morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-08
From: Williamstown Motel

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Got a ride to the trail and hit the trail at 8:40 AM. We walked through some city streets and the trail followed driveway with blazes painted on the pavement. The man's yard was beautiful with gardens and bridges and beautiful flowers. We continued up the trail and around 11:30 AM we entered Vermont and started hiking the Long Trail along with the AT. Burmont did not make a very good first impression. There were tons of trees down across the trail and it was almost impassable. It was hot and muggy and we did a lot of bushwhacking. We finally arrived at the shelter and found Eric and Rocketman there. It was nice to have company at the shelter again we all made dinner and discussed the trail. We have now finished 11 states and passed the 1600 mile mark. Hooray!!
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

We all got up pretty early this morning and ate her breakfast and we were the first to leave camp. We were hiking for about 20 minutes when Eric passed us. A few minutes later I took a tumble on a bunch of rocks and fell on my arm. Took a few minutes to stop shaking but I was fine. Rocket man showed up a few minutes later and we hiked to the Bennington Road and said our goodbyes to him. He was getting off the trail for a few weeks to go home to Colorado. We are going to miss his company but we've been staying in touch which is great. After the steep descent to the highway we had a steep climb going up the other side. We got to the top and the foot bridge was closed on Hell Hollow Brook. There were plenty of rocks to walk across so it was no big deal. The rest of the day was a lot of uphill and we got to the Goddard shelter and I decided I'd had enough. It is a nice pretty new shelter and we enjoyed the view staying there. It was a clear cold night good for sleeping.
Date: 2015-05-10
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

Started hiking this morning in a pretty thick fog. When we got to the top of Glastenbury mountain there was snow. There was a fire tower up there but with the fog we decided it wasn't worth the climb. The snow was soft and the trail was very muddy and wet. We hiked to Kid Gore shelter where we found Eric and had a snack and visited. We had a tough climb towards the end of the day Stratton Mountain. There were a lot of people out hiking it was a beautiful day and it was Mother's Day. Lots of kids on the trail and it was fun to see people. The claim was hard for me been a long time since we done that long of a climb. We got to the top around 530 and it looked like storms were heading our way. We decided to get off the mountain and make a run for the shelter. However there was a lot of snow on the downhill I probably got stuck up to my knees about three times. We made it through the snow and the rest of the trail was in pretty good shape. We got to the shelter Justin time the rain came and the thunder and lightning accompanied it. It was a nice big shelter and we had it all to ourselves.
Date: 2015-05-11
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: Bromley Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

We got up and started hiking and it wasn't too far from our shelter where we ran into Eric and two other campers. We visited with them for a while and then headed down the trail. We had a resupply box coming to Manchester Center so we wanted to get into town early. We got to the road and started to hitch a ride when a car pulled over right away. It was a nice couple from New York who had never picked up hitchhikers before. They gave us a ride to the laundromat in town. It was hot so we went over to Subway to get a bite to eat. Then we went to the outfitters and the grocery store and got some food. Finally it was time to do the laundry. Weirman went to the post office and Bounced our box to Hanover New Hampshire. Then we headed out of town looking for a ride. A guy offered us a ride in the back of his pick up. It was great to feel the wind in our hair because it was pretty hot that day. We hiked the 2 miles up to the shelter and enjoyed our sub sandwiches and the shelter. I lost my first toenail today. The picky toe. Eric showed up a little bit later and we all listen to the rain on the roof that night. Thunder and lightning too.
Date: 2015-05-12
From: Bromley Shelter

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning we climbed 3 mountains before noon. Bromley, Styles, and Peru Peak. Weirman kept smelling bacon in the woods, he must be really craving it. It rained most of the morning, but it kept things cool which is great for hiking. However the mud is pretty thick, we got pretty dirty. We ran into a rock wall, Baker Peak, out of no where. It was fun, but we were glad it came in between the rain. We got to Big Branch Shelter, and decided to push on the last few miles to Little Rock Shelter. We were glad we did, that was a much nicer shelter right on a lake. Beautiful.
Date: 2015-05-13
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

Walk. Eat. Walk. Eat. Walk.   Sleep. We enjoyed having the beautiful shelter to ourselves, but it is getting lonely out here with no other people around. We looked in the book and found out there was a restaurant about a half mile off the trail. Beer and burgers were calling. When we got to the Minerva Hinchey shelter we took a break. They had a menu from the restaurant there and of course they were closed on Wednesdays. It was WEDNESDAY!!! Just our luck. We decided to go the extra half a mile to a small grocery/deli. We got great sandwiches and fresh cookies and Weirman got his beer. We bought two more and some chips to take to the shelter which was only a mile further on the trail. The mile was a surprise!!! Nasty rock climb straight up. When we got to the shelter it quad trashed. Close to a road so it gets lots of use. By people who like to burn stuff and leave their trash everywhere. We cleaned it up and enjoyed our beer and chips. Weirman built a nice fire and we hit the hay. It was supposed to get cold tonight. Around midnight, we heard a hiker coming in. It was Eric. He had met his dad for dinner and a resupply. A few hours later we were awakened by him throwing up. Yuck.
Date: 2015-05-14
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Churchill Scott Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We got up and immediately started up a hill. The day was uneventful and we hiked to the shelter with out seeing a soul. The shelter was nice but full of leaves. I swept it out and Weirman went to get water. It wad a piped spring. Great source. We enjoyed another night with a shelter to ourselves.
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: tenting at mile 1710.1
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

1700 miles!! We finally crossed the 1700 mile mark!! The Vermont trails are getting more user friendly. We hiked this morning through a great campground. Of course it is not open yet, too early in the season. We got to the road and decided to hike towards the deli. It was great. We got wonderful breakfast sandwiches and lots of tasty treats. We hiked around a beautiful pond and ended up setting up the tent at a nice spot near a steam. Gods day on the trail.
Date: 2015-05-16
From: tenting at mile 1710.1

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up and made breakfast and began the hike. We got to the lookout cabin and regretted not pushing last night. It was an enclosed cabin with a super view. We climbed up to the roof and took in the view. Off we went, and soon a porcupine was leading the way on the trail. It ran for a bit in front of us, then headed off into the woods. We enjoyed the food we had bought yesterday and had a good day with sunshine and some easier trail walking. We pushed on to Thistle Hill Shelter. When we got there, there was a man and his wife eating their dinner. They were from Bethel, on a day hike. They were fun to visit with. It was so nice to see a female. I had wished they would have stayed longer. We made dinner, washed up in the creek, and off to sleep
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Hanover NH

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 1.4

We took our time getting moving today. We went down to the lobby and decided to eat their continental breakfast even though we had to pay for it. We got a lot of great information from the girl working there. She told us about Hanover and the restaurants and the fact that there is no laundromat in town. Thankfully the Richard W Black Recreation Center lets us use their washer and dryer for $2.00. They also have a shower for $3.00. We started our laundry and left our packs there and went across the street to the co-op. We got some groceries and ate some treats before we went back to finish the wash. I called my sister Nancy, and we packed our packs and headed out of town. Weirman had said we would only go to the first shelter which was barely a mile out of town. We got there,and the place was clean but what a poorly constructed shelter. They used no nails. When you leaned on the wall, the boards popped out. Weirman wanted to keep hiking to the next shelter, but I was so exhausted I insisted we stay put. He walked around on done of the side trails, and I climbed into the tent and fell asleep. I think I slept for 12 hours. I needed that.
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Jeffers Brook Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: light rain

We got moving this morning around 6:30, after a nice night in this huge shelter, all alone. Our first climb today was Mt Cube, can I say that was actually FUN? .. The view was awesome, but the rocks were relentless. We tried calling the Hikers hostel in Glenclif, Rocketman had talked highly of it. However they were not open yet, too early in the season. We got to NH 25, and there were signs about a detour around through Glenclif because Oliverian Brook was running to high to cross. We walked past the hostel, and Weirman checked to see if it was open. The door as unlocked, but I didn't feel comfortable going in, so we continued on to the Jeffers Brook Shelter. This was a nice spot with a smelly but full deck of cards. We played two games of cribbage, I won both of them! I hung my clothes in the trees to air out, and we enjoyed a nice meal. Off to bed, tomorrow we were climbing Moosilauke......
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Jeffers Brook Shelter

To: camp by Gordon Pond Trail
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

We left the shelter very early this morning anticipating the rough climb up Mt Moosilauke. We started climbing around 7:30, and we thought we might make the top by noon. It was a cool clear morning, perfect for us. We stopped and got our water bottles filled at the many flowing streams. We got to the top at 10:00 and were very surprised that the climb was much easier and faster than we had thought it would be. Then the wind picked up, so we high tailed it off the summit. Soon after we met a man hiking south. We visited with him until another younger couple arrived. Then we continued downhill, the snow began to get a bit deeper, and the rocks got a bit bigger.. We met several other hikers, it was Friday, the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend. When we got to Beaver Brook Shelter, we decided we would stop there for lunch. When we finished lunch, we started the hardest downhill we had ever hiked. It was scary, and I began to cry and panic. The downhill was steep, but add in the rocks, and just to make it even more fun, there was snow and ice on top of the rocks. Not to mention the huge waterfall running alongside of the trail. OH my that was not fun AT ALL... when we got to the bottom, Weirman found a sign on a tree that was for southbound hikers, saying that the trail ahead was extremely difficult and to take a different trail if you weren't physically prepared. Now why wasn't that sign on the other side of the mountain, or did we not see it??I was still in a panic when we got to the road, so we sat for awhile and decided we would hike for a quarter of a mile, and then hitch into town in the morning... Well that is n0t what Weirman thought we had agreed to... So we crossed the road and immediately began climbing.... There was no way we were going to find a place to camp in this terrian... Needless to say we hiked for another 3 1/2 miles before we found a place that was kind of flat. We were too tired to continue, and it was getting late. We cooked dinner on the trail and climbed into the tent. We were sleeping inside of what felt like a huge punch bowl......
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Rodeway Inn at Lincoln. 

To: Boston
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well we are back home in Alaska and it is June 5th. I had my hand x-rayed last week, and no broken bones!!! I am sill one lucky girl.. I have never broken a bone in my body. Now I can say I hiked Kinsman with one hand tied behind my back!! not an easy feat. We miss the trail already, but know the miles we have left are going to be the hardest. We hope the weather will cooperate and give us the chance to finish what we started. It is so good to be home, today I went for a bike ride and had to stop to let a moose cross the road in front of me. We walked hundreds of miles through lots of moose droppings, and never saw one moose on the AT!!! Alaska never ceases to amaze....
Date: 2015-09-14
From: Boston

To: Boston
Miles today: 0.0

We should be hitting the trail again tomorrow!!! Taking the bus from Boston to Lincoln NH, to continue where we left off in May. We plan to hike north to Gorham, then get up to Katahdin and hike south back to Gorham. We are hoping for great fall weather. Enjoying a wonderful evening tonight at the Hyatt.   The fun begins tomorrow, can't wait.
Date: 2015-09-15
From: Boston

To: Liberty Springs Campsite
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: clear sky

We started our day out at the Hyatt in Boston. We took the bus to Lincoln and went to the post office to mail some stuff home. Then we started walking to North Lincoln to get some lunch at a pizza place. Unfortunately it was not open so we continued walking. We walked to the Indianhead resort and got a soda and a cookie for a snack. We ended up walking the rest of the way to the trailhead at liberty Springs. We walked up to the campsite just under 3 miles all uphill. We met a few people on the trail and visited with them and the campsite was pretty full when we got there. We set up the tent and cooked our dinner and climbed in for our first night on the trail. The weather was beautiful today it was good to be back.
Date: 2015-09-16
From: Liberty Springs Campsite

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 7.6

We listened to the wind blow pretty hard last night, but woke up to beautiful blue skies. We got on the trail after eating a quick oatmeal breakfast. We continued our climb up to Little Haystack Mountain. We were above tree line and the views were spectacular. We continued up to Mt Lafayette at over 5200 feet. There was no wind and lots of people were out enjoying the beautiful weather. We met some thru hikers, some going north, and surprisingly, many just beginning their journey south. We got to the shelter/ campsite, and decided we would sleep in the shelter. It was so clean and new. We visited with a few fellow hikers, and the caretaker showed up to collect our money. We were asleep by 6:30pm, when a hiker showed up. Weirman visited with him for a bit, then it was off to sleep. We were looking at a long day tomorrow. The terrain here is rough, but we have been enjoying unseasonably warm weather. Lucky us!!!
Date: 2015-09-18
From: Ethan Pond Camp

To: Nauman Campsite
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: clear sky

Weirman got up this morning to make his way to the privy. He came back too quickly to have done his business, so I figured something was up. He said there was a family of mice living in the duff bucket. I was glad he went instead of me. We ate our breakfast wraps, and got back on the trail. It was another beautiful sunny morning. We got to Crawford Notch to cross the highway, and there were lots of runners on the road. We think there must have been one of those adventure races with teams. Lots of vans and honking. We headed up the Webster Cliff climb, man what a butt kicker that was. We met Bluebird and Akuna Matada about 2/3's of the way up. A mother/ daughter hiking team. Mom is 71, and her daughter is 40!! Amazing women!! We hooked up with a day hiker on our way down, and he stayed with us until we got to our campsite. He was an interesting fellow, who had lived in Alaska. He was telling us about some hikers he hung out with while there. Nancy Pease and Bill Spencer. Record holders in the Alaskan race world. We got some potato/ dill soup at the hut, and set up our tent at the campsite. Being Friday night, the caretaker had us all pitch our tents to one side of the platform, expecting a crowd, but it never materialized. We talked to Laura on the phone, good to hear her voice.
Date: 2015-09-19
From: Nauman Campsite

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 11.8

We headed out bright and early this morning, knowing we had a long hike ahead of us. More sun and warmth. There were many hikers on the trail today. A sunny Saturday in September is a good reason to climb Mt. Washington. We stopped at the lake of the clouds hut and got water and a snack. Then we started climbing. We met a guy on the way up who stayed with us all the way. His name was Steve, and he was full of great information. We ate lunch with him in the cafeteria at the summit. We didn't wait in line for a picture of the summit. We had a nice break inside from the wind, but there were SO MANY people everywhere. We decided to begin our descent of the mountain. We watched the cog rail car go down the steep side of the mountain and hiked onto the Madison Spring Hut. When we got there we decided to see if we could get a "work for stay" (WFS). The young lady in the kitchen said we could and then asked our names. I said Knitter, and she came around from behind the counter and said I think I know you, just as I said "is that you Melissa?" We had spent a night with her in a shelter this spring just outside of Duncannon!! It was so great to see her again. We spent the evening watching the hut crowd eat and socialize. Then we were able to go into the kitchen and eat the leftovers which were pretty darn good. We spent the night on the floor of the dining room, and it rained and blew like crazy all night long. We were feeling blessed to be in a warm dry building.
Date: 2015-09-20
From: Madison Spring Hut

To: Gorham via Pinkham notch
Miles today: 7.8

We awoke this morning to fog and wind and rain. We had met Happy Feet and Rocket last night at the hut. They were also doing a WFS. After we ate the leftovers from breakfast, delicious again, we were assigned our jobs. Weirman and I were asked to sweep out the bunk rooms. After we finished that all four of us vacuumed and washed all of the wood surfaces in one of the bunk rooms. It didn't take too long, but it was 11:00 before we hit the trail. We had to climb Mt Madison right off the bat. It was still foggy and wet and WINDY. it was blowing about 50 mph with gusts to 70 mph. The climb wasn't too bad, but the descent was never ending. We just kept going over one ridge after another. I only got blown over once. Once we got back into tree line, the sun was out and it turned into a nice afternoon. When we got to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, Rocket and Happy Feet were there. We called the White Mountain Lodge and Hostel to see if they had available beds. They did. We waited with the girls for our shuttle, and got to the Hostel around 6pm. We were able to order dinner from a take out place, and then it was showers and off to bed. We shared a room with the girls. Emily and Laura and Hadley and Etta facetimed with us. So wonderful to see them all.
Date: 2015-09-21
From: Gorham via Pinkham notch

To: Imp Campsite
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

We had decided the night before that we would semi-slack pack back to the hostel. We packed our packs with only one days worth of supplies to lighten the load a bit. We got a ride back to Pinkham Notch, and were back on the trail by 8 am. We had Ben told that the climb up Wildcat Mountain was a beast, and it lived up to all of the hype. First there was peak E then peak D then peak C then peak A. I'm not sure what happened to peak B. Then of course we had to descend. We stopped in Carter Notch Hut to get water, they were closing down for the season, so there were lots of boxes stacked everywhere. Next we climbed Carter Dome. Then we got to Mt Hight. Then Middle Carter Mountain. Then North Carter Mountain. Lots of mountains to climb today. We got to the campsite with just enough time to cook dinner and pitch the tent before it got dark.
Date: 2015-09-22
From: Imp Campsite

To: Gorham Hwy 2 
Miles today: 8.0

We got hiking around 7:45 this morning. It was again warm and sunny. We climbed Mt Moriah, and then the trail was so nice. Like a walk in the woods. We enjoyed the break from all if yesterday's climbs. We got into Gorham around noon and took a shuttle into town to see if our resupply box had arrived. I asked the clerk at the PO if they had a box for Mary and Tom Rhyner. He was gone a long time, and came back with no box. I tried to get ahold of Emily, but she was working. Then Weirman thought to ask if it was maybe addressed to us as Weirman and Knitter, and of course it was. Then the shuttle driver was nice enough to take us to a restaurant to get lunch. Best beer and burger I've had in a long time. From there we went back to the hostel to get ready for the next days hike. We went to Walmart that evening with a few other hikers to get dinner and a few snacks. That evening we spent visiting with several other hikers. There are quite a few southbound hikers, which is kind of surprising to me. Bluebird and Akuna Matada showed up late, they looked so very tired.
Date: 2015-09-23
From: Gorham Hwy 2 

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

Oh man can Marni do breakfast!!!! We ate one of her famous meals again this morning. I had the Cyrene br»l©e French toast along with the sides of hash browns, sausage, and blueberry muffin. She makes it hard to want to leave, and she gives really good hugs too. It was so nice to stay there and relax and get ready for the next stretch. We originally were going to hop up to Katahdin from Gotham, but after getting advice from Grasshopper, we decided to get to Andover before we went to Katahdin. Grasshopper and Runaway have been so supportive and helpful. They have offered to drive us up to Baxter State Park, and reserve a lean to.   Such wonderful caring people. The AT community never ceases to amaze me. Anyways, we headed back onto the trail and climbed Mt Hayes after a bit of street walking. Then we continued onto Cascade Mountain. We got to Page Pond and got turned around a bit. We started walking around the pond the wrong way. Thank goodness I have the Guthooks app on my phone. Thanks girls!!! It got us back on track with not too much time lost. When we got to Dream Lake, we knew we were only 2 miles from the shelter. This terrain is tough. Rocks and roots and muck. When we got to the shelter, someone let out a LOUD scream. It was Happy Feet. She and Rocket were at the shelter. We had our goodbyes to them a few days back knowing they were faster hikers than we were. But here they were, in the shelter. It was great to see them!!! They are wonderful young ladies and we enjoy their company. We visited for a bit, then decided to pitch the tent. We came back down to the shelter to eat. Then two hikers arrived that were going south, Kimchee and Storybook. Kimchee was wealth of information about the next few days. It was good to get some first hand knowledge of what lay ahead. Supper and off to sleep. Hikers midnight is earlier and earlier. It is getting dark by 6:45 now.