morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-08-26
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Guyot shelter
Miles today: 12.4

Had a very noisy night with high winds. A tree rubbing against the shelter sounded like a bear was tearing up the campsite. Got out of camp by 0730 and headed back to Guyot shelter. It¢s rather cool and I started out wearing long pants and a fleece shirt.Made it to Zealand hut at 1000 (5 miles plus a trip to Thoreau falls). I stopped a couple times to pick and eat blueberries, but will wait for the berries near the outlook to get them for breakfast. 1200 and I¢ve had lunch at the outlook, where I took several pictures. Great view of the old Ethan Pond rail bed trail. Saw a snake, about 15 inches long, brown with one orange band near its head.It¢s now 1600 and I¢ve done West Bond, Registered at Guyot and settling down for the night. There is no Cel coverage at Zealand or Guyot summits. Took quite a few pictures today. George Washington U. is here tonight in the overflow area as well as another group from Brown U. One girl from Brown is a candidate for the biggest disappointment award. She stood looking at me on the porch of the shelter and said: ¢Is anyone in there?¢ ¢Just me¢ I said. ¢Is that the latrine?¢ ¢No, it¢s over there¢
Date: 2008-08-27
From: Guyot shelter

To: Wilderness Parking lot, NH
Miles today: 11.0

Another great day, clear and sunny. My feet never warmed up last night in a damp sleeping bag. Not a bad climb up Bond and Bondclift (a new summit for me). The trail on Bondclift is rocky and in the open so there are great views. Made it down to the Wilderness trail where I took a break and poked around an old RR camp site. Kind of a long walk out to the bridge over Franconia Brook where I stopped for lunch. Headed out for the parking lot at 1300 and made it to Osseo trail at 1330. Now it became a challenge to make it to the parking lot by 1400! At 1359 I was at the ca ¢ made it! 3 miles in 1 hour.
Date: 2008-08-28
From: Ethan Pond Shelter

To: Pinkham Notch, NH
Miles today: 29.0

I don't really know how to account for these miles, but many of them have been hikes several times. For example, In addition to doing the NH 4000 footers I have done 2 or 3 Presidential traverses, several hikes of Carter Dome, then there was the Wildcat hike which included Wildcat then Carter Dome then back over Wildcat. Of course there were the hikes over Moriah and the Carters both with the Boy scouts and doing the 4000 footers. Have also done several Presidential traverses over the years. So, I figure I can account for all pieces of this 29-mile section, most multiple times.
Date: 2009-04-07
To: prep 2009-1
Miles today: 0.0

Have just about completed preparation for this years long hike. Will start at I-40 in TN about May 1 and hike north into VA, possibly as far as Pearisburg. Have exchanged dollars for 4 pounds less weight i the pack, but hiking a month earlier and possibly wetter, I have included the 15 deg. sleeping bag and rain jacket/pants instead of the poncho. Base weight (no food/water) is 27 pounds.
Date: 2009-05-04
From: Pigeon River Bridge, NC

To: Ground Hog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Started on the trail at 0840. Took pictures of Lady Slipper and a field of Trillium. Was passed by three hikers; a guy, Wren (with her black dog) and a woman. Near the summit of snowbird Mtn. at 1130 where I took 2 pictures and called Sheryl. Made it to Ground Hog Creek Shelter by 1330 where I found Wren. I passed ¢Wren¢ leaving the shelter, but she is now Audubon. We have 13 people here tonight in a shelter designed for 6. The excess are tenting. Rained heavily at supper time and all 13 are in the shelter. The 40% chance of showers in right over us! Most of the people were at Standing Bear hostel last night
Date: 2009-05-05
From: Ground Hog Creek Shelter

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

I didn¢t awake until 0700, late for me. When I got up, all the others in the shelter followed. Made it onto the trail by 0800 and was soon passed by Wren and her dog. I then passed Maui Bob. My knee is sore from the fall yesterday and is slowing my hike even after taking meds. Some Excedrin has helped. Met a NC hunter using a 12 Ga. H&R that is a few years newer than my 20 Ga. H&R. Rain started as I approached Max Patch and it poured all the way to the shelter where I arrived at 1330. I was really disappointed at not being able to see the views at Max Patch. The sun comes out for 5 minutes, and then it rains again. Ick! Seems cooler tonight, or maybe it¢s just that everything is damp. My boots are soaked. Have seen others pouring water out of their boots.The shelter is full tonight, with all but one hiker from last night. There is a lot of talk among these hikers about going off the trail and doing something else with their time and money. I expect many will be gone after Hot Springs.
Date: 2009-05-06
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Shelter
Miles today: 14.8

The plan today was to do a short hike to Walnut Mtn. shelter (4.9 miles). It rained hard from the time I left until I reached the shelter, about 1130. The wind was strong and cold, so I was convinced I had to go on to Deer Park shelter, another 9.9 miles away. This was my first long day since doing the Smokies last June. I took a few Excedrin for my knee, and it seemed to be ok. Arrived at Deer Park at 1700, an 8 hr 20 min total time. The rest of the group I have been hiking with went on the Hot Springs, 3.2 miles north. There was no cell service at the last 2 shelters, but I¢m sure there will be at Hot Springs (not).
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Deer Park Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: few clouds

Had the shelter all to myself last night as all the rest of the hikers pushed on into Hot Springs and a shower. Had a terrific thunder and lightning storm last night with several bolts of lightning hitting nearby. Now there are some blue patches in the sky, accompanied by dark clouds. Got off to Hot Springs at 0800 this morning. No need to hurry as this will be a short day. Checked into Elmer¢s B&B and signed up for supper and breakfast. Took a shower and headed for the laundry followed by a stop at the library to email Sheryl and make a quick entry in this log, and another on facebook. Also at Elmer¢s are Maui Bob, Trapper, Lambchops and Vodo.I¢m now sitting in a restaurant with a great hamburger. I have planned my food for the next section to Erwin, which I will get after eating. It¢s now 1530 and I have 8 days worth of food ¢ a heavy load to drag up the trail. The weather is expected to be bad all next week.Dinner has been cooking since noon, a vegetarian meal, and smells great. It will be served at 1900. It was an excellent meal! The first course was cheese soup, which we eat while we introduced ourselves. There was a woman from Cohasset sitting across from me, and also a couple from Ballard Seattle at the second table. The second course was a salad followed by a rice / mushroom dish. ¢Desert was a vegetarian chocolate cake. Dinner was followed by an hour of piano playing by a classically trained concert pianist from VT. Elmer, an ordained Episcopal priest, sat in his 3-person throne with a silver hat for the concert ¢ all very strange.
Date: 2009-05-08
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

(Hiked 3 days in the rain. Now taking a zero, waiting for the next storm to pass. Then it's on the Erwin, TN., about 70 miles away. Will fill in the rest of the journal when I return home.)Breakfast is served at 0830, so I got up at 0800. We heard that this room is haunted, so took several pictures to see if there were any orbs. There is nothing to report. Well, we had a good breakfast, accompanied by Thunder and Lightning and heave rain. Elmer asked us point blank what we were going to do, so many of us decided to take a zero. Not so sure tomorrow will be any better, but will take that chance.Turned out sunny all day and now, at suppertime, had clouded up. Had to go to the restaurant, as I didn¢t sign up for supper by 1500. I paid Elmer $56 and plan to leave before breakfast tomorrow unless it¢s raining. Hot springs is a good trail town, but I wonder how every liberal in the state of NC is there.
Date: 2009-05-09
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mtn. shelter
Miles today: 11.4

Got on the road out of Hot Springs at 0620. Only saw 2 other people around town as I left. Ate breakfast at Lover¢s Leap rocks while enjoying the view. Think they should cut a few trees and improve the view. Stopped at a pond just short of 4.9 miles out of Hot Springs for a break. The pond is a nice peaceful setting and I could really get into the groove, but there is a small army of hikers headed this way out of Hot Springs. If I want shelter space tonight I need to move on. The mountain Laurel is starting to blossom as are the flame azaleas. Got to Spring Mtn. Shelter at 1300, just as a thunder and lightning storm hit. Any thoughts of going further are on hold. This is the dirtiest shelter I have seen yet. Can¢t people clean up their own trash? Saw a small, black snake about a mile back. Didn¢t see it long enough to identify. Mike, hiking from Harpers Ferry since early March was here when I arrived, but left for Hot Springs and Elmer¢s. Charlie the Chef signed the log ¢www.thehappycamper.weekly.com¢, but that web site doesn¢t seem to work. Shared the shelter with only one other hiker tonight, from Memphis TN. Seaweed (class of 02) and Fisherman are tenting here tonight then going into Hot Springs and heading for the outer banks of NC.
Date: 2009-05-10
From: Spring Mtn. shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Mother¢s day!I got on the trail at 0745. We had heavy rain last night, but now it is sunny. I can hear the cars below on Rt. 70 in Allen Gap. Heard several owls last night and saw a garter snake this morning. Made it to Jerry Cabin Shelter at 1700, a full hour faster than I had calculated. There are 2 other hikers here tonight, Bill and Ed. I expected to see Maui Bob here, but I don¢t know where he might be. The hike over the exposed ridge was great, with wonderful views and I even got a call through to Sheryl. Now, at the shelter it is getting cloudy and cold. Hope we¢re not getting another storm.