morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-29
From: The Lookout

To: Cloudland Road
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

One of the benefits of waking up early is that I can see the sunrise. It is such a beautiful experience but I don't get to do it often enough. This morning I went up to the lookout at 5:15am to watch the sunrise but it turned out to be too cloudy. The sky turned a nice shade of blue but the view is not what I was hoping for. I will have to try again another day. I layed back down to rest for a while then got up and headed out after breakfast. Since there was no water at the lookout, I had to take in enough water yesterday. I had just about exhausted what I had so I needed to stop and get water first thing this morning. I stopped at the first shelter for a break and much needed water and I ran into Disco and her mom as they were coming out of the shelter. They pointed me in the right direction to get water. It's a good thing too because the creek was dry by the shelter. Disco told me to keep going down the stream and I would find some puddles which I did. It's a scary thought to be out of water.The forecast was for rain from noon on but I am hoping that it will hold off until I meet Yvonne this evening. Today's hike was great weatherwise. The sky was overcast with a little breeze. It was still a little hot but the trail condition was fantastic! There were very few rocks and roots and the ground lended itself to a very soft trail. There were some steep ascents and descents but I will not complain. My feet are happy. I met Teradactyl and Sachajoia on the trail today and we kept leap frogging each other. They are not hiking together but are both from New Hampshire. I got up to a lookout and saw a wild raspberry patch. I stayed up there a while picking and eating them while enjoying the view. They were good and sweet. I could have stayed longer but I'm sure I ate more than enough. I ran into some good trail magic right by the place where Yvonne and I were supposed to meet. There was an ice chest of goodies and water for hikers. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, banana and some cookies. Since I was a little early, I stayed a while and visited with other hikers. Brah, Aurora, Conundrum, Teradactyl, Sachajoia and a couple of south bounders all sat and enjoyed the snacks. After about an hour I walked down the road to the Cloudland Market to wait for my wife, Yvonne. They let me sit on the porch which was very comfy. Yvonne arrived and I will tell you that she is the best shuttle driver I could ask for. LOL! I love my wife! We drove back to Killington through some of the most beautiful countryside in the USA. Vermont has a law that does not allow billboards. That really enhances the beauty of the countryside. It makes me want to buy a home here. It's just beautiful. We arrived at our B&B and immediately set out to dinner at The Foundry. That was an excellent spot! Another great day!
Date: 2016-07-30
From: Cloudland Road

To: Cloudland Road
Miles today: 0.0

The breakfast at the Butternut and Pancake Inn was really good!! This B&B had all you can eat pancakes and I got 3 blueberry pancakes and 3 banana pancakes that were made with fresh fruit and were fluffy and tasty. Bacon and country potatoes came with it. That got us started just right for the full day that I had planned.Yvonne and I went back to Stratton Mtn so that I could make up a 14 mile section I skipped when my brother came in. We went up the Gondola and hiked the 1 mile to the lookout tower and the AT. After some viewing, we hiked north on the trail. Yvonne went back after a bit and went back to the base lodge where she did some shopping and sight seeing. There was an outlet shopping center near to where she was going to pick me up in Manchester so she was very happy when I directed her there.The trail was nice with very few rocks. It was mostly downhill and there were not many sights to see except for Stratton Pond which was pretty with the hills in the background. I did not see many hikers so it was quiet. I finished at 5:30pm and we headed back to Killington for dinner at an Italian restaurant called Garlics. The food was excellent! They gave us a roasted bulb of garlic and mashed it so the cloves came out and we mixed it with imported olive oil and parmesan cheese and dipped our bread in it. Mmmm, Mmmm,Mmmm. It was good to have a nice dinner with Yvonne. After dinner we went to the Inn and had some wine and relaxed. The plan for tomorrow is for Yvonne to take me back to the trail after we pack up. I will hike to Norwich/Hanover where we will stay for the next 2 nights and hopefully I will put another state behind me.
Date: 2016-07-31
From: Cloudland Road

To: VT-NH Border
Miles today: 16.4

We stayed up late last night so of course we woke up late. That's ok since we are in no hurry. I woke up looking forward to having breakfast at the Inn today. I had a 3 egg meat omelet and again, it was fantastic. Yvonne and I have been impressed with the food in Vermont. It is fresh, well prepared and tasty.We checked out and Yvonne dropped me off at the trail head. Again, I need to mention that the drives we are taking through the Vermont countryside and through the small towns have been nothing short of amazing. Today, for most of the way, we were on a scenic byway road. It started raining last night and it has continued through to this morning. By the time I started hiking it was a slight drizzle and it lasted the whole hike but it was not muddy at all. There weren't a lot of rocks or roots to worry about either. That made for nice trails and easier hiking today. It made up for having no views. When I exited the woods in Norwich there was a mile walk on a back road. The houses are very pretty and well taken care of. The lawns and flower gardens are manicured and everything is very green. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont properties have been well kept and beautiful. Once I walked about a mile down the road I was in historic Norwich. I walked all the way to the Connecticut River Bridge where I crossed into New Hampshire!!!! Two more states to cross and 442 miles! Yvonne picked me up at the bridge and we headed to the Norwich Inn where she had already checked in. I love my wife...she takes care of me!
Date: 2016-08-01
From: VT-NH Border

To: VT-NH Border
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

As told by Yvonne...The plan we set last night was for both of us to hike then Oscar would continue on. Since some of the hike would have been on the streets of the town, I would have been okay backtracking by myself. The only problem was that the forecast was for rain all day and it seems like the forecasters were spot on. If it wasn't pouring, it was drizzling. After seeing the rain, Oscar decided early this morning that today was going to be another zero day and I was not unhappy! I don't mind hiking but it is cool and rainy weather and that is not my cup of tea. It turned out to be a very lazy day. Breakfast was followed by watching TV and reading and enjoying the porch at the Norwich Inn. As lunchtime approached, we ventured into the town of Hanover and did a little 'resupplying' and visited the outfitter to fix minor problems. We also got some ice to go with the drinks we already purchased in preparation for doing some trail magic later today. In fact, we met some hikers in the parking lot when we were putting ice on the drinks and invited them over for refreshments. They were very thankful.Jewel of India was our lunch spot today and as usual, there were hikers around. Oscar recognized a mother and daughter duo that he had seen on the trail. The mom was so petite...she could not have been over 5 feet tall. It was hard to imagine her lugging a backpack that was definitely going to be around half her size. I imagine that she and her daughter shared some items so that would make backpacking easier. After our delicious lunch we walked around the town for a little while but the rain was unrelenting so we got back to the car very soon. I can say that I actually hiked some of the trail today as the main roads of Hanover are actually part of the AT. Hanover is a college town. College towns tend to take on the color of the school so all you could see was a sea of dark green clothing representing Dartmouth College. This was parents weekend so there were a lot of visitors in town proudly wearing the school colors.We decided to set up our Trail Magic where Oscar is going to start out in the morrning. It was too rainy to sit outside waiting for hikers so we set it up a little way into the trail under the canopy of the trees and left it. When I drop Oscar off there in the morning I will pick up the trash. I walked into the trail a little bit and it was soooo pretty. We were actually at a tree farm so the trees were planted in neat rows. The needles from the pine trees had formed a bed on the ground so when you walked it felt like you were walking on a sponge. That has to feel great to hikers.
Date: 2016-08-02
From: VT-NH Border

To: Smarts mountain. Fire Wardens Cabin. 
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: light rain

Yvonne and I woke very early, 4:30am, because Yvonne needs to catch a flight in Albany, NY which is a little less than 3 hrs drive from where we are.   We drove a short distance to the trail head so I could start my hike and she could take the accumulated trash from our Trail Magic that we left yesterday. It was a bummer seeing her go, but I was so happy that she came.The next time I see her I will be finished with my hike!!!! Natural light was minimal at 5:30am so I started out with my headlamp on. My goal was to reach the Fire Wardens Cabin on Smarts Mtn around 20+ miles away. The trail was nice this morning with few rocks and roots. It rained all night and continued this morning with a light drizzle. I wore my rain gear this morning and I didn't remove it until mid morning when the rain stopped. Even with all the rain the trail was muddy in very few spots. I came across Hong Kong Steve slack packing southbound. It seems like he is 1 day behind so I may see him again at the Hikers Hostel in Glencliff. I had some good climbs, not too difficult, and views to Moose Mtn South and Holts Ledge which had some cliffs with deep drop offs. It was very scary to look down! The climb to Smarts Mtn was very long with some tough rocks to maneuver on. I guess that made up for the easier earlier climb! At the top there was a fire tower which I climbed for some 360 degree views of the surrounding area. I never stop being in awe of nature. I didn't see many hikers today, I only talked to a couple of southbounders. The cabin was not very big and Jersey Girl, a southbounder, and I were the only ones in there. Jersey Girl is 67 and has had 2 hip replacements and a torn meniscus on one knee and she is out here!!! What a determined woman! She is section hiking to finish what she started in 2009. The cabin is like a big shed with some windows and a door. It is comforting to know that if it gets windy or rainy we will be out of it. I got in the sleeping bag st 7:30pm hoping to get some much needed sleep.
Date: 2016-08-04
From: NH 25

To: Lost River Road, NH 112, Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.3

I woke in the middle of the night and went outside to look up at the stars. It was beautiful! There were so many stars. This is one of the things that I will miss when I go back home, seeing the stars without all of the artificial light interfering. I eventually went back inside and went to sleep and fortunately, when I woke at 6am I felt rested. I did my daily stretches and got ready for the day's hike.I along with other hikers were taken north and dropped off at the trailhead where we slack packed south over Mt Moosilauke and back to the hostel. But, first we had to get some energy so we had breakfast. For $5 I had bacon, eggs and pancakes. It was a good and necessary way to start the day. Aurora, Conundrum, Milty, Griz and I took the first shuttle and hit the ground running...not literaly. I think we all anticipated that the hike was going to be difficult so, mentally, we were ready. Our first challenge was to climb 3850 ft in 3.7 miles. The first mile was along a beautiful cascading waterfall. I think this will be a big picture day! We stopped at a small ledge for a view and wondered if the giant mountain we were looking at was Moosilauke. We were hoping that it wasn't but we later found out that it was!!! We climbed and climbed and summited to some beautiful 360 views. We were above the tree lines so we had unobstructed views. This is one of the times I enjoy daily...sitting and enjoying the views and the beauty while I eat, rest, and enjoy the company of other hikers. The phrase, 'Stop and smell the roses.' comes to mind. I am indeed smelling them. We could see the series of mountains in the Whites that we will be hiking. Mt Washington is the highest and there was no doubt which one that was. It looked daunting but I am eagerly waiting to get there. Now to go down 3800 ft in 5.5 miles! Most of the steep part was in the first 4 miles down. It was very tricky making sure that my foot placement was just right. I am so glad that I didn't have a back pack today. We came up on a wild blueberry patch shortly after starting down. They showed up just in time for dessert so we picked and ate a few...very tasty. The last part of the trail was smooth and we made some good time making it back to the hostel by 3 pm. Milty's knee was bothering him so he slowed down so as not to aggravate it. Hong Kong Steve was at the hostel when we arrived. It was good to see him. Of course, Steve had some red wine so we drank a couple of glasses and caught up with several other hikers. Tomorrow is definitely going to be a challenging day so I am getting in bed by 9 tonight to rest for tomorrow's long hike. I am not slack packing and am trying to make 16 miles in the Whites tomorrow. I may be asking a lot of my body but, it is supposed to storm on Saturday and I would like to be at a hostel by then. Time to sleep, good night.
Date: 2016-08-05
From: Lost River Road, NH 112, Kinsman Notch

To: Franconio Notch
Miles today: 16.3

After laying down and debating it in my head for a long time, I decided to slack pack. Our host Legion, said it was a tough 16 miles and that we should take our packs with enough supples to last one night in case we could not make it back. If I took my pack I doubt I could make the 16 miles so I decided to slack pack. Going without my pack would give me added incentive to make it back! Our other host, Sweets, took my pack to Chet's Hostel, which is a little further up the trail, where I would stay tonight. Sweets dropped us off and we each had a plan, Griz was only going 12 miles and Aurora and Conundrum had their packs and would go to Chet's Hostel along with me. I got started at 8:15am and headed up. The first climb was to Wolf Mountain which was a tough morning climb with not much of a reward. I just saw one narrow view. I stopped at Eliza Brook Shelter for lunch, 7.5 miles into the hike, where I met 6 hikers there taking a break. I resupplied with water and left my lunch spot to find that the hike went next to a very nice cascading creek with small waterfalls. The trail was very challenging and if it rained a lot, some of the trail would be taken in by the creek! I would have to wade across! It was very challenging all the way up to Kinsman Mountain. Whether you're going up or down I don't know how we can hike this in the rain! It is supposed to rain tomorrow and if it does, I will definitely zero at the hostel in Lincoln NH. There are two peaks on Kinsman, north and south. I reached the South peak and the views were spectacular. It is great to be rewarded after a hard hike. One mile later I reached the north peak from there I could see Franconia Ridge which I should be climbing Sunday. I am hoping that the rain and clouds will be gone so I can see some of the views. I've been told that some of the best views of the Whites are from there. I started my 2,900 ft descent which would be completed in 4.6 miles. Some parts are steep and others really steep! Some big boulders had wooden steps placed into the rocks or metal rebarb. It definitely helped. Aurora and Conundrum walked with me most of the way down. They set the pace and I followed. We were all looking forward to some food and a shower. We arrived at 6:45pm. Yeah! We had to hike 1 more mile to the Flume Visitor Center to get picked up by a shuttle we had called. Chet's Hostel is at the shuttle driver's home. The garage and another room behind it served as the bunk room with 6 bunks, one bed and two couches. You can tent in the back too. The floor is used as overflow. I slept on the couch and there were 3 hikers on the floor. There was also a bathroom/shower and washer and dryer. We went to eat and none of us finished our food. We attributed it to our being so tired. A 16 mile hike in the Whites will tire anybody out!
Date: 2016-08-06
From: Franconio Notch

To: Franconio Notch
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I had a good sleep on the couch and woke feeling rested. After doing a little housekeeping a bunch of us went out for a pancake breakfast. I ordered the walnut cranberry pancakes which were delicious, good, and filling. They were so filling that I didn't quite finish them. I needed to resupply so after breakfast I went to an outfitter then a grocery store. This was definitely a good day to go to the movie theater so, that's just what I did. I saw the Suicide Squad, my kind of entertainment. The movie was good and the popcorn and soda topped it off! There is a residence a few houses down from the hostel that is painted many different colors and it has very pretty flowers on the property. I went to take pictures and saw the owners outside. I had a little chat with them and complimented them on it all. Back at the hostel some of the hikers made hot dogs and I had one that was very good but, I still went to dinner with Aurora and Conundrum. We went to One Love Brewery, the same place we ate at yesterday, and I had a lobster sandwich with a local ale. I prepared myself and got my gear ready for tomorrow. I am feeling nervous and anxious about the next few days of hiking. There is going to be some difficult terrain and I will be carrying a full pack. The shuttle will pick us up at 7:30am and I will be off again. I hope to sleep well. I need to sleep well.
Date: 2016-08-07
From: Franconio Notch

To: Garfield Ridge Campsite
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

I was a little restless last night and didn't sleep well. I am not sure why. Brah, Disco, Griz and a few other hikers came in late yesterday. Brah was section hiking and this was it for him. It was nice hanging out with Brah and I hate to lose his company on the trail. Oh well. Aurora, Conundrum and I said our goodbyes to all, took a shuttle to the trailhead, and started hiking around 8am. The first climb was Little Haystack Mtn which was steep and rocky which, of course, made my progress very slow. To get to the mountain we followed the Franconia Ridge which also connects to other peaks. We were above the tree line for 2 miles so the views were great! The forecast called for rain about 1 pm and the clouds were rolling in. Being up above the tree line I could feel the wind blowing hard. I put on my rain jacket mostly to block the wind because it was getting chilly! Last night I deleted many pictures off my phone to make room for new ones and I'm glad I did because I took a lot of pictures today. After climbing the first peak I climbed Mount Lincoln then Mount Lafayette at 5263 ft. Lafayette was in the clouds but when I reached the top it was starting to clear but only for a few minutes. The views were incredible! I felt like I was on top of the world. I moved on and went down and up again to Mt Garfield for more wonderful views, I was even looking down at a ski resort in the distance. I am getting ready to hike through a section of the Whites called the Presidentials aptly named because each of the 13 mountains is named after a president. 9 of the mountains are considered 4000 footers. It is a 19 mile range in New Hampshire of which the tallest is Mount Washington at 6288 feet. The second tallest is Mount Adams. Do you see a pattern here? Actually it is noted that there was a surveying error and Mt. Madison and Mt. Monroe are in the wrong height order hence the wrong presidential order. Oh well. Mt Washington is known to have some of the strongest winds on the earth! Here's hoping that I don't get blown away!All the ups and downs and making my way over the rocks has gotten my legs tired. With about .5 mile to go to Garfield Ridge campsite, it was all downhill, rocky, steep and slow. I finally reached and set up my tent. It is so rocky that they built wooden platforms to place our tents on. I couldn't stake my tent down and it was hard to put it up because of the wind. I had to get rocks to help to secure it as the wind was picking up and then it started raining a little. I must have looked comical. It is supposed to get into the 30's tonight. It is 5:30 pm and I am laying down already! This is the first test in the cold for my new pad. Since it is better insulated than my old one I think I should be fine...so far so good. I hope my tent holds up in this wind!!!!
Date: 2016-08-09
From: Ethan Pond Campsite

To: Lake of the Clouds Hut
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: fog

I was too cozy in my sleeping bag again and found it really hard to get going. I finally hit the trail at 7am. I could have gotten up earlier but oh well. The trail started very well, flat then downhill for a total of 3 miles. The easy start was a tease because it was up up up for the next 10 miles! Some of it was very challenging...I had to put my poles away and use my hands but I liked it...that was fun. Going uphill for that long takes a toll on my body. My legs were getting fatigued. The first peak today, Mt Webster, had a very pretty ridge walk leading to it with many views. I came up on Mt Jackson next and enjoyed lots of wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. The weather is cool and most of the huts appropriately have soup for a snack. I was ready for a break and had some soup at Mitzpah Spring Hut where I met up with my bubble of hikers. The trail went by but did not go over Mt Eisenhower and Mt Franklin. A lot of the trail was above the tree lines so I could see forever. It was nice to turn around at times and see where I had come from. I'm physically tired. My feet are sore due to all the rocks I stepped on and I was ready to stop! When I finally reached Lake of the Clouds Hut, they had room in the dungeon, and I was soooo happy. It is like a basement and is cold and small in there but, it is a place to rest so I will not complain. They had six bunks, triple deckers, and all six got taken by the end of the day. It really does feel like a dungeon in there! This hut has beautiful views and I can see Mt Washington. It looks close enough to touch but it's summit is 1.5 miles up. I think that hiking hut to hut could be a future family vacation. Hmmmm.I stayed outside to see the sunset which was beautiful. I hope to get rested for the 15 mile hike tomorrow.