morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-07-12
From: Velvet Rocks shelter

To: Trapper John shelter 
Miles today: 15.2

We had a tremendous downpour last night.  I stayed dry though the humidity made everything damp.  I left camp about 6:30.I got to South Peak where I caught up with Dinali and met Ragnar.  I ended up hiking and chatting quite awhile with Ragnar.  He is retired from the army and is from Arkansas.  He had really interesting stories of working on a tug boat on the Mississippi and on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico (before his army years).We ate lunch together at Goose Pond Rd. Just as we were finishing, it started to rain.  We waited out the shower under the trees and did not get wet.  Of course the trail was super wet so my feet got soaked on the climb up to Holts Ledges. By the time I got there the sky had cleared and there was a great view.  I met Sundial up there.  There were several view points.  One had been fenced off because peregrine falcons nested up there.  I did not see them though.Arrived at the shelter about 4 pm. And rinsed our my shoes and socks because they were super muddy.Met a bunch of new folks tonight: Bolt, Pome, moon, needle and spark note.
Date: 2019-07-13
From: Trapper John shelter 

To: Brackett Brook stealth site
Miles today: 15.3

It was a day of ridges and peaks today.  My shoes are still sipping wet and they are really starting to stink!My first view was at Lambert¢s ridge.  It was sunny so I took off my shoes and socks to dry them a little.Then it was up Smarts Mtn to the fire tower. There was a fine view up there though it is really hazy today.Next view was at Eastman Ledges. These are all smooth quartzite rocks which made the area super pretty.Then it was on to Mt. Cube whichbsome consider the first white mountain.  The best view of all was from the top of this peak.From up here I had service to contact my brother.  He lives in the area and we arranged to meet on Monday in Kinsman Notch.I saw lots of moose scat today...still no moose.
Date: 2019-07-14
From: Brackett Brook stealth site

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel 
Miles today: 11.5

I left camp at 6:45.  Took my time today because I knew it was a short day.  I met SOBO hikers: Thirteen, Theory and Fruitloop.  When I came to Rte 25C I was going to find the a nearby restaurant but instead saw a car parked in the distance waving at me.  So I walked over to find Fearless handing out sodas.  This was where I met Fruitloop.  She was no longer hiking the trail but supporting her husband (Giddyup) by slackpacking him.  They had found another couple that would hike with him on The trail (Rabbit and Greyhound).  I met them (and saw Giddyup) soon after as I continued on. I passed a pile of nuts and shells ( acorn and beech) that had been unearthed by a rodent (likely a chipmunk).  It was quite a stash!Got to the hostel about 2 pm.  Swiss Miss was just leaving.  I did laundry and showered.  Mad Tree, Sparky, Acorn, Spacemaker and Rosie and Samwise were all there.  We got supplies(beer, ice cream, sandwiches ) from the local deli and had a nice dinner together.  I opted to eat out of my food bag to reduce the weight.  I did have beer and ice cream though!  It was a fun evening.
Date: 2019-07-15
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel 

To: Kinsman notch
Miles today: 9.3

Left the hostel at 7:30 with Sparky and Spacemaker to climb over Mt Moosilauke NOBO.  Acorn, Mad Tree, Samwise and Rosie all left in the shuttle to slackpack the same Mtn SOBO.  It was a steady climb up but not terribly steep.  Just before 11am we came to the spur trail to the south peak.  We dropped our packs.  I put on a jacket because I could tell it would be cold once I was exposed above treelike.  Sure enough, once inthe open the wind was howling and it was cold. We had a good view of the main peak.Back at the packs, I pulled out my puffy, leggings, and extra socks (to use as mittens if need be).  Then it was off to the peak.An hour later we were up there.  The wind was so strong that it was hard to walk a straight line! There was trail magic up there!  A class of 2012 guy was handing out snickers to the thru hikers.We arrived the same time as Acorn and Mad Tree!  So this fellow took our picture at the summit.There are the remains of foundations from a hotel that used to be up there.  Lots of partial rock walls provided us with a wind break.  Sitting there it was much warmer than standing so we could have some lunch.  Sparky had brought up a beer to celebrate.I did get cold sitting still. In fact my fingers were starting to go numb.  So I packed up and got moving.  Spacemaker and I hiked together down the very steep descent.I texted My brother and gave him an ETA of 2:30pm.  I figured we¢d be 30 minutes or more early.  Well the going was really slow.  We got to the parking lot at 2:33!It was beautiful along the trail.  Wonderful waterfalls!I had a great evening with Lee, and my sister in law and nieces AND I got to meet my great niece!
Date: 2019-07-16
From: Kinsman notch

To: Kinsman Notch 
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day! Lee took me around to resupply.  I bought zip off pants because I had no wind pants for the whites.  I also bought paracord so I could set up my tent on a platform.I left a bag of stuff to go home:  shorts, compass and some little ditty stuff I haven¢t used yet.Had a great day just visiting and hanging out.  We need to do this more often!
Date: 2019-07-17
From: Kinsman Notch 

To: Eliza Brook shelter
Miles today: 7.5

I left in the rain at 7:40am.  Today was slow due to wet rocks, roots and a significant amount of mud and water on the trail.  I just wore underwear, my tyvek kilt, and rain jacket so I got minimally wet.I arrived at the shelter about 12:15...so I was moving slow (1.7 mph). I ate lunch and seriously considered pushing in 4 more miles over Kinsman Mtn.  It was still threatening rain so I decided to wait to do the climb until tomorrow.I did see a small bear about 0.5 miles before the shelter.  When I first heard it in the woods I tried to make it into a moose... but once I saw the whole body, it was definitely a bear!
Date: 2019-07-18
From: Eliza Brook shelter

To: Liberty Springs Campsite
Miles today: 11.5

The climb up South Kinsman Mtn was long and steep. I only went 2.4 miles in 2 hours!  There was no view at the top because I was in the clouds.  The trail to North Kinsman was not too bad but coming down was very steep all the way to the Lonesome Lake Hut.I ate lunch on the dock and a former thru hiker gave me an orange and and a Long Trail IPA!  A croo (that¢s how the employees of the huts spell ¢crew¢) told me to y¢all to the chef for free food. So I went up to check it out.  He gave me falafel from the night before.  I ate a bunch more and then took a bunch for dinner!The next section of trail was easy walking up to 2 miles before the campsite and then it was a steep climb.  It¢s hard to do steep at the end of the day!Once at the campsite I bought my AMC thru hiker pass that gets me discounts at the huts and AMC centers through the Whites ($10). It also paid for the campsite.
Date: 2019-07-19
From: Liberty Springs Campsite

To: Galehead Hut
Miles today: 10.3

I left camp at 6:45. Just before that, while eating breakfast, I saw a pine marten!  I guess they visit the eating area pretty often to look for scraps.  It was pretty exciting to see one.The hike was immediately up to the intersection of the blue blaze trail to Liberty Mtn.  I dropped my pack and climbed the 0.3 miles to the top. I was in a cloud so there were no views.  I was hoping the skies would clear for the rest of the day.Sure enough, as I headed toward the first of the mountain chain I hiked today, the clouds lifted and I had views all day!  I hiked up Little Haystack, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette, and Mt Garfield.  The whole Franconia ridge was spectacular.  I was above tree line all the way.  I could see where the trail led all along the ridge.  It felt like I was in a foreign country.  I have to come back and hike this again.  It is that stunning!I passed a SOBO hiker, Almost There, and his buddy Smudge.  Almost There was a mess.  His head was bandaged and he clearly had bled a lot.  He had a bloody piece of gauze under his left eye. He had taken a bad fall.  He claimed his head felt fine and Smudge said he seemed to be ok. They were going to hike out to a road a go into town.  I was concerned because the closest road was miles of difficult terrain away. I hope they made it ok. The incident did remind me to be super careful on the rocks.i arrived at the hut at about 3:30.  I asked about a work for stay and was told it was a bit early.  I decided to wait because I did not want to climb the next mountain, South Twin, today.  While waiting, I met a older woman, Which Way.  She will be finishing her section hiking of the AT at Crawford Notch.I did get to stay at the hut.  The other hiker staying is Moonie.  She¢s a nurse taking a break from working to do the AT.  We had to wait until 8:15 to eat!  I was starved.  After dinner we waited to get assigned a task.  As it turned out we did not have to work because the croo was a replacement for the regular croo who were on break.  There were so many of them that there was nothing to do so we got off with no work!
Date: 2019-07-20
From: Galehead Hut

To: Ethan Pond Campsite
Miles today: 11.8

I had a lousy sleep last night.  It was noisy in the dining room with people stomping around all night it seemed.  We were sleeping on the floor there.  In the morning, Moonie¢s friend got us some coffee ( she was a paying guest).  I bought some baked goods for breakfast and took packed some out.It was a super steep climb up South Twin.  I was glad I didn¢t do that the day before!  The peak was in a cloud and felt eerie.  The trail signs looked like crosses.  From there I hiked on to the summits of Guyot and Zealand. It was a steep downhill to Zealand Falls hut.  I ran into Which Way again.  We had lunch of delicious black bean soup (I had 2 bowls it was so good).  She was staying at the hut.  I hiked on.It was a very warm day.  I came to a stream with a beautiful swimming hole about 2 miles before the campsite.  I couldn¢t resist going for a swim to get the mud  and sweat off.  It was great!I got to the campsite at about 3:30.  It seemed pretty empty.  Starting at 4 pm people started rolling in. It was full to capacity by 6!  There was one spot on my tent platform that no one took, but there were folks camped in all sorts of odd unofficial tent spaces.  The camp caretaker packed us in!I lost my Zseat today. I¢m pretty sure I just forgot to pick it up after a break. A SOBO hiker has told me about a fisher that he saw and I was excited about maybe seeing that.  I must have just jumped up and forgot to pack it up.  I really like that seat.
Date: 2019-07-21
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

To: Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 13.9

The day started with a big downhill into Crawford Notch.  In the Notch I ran into Jim from Maine.  He was waiting for Which Way.  We chatted and he gave me a Gatorade.  This is the first time a Gatorade ever tasted good to me.  He and hiss wife both invited me to stay at their camp which is about 1/2 way through the 100-mile wilderness.  I hope to see them there.Then it was a steep climb up Webster Mtn. About 1/2 way up I reached the view froM the cliffs and I found Papa John there!  He is hiking with another retired, Boot.  While we were catching up (I hadn¢t seen him since CT), MikeyD showed up.  The 4 of us became a group for the day.We raced up and over Mt Jackson to Mizpah hut due to the threat of thunderstorms. We never got rained on!  We had lentil soup at the hut.  I got a free lemon cake and purchased some bars.Once the sky looked ok, we hiked into Mtn Pierce and Franklin.  We hiked the incredible Crawford Path, the oldest footpath in the US.We arrived at the hut at 4:15.  They only had 2 work for stay opportunities for the evening shift.  Papa John and Boot took those.  I was happy to pay $10 for floor space. I also purchased a delicious bowl of chili.  We were treated to a gorgeous sunset at the hut... which I actually was awake for because we have to wait until 9:30 to put out our sleeping mats in the dining room.  There are about 10 of us hikers here tonight.
Date: 2019-07-22
From: Lakes of the Clouds Hut

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 15.0

9-10 hikers stayed at the hut last night. I had trouble falling asleep due to the chili I think. Once I was asleep, I slept fine.Boot, Papa John, MikeyD and I left at 6:10.  We hiked in a cloud to the top of Mt Washington, getting there about 7 am.  Then the clouds lifted and we had great views!  The concession stand did not open until 8:30 so we abandoned the idea of second breakfast and hiked on.We hiked over the cog railway ( which was cool, and actually saw a car being pushed up shortly after that.  We wondered if the workers get a ride up in the morning.All the hiking was above tree line. When we got to Madison Hut we were all starved.  We thought we¢d eat at the hut but they only had turkey soup.  I had leftover oatmeal that I added sugar, milk and trail mix to and a brownie-like cake with coffee.We left the hut about noon.  We were concerned about possible rain in the afternoon and Papa John and Boot had to catch a shuttle at 5 pm.  The hiking was slow, steep and loaded with boulders. It seemed to never end.  We were compensated with fabulous views the whole time.  We even saw a snow field in the distance.We slowly made our way over Madison and along the Osgood ridge. As we got back below tree line, it started to lightly rain.The forecast was for heavy rain.  MikeyD and I let the other 2 speed ahead to try to get their shuttle.  We took out time.  When we got to the Osgood tent site, it was raining.  We decided to push a few more miles to Pinkham notch and get a bunk at the Joe Dodge Lodge.  We got there at 5:15 and beat the heavy rain!It was great to get a shower and an all you can eat meal!  We ran into Grumper, his son and 2 grandkids.  He was much more talkative than he¢d been on the trail!It was a hard day for my feet.  The rocks have made them super sore today.
Date: 2019-07-23
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Carter notch hut
Miles today: 5.9

It was raining in the morning so we decided to delay our departure for as long as possible. We had a great breakfast.  I ate 3 different platefuls!We headed out at 10:45am.  Most of today¢s hike was straight uphill.  We had a little flat section at the beginning and at the end but most of the time was a steady uphill climb.  That meant we were slow...1mph!We climbed up and down wildcat Mtns A, C, D, and E and along the wildcat ridge.We got to the hut about 3:30. We dilly dallied a little and at 3:50 I went I. To ask about a work for stay.  We got it!  Knowing that meant we would not eat until late, I went down to the pond and made a dinner (Mac and cheese) to tide me over.The croo at this it are great! They actually brought us soup (white bean and kale) while the guests were eating.Dinner was black bean enchilada, couscous and salad.  There was a pudding for dessert.For my work I had to scrape frost out of a freezer and inventory what was left in there.  It took 30 minutes.
Date: 2019-07-24
From: Carter notch hut

To: Rattle River hostel 
Miles today: 15.2

I had a great sleep last night even though there was a group of 4 guests who stayed in the dining room talking for quite awhile after lights out at 9:30.  I put my earplugs in and fell right to sleep.When I got up, I made breakfast and then we were in the trail by 6:10.The climb up carter dome was long. There were some steep spots but mostly it was an unrelenting slow climb. We also climbed Mt Hight, Middle Carter Mtn, North Carter Mtn, and  Mt Moriah.  Mt Moriah was the last of the 4000+ foot mountains in the whites.  We said goodbye to the white mountains there.  I have climbed 19 of the 48 white mountain peaks.Coming down to Rattle River we were really tired.  We soaked our feet in the water for 15-20 minutes.  It was super cold.  Our feet felt a lot better for the last 2 miles after doing that.At the hostel they make you decontaminate as you enter.  You put your hiking poles in a barrel, shoes come off and into the shoe shed.  Your pack gets hung in the pack room.  You are given loaner clothes and out into the shower.  Your laundry goes in a bag so they can wash it for you.  THEN you are shown to your bunk!  They shuttled is to Walmart for a resupply.  We got beer.  Back at the hostel we ordered pizza.  We had a great night.
Date: 2019-07-27
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.1

This was the most fun day I¢ve had in the AT!  First we climbed up Fulling Mill Mtn with pretty views.  Then it was down down down into Mahoosuc Notch.The Notch was a jumble of huge boulders.  They were the size of cars and small houses.  We had to find a path over or under them.  The guys tended to take the high road.  I liked crawling through the holes underneath.  There was still ice down there so it was like crawling through a refrigerator.  I had to take my pack off once in order to fit through a passage.It took an hour to go the mile through the Notch.Then the hike was up up up the Mahoosuc arm. By the time we reached the top we had gone a total of 4 miles in 4 hours.  Slow going for sure.We had lunch at the top then had an easy hike down to the shelter.  We took the rest of the day off.I rigged up a gravity feed system to filter my water.  Boot was hanging his cnoc bladder with the filter attached.  The back flush ring then spanned the filter and the clean water bottle.  If you hang the whole thing, gravity pulls the water through the filter. No squeezing!  It¢s my new favorite camp chore.
Date: 2019-07-28
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Dunn Falls
Miles today: 14.2

We started the day with an uphill climb to Old Speck Mtn and a Long downhill to Grafton Notch where I hit 900 miles.  About here we started hiking with another older couple, Marco Polo and Tinkertoy.  Won¢t Get Up is also hiking with us.  She wants to join our group.After the Notch, we had an easy uphill to Bald Pate lean to where we ate lunch.  From there it was a steep climb up Bald Pate West.  This was the beginning of a dramatic day above tree line.  We hiked through the saddle to Bald Pate East.  It was all smooth rock and like walking in a sidewalk except the walk was angled up (or down) and sideways... which made it tricky.We got to Frye Notch lean to about 3 pm.  We spent about an hour there eating and chatting with some SOBOs as we waited out a storm.  Then we decided to make a run for it to get some miles in.I thought this part of the day was going to be dreadful as I was really tired.  The terrain got easier and we could practically run down the trail.  I actually few pretty good at the end of the day.Two thunderstorms rolled over us but we must have just hit the edge of them because the rain was light. I stayed dry in my tyvek kilt, rain coat and pack cover.  Just my shirt was wet from sweat.We set up camp at a beautiful site.  Dunn Falls is in a grotto like stone geologic feature.
Date: 2019-07-29
From: Dunn Falls

To: Andover, ME
Miles today: 10.8

I thought I lost my bandana yesterday but I found it in the pocket of my puffy coat.  I use that thing for everything: washing up, a napkin, a trail rag that hangs on my pack.  I was feeling lost without it even though it was only an overnight that it was gone.We climbed Wyman and Moody mountains today.  The hiking was fairly easy with only one big steep climb out of Sawyer Notch (to get up Moody Mtn).Surplus pond was beautiful.  I hoped to see a moose there because we had seen lots of moose scat...but no moose.We got to the road by 3 pm.  We were aiming for 4 when the shuttle would come from the Human Nature Hostel.  We got lucky and caught another shuttle that arrived just as we got there.  So we got a ride into Andover to resupply. span class="Apple-converted-space"> The hostel is a geodesic dome.  We had a great meal of burgers (they had veggie), pasta salad and watermelon.  We shook down Won¢t Get Up¢s pack because she¢s carrying something like 40 pounds!  We compared her pack to mine.  I actually got rid of a few ounces too!
Date: 2019-07-30
From: Andover, ME

To: Bemis Stream
Miles today: 12.4

We got a late start because the shuttle did not leave until 8am. It was 30 minutes to the trailhead and there were 10 of us in the shuttle. So we were on the trail at 8:45am.It was a hot and humid day. There was very little water on the trail so we all ran out of water.We had a long steep climb up and down Old Blue Mtn.  It was also steep over the many bumps of Bemis Mtn.  There were plenty of views. Much of the area was smooth exposed slabs of rock covered in fruticose lichen and dotted with small red pone and balsam fir.  In one of those spots I saw a spruce grouse chick and then found the hen. It was amazing how she did not move even when I got close to her.We camped near a dirt road and a stream.  We were super parched when we got there.  After dinner we had a hell of a thunderstorm.  Part of my tent site had a dip that filled with water.  Thankfully the tent did not get wet inside... though it felt like a waterbed under the tent floor!
Date: 2019-07-31
From: Bemis Stream

To: Rangely, ME
Miles today: 14.0

I slept crappy last night due to the rain, thunder and lightning. We left camp at 6:40. The trail was easy elevation ups and downs.  The terrain was mostly roots and soft ground.  We easily completed 14 miles.When we reached Rangely, we walked to the Hiker hut.  We had called, emailed and texted to say we were coming.  When we got there he had no room for us but had made an arrangement for us to stay at a place down the road. We went out to the road to hitch in the 8-9 miles.  I was questioning in my mind how 6 of us were going to get a hitch.  Well, minutes after we stuck out our thumbs an SUV pulls over.  This wonderful woman for all of us and our packs in! She loves hikers and chatted us up all the way to town. We had her drop us at the grocery store.We resupplied and then called fieldstone cottages. They brought a shuttle to get us.  The hostel was really small cottages.  We put 3 of us in each cottage.After showers, we walked down to Sarges Pub and Grub.  They had a great veggie burger and onion rings (and beer of course).There were some strong thunderstorms that moved through the area during the evening. We managed to be inside for all of them!
Date: 2019-08-01
From: Rangely, ME

To: Poplar ridge lean to
Miles today: 10.7

We got a late start (8:40) as always leaving from a hostel.  It was a long fairly steep climb up Saddleback Mtn.the views from the top were beautiful but it was cold in the wind.  The sun was warm so it felt good when I was in the lea of the land.We traversed the saddle to the horn and then across to saddleback junior. This last bit was the hardest part of the day. Junior had an attitude!  It was steep on both sides.
Date: 2019-08-02
From: Poplar ridge lean to

To: Crocker Cirque Campsite
Miles today: 14.2

I went to sleep super early last night (7 pm).  I slept great until 2am when I had to really convince myself to get up and pee.  After that I slept great again until 5:30.Fairly easy day today.  We hiked up Lone Mtn ( no views) and around the summits of Mt Abraham, Spaulding and Sugarloaf.  The climb off of Sugarloaf into the Carrabassett River valley was steep.During the day we walked over a yellow jacket nest.  Boot, MikeD and I did not get stung because we were in front.  Poncho, Won¢t and Papa John all got stung.I put a wintergreen poultice on Wont¢s stings.  The guys did not want any.  Her stings stopped hurting and did not swell!