morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-08-24
From: Hurd Brook Lean To

To: The Birches Campsite
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

We rolled out of camp at 6am and hustled down the trail. I hate being up early. The shelter we stayed at last night was the last shelter in the 100 mile wilderness. And a few miles down the road we came to the other end of the 100 mile wilderness. We survived it!! We hit Abols Bridge at about 730ish. It was rainy and cloudy so we didnt get a view of Katahdin as we crossed. I'm almost thinking the mountain is a myth. All the places we were suppose to get 'views' of it we weren't able to see anything because of the weather.We stopped into the camp store and got a few things for breakfast and some snacks. we moved on and entered Baxter State Park!! I cant believe that I am finally here. It feels so weird and very surreal. Ive been dreaming of this moment since I started and I just cant believe I am here. We signed the register for the Birches and sat to eat breakfast. It started to rain a bit and my boots got soaked again. Really really irritating. From Abol bridge we had abotu a 10 mile hike to camp. Onward we went. The terrain was decent, easy and flat and we were able to cruise. It was raining of course and we had to ford a river. Luckily they had a high water by pass which we took. Made things a lot easier. We hit camp about 1pm. we went to check in at the ranger station but no one was there. So we moseyed on down to the campsite to set up. Papalu was already there. The rain clouds started to dissipate and it turned into a beautiful afternoon. We set up camp, sat around and talked and ate. The Germans showed up a bit later as did a group of guys named Don Vino, Pigpen and Kaiser. A bit later my dad showed up. I told him where I was going to be and he came into the park. Our campsite was near the road so it was easy to find. He brought some adult beverages that we all shared!! He also brought me a care package from Sunny!!! It was such a surprise and had all my favorite things. Salt and vinegar chips, fruit snacks, sour patch kids, black licorice and a bath scrubbie. I shared some of the licorice. He hung around and chatted for a bit too.. It was a great time. After he left I made dinner and went to bed. We had another early start tomorrow. Hoping it doesnt rain. 5.2 miles left of the trail!!!
Date: 2015-08-25
From: The Birches Campsite

To: Katahdin!!!!
Miles today: 5.2

I didnt get much sleep last night. I dont think many of us did. Mighty Mouse was the first one ready this morning! The first time in 5 months! We were up and out to the ranger station at 615am. We got our day packs situated and hit the trail. We logged in at the register at 630am. We cruised along pretty well in the beginning. The trail wasnt too bad. We then hit the rocks. It was a giant rock climb and scramble for about 2-3 miles. Fun times. It slowed us down but oh well. The sky was overcast but no rain was coming down. Papalu came up behind us at some point and hiked the rest of the way up with us. We finally came to the plateau, it was about 1.5 miles from here to the peak. We cruised! Finally, I could make out the sign through the fog. I walked right up and touched it. I cant believe this moment is finally here. After 5 months and 2189.2 miles I am finally finished. It was astounding. We all took turn taking pictures on the sign! We then waited around for a day hiker to show up so he/she could take a group picture. The one time a thru hiker was glad to see a day hiker! It was Mighty Mouse, Mr. Clean, Pinocchio, Papalu, Road Runner, Tinkerbell and I at the summit today. It was awesome. After pictures and lunch we made our way back down the mountain. It was just as interesting going down as it was going up. But it did go fairly quickly. At 222pm we logged out of the register!!! Papalu, Mighty Mouse and I were together. We cheered and hugged. Its over, finally over. We went back to the ranger station to collect our packs. Dad was there. He brought beer!! We all jumped on that bad wagon! Dad gave brought the Germans, Papalu, Mighty Mouse and I into town. We ended up staying at the Katahdin Inn. Shit to Do was still in town and he met us over there. After we got cleaned up we went out to dinner. We ate and talked and drank. We then went over to the Blue Ox Saloon at about 8 and drank and talked some more. No one was drunk or trashed. We just were hanging out and riding the high from finishing. At about 1 am we headed back to the hotel. Its over. I cant believe it.
Date: 2015-08-26
To: Going Home
Miles today: 0.0

After a brief sleep, lol, we went down to the breakfast room. It was about 7am. We ate and I said good bye to everyone. It was sad.Dad and I had a 6 and a half hour ride home. I just sat and relaxed not thinking about much. Its crazy to believe that the trip is actually over. That I wont be getting up to hike anymore. That I'm going home for good now. So crazy. Im excited to see my family and give everyone giant hugs. I'm excited to sit on a couch and sleep in bed. Now I have to start planning my next adventure!!Thank you to everyone who supported me on this hike. Your love, encouragement and support helped me so much on this trip.
Date: 2015-05-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Basic gear that is final: Granite Gear Virga 2Thermarest prolite (small) Eno double nest hammock with strapsEno pro fly rain tarp"AWOL" southbound guidebookSnow peak cook set Homemade alcohol stove1 liter Platypus with 1 liter bottle
Date: 2015-05-22
To: Clothes
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

clothes from left to right:2 pairs Nike dry fit running shorts, under armour leggings, Nike pro combat compression shorts, exefficio underwear, Eddie Bauer down jacket, mountain hardware running hat, Sierra designs rain jacket, North face running shirt, dry fit long sleeve, Brooks running pullover, Nike dry fit tank top, darn tough running socks, Nike socks, big agenes stuff sack
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Mt katahdin

To: Katahdin stream campground 
Miles today: 5.2

4:10 in the morning. At phils place with Josh and Brandon. About to head to katahdin and start this shit. Lots of emotions. 6:40 pm, made it to the top of the mountain and back down. Hell of a climb. 10.4 miles, but only 5.2 count because the test were just to get to the start. Ha. Lots of rain, and visibility was limited. Missing home. Gonna take some getting used to. New guy, Evan, is staying at our lean to. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Date: 2015-06-04
From: Rainbow stream lean-to

To: Potaywadjo spring lean-to
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

18 miles. Holy shit what a day. Started the day having phone service and checked in with family and friends. After that we walked through the damn swamp filled depths of hell all day. Hardest day so far. Me and Evan stuck together all day, wouldn't of made it without him. The end of the day was super rough. When we got to the shelter finally he came down with some kind of sickness, he had heat flashes, couldn't eat.
Date: 2015-06-05
From: Potaywadjo spring lean-to

To: Cooper brook falls lean-to
Miles today: 11.4

Best day so far. First day so far I've been able to keep my feet remotely dry. Also picked up my halfway resupply which added weight, but it was nice knowing I should have enough food to finish 100 mw. Tomorrow is either 8 or 11 to set up for white cap mountain. Body feels good. Life is good.
Date: 2015-06-06
From: Cooper brook falls lean-to

To: Logan Brook lean-to
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

11.7 miles. Sun was bright, trail was not bad today. 43 miles from Monson. Would be awesome to get there in 3 days. Trail legs are kinda coming in, so hopefully we can push it to there. Been spending most days walking with Evan (Homer) and Brandon, Josh, hulk, and rabbi. Life is pretty good m, but ready for a zero day (maybe 2) to rest up and eat good food
Date: 2015-06-07
From: Logan Brook lean-to

To: Wes branch pleasant river campsite
Miles today: 12.8

Best day so far. Started day off by summiting white cap mountain which was beautiful. Walked rest of the day with Ben, Melissa, and homer. Very fun day and everyone in good spirits. Planning on waking early and pulling a long day tomorrow. Hopefully Monson on the 10th.
Date: 2015-06-09
From: Long pond stream lean-to

To: Monson, Maine 
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: few clouds

Woke up ready to be in town, but had 15 miles to get there. It rained the whole entire day. Started the day with a failed attempt to ford the river, so I took a nice swim in freezing water. Finally met up with weirdo and Dawn after solo hiking miserably all day. Finished the last 3 miles stretch from town in a torrential downpour with those 2. Got a ride super easy. Came to lakeshore house (awesome place, great service) and gorged on food. Ben and Melissa showed up thankfully, I was worried about them. Good ending to a shitty day. Zero tomorrow
Date: 2015-06-14
From: Moxie bald lean-to

To: Pleasant pond lean-to
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Two weeks on trail. Today was absolutely amazing. Two mountains. Both were tough, especially because of all the blow downs. Life Is awesome today . caratunk tomorrow. Going to make a more strategic resupply. Still fine tuning all this thru hiking stuff. Caratunk here I come
Date: 2015-06-15
From: Pleasant pond lean-to

To: Caratunk Maine 
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: broken clouds

5.7 miles to caratunk. Literally ran into town. Got there in 1 hour and 56 minutes. Me and slingshot hitched into northern outdoors and pounced some breakfast, then I had a brownie and ice cream. Homer, Ben, Melissa (acquired the trail name scavenger over the last stretch) showed up later. Nero day today and tomorrow (gotta leave by 11 to catch the ferry though).got a shit ton of food for the next stretch. Loving the trail and life.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Piazza rock lean to

To: Rangeley, Maine
Miles today: 1.6
Weather: overcast clouds

short 1.6 mile walk (or run) from the lean-to to the road. went and ate breakfast with stank and quiet erp. (29$ spent at the diner, but every bit worth it). went back to the farmhouse and hung with everyone. zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2015-06-26
From: sabbath day pond lean-to

To: bemis mountain lean to
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: light rain

shorter day. 8.3 miles. next lean to is 13 and im really not feeling that. already had some monster climbs this morning. Homer, ben (shark tank), melissa (scavenger), brandon (double tap), and josh (achilles) all left the trail when we left Rangeley. i was in front so i got to the shelter, sat there an hour....no one. two hours...no one. George (dos equis) and ian showed up and informed me of everyone leaving the trail. quite a bummer. looks like ill be solo till i run into another bubble of hikers. oh well. gonna try to slow down and hopefully meet new people.
Date: 2015-06-27
From: bemis mountain lean to

To: south arm road (andover, maine)
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

killer day. started the day off with a first thing 1000 ft climb leaving the shelter to the summit of bemis mtn, then descend, back up to old blue mountain, then a 2000 ft descent. while on old blue some northbounders informed me of a diner that has AYCE pizza only on saturdays. it happens to be saturday. my fate was sealed. i had to make an unplanned trip into andover for pizza. nasty storm rolling in, so gonna chill and eat pizza with dos equis and ian.
Date: 2015-06-29
From: zero day

To: frye notch lean to 
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

14.6, very long day. 3 or 4 1000 ft climbs. fun mental battle. wanted to just call it at a few different campsites but i was curious if i could push it. its amazing how mental this is. the physical aspect is getting smaller and smaller, its just how far you can push your body through your mind. at the shelter with a section hiker. just me and him. first night not with anyone from my trail family. 10 miles tomorrow but a very rough 10 it looks like
Date: 2015-06-30
From: frye notch lean to 

To: speck pond shelter 
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

10.4, pretty decent day. started off with a 1500 ft climb and actually felt good. mid day i got to grafton notch, ate lunch, and for some reason just hit a wall. my body felt like shit and i was ready to call it a day. no energy at all. the last 4.5 miles were going from grafton notch (elevation 1495) to old speck mtn (elevation 4033) so a huge climb. hardest mile on the AT tomorrow, crawling through rocks/caves.
Date: 2015-07-01
From: speck pond shelter 

To: full goose shelter
Miles today: 5.1

at camp pretty early (2 pm), did the mahoosuc notch and it took about a hour to go a mile. wouldnt be bad except i woke up to pouring rain and the temp in those caves was cold (sheets of ice were lining the caves. clothes were soaked so i just called it a day. 21 miles from Gorham. hopefully two days.
Date: 2015-07-02
From: full goose shelter

To: trident col campsite
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

kind of a rough day. climbed alot of peaks. crossed the ME/NH border which was nice. camping 7 miles from Gorham, gonna wake up early and see how quick i can get there (to eat of course). life is good ps. funny story from the day- so in the beggining of the day i climbed goose eye mtn which had around 3 peaks. while above ridgeline traversing these peaks, there was lots of mud. mud that does not look deep. ive been hiking with music recently so i have my headphones in cruising alone by myself. i come to a little patch of mud with a log across it (im on the top of a mountain so you dont expect deep mud) i steo on the log, slip off and now im LITERALLY submerged to my belly button in mud. needless to say getting out was a struggle, as well as walking the rest of the day covered in mud.
Date: 2015-07-07
From: pinkham notch 

To: madison hut
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: few clouds

started the day at pinkham notch. super sore starting off, then im faced with a 3000 foot climb to the top of mt madison. took all of this on solo, and as i gain elevation the weather takes a turn, rain starts and visibility is about 5 feet and wind is crazy. thankfully i hunker down and speed up (as much as possible given the terrain) and make it to madison hut and do work for stay. side note for anyone reading: throughout the white mountains there are huts located for normal people not thru hiking. you pay $100 or so and walk a short hike to a hut and stay for the night. thru hikers show up at the huts and ask to do work for stay which consist of sweeping the floor, dishes, etc. and in exchange you get to sleep in the dining room on the floor and get leftover food.
Date: 2015-07-08
From: madison hut

To: lakes of the cloud hut
Miles today: 7.0

very short day up mt washington (2nd tallest peak on the trail). hiked with whiskers, bubbles, and squid. before meeting up with them, i left the hut when visibility was very limited, took the wrong trail, and had to repeat the climb up mt madison which was quite a bummer. oh well. this day was full of amazing views, above treeline all day
Date: 2015-07-09
From: lakes of the cloud hut

To: zealand falls hut 
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: few clouds

woke up feeling pretty good, but definitely not feeling a 19 mile day. terrain wasnt bad, but when we got to a road crossing 11 miles in, erp and stank decided to go 8 more. so why not give it a shot. we did the last 5 miles in about a hour and a half. fun day
Date: 2015-07-26
From: Killington, Vermont

To: Gorham, New Hampshire
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Tomorrow is the day I resume my hike. We will be starting at VT Hwy.100 near Killington, VT, and will be heading north.Mrs. G.G. and I left home on Thursday and spent the night at our house on Roan Mountain, TN. We had planned to spend the second night in the Hamburg/Port Clinton, PA area, but couldn't find a vacancy, so we ended up in Allentown, PA. Last night we stayed at the Red Sled Motel in Manchester, VT. This was one of the motels we stayed in last fall. Today we made it to Killington and met up with Rob. Tonight we're staying at Inn At Long Trail, which is only a few miles from the AT. Right after breakfast in the morning, Rob and I will begin hiking.It is really great to be hiking with Rob again, and I'm sure we will really enjoy the next three days.
Date: 2015-07-27
From: VT Hwy 100, Killington, VT

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 16.6

After a good breakfast at the Inn At Long Trail, Mrs. GG dropped Rob and me off at the trail head. Within the first few miles, the AT welcomed me back with a 1,300' ascent. Throughout the day, there were many other 500' to 1,000' ascents. We saw several South bounders (SOBOs) and many North bounders (NOBOs).We arrived at the shelter around 5:30PM, and we were both very tired. We pitched our tents, ate dinner, and met several thru-hikers: Nurse; Hawkeye; a young hiker from Germany, and another hiker from Finland. Before 8PM, we were fast asleep. Today was all we could handle since neither of us has hiked since last fall. Tomorrow will be a shorter day and easier, I hope.
Date: 2015-07-28
From: Winturri Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: few clouds

Yesterday was so warm, that I decided to bring a sleeping bag liner and not take my sleeping bag. That turned out to be a mistake. By midnight I was cold, so I got up and put on my rain jacket and rain pants. Also, my air mattress kept leaking down, so I had to blow it up several times. Even with all of that going on, I got decent sleep.We got off to an earlier start this morning, leaving the shelter just after 7AM. Today's trail was pretty much a continuation of yesterday. Along the way Rob showed me some wild raspberries, and later on we saw tubing that collects sap from sugar maples and carries it to a central location where it is turn into maple syrup.Later on, we met Mrs. GG at one of the road crossings where she was parked and passing out goodies to all hikers that passed by. We enjoyed cold water, snacks, sandwiches, and chairs to sit in while we visited with her. It was a wonderful break during the heat of the day. Around 3:30PM we reached our destination and pitched our tents near the shelter.Tomorrow we cross over a river bridge in a town near here. It's a long standing tradition for thru hikers to jump off the bridge into the river. More to come about that later. Good night.
Date: 2015-07-29
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Elm Street, Norwich, VT
Miles today: 12.2

Rob and I started walking at 6:45AM this morning. It was already warm, and we knew it would be a hot day. By midmorning, we reached the bridge over the White River. Just across the bridge is a house with an AT symbol on the porch. We had already heard that the residents, Randy and Linda, provide cold drinks and snacks to all thru hikers who stop by. They have a bell on the front porch, and they ring it as you are crossing the bridge to invite you to come over and visit with them. Rob and I had cold drinks and doughnuts. As it turned out, Linda has a daughter and son-in-law who live in Ludowici, GA. While we were there, several other hikers stopped by to take a break and enjoy the kind hospitality. Thank you so much, Linda and Randy!It's a long-time tradition for AT thru hikers to jump off two bridges into the rivers below. One of these is the James River in Virginia, and the other is the White River right in front of Linda and Randy's house. I asked Linda if many hikers actually jumped, and she replied, "Everyone does it!" I asked how high the bridge is above the water, and Randy said, "30 feet." I have to admit, I chickened out, but I did get a picture of another hiker jumping. I'm still considering going back one afternoon and doing it. Mrs. GG says it'll be after I've finished this hike. By early afternoon, we arrived in Norwich, VT. Mrs. Gray Ghost was waiting for us with cold beverages. It had been a hard day due to the heat.Mrs. GG dropped me off at our motel, so I could go ahead and shower. She and Rob went on to get his truck, and then he came back to shower also before heading home to upstate NY. Having Rob hike with me these past three days has meant more to me than I can put into words. Thank you, Rob, and God bless you and your family.
Date: 2015-07-30
From: Elm Street, Norwich, VT

To: Goose Pond Road, Lyme, NH
Miles today: 16.4

After a nice breakfast at Lou's Bakery in Hanover, NH, Mrs. Gray Ghost hiked with me for the first mile as the trail follows a street out of town. The trail follows Main Street and then turns and goes through Dartmouth University.The trail was a series of small mountains. Today was another very hot and humid day. At Etna Road, there was a cooler with beverages and a box with snacks. I stopped and had water and chips. While I was there, Diesel stopped to enjoy the trail magic also.I was making good progress today, and around noon, I changed my plan for the day. I decided that I would be at my shelter by 1:30PM. Since that's too early to stop, I found a road crossing several miles farther up the trail. I called Mrs. GG and asked her if she could find Goose Pond Road in Lyme, NH. She quickly called me back and informed me that it was easily reachable from Hanover. Just before I made it to the road, Bull caught up with me, and told me he had met my wife on Tuesday, when she was giving out trail magic. When we go to the road, Mrs. GG was waiting. I gave Bull a bottle of cold water before he headed on up the trail. We then headed back to our motel. Just as we drove off, it began to rain. Our timing was perfect. Today was a good day, and my pace was very good for me.
Date: 2015-07-31
From: Goose Pond Road, Lyme, NH

To: Lyme-Dorchester Road, Lyme, NH
Miles today: 5.6

Last night it rained, and this morning we were greeted by blue skies, lower humidity, and cooler temperatures. We had breakfast at a long-time hiker favorite, Dunkin' Donuts. Afterwards, we drove to Goose Pond Road, and I was back on the trail by 7:30AM.In the first two miles, I climbed 1,100' to Holt's Ledge. Here the trail goes by a ledge with a vertical drop of several hundred feet. At one point, the trail turned left, but I didn't. I kept following the trail in front of me that passed through a meadow with lots of wild raspberries. I stopped and enjoyed eating a few of them for a few minutes. Soon, I saw a moving ski lift in front of me. It was part of the Dartmouth Skiway. Since no one was on the ski lift, I assumed it was having work done on it. At this point, I realized that I had left the AT, so I back tracked about two tenths of a mile until I found the turn I had missed earlier.When I got down the mountain, I saw the sign pointing the way to the ice cream man's house. The ice cream man is Bill Ackerly, and he lives right beside the AT. He always has ice cream for hikers passing by. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry and did not stop.Since this was a short mileage day, I finished and met Mrs. GG by late morning. We drove on the pickup point for tomorrow, so she would know exactly where it was. We also discovered that at today's pickup point and also at tomorrow's pickup point, there is no cell phone or satellite phone service. We are definitely in some really remote areas in this part of New Hampshire.Tonight we dined at Thai Orchid Restaurant in Hanover. The food was delicious. Hanover is a beautiful town with lots of lovely homes and flowers. We have really enjoyed our time in this area.Tomorrow, my total ascent will be over 4,000'. Each day the mountains will be getting higher, more rocky, and rugged as I get more into the White Mountains. Also, we will be moving on to our next location, Lincoln, NH.