morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-18
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Cooper Lodge Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: light rain

The theme for today was wet. It all started in the night, with rain, heavy at times, pinging on the metal roof of the shelter. The air was damp, as everyone got up and did morning chores. I packed up my backpack, and walked away to do something else. When I came back, there was a puddle underneath my pack, and it was soaked. I had filled my water bladder, and the cap wasn't on correctly, and half a liter of water had leaked out. The soggy backpack would sit on my hips all day. I did put my pack's rain cover on, which sometimes helps keep the rest of the backpack dry, as you pass wet vegetation and brush against it, getting wet in the process. I was just about to climb up Bear Mt. when it started to rain, then pour. I quickly got my rain jacket out, but by then, my clothes and arms were partially wet already, and soon my jacket was too. Eventually, the rain stopped. I got to a road where I could walk a half mile to the Whistle Stop diner, which would be the highlight of the day. To make it even better, I didn't have to walk there, because a car and a work truck were just pulling out of the parking lot there together...the woman in the car knew where I wanted to go, and directed her friend in the truck to let me hop in, while she led the way. Nice!Turbo and another hiker were in the diner eating. I checked out their food and liked what I saw, copying the one hiker's meal of steak tips with saut©ed onions and peppers, with sides of fries and small bowl of broccoli. Miraculous! A cooked veggie in a restaurant! For dessert I had a brownie sundae. All of that great food spurred me up the next very steep hill, and once I got going, my cruising gear kicked in. I crossed a stream, very high from the rain, and one foot slipped off a stepping stone, wetting the whole thing. In spite of the wet and weather, I decided to go long today and climb Killington Mt. Yep, THE Killington. I don't ski, but I can hike. It was getting late as I neared the top, and then, it started raining again! The rain stopped before I arrived at the already full shelter. But it's totally misty and drippy and humid. My tent already feels soggy. P.s. wet gear tends to smell pretty bad. The good news is that today I also passed the "500 miles to Katahdin" sign. Yippee!
Date: 2015-07-19
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: Stony Brook Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

As expected, my tent was wet this morning. But, as usual, I did sleep better in the tent than in a shelter, so the trade-off was worth it. Once I packed up, the sun was starting to come out, and the breeze was blowing some of the mist away. I decided to leave my backpack in the shelter and climb the .2 mile steep side trail up to the summit to see the views. It wasn't totally clear, but worth it to see, and to say I stood at the top of Killington. By the time I started down the mountain, it was nearly 9 oclock...very late for a thru-hiker...but I had planned on doing a shorter day of 16 miles, so I could afford to do something optional. Lately, I have been trying to make a point of doing optional, or fun things, to break up the hiking. Along with the side trail early in the day, I took a half mile detour later in the afternoon to walk to yet another deli/general store. This time I chose iced coffee and a pulled - pork sandwich with cheese and cole slaw on grilled chiabatta. Delicious! While stopped there, I also charged up my phone, filled a water bottle, and spread my tent pieces out to dry in the sun. As an afterthought, I went back in to buy a zebra brownie. Ahead of me in line, a young man turned and said that I looked like a hiker, and asked where I was headed. I explained that I'm thru-hiking from Georgia to Maine, and he said that was awesome, and gave me a fist bump. I asked if he was impressed enough to give me a lift back to the trail, a half mile away. At first he hesitated, but then said sure, as long as I didn't mind squeezing in to his van with a bunch of other people. I didn't mind at all. He was parked next to a gas pump, and while he was filling up, he asked my trail name, and said he needed a trail name, and wondered how to get one. I told him it could be anything random that someone noticed about him. I pointed to the skull decoration on his van, and added, "like, skullhead, for example". He liked that...then I noticed his shirt had a skull on it too. So I think the name stuck. I got into the back of the van, and learned that he and the other 9 guys were all heading to NYCITY to do some skate-boarding. Very nice guys. Plus I saved myself a half mile of walking  Once back where I left the trail, I came across Castaway, Autodraft, and Bandit, just having finished a swim in the pond. I joined them hiking up and over the last big hill of the day. We all considered hiking on further than the next shelter, but a thunderstorm was predicted, so decided to stay put. Good thing, because the storm came, and it rained hard & fast! They, and a few others and I are cozy and dry, and the morning pack - out will be much quicker and easier. It's always a happy thing to make the right call P.S. passed 1700 miles today.
Date: 2015-07-20
From: Stony Brook Shelter

To: Thistle Hill Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: few clouds

For no apparent reason, it was a mostly sleepless night for me. That was unfortunate, since I had a feeling today's hiking would be pretty tough. The Trail itself was in great condition, and surprisingly mud-free, considering last night's storm. The tough part came in the form of steep climbs and descents, pretty much all day long. To break it up a bit, I stopped of at the Lookout Cabin, which is just a bit off-trail, and is privately owned, but open for use by hikers. The rooftop deck afforded great 360 degree views of the surrounding hills and mountains, but also reminded me of some beach houses at Cape Hatteras, the way it was perched. When I arrived, Castaway, Autodraft, Bandit and Samaritan were there. We all ate lunch inside, where there was a loft for sleeping, and a fireplace. We were all wishing we had made it to there last evening before the storm hit. Nice spot. After more hiking, Castaway and I decided to head for the On the Edge farm market store a little ways up from a road crossing. There, we enjoyed the AC inside, while we chose unusually flavored bottled sodas (mine was lemon blueberry, Castaway ' s was raspberry rhubarb), and I bought a small raspberry crumb pie, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I couldn't quite finish the pie, but Castaway gladly helped out by doing so, along with his pint of ice cream. Back on the Trail, while ascending a VERY STEEP hill, I realized I had left my plastic iced tea bottle at the market, after the owner filled it with water from her tap. I've had that bottle since my trip to Springer in April. It's sad when a plastic bottle gone missing kind of makes you feel melancholy, but there you have it: I am a hobo in a way, so all my belongings come to matter. But I'm going into town tomorrow, I will get another. It's just that in the morning I won't be able to mix my pink lemonade crystal light into my water for "juice" with breakfast. Well, much climbing and sweating later, I've settled into my tent tonight, as the weather is dry but the mosquitos are out. And that's where I'd like to keep them: out.
Date: 2015-07-21
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a somewhat restless night for me...perhaps in anticipation of town day today, or perhaps because of Safari's 8 inch thick and very crunchy - sounding air mattress. I wasn't in the shelter, but in my tent. Samaritan said he could hear it down the hill in his hammock. Safari admitted later on that he hadn't slept much. This admission was after everyone had cleared out of camp, the majority before 7am....and we had arrived in West Hartford. A trail angel there named Linda had her home open to hikers. She was giving out hot coffee (yay!!!) and banana bread, and blueberry pancakes, in her kitchen. She had cold sodas on the porch. She has the A.T. symbol in large letters on her garage/barn. She is very hiker-friendly!!! Thank you, Linda. After that second breakfast, I ended up hiking into Norwich with Treebeard. I had been seeing his artwork/signiture in logbooks for months, but finally met him. Chatting together made the miles over another "bump" pass quickly. I arrived at Elm Street, where trail angel Short 'n Sweet lives, and does great trail magic for hikers. I stopped in because I'm staying here the next few nights. I showered and changed (aah!!! Fresh smell. Fresh clothes. The world is ok again), while Treebeard helped Short 'n Sweet pick yellow beans in her garden. Then I walked into New Hampshire with him. The big difference was that I wasn't wearing a heavy backpack. Freedom! We stopped into the Dirt Cowboy so that I could get an iced coffee. I sipped it as we walked to Lou's, where we each got a free doughnut. Then it was on to Ramuntos Brick Oven, where we each got a free slice of pizza. Hanover loves hikers, obviously. We love their kind generosity! I called Short 'n Sweet for a ride back to her place. I waited, and there she was, but in someone else's car! It was Lady Grey, come to visit. Long story short, I read Lady Grey's Trail Journal when she thru hiked in 2013. Her hike, and her writing, we're a big part of my inspiration for my hike. Through another reader of my TJ, she found out I was hiking this year, and has followed along. She lives in Vermont, and offered to meet me to do trail magic once I got closer, and she is friends with Short 'n Sweet, so connected me with her for the stay. Then she drove over for a visit, and to gift me with chocolate (dark, raspberry flavored, no less!) and to dispel my fears about the Whites, and to eat dinner with me and Short 'n Sweet. We are pictured here along with my mud pie dessert. Except for the bite Short 'n Sweet sampled, they made me eat it all!!! I need a bit of fattening up before I head into the next wilderness, they explained.  If I don't sleep off the calories tonight, I will work them off tomorrow, as it's a zero day, and I have a long to-do list...
Date: 2015-07-22
From: Hanover, NH

To: Norwich, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept in until nearly 7:30 this morning, what a treat. It was a zero day, and boy, did I need it! I was supposed to get a lot done, but I ended up enjoying lots if non-trail things instead. I needed that, too, so it was a day well spent. This morning I enjoyed the art that is Betsy's garden, wet with dew drops and iridescent in the sunlight. I scrubbed and hosed off my backpack, and hung it in the yard to dry. I ate baked goods I got free yesterday because they were "day old". I got a ride to Hanover with a lady who "just happened" to drop something off at Betsy's at the right time. While in Hanover I spent time in Starbucks, both alone to catch up emails, and with some other hikers, just chatting. I did a little resupply at CVS, and it started to rain. Here I was, without my gear, and I needed my rain jacket! Oh well, I walked the block to the pizza place where I got a free slice yesterday, and bought a slice today. I met some more hikers there, and we chatted about upcoming hike plans, and I ended up with one for tomorrow with 2 hikers I just met yesterday named Roadrunner and Tinkerbell. We will be shuttled north about 19 miles and hike back into Hanover. Then I will have another Starbucks, more town food, and another shower, and good night's rest at Betsy's! (Betsy is aka Short 'n Sweet). Other fun stuff today included the rain stopping, visiting an art museum for free, walking through a farmers market, more resupply at a little general store, eating a pint of ice cream, browsing through a local bookstore, riding to a bakery with Betsy to get free bread (it was going to be thrown out), sharing a delicious home-cooked meal with Wayfarer, Betsy, Bill and then Count & Lavender, who surprised us by showing up off the Trail late in the day, also needing a place to stay the night. It certainly was fun to catch up, exchange stories, and talk about what's coming up ahead on the Trail. It was a great day, except that zeros are always way too short!
Date: 2015-07-23
From: Norwich, VT

To: Lyme-Dorchester Rd
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: light rain

The day started with time to read a chapter of my book while enjoying days - old muffins and my orange juice...very nice! Of course, that's only because Wayfarer set his alarm for 5:30. Yikes!!! These early - bird hikers just kill night - owl me...Anyhow, that's one explanation for my perpetual state of exhaustion. I think a few more of those mid-day tent set-ups for an impromptu nap may be in order...At 7:30 a very nice man named Ted came to pick us up and shuttle us northbound so that we could slack-pack back into Hanover. The featherweight pack was a delight. As was the sight of Castaway just coming out of the woods towards us as we donned our packs. The fun of hiking south is that you get to see your hiker friends all day. Not too long after came Bandit, then Autodraft, and Safari, Mosey, Chet, Roadrunner, Tinkerbell, Samaritan, and finally Count & Lavender. Not too long into the morning, I stopped at the Ice Cream Man's house, just off trail. I was more interested in the coffee sitting on the porch, so had that, and then lingered for a long time enjoying conversation with both Bill, and his newly trail - named granddaughter, Ambassador. Very nice people, and interesting to chat with. Moving on, I climbed over Moose Mt., but saw no moose, just pretty views. Later, after a road crossing, I found a man named Sooner or Later, who hopes to do a thru hike next year, doing trail magic. He was handing out bottles of water along with full-sized Snickers bar to each hiker that passed. Thanks! The hike ended as I reached Hanover, where I stopped for a few things at the grocery, then headed to Starbucks for a Frappuccino to celebrate my first trail day in NH. (Thanks, Dave!). And on to catch the last public bus across to Norwich. I stopped briefly to do something, and a car stopped near me. The young man inside asked if I was a thru-hiker and offered me a peach. Nice! I told him I was headed up Elm St. and could I get a lift. He asked if I was staying with Betsy, by any chance. Turns out, he thru-hiked last year and stayed at her house. So when he dropped me off he said hello to Betsy and caught her up on his life since. It's a small world out here on the AT. The evening passed in a blur after that, with phone calls and plans to make, shower, enjoying a bowl of Betsy's delicious bread pudding, chatting with the new batch of hikers that arrived here today, eating a long - overdue bag of pop corn while writing this post, organizing gear...and always, there's more. But I had better get to bed. 5:30 comes early, and rain is in the forecast for tomorrow...
Date: 2015-07-24
From: Lyme-Dorchester Rd

To: Ore Hill Campsite
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

Today was Wayfarer's birthday, so Short 'n Sweet was spoiling him, and the rest of us, with French Toast for breakfast. She's quite a lady! You may have noticed from yesterday's photo that she's got one hand in a cast. It doesn't stop her. Once again at 7:30, Ted showed up to shuttle us forward on the Trail, this time adding Wilson to the trip to southbound back to town as I did yesterday. Wayfarer and I headed north, beginning right away with a big climb up Smarts Mt. The going was steep, with one place made safer and easier because of the rebar steps attached to the rock. On top, there was a closed fire tower, and an open fire wardens cabin available as shelter space. I checked it out and found it was pretty rough. Continuing on, I chatted a bit with a SOBO, then picked my way through muddy trail until the long, gradual downhill, where I crossed a stream. Immediately, I started up Cube Mt. from there. It was another long climb to the top, but worth the effort, with lots of nice views today, backed by blue sky with puffy white clouds. A few times rain threatened, but never amounted to anything until later, when I was hiking towards my evening destination, which is a campsite where there used to be a shelter (it burned down in 2011, and was never replaced). Well, the rain came, I donned my jacket, and had a couple miles walking in mud and slime through a miserable section of trail, made wetter by the rain, and infested with mosquitos. At least the rain stopped (though the trees continue to drip) and the sky cleared. My tent will be cozy tonight, though wet in the morning. I enjoyed the nice campfire a couple of section hikers got going despite the damp wood, along with an evening mug of hot chocolate, as my "be happy" trail extras today. And since there won't be a snorer nearby, nor a 5am alarm, I'm thinking I might get to sleep in a bit before hiking out in the morning P.S. for some reason only one photo "took" for today...rats...lost all those views).
Date: 2015-07-25
From: Ore Hill Campsite

To: NH25, Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

What a treat to "sleep in" this morning until nearly 7am! Part of it was the cocoon of my own tent. Part of it was the quiet of the woods, and the cool night to snuggle under my down quilt. And part of it was knowing I had a mere 7 miles of hiking today. Not that it was an easy little cake-walk, mind you. The Trail rarely let's you off easy. In this case, it was a continuation of last evening's soggy, muddy, rooty, eroded mess of a trail that made things difficult and rather slow. On the final descent to the road, I met 4 women day - hikers heading up the hill. One of them asked if I was a thru-hiker, and when I told her I was, she reached into her day pack for a "little cutie" orange. "Here's fresh fruit for you, and good luck", she said. I thanked her, and enjoyed the snack this afternoon. Once at the road crossing, I was approached by two guys in their car, asking me for directions. Of course, I wasn't able to help them with that! But I asked them for a lift to the hostel, just .3 miles up the road. They happily did so, and when they dropped me off, they asked the hostel owners for directions. Legion and Pack rat were able to tell them what they needed to know. It was a win/win for everyone involved. This hostel has everything a hiker needs, for sure. It's on the "rustic" side, stylewise. And they aren't so concerned about hiker dirt. The "washhouse" is like an open-air tent sort of arrangement. Taking a shower reminded me of being at the beach, in a way...with the breeze blowing through. This afternoon, I leisurely dried my tent and hiking shoes, went through my food bag to see what else I might need, studied my guidebook pages, trying to decide a plan for the rest of NH (mostly without success, I might add...there's just so much guesswork involved with terrain, difficulty, weather, etc). After that, I relaxed. Yes, literally lounged around for several hours. Another hiker was watching MI2, and I joined him for the ending. I ate food. I read a few book chapters. I rode into the town later for hot restaurant food take-out. It's been a wonderfully boring, slow, lazy half-day. Lovin'it.
Date: 2015-07-26
From: NH25, Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Lost River Rd, NH112, Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light rain

Even before my alarm sounded this morning, I heard the rain on the roof. When you're inside, dry and cozy in a dark room at 5am, rain outside with a 4800ft mountain in front of you doesn't make you eager to jump out of your bunk, believe me. Well, I didn't exactly jump out, but I did get up, put on my clean, dry hiker clothes, gather my gear together, and go downstairs. I found when I went outside to the wash house that it wasn't raining as hard as I thought it was, and it wasn't too cold out. By the time we left the hostel, 6 of us with gear, plus our driver, Nema, crowded into her jeep, the rain had turned to mist. We stopped at a convenience store for coffee and breakfast sandwiches, downing them en route to Kinsman Notch, our trailhead for today. The others scattered in different directions, and Wilson and I headed up the steep slope, southbound. Nearly right away we were climbing alongside a stunning waterfall, which we followed for quite some time (see pics). The Trail work here was also spectacular, with wooden steps set into the rocks, and rebar to assist as handrail in spots. We felt it was far more enjoyable and safer to climb in this direction, "backwards". Well, we made it to the summit, which was socked in/in a cloud...and a bit windy. We didn't linger long, not wanting to get chilled, but we did take photos. The trip down was long, and a bit more gradual, and though I slipped and fell twice, there was no harm done. Our last task was to cross a river that was running a bit high for rock-hopping, but we both made it across without any foot-dunking. Legion, from the hostel, shuttled us to Lincoln after that, dropping our gear off at tonight's hostel, The Notch, in North Woodstock, and dropped us off at Price Chopper, where I did some resupply. Wilson needed some hiking pole rehab, so we visited the outfitter. We spoke with a few passing hikers. Enjoyed coffee and a snack at a coffee shop. Had dinner at a Mexican place. Then begged a ride from some passing tourists, Pam and Bob from Texas, with hearts big enough to say yes. The Notch is a brand new hostel, opened just July 15. They may have a few bugs to work out yet, but so far, we're pretty happy with this place: it's clean and house-like, has more than one shower, and a very nice communal kitchen. Hopefully a good night's rest comes free with the stay