morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-07-06
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Eliza Brook Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

7/6Eliza Brook Shelter7.5 milesApparently Safari had a pretty good time last night. I was up before her, which is unheard of. We got packed up, paid, and got shuttled back to Kinsman Notch.  I remembered the hike as being difficult from 2010. It hadn't changed. Boss had thought maybe we would blow through it and move on to Kinsman Pond, but that was wildly optimistic. My new pack and shoes were feeling badly adjusted so I stopped to fix them, and the others were gone. I walked alone all day, barring other hikers passing. I hoped that I wasn't the only one finding the trail to be slow and strenuous. There wasn't really a good place to stop for lunch so I found a butt height rock and sat. As I sat eating, an adorable sobo in a dress and leggings climbed toward me and exclaimed "Combos? They're the best!" I said they were a staple, and she said she also liked Pepperidge Farm Cookies. We determined that we both liked mint milanos. She said "Are we twinsies? Is that what's happening here?" I laughed and agreed that it was as she climbed past me. When I finally arrived at the shelter and went to pull out my water filtering gear, it was missing. I realized that I had left it in an interior pocket of the daypack I borrowed yesterday. Shit. But Old English immediately offered to let me use his filter, which I appreciated immensely. I'm aggravated with myself for losing my gear. I don't have cell signal here but I hope to call from the top of a mountain tomorrow and ask Packrat to pull my gear out of the daypack. JD is planning  to stop and pick up a box anyway. I have to say that the privy at this shelter is egregiously far away and uphill. I think the only worse one is at Chairback Mountain shelter.
Date: 2017-07-07
From: Eliza Brook Shelter

To: Lincoln
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

7/7Lincoln Holiday Inn Express / Franconia Notch8.8 milesWe woke up nearly simultaneously at five and started packing up. Safari heated water for my coffee and let me filter water with her gear. I'm indebted to everybody for providing me with safe water. I had to hike back up to the privy which was still ludicrously far away. We were concerned about the chance for rain so we started hiking right after that, just before 7. The trail was a little easier than I remembered but it was still a notably hard hike. We spread out on the uphills but collaborated on the downhills to find the safest way down and support each other with help finding hand and footholds. It took us three hours to do the first 2.5 miles. We finally got to Lonesome Lake Hut. I was completely out of water so I filled up. We were all tired and ready to stop for the day but we had another four miles of rock hopping and river fording ahead of us. I felt fatigue dragging at every part of me. I somehow wrenched my right ankle on flat ground. It hurt so much that I was nauseated. Shortly after that I rolled my left ankle. My body was trying hard to tell me to stop, but it wasn't an option. My interior monologue was mostly four letter words at this point. We finally got to Liberty Springs Trailhead, where Le Chef was waiting for Safari and JD was waiting for me. I hugged my beloved and hollered goodbye to my friends. I am so looking forward to downtime with him this weekend.
Date: 2017-07-08
From: Lincoln

To: Lincoln
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

7/8Lincoln0 milesI woke up in my deluxe cushy bed, turned over, and went back to sleep. I kept this up until I started having intrusive thoughts about coffee and other breakfasty things. The motel had a pretty great breakfast spread. I opted for pancakes, mostly so I could watch the machine make them for me. They helpfully made the front of the machine transparent. JD and I ran errands all morning. We visited two outfitters to find replacements for my lost gear, two groceries for my food resupply, and a liquor store for tiny bottles of fun. I called the hostel again and this time they found my missing items, so we backtracked to Glencliff. I really wanted my old stuff. My Deuce of Spades trowel is stellar at its job, and I missed my bottle and hydration pack adaptors so I was glad to get them back. I took some of the items out of the package I got at the outfitter. I want to experiment with using my Sawyer Squeeze as a gravity filter. It adds a couple of ounces to my load. My pack weight always seems to creep up on long trips. I clearly do this wrong. It was lunchtime when we got back to town so JD and I stopped for Chinese food with soft ice cream across the street for afters. JD got an incredibly gingery milkshake. I mean this was serious ginger. Unfortunately for me you could still feel bits of ginger snaps in it, which I find unpleasant. But it hit the spot for JD. He had bought a swimsuit for me since I didn't know where mine was. I put it on so we could use the motel hot tub. I found out that I'm more prudish and/or modest than I realized. I don't believe I've ever worn a garment that showed quite so much. JD gallantly offered me a shirt of his to wear down the hall. Since he's a foot taller than me, it came down to mid thigh on me. The only thing showing was the hot pink kinesiotape on my knee. After a post hot tub nap, we got together with Safari, Goddess, Boss, And Le Chef for a pretty great meal. They are heading back out tomorrow while I spend another day with JD. I think I'll take a side trail up to the AT to meet them on Monday. It'll be a little bit of a long day for me and I'll miss Franconia Ridge, but I'll get to see some new trail so that'll be nice. Maybe if things work out after I summit Katahdin, I'll stop on the way home and do Franconia Ridge. Or not. I'm not a huge purist and I've done it before, so it doesn't matter incredibly to me. Though it's a really pretty spot and a pity to miss it.
Date: 2017-07-09
From: Lincoln 

To: Lincoln
Miles today: 0.0

7/9Lincoln0 milesAn utterly lovely day. We slept in, ate a late breakfast, and lay about our suite. Toward lunchtime I recalled seeing a Thai place in town, so we moseyed over. The food was spectacular. Fresh summer rolls packed chock full of delicious greens. Pad prik king and pad see yew that had a huge quantity of fresh vegetables in them, which was a thing we were seeking. The dishes tasted a little different from what I'm used to, but in a good way. If I lived near here I would be a regular. Even the mango with sticky rice was extra good. Hikers, stop in at Thai 9 in Lincoln if you're missing vegetables. Or Thai food. Or just good food, generally. Back at the motel, we mostly lolled about. I put together a bit more gear to be ready for the morning. We visited the hot tub again. JD and I had fun talking about nothing in particular. It was just a perfect lazy day. The two days off, in addition to giving me some wonderful husband time, have helped me heal some of my bites, scratches, bruises, etc. I'm still more beat up than your average civilian, but I feel ready to head back into the Whites for more adventures. I checked the weather and night time lows are around 50 for the foreseeable future. My 20 degree bag will be overkill, at least for now. But I have vivid memories of being cold and wet in Maine, and I know how fast it can happen. I'll put up with the extra pack weight.
Date: 2017-07-10
From: Lincoln

To: Whitewall Brook 
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

7/10Whitewall Brook6.9 miles plus 4 miles on Gale River TrailJD woke up before me and headed into the shower. I spent the next ten minutes wishing desperately for a second bathroom. We had breakfast at the motel, checked out, and started driving toward the Gale River Trailhead. I kissed my husband goodbye and headed off into the woods, hoping he would have a safe drive home. The four mile hike up to the AT was fairly uneventful. Near where it started getting steep I crossed paths with a polite young man of indeterminate age. Perhaps 10 to 12? I checked my watch. 10:39. At 10:41 I met his mother and let her know he was two minutes ahead of her. At 10:47 I met his father and sister and updated them on the relative locations of mother and brother. That seemed to be the sum of the family, as nobody else appeared to inquire about the rest of them. Very shortly after I intersected with the AT. I started hearing voices and looked back to see Goddess! I had assumed they would be ahead of me and I would be solo all day. We walked the short distance to Galehead Hut and took a break. Safari showed up soon after. She was bound and determined not to hike the mile off trail to Guyot Shelter, so they made plans to go to a pond instead. I tackled the Twinway but found it much easier than my previous trip. I think just having hiked the Kinsmans made it feel easier. I walked on, finally reaching the pond. I found all my friends sitting at the trail junction. The Pond was more of a marsh and they couldn't get water. Instead we hiked on to a reliable brook. Boss found some relatively flat ground and we are all set up cheek by jowl. It's still more room than we would have in a shelter, and I like that it's just us. And it's free. I have hung one of my worst bear bags ever. I hope I still have food in the morning. Bear bagging options were minimal. I'm pretty careful about bear bagging but there is only so much you can do.
Date: 2017-07-11
From: Whitewall Brook 

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 8.4

7/11Crawford Notch (tenting at campground)8.4 miles I woke up at 3:15 to the tapping of rain on the tent, checked to make sure nothing was pressing up against my tent screen (the foot of my sleeping bag was) and went back to sleep. At 5 I woke up, wished I'd had more sleep, and started changing into my hiking clothes. I ate a poptarts and cold coffee for breakfast, then packed up my tent. I'm in the habit of packing my tent last. The other three packed their tents first. It all worked out in the end. We walked the .6 to Zealand Hut to get water and use their toilet facilities. Then we utterly relished the flat trail for the next several miles. It was so nice to be able to stride out! But when we started downhill again, my right knee made it clear that it was not okay with going downhill. Unfortunately I didn't have good options for it. I tried taping it, which made it worse. I tried stretching, which helped but not enough. Mostly I limped and winced. It felt like maybe some tendonitis. I finally reached the road at 12:30 to find the next mountain looking ominous with a dark cloud behind it. Le Chef was parked at the road. Boss, Goddess, and Safari were already there. When I arrived we took off for the campground where Le Chef was staying. He suggested twice that maybe we would like to get a shower, so I finally took the hint. After we got clean, we went into Littleton to get food for the next section and some to eat in camp tonight - tortellini, alfredo sauce, salad, bread, and cheese. Then we stopped a couple of places until I found a knee strap. Back at the campground I got in the pool, the closest thing to ice I had. Eventually everyone else came over and we all hung out at the pool. And then we had an extremely fancy campground dinner. It kind of feels like a day off despite the miles we did this morning. I'm glad we're going uphill tomorrow but I'm worried about Mt Madison in a couple of days. It ended my hike in 2014, and I'm starting it now with a cranky knee. Also I wish I had rotated while at the pool so I'd be burned on both sides of my neck or neither.
Date: 2017-07-12
From: Crawford Notch

To: Nauman tentsite
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

7/12Nauman Tentsite6.4 milesHappy anniversary JD! Sorry we aren't together for it but the great weekend we just had helps make up for it. Anyone who hasn't walked up Webster Cliffs before might think that today's mileage is unimpressive. Let me assure you that the hike was pretty damn impressive, even if our miles hiked aren't. It started out on normal uphill terrain, then segued to slippery climbs up fairly sheer rock faces. I started walking around 7:30 and didn't finish until 3:30. The others took about the same time. It was a tough, tough day. I'm glad we already planned to stay here because I think we were all pretty done when we got here. Safari asked for work for stay because her tent fly is delaminating and she's worried about it holding up in predicted rain. They gave her morning chores for tomorrow - two hours worth. She didn't understand the deal and thought she'd be sleeping in a bunk, but work for stay gets the floor. It's not a bargain I want to have to make, although I would in an emergency. I walked up to the creek to get more water after my dinner, and the noise coming from the hut was impressive. I'm glad my tent platform is all the way at the back of the tenting area. You can't hear it at all from here. I imagine Safari is pretty miserable right now. I know I would be. Goddess, Boss and I are sharing one platform. It's a tight fit and there's a non-zero chance that my tent will collapse tonight, but it's quiet and it only cost me ten dollars to stay here so I'm happy with it. At any rate I'd far rather share with them than with strangers. I tried a simple concoction for dinner tonight and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I made alphabet pasta by adding boiling water to it in a ziplock and letting it sit in an insulated cup for fifteen minutes. Then I drank off the pasta water, mixed in Parmesan cheese, and added sliced pepperoni. It tasted pretty good!My stomach has been a wee bit upset all day and I'm wondering if it's the watermelon I had this morning. Last time I had a full on puke fest so a little discomfort is nothing, but it makes me wonder if watermelon can still be a part of my life.
Date: 2017-07-13
From: Nauman tentsite

To: Lakes of the Clouds hut
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: clear sky

7/13Lakes of the Clouds Hut4.7My tent, set up in cramped conditions, was really a one man tent last night, not a one and a half. I made it work and nothing got wet, but it was cramped. Still a better night's sleep than I tend to have in huts. But I am staying in a hut tonight. So I guess I'll get to compare. We all started waking up about six but it was raining and nobody was eager to get moving. I retrieved all three food bags and came back to make a cup of coffee. I ate my last poptart. I'll be sad about that when I have to eat oatmeal. I may have to suck it up and carry lighter, less tasty foods. The terrain is getting tougher and and the distance between towns may be longer in places. The hike today was almost entirely in clouds so I don't have much to say about it. I arrived at the next hut expecting to find the other three gung-ho to continue, but they had gotten work for stay and wanted to stay and be warm. Which is hard to argue with. I was fine to go on, but it doesn't take much to convince me to take the afternoon off. I had no interest in work for stay, though. Waiting until eight pm to eat and then do chores means being up way past hiker midnight, and my belly doesn't like eating that late. So I paid up for a tiny claustrophobic bunk. I wish I had noticed that some were made tall enough to sit up in when I chose a bunk, but I was oblivious. Sigh. We're getting close to Madison, which hurt me pretty bad in 2014. I hope it doesn't this time.
Date: 2017-07-14
From: Lakes of the Clouds hut

To: Valley Way tentsite
Miles today: 7.2

7/14Valley Way tentsite7.2 milesNot my best day ever. I didn't see Boss, Goddess, or Safari when I got up. I figured they were gone but knew for sure when another thruhiker confirmed. They left before seven. I stayed to eat breakfast and pack up. I didn't see them today at all. I vehemently dislike the summit of Washington so I blue blazed around the side and headed out into one of my least favorite sections of trail. It isn't difficult by length or elevation change, but it is tedious, painstaking hiking. The trail is all tippy rocks. Every step has to be planned and executed well. You have to plan a path keeping the next to cairns in mind so you don't go off course. I lost track of how many times I lost my balance and fell. Not badly, though. Mostly I caught myself on other rocks. When I got to Madison Hut at 3:30, I found that Safari had written in the register that she was going on to Osgood tentsite. No time mentioned. I stepped out and assessed the sky. It was a dark grey and both Madison and Adams were encased in cloud. It was starting to rain. I well know that the hike down Madison is a bitch - and certainly not to be attempted by a tired me in bad weather. Instead I got water and walked down the other side of the mountain to the Valley Way tentsite. I couldn't stomach the thought of staying in another hut tonight. The crowding, the noise, the schedule, the stupid skits.. oh god, the skits. Fortunately, unlike at Lakes of the Clouds, I had an alternative. It means a hike back up the mountain in the morning, but I'm home for the night. Of course, my home is trying to slide downhill, and I smell like a wet dog in a dirty litter box, but I guess it will do. I've hung a bear line, started my dinner cooking, and tried to level my sleeping pad as well as I can. Also, Ima drink my booze tonight. I have no idea when or if I'll see the other three again. Trail families tend to come and go. I like their company and love how hard we laugh together, but I will be fine with or without them.
Date: 2017-07-15
From: Valley Way tentsite

To: Pinkham Notch
Miles today: 7.8

7/15Pinkham Notch (White Birches Campground)7.8 milesI woke up at five and immediately turned on the phone to check the forecast. My luck was in! All day chance of thunderstorms had turned into cloudy with chance of rain later. I started packing my sodden gear and tent. Unusually for me, I packed first, then ate breakfast. Which in this case was half a Greenbelly bar and a handful of vitamins downed with some caffeinated Mio-enhanced water. I started walking shortly before seven. The trip back up to the hut wasn't terribly fast. The trail is fairly overgrown, narrower than me with my pack on in many places. I started whacking the trees with my poles so they would shed their water on the ground, not on me. When I got up to the hut, I stepped in to use their bathroom and get more water, then I headed right up Madison. Visibility was extremely poor, with hikers appearing out of the mist as they neared me. Despite that, it was a very busy mountain. I think most went up just to bag the peak. As I neared the summit, the wind picked up until it was knocking me over. I had to wait for brief lulls to take more treacherous steps, and my poles were knocked out of my hands twice by the wind. It was really something. Right before I got to the top, a southbound hiker told me it was nearly still on the other side of the mountain, so I had something to look forward to. You may need help visualizing the mountain. In most places I've been, mountains have dirt and grass covering much of the area, with rocks poking through. Maybe large rocks. House sized boulders. But it's still recognizable as regular ground. Madison, on the other hand, appears to be the devil's own slag pile. As far as I can tell, it's rocks all the way down. Jagged rocks are piled haphazardly on top of each other.  You pick your way among them as best you can. Many have some lichen growing on them. If you pay attention to where the lichen is blurred and worn, you can see where others have stepped before you. There is no dirt. Once I reached the summit, I started my least favorite descent. The three mile steep downhill rock scramble was what ended my hike in 2014. It caused a compressed nerve problem that was incredibly painful and difficult to diagnose. So I was not looking forward to the descent. As expected, it went on and on, though I think it passed more quickly this year. Once I finally got below treeline, after hours of careful steps, the steep trail continued. But now there was dirt! I love dirt! It's so nice to step on. I met sobo Hemlock in this part and spoke with him for a while. I hope to run into him again on the southern half of my hike.
Date: 2017-07-17
From: Carter Dome

To: Rattle River Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

7/17Rattle River shelter12.1 miles For the record, the pad I punctured did not hold air. I slept in the most comfortable position given the topography of the campsite- the fetal position, curled on my right side. I tried adding tenacious tape this evening, but it didn't help and now I'm out of tenacious tape. I inflated the pad, but it deflated quickly. Safari lent me her sit pad to layer with my old, bedraggled gossamer gear pad, and I added my fleece top to the mix. Nevertheless I'm looking forward to getting a pad that holds air. This morning I had minimal desire to sleep in, as the ground started feeling cold around four AM. I packed up, ate a Luna bar, and was ready to go. Carter mountain was super pretty but had a surprise vertical descent. I slid on my butt, as per usual. I was pleased to find my pants still intact afterward. We got to Imp Campsite/Shelter at two and decided to carry on to the Kenduskeag trail where the topo map made it look like there were camping opportunities, but it was a bog there so we kept walking. Boss and Goddess flew to the shelter. I plodded. I had hurried up Mount Moriah as best I could, beating a thunderstorm, but that did me in. I kept walking, right knee protesting. Another storm came. I was happy to be at lower elevation, but the storm was very flash-bangy anyway. It hailed pea size hail on me. The trail flooded and got slippery, slowing me even further. For the last two miles I was sure I must hit the shelter any second. Finally I got to the .25 mile warning / forest protection area sign, and immediately had to cross the flooded Rattle River twice. Finding a safe place to cross was super fun. I double bagged my phone in case I went in the drink, and unclipped my pack straps. I crossed uneventfully. I finally hove up to the shelter and everybody cheered. Apparently they were going to come look for me. And what if I had camped a mile away? But they didn't have to. I first tried taping my pad (while drinking caramel flavor vodka because damn that was a crappy evening) then changed into my wool long underwear. My standards of modesty were obliterated by the pouring rain. I changed in front of utter strangers and couldn't be pressed to care. I ate some jerky and gorp and called it dinner. I'm not looking forward to my night on the shelter floor, but I am definitely looking forward to a nearo tomorrow. Here's to showering, laundry, town food, and whatever the heck Walmart has to offer in the way of sleeping pads.