morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-06-12
From: Thistle Hill Shelter VT

To: Hanover NH
Miles today: 14.6

We hiked from Thistle Hill Shelter in Vermont into downtown Hanover, New Hampshire, 14.6 miles. It was a good hike and wasn¢t especially strenuous. I photographed a couple of views along the way, but there really was nothing spectacular. we crossed from Vermont into New Hampshire this morning about 11:45 AM. So now we only have two more states to go through. There was a fair amount of road walking getting into Hanover. Once we got into town, we went to Ramunto¢s Pizza and got a free slice of pizza for being through hikers. We also got some ice cream at an ice cream shop and then the shuttle driver from Hanover Adventure Tours picked us up in front of the CVS pharmacy. Once we got to the hostel, we did some laundry and rested up. We had to call out for dinner tonight because the hostel is about 4 miles out of town.
Date: 2023-06-13
From: Hanover NH

To: Trapper John Shelter NH
Miles today: 16.7

We hiked from Hanover, NH to Trapper John Shelter, NH, 16.7 miles. We got underway this morning about 7:15 AM. The forecast had been calling for it to rain all day; but once we got on the trail, we had about four hours of no rain. But then it started raining again and rained for close to three hours. We stopped at Moose Mountain Shelter around noon for lunch. About the last two hours before we made it into the shelter at 3:15 PM, it stopped raining. I know we missed a lot of good views because of the weather.
Date: 2023-06-14
From: Trapper John Shelter NH

To: NH Route 25A
Miles today: 16.9

We hiked from Trapper John Shelter to NH Route 25A, 16.9 miles. It was a pretty strenuous hike. Early in today's hike we saw Lucky Penny and Prickleberry. They had just been dropped of by Lucky Penny¢s husband, Thomas. It was good seeing them again. Along the way, we crossed two mountains. The first was Smarts Mountain. This mountain had a fire tower that we were able to climb. We even had lunch up there. The next mountain was Mount Cube. We enjoyed seeing awesome views from both mountains. We are staying at a hostel called the Barn Door Hostel. It is a nice hostel and we are thankful to be in the dry tonight. It is storming outside right now. Fortunately we were able to get in before the rain started.
Date: 2023-06-15
From: NH Route 25A Barn Door Hostel

To: NH Route 25 Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 9.7

We hiked from NH Route 25A to NH 25 to stay at Hikers Welcome Hostel, 9.7 miles. It was a beautiful morning for a hike. There was very little that was strenuous about this hike. There were some ups and downs, but nothing very strenuous, and it was a very enjoyable day. There weren¢t any views to see but I did come across a really pretty pond. I also came across some fresh moose tracks in the mud. I have been seeing moose skat ever since Vermont, but this was the first time I had come across fresh tracks. I am hopeful that I get to see a moose during this trek. I like staying at this hostel. The cabin we are in is a timber frame structure and is rustic. This hostel is located in a very rural area and there is not much around to be able to go to a restaurant and get something to eat. Also, there is not a proper bathhouse and what serves as the bathhouse is basically just a tent with a shower, a washer and dryer and a toilet. It is pretty basic. It is in pretty sharp contrast to the hostel we stayed at the night before. I have found this to be true all along the trail. There are very nice well organized, well run and managed hostels and then there are hostels that seem to be held together by a shoestring.
Date: 2023-06-16
From: Kinsman Notch NH

To: NH Route 25
Miles today: 9.6

We hiked from Kinsman Notch South to NH Route 25, 9.6 miles. We slack packed. Even though it was a relatively short hike, it was a steep climb coming up out of Kinsman Notch. It was a beautiful hike coming up beside a waterfall for a long way. We were above the tree line when we crossed the peak of Mt Moosilauke. Also, we crossed the 1800 mile point today. It was an enjoyable day. When we got back to the hostel, Splash¢s cousin Dave had stopped in for a visit and took Splash and I to a brewery in Plymouth NH for dinner.
Date: 2023-06-17
From: Kinsman Notch NH

To: The Flume Gorge Visitor Center NH
Miles today: 16.5

We hiked from Kinsman Notch to the Flume Gorge Visitor Center near Lincoln NH. This was 16.5 miles on the trail plus .9 miles from the trail down to the visitor center which was not a part of the AT. We were dropped off by the shuttle from Hikers Welcome. On the way to the trailhead we spotted a bear crossing the road in an area where there were houses. That makes the second time I¢ve seen a bear since February 16 and neither time was it out in the woods. This was a slow going day. We got going a little after 7:30 AM. We hiked up and over Mt Wolf and down to Eliza Brook Shelter where we had lunch a little after 12:00 PM. This was only about 7 miles which is a lot slower pace than we¢re used to. The section between Mt Wolf and the Eliza Brook Shelter is where my friend Speedy broke her leg a couple of weeks earlier and I kept thinking about that. After lunch we hiked up and over the Kinsmans. After that, our pace picked up a bit. It had been forecast to rain heavy all day and we were mentally prepared for it but in fact, it never really rained all day. But that doesn¢t mean we stayed dry. The weather was dreary and humid all day. On top of that, there were streams of water literally running down the trail. There was simply no way to keep your feet dry. Brushing past wet trees all day caused us to be nearly completely soaked by the end of the day.We arrived at the Flume Visitor Center by about 7:00 PM and were picked up at 7:20 by the shuttle from the Notch Hostel. Our driver was Aquaman. He has hiked the AT twic; once NOBO and once SOBO. He is a very fascinating character. His SOBO hike was last year. He started the hike in the middle of December and finished the middle of May. He survived some extremely cold temperatures.
Date: 2023-06-19
From: Interstate 93

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite/Shelter
Miles today: 10.1

We took a zero day yesterday. We had spent the night at the Notch Hostel which was very nice. We didn¢t have to rush when we got up and we were able to take our time and fix a good breakfast and wait for friends Steve and Richelle to come get us. They took us to their house and let us stay in their camper. We will be using their place as a base camp for about the next week. They served us a delicious dinner last night and also fixed us a hardy breakfast this morning before taking us back to the trail. We had gotten off the trail Saturday just after it crossed under Interstate 93. But this morning we were able to avoid doing the long blue blaze trail back up to the trail. Instead, Steve dropped us off on the side of Interstate 93 right where it crosses over the trail.We were back to the trail this morning by about 8:00 AM. We hiked from Interstate 93 to Garfield Ridge Campsite/Shelter arriving there about 5:00 PM. It was only a 10.1 mile hike but this hike included 5,300 feet of ascent and 2,800 feet of descent. We crossed four peaks above 4,000 feet; Little Haystack Mtn, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette, and Mt Garfield. We were able to enjoy some awesome views. Tonight at this shelter, it is quite full and there are a number of tent campers too. There are a number of hikers here with whom we¢ve previously crossed paths. Some of them include English Frodo, Spring Break, 109, Lil Engine, Survivor, McGyver, and Kidding. There are a number of non-AT hikers as well as some AT section hikers with whom I am unfamiliar.
Date: 2023-06-20
From: Garfield Ridge Campsite/Shelter

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 2.7

Today was a little sad. Blue Bear, my hiking partner over the last 750 miles of the trail, was forced to get off the trail for the rest of the season. She had been experiencing growing back pain and today she had to make the decision to get off the trail. We spent the previous night in the shelter at Garfield Ridge Campsite. It turned out to be a full house in the shelter. I¢m not really interested in repeating that again. It is just too close quarters for my comfort. When we left the shelter this morning we hiked 2.1 miles and reached the intersection with the Gale River Trail. A sign said it was 4.0 miles to Gale River Road. That was the point at which Blue Bear reached her decision to get off. I contacted my friend Steve to see if he could meet us and pick up Blue Bear to which he readily agreed. Splash and I walked her down this trail until we met Steve and passed her off to him. I estimate we walked close to three of the four miles down to the trailhead. Once we knew Blue Bear was in safe hands, Splash and I walked back up the steep trail back to the AT. From that point on the trail, it was only .6 miles to Galehead Hut. We had already decided to stop and spend the night at Galehead Hut. We arrived at the hut shortly after 1:00 PM and spend the rest of the afternoon resting. Dinner was served at 6:00 PM. Tomorrow we have approximately 14.7 miles to Hwy 302 where Steve will pick us up for the night. Although we hiked close to six additional steep miles, we only hiked at total of 2.7 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2023-06-21
From: Galehead Hut

To: NH Hwy 302, Crawford Notch Rd
Miles today: 14.7

We hiked from Galehead Hut to Highway 302, Crawford Notch Rd, 14.7 miles. The first .8 miles was very steep and it took a long time to climb. And even after we finished that climb, the first half of our day was very slow going. It seems like ever since we have been in the Whites, we have only made about a mile per hour or just a little better. We got going after breakfast around 8 o¢clock and by a little after 1 o¢clock we stopped at Zealand Falls Hut for a lunch break. We were able to purchase a bowl of soup and a piece of cake there. After that, we continued hiking until we reached Crawford Notch Road. We enjoyed excellent weather all day. Today¢s total ascent was 2800 feet and total descent was 4900 feet. We didn't get to the intersection until approximately 4:30. Steve and Rachelle met us there and brought us back to their house. We were able to get showers and then we all went out for dinner. When we got back from dinner, Splash and I turned in pretty quickly.
Date: 2023-06-22
From: NH Hwy 302, Crawford Notch Rd

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 11.1

We hiked from NH Hwy 302, Crawford Notch Rd to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, 11.1 miles. We enjoyed excellent weather all day. We got on the trail by about 8 o¢clock. By a little after 1 o¢clock, we had made it to Mizpah Hut where we had lunch, including a bowl of soup and some bread. Like the last several days, our hiking speed was not very fast. Like the previous couple days, we only averaged a little over one mile per hour. We made it to the hut by approximately 4:30 PM. Since the weather was so nice, they were able to get some good pictures and video of the views we were able to see. Today¢s ascent was over 5000 feet and the descent was around 1200 feet. Tomorrow we plan to cross over Mt Washington.
Date: 2023-06-23
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Osgood Tentsite, NH
Miles today: 10.1

We hiked from the Lakes of the Clouds Hut to the Osgood Tentsite, 10.1 miles. We went up and over Mount Washington and Mount Madison of the Presidentials. It was another beautiful day. Mount Washington is almost 6300 feet in elevation and the weather can be very hazardous. There have been numerous deaths on that mountain because the weather changed and people were unprepared for the conditions that can happen there. So we were very pleased that we had very mild temperatures and low winds when we went across. Overall, the day was a fairly difficult day. When we got to the summit of Mount Washington, we were thinking that would be the completion of the toughest part of the day. But we were surprised to find that the rest of the day was even more difficult. We made very slow progress and only averaged about one mph for the whole day. We got started at 8 AM and only made it to the tent site by around 6:15 PM. Even though it was a difficult day, we were able to enjoy spectacular views. Over the last two days on the trail we have seen numerous other hikers, most of them were day-hikers hiking various of the other trails in the White Mountains. We had 3,000 ft of ascent and 5,350 ft of descent for the day. We were above the tree line for most of the day and, therefore, received quite a bit of exposure with no sunscreen. In the White Mountains, the descents are every bit as demanding as the ascents. In fact, they are more demanding on your knees.
Date: 2023-06-24
From: Osgood Tentsite, NH

To: Glen Ellis Trailhead, NH Route 16
Miles today: 5.8

We hiked from Osgood Tentsite to the Glen Ellis trailhead off NH Route 16, 5.8 miles. There¢s really not much to report about this hike. We made much better time because the terrain was not as difficult as we¢ve been experiencing in NH. We got on the trail by around 6:00 AM and we had arrived at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center by around 8:45 AM. We went inside and looked around for a few minutes and then I spoke on the phone to Steve who was going to be picking us up. He suggested that we hike the additional .8 miles to the Glen Ellis trailhead. We did and were there by around 10:30 AM. Afterwards, we went back to Steve and Rachelle¢s house so that Splash and I could get showers. Rachelle took our laundry and took care of it for us. I¢m sorry Rachelle, for not making sure all my pockets were empty. Next we went into Littleton to get a few things and do some resupply. When we got back home, Steve grilled burgers for us and we had a filling dinner. I just can¢t say enough about the hospitality we have received from these wonderful people.
Date: 2023-06-25
From: Glen Ellis Trailhead, NH Route 16

To: Imp Campsite/shelter
Miles today: 12.2

We hiked from the Glen Ellis trailhead off NH Route 16 to Imp Campsite/shelter, 12.1 miles. This was possibly the most difficult day I¢ve faced on the trail so far. We started hiking at about 8:40 AM. The trailhead was about an hour from Steve and Rachelle¢s house. There was a bit of a tricky river crossing to get from the parking lot to the trail. Once we made it to the trail we went vertical for about a mile. In that one mile we went from 2000 feet elevation to 4000 feet elevation. What a climb! A crew member from the Carter Notch Hut where we stopped later for lunch told us that is the steepest one mile section on the AT. I believe it. We hiked up and over the Wildcats and then stopped for lunch at Carter Notch Hut. After lunch, we hiked over the Carters before arriving at Imp Shelter. This made for a very long day because we could not make fast progress. We arrived at the shelter at around 7:30 PM. That is late for us. We had made it through almost the entire day without getting rained on even though rain was in the forecast. So I counted it as a blessing. Even so, we did get rained on a little bit for about the last hour before getting into the shelter. All total, there were a total of five of us in the shelter. Splash and I along with another through hiker named Wolfie stayed on the lower level of the shelter. There were two other people on the upper level whom we never saw because they had already gone to bed when we got there. One of the people on the upper level had actually pitched their tent inside the shelter. This is usually a significant violation of shelter etiquette, but no one said anything about it.
Date: 2023-06-26
From: Imp Campsite/shelter

To: AT Trailhead, US Route 2, Gorham NH
Miles today: 8.0

We hiked from Imp shelter to US Route 2 near Gorham, NH, 8 miles. During the night, it stormed for a long time and it was very heavy. The thunder and lightning was very close and kept us awake quite a bit. It must have put down a massive amount of rain. The trail was the wettest I¢ve ever seen. Literally, the entire time we were on the trail, it was like a small stream running down the trail. There were numerous points along the trail where there was water standing and you either tried to skirt around the water or you just sloshed right through it. Then there were a couple of river crossings. These crossings were quite treacherous because the flow volume was so high. We didn¢t have any choice but to find a way across the rivers, but there were times when it was very scary. Ultimately, we gave up on trying to keep our boots from becoming full of water. The only way to get across these rivers was to rock hop. But when I say rock up, I don¢t mean stepping on rocks that are above the surface of the water. The flow of the river was so strong, the best you could do was look for rocks that were from 6 to 12 inches below the surface of the water and step there. There were places where the water was much deeper and the current was way too strong to stand against. So we had to look for places where the water was shallow enough to not sweep us away. The river we crossed was called the Rattle River. We had to cross it at least twice while we were still higher up on the mountain and it had not become so strong. But once we got lower down the mountain there was absolutely no way of crossing the river. We found a side river that converged with the Rattle River which we had to cross. This river had a very strong current also; but we were able to manage it. It took us 6 1/2 hours to traverse this 8 miles. Most of it was downhill, but that was not a consolation. Steve met us at the trail head and brought us back to his home. Along the way, we stopped at a Chinese buffet in Gorham and had lunch. My left foot pain has been flaring up quite a bit the last couple of days. I am hoping it is just because the hiking has been so difficult these last few days. Steve and Rachelle suggested that I visit their chiropractor to see if he could give me some relief. Steve took me into Littleton and I was able to get in to see the chiropractor. He was very nice and made some adjustments as well as showed me some massages I can do. He also gave me some kinesio tape and showed me how to apply it to my foot. I am hoping this helps because there is only 300 miles left to finish this journey. We are taking a zero day Tuesday, June 27th to try to recover from the White Mountains. We are essentially through the Whites but I know that doesn¢t mean things will immediately get easier. We still have Mahoosuc Notch coming up in a couple of days.
Date: 2023-06-28
From: AT Trailhead, US Route 2, Gorham NH

To: Gentian Pond Shelter 
Miles today: 11.8

We hiked from US Route 2 to Gentian Pond Shelter, 11.8 miles. Steve and Rachelle dropped us off at about 7:30. It was hard saying goodbye to them. They have been so good to us and made our time in the White Mtns so much easier on us. I am very thankful for their friendship and their support. Even though there was a fair amount of ascent today, 4000 ft ascent and 2650 ft descent, the hiking wasn¢t too bad today except it rained from about noon for most of the rest of the day. That made the hiking pretty miserable. We met at least five SOBO¢s (hikers thru hiking the trail Southbound). We arrived at the shelter just before 4:00 PM and found Kidding already there. Kidding is a hiker whom we¢ve met several times before. It was nice getting into the shelter early because it allowed us plenty of time to get our things set up and get something to eat.
Date: 2023-06-29
From: Gentian Pond Shelter 

To: Full Goose Shelter ME
Miles today: 9.6

We hiked from Gentian Pond Shelter to Full Goose Shelter, 9.6 miles. As with the last several days, it was slow going. It took us from 6:30 AM until 3:30 PM to cover this distance. It didn¢t really rain much today until about 30 minutes before we got to the shelter, but it was cloudy and overcast and it prevented seeing some great views well. We crossed into Maine today which is a tremendous milestone; the final state. We met several more SOBO¢s today. Tomorrow, we go through the infamous Mahoosuc Notch.
Date: 2023-06-30
From: Full Goose Shelter ME

To: ME Route 26, Grafton Notch
Miles today: 9.7

Every day these days I think, the trail can¢t get any harder than it was today. And it seems every day the trail just says, ¢here, hold my beer.¢ Today was no different. We hiked from Full Goose Shelter to ME Route 26, Grafton Notch. That means we traveled through the infamous Mahoosuc Notch and up the Mahoosuc Arm. What a day! I¢ve been hearing people say Mahoosuc Notch was fun and I thought, those people must be crazy. But I have to admit, it was kind of fun. Like a jungle gym for adults. I actually quite enjoyed it even though it took a lot of energy. I took a hard fall going through and banged by chin really hard on a rock. It hurt and I was stuck there for a minute and was a little concerned that I might be injured. But I wasn¢t seriously injured and was able to get up and move on. Praise God! After we made it through the Notch, we had to wade thigh deep icy cold water in order to move forward. That was not so fun. We took a brief break at a campsite and moved on to the Mahoosuc Arm. That, my friends, was no joke. It was a mile and a half precarious climb almost straight up the side of a mountain. There were other climbs and descents throughout the remainder of the day. And I took another hard fall thankfully with no serious injuries. These damp rocks can¢t be trusted! By the end of the day, we were all so exhausted. By ¢we¢ I mean myself, Splash, and Kidding. I don¢t think Kidding is going to become a permanent part of mine and Splash¢s team but it is a pleasure walking with her. She is an extremely capable woman but I do think it was the safe thing for the three of us to traverse the Notch together in case someone got into trouble. There are places where it helps to have someone help you pass your pack through tight spaces. We started the day out around 6:30 AM and made it to Grafton Notch by about 5:15 PM. We only covered 9.7 miles. But we were proud of our accomplishment. The day saw 2900 ft of ascent and 4400 ft of descent. We were shuttled to Bethel by Kevin and stayed at Bethel Village Motel where we were treated very well. These people are extremely hiker friendly.
Date: 2023-07-01
From: ME Route 26, Grafton Notch

To: East B Hill Rd near Andover ME
Miles today: 10.3

We hiked from ME Route 26, Grafton Notch to East B Hill Rd near Andover ME, 10.3 miles. Like yesterday, we enjoyed excellent weather. We hiked up and over the West and East peaks of the Bald Pate Mtns. Visibility wasn¢t great up on the mountains due to clouds but overall it was a very nice hike. We didn¢t get on the trail this morning until nearly 9:00 AM. We met a few NOBO when we first got on the trail this morning. They were young so we never saw them again. There were a few day hikers out today, with it being a Saturday. Every day we are meeting a few SOBO¢s. We made it to our pickup point by 3:50 PM. Our shuttle driver was Rodney and he was very nice. We are staying at the Human Nature Hostel. It is a dome structure. It is very nice and clean. The hostel owner is White Owl. When I walked out on the deck, a lady said ¢hey I know you!¢ It turns out her name is Lemon Drop and I had met her back at Woods Hole Hostel in VA. Her boyfriend is Baloo. They are such nice people and it was a pleasant surprise to run into them again.