Caratunk where a B&B is right off the trail. The place is famous for its milkshakes so I decided to stop by amd have one. Well my shin was still sore and I was feeling tired so I decided to stay. I went to dinner with some sobos and it was funny to get a newbies perspective of the trail. I tried not to make the trail sound too hard for them.
Date: 2017-07-02
From: Caratunk B&B

To: Moxie Bald Lean To
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: light rain

Today started off with a nice breakfast at the hostel. I ate a lot of french toast and potatoes as well as some sausage. The trail wasn't too bad today but had ine climb up to Moxie Bald Mountain. The top of the mountain is barren because of a fire in the early 1900's. It offered some pretty good views, and ended up not being too bad of a climb. The shelter was just down the other side of the mountain and was located right next to a pond. I wad hoping to see a moose but no luck.
Date: 2017-07-03
From: Moxie Bald Shelter

To: Shaw's Hostel
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

Today's hike involved fording 3 streams. None of them were difficult and they were only about knee deep. Glad I'm not vertically challenged. The trail was not too difficult today but it was super muddy and my feet were wet all day. I didn't even bother to take my shoes off for the last ford because they were already so wet. When I got to the road today I couldn't hitch a ride so I had my mom(homebase) call the hostel to come get me as I could only text. The hostel is nice and there are some good folks staying here. My shin is still hurting so I will let it rest up for another day tomorrow.
Date: 2017-07-04
From: Shaw's Hostel

To: Shaw's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today I'm taking another zero to let my shin heal up. I also have a package at the PO I can't pick up until tomorrow because it's closed for the 4th. Some people at the hostel have some fireworks so tonight should be fun. Tomorrow I will head into the 100 mile wilderness which will take me 6 days and on the 7th day I will summit Katahdin which will be July 11th. A little later then expected but I've needed these rest days for my shin. I'm looking forward to finishing Maine so I can get to Virginia and start hiking some eaiser terrain and put in some bigger miles. Maine is beautiful but I don't ever wamt to hike here again!