morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Moose Mountain Shelter

To: Hexacuba Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Hexacuba Shelter - 17.3 milesI've been lazy lately and again, today. Up st 6:00 left at 6:40. Walked to Holt's Ledges and stopped for my first break. Then on to get my free ice cream at Bill's on Lyme-Dorchester Road. I got there about 11:00, but the owner, Bill, wasn't home. Messenger and a SoBo were sitting on the porch. He did have sodas sitting there for 50 cents each. I got two. I hung out for about an hour, and by then there were about a half dozen hikers hanging out, but Bill still wasn't home. So I went on. The climb up Smarts Mountain was long and hard; 2100 feet in 4 miles, with lots of rocks and roots. I finally reached the top, dropped my pack at the shelter there and went up the firetower to enjoy the view and eat a snack. I spent about an hour there. This place is going to be crowded tonight. At least 7 NoBos and as many SoBos are planning to stay here. That's just the ones I know about. So I'm moving on to Hexacuba Shelter; 6 more miles. The walk to Hexacuba was a 4 mile downhill followed by a 2 mile uphill. I finally got there about 6:30. 65, Payman, Two Steps, and a family of 3 were there. Later Lady Forward and 2 others arrived. It was much quieter than it would have been on Smarts Mountain.
Date: 2012-07-26
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Glencliff NH - Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Glencliff, NH - Hikers Welcome hostel - 15.2 miles - a little rainLess than 400 miles to go65 was up at 5:00, I got up around 5:25. I was gone at 6:00. It spritzed lightly from time to time, but no real rain early on. I walked down to the road, where I had a little trouble deciding which way to go because it wasn't marked well at the road crossing. Unfortunately, I do not have my AT guide today. I only carry the pages I need, and I was going to get more pages in my Hanover mail drop. But I told my wife to send everything to Glencliff instead, so I won't get my new section of the guide until I get there later today. Oh well. I searched around and figured it out. Across the road the trail turned uphill, of course. About a mile up it entered a nice pine forest, so I decided to get a snack before it starts to rain. It looks like it might start soon. Just as I finished up, the rain started. Perfect timing, I got my snack in first. I climbed on up in light rain. It lasted about a half hour, stopped for a half hour, then started again. When I came to the next road crossing, I saw 2 gallon bottles of water and a bag of fruit and yogurt. Of course I stopped. I filled my water bottle because water has been getting difficult to find and got out a yogurt. Machine came along and did the same thing. I was eating the yogurt, when a guy came up and told us that the food we found was for his wife and friend, who would be coming along shortly. Oh well, I don't think he wants a half eaten yogurt back. I mentioned that if he intends something like that to be for someone specific, then he needs to clearly mark it. Otherwise, every hiker who comes along will think they just found some Trail Magic, and take some. He agreed. Onward. I want to get to Glencliff today. I went up and over another mountain and down to NH Route 25. The Hikers Welcome Hostel is 0.4 east. This hostel is run down, but a chance to get out of the weather, get a shower, and do laundry. I jumped in the shower. It is an outdoor shower with tarps for walls. There was a sign telling you it takes a few minutes for the hot water to get there. So I waited, and waited, and waited. No hot water, but I was already in the shower. So I took a cold, cold, cold shower. When I got done, I told the owner. It turns out the propane tank ran out so the hot water heater shut off. Fortunately, they have a backup tank, switched over to it, and a while later they had hot water again; but that didn't help me. About 7:00 Miss Janet, a Trail Angel/groupie from Erwin, TN, gave us a ride into Warren, a tiny town with 1 pizza shop, 1 gas station, and a post office. I had a burger. It turns out this pizza shop draws people from all around, and every Thursday night is open mike night. They had bands and individuals singing all night. It was great and the crowd was standing room only. We were there until closing at 11:00.
Date: 2012-07-28
From: Glencliff NH - Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Camp at Eliza Brook Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

Camp near Eliza Brook Shelter - 16.8 miles in a downpour1800 milesTorental downpour. Knee deep in waterI was up at 5:30 left at 6:10. The climb up Mt Moosilauke was long and hard. I leap frogged with WildFlower all the way up. On top I took a break, and Little Foot showed up. The 3 of us walked down to the Beaver Brook Shelter together, and we all sat down to eat. The climb down Moosilauke is steep and sheer rock. Wild Flower wanted someone with her, so I walked down with her. It is steep and slippery in many places and slow going. Finally, we reached the bottom and crossed NH Route 112. At that point, Wild Flower said she was OK, so I went on ahead. As I was climbing Mt Wolf, I heard a thunderstorm coming. Then it started to rain. Soon it was pouring really hard and lightening was striking nearby. I had nothing I could do but keep walking; the next shelter is still many miles away. It poured and poured. With the lightening nearby, I decided it would be prudent to walk with someone, so I stood there in the pouring rain and waited for Wild Flower to catch up. When she came along, she was happy to see me for the same reason. We hiked on together in the pouring rain. It poured for almost an hour. I, of course, was soaked ever since the first few minutes and couldn't get any wetter. The water ran down the trail and we were walking in water continuously. The low areas flooded, and soon we were walking through water knee deep, and mud that kept trying to suck my shoes off. If I had been alone, I would have felt miserable slogging through that, but by doing it with someone else, I could laugh about it. It was immensely better having someone with me. We finally reached Eliza Brook Shelter about 7:30. It was still raining, but only lightly now. The shelter was full, so I had to set up my tent in the rain. When I got it up, I climbed in and never came out again until morning. I ate a dry dinner, my lunch stuff. I was exhausted from slogging through the water and mud, so I just went to bed.
Date: 2012-07-29
From: Camp at Eliza Brook Shelter 

To: Franconia Notch - Lincoln NH
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: moderate rain

Franconia Notch - Lincoln NH - 8.8 milesI was tired, so I slept until 6:30 and didn't leave until almost 8:00. The climb up Kinsman Mountain was another hard climb. A large and steep rock scramble, and everything was wet from yesterday's downpour. So again it was slow going. When I finally reached the summit, I stopped for lunch. The hike down to Lonesome Lake Hut went steeply down. It started to rain again, making the slick rocks wet; a very bad combination. On the way down I took another fall, and bent my hiking pole again. It now has 2 bends in the lower section and must be replaced. Finally, I reached the hut and stopped for another lunch; this time with Chesty and Roadhouse. The hike from here to Franconia Notch was nice. Finally a nice piece of trail. The last 2 days I have have been averaging more like 1 mile per hour and struggling to maintain that. From Franconia Notch, I hiked over to 'The Flume', a tourist trap. I did this so I could get a ride into Chet's Place, a hostel in Lincoln, NH. When I got there, I bought some pizza and waited for Chesty and Roadhouse to get there. We had agreed earlier to meet there and share a ride to Lincoln, so I waited for them. When they arrived, we called the shuttle service. It took the shuttle almost an hour to come, but we got to Chet's about 5:30. He is full, so we will have to sleep on the floor. While there, I got a shower. Then the 3 of us went to do our laundry, get dinner, and resupply. I got a cheesesteak, chips and 2 sodas. It was 10:00 when we returned to the hostel, so I just went to bed.
Date: 2012-07-30
From: Franconia Notch - Lincoln NH

To: Mt Lafayette
Miles today: 6.5

Camp on north slope of Mt Lafayette. 6.5 milesI was up about 6:00. I don't have to rush since I have to go to the Outfitter to get my hiking pole fixed, and they don't open until 9:30. I went through my resupply that I bought last night and repackaged it to fit in my pack. Then I looked through the hiker box. I found bleach, so I refilled my bleach bottle. I borrowed seam sealer from another hiker, and sealed the seam between the top and brim of my hat. (It has been leaking through the seam.) About 8:00, Chesty and Roadhouse were ready and we went to the Pancake House for breakfast. I had the Big Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, 2 pancakes, and OJ. Afterwards, I went to the dollar store to buy large trash bags and Mio energy mix. Stuff in my pack got wet during that torrential rain 2 days ago, and I wanted to line the inside of my pack with the trash bag. Afterwards it was 9:30, so I went to the Outfitter. He replaced the bottom section of my bent pole, no questions asked. That's one reason Leki poles are the best. The Outfitter said Leki just sends them replacement parts free, and they use them to fix whatever problem hikers have. I finally returned to the hostel and prepared to leave. two new hikers were dropped off by a shuttle, so I asked the driver if I could get a ride back to Franconia Notch. Chesty and Roadhouse weren't ready yet, so off I went by myself. He dropped me off at 'The Flume', and since it was now 11:30, I bought a cheeseburger and soda before starting to hike. After eating it and walking the mile back to the trail, I finally started back on the AT at 12:30. The climb up Mt Liberty was long and hard, but it wasn't a rock scramble like the past few days, so I made it up to the summit in OK time. Then you start a long rocky stretch above tree line. Chesty and Roadhouse caught up to me and then went on. I saw the peak above, and thought it was Mt Lafayette. When I finally got there, I could see I was on Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette was yet to be climbed. I stopped for a snack break with Chesty and Roadhouse, then onward. I reached Mt Lafayette about 6:00. We discussed whether to hike down below the tree line to camp, or camp there and watch the sunset and sunrise. We decided to camp a few tenths of a mile north of the summit. It had been clear all day, but now clouds rolled in. Fortunately, as the sun set, it was clear near the horizon, but it was still overcast above us. We had a nice, but not great sunset, and I was in bed shortly afterwards.
Date: 2012-07-31
From: Mt Lafayette

To: Zealand Falls Hut
Miles today: 13.3

Zealand Falls Hut - 13.3 milesWork for stay at hutI woke about 5:20 to a beautiful and clear sky. There was already a pink glow on the horizon. I just stayed in my tent and watched the sun rise. The sky was extremely pretty, and the sun broke the horizon near Mt Washington about 5:40. It was well worth camping here. The view was great. I was ready and left at 6:45. The climb down Mt Lafayette was long, rocky, and slow. So was the climb up to Mt Garfield and over to Galehead Hut. I got there about noon, another slow day. Only 6.6 miles and it took me until noon. I ate lunch at the hut and looked over the next section. It is 7+ miles to Zealand Hut, but I think it is less rocky. From the hut the first mile is a very steep and rocky climb up South Twin Mountain, but I expected that, and it was OK. I stopped there and let my tent and sleeping bag dry out while I ate again. I left there about 2:00 with 6 miles to go to Zealand. Fortunately, I was right, and the trail did get easier. I made it to Zealand by 5:15. Not good time, but much better than I have been averaging. I asked the hut master for work for stay. I was the 4th thru hiker there, so I wasn't expecting much, but they took me. I will have to clean the bunk rooms, sweep up, fold blankets, etc in the morning. In return I get to eat leftovers after they feed the guests, and sleep on the floor of the common room. They feed the guests family style, and they always have leftovers. I had vegetable soup, Lasagna, peas and beans, bread and cake for dessert. I had plenty to eat. The other 3 thru hikers had to clean dishes etc, after everyone ate.
Date: 2012-08-02
From: Mizpah Spring Campsite

To: Madison Hut - Valley View Campsite
Miles today: 11.8

Madison Hut, Valley View Campsite - 11.8 milesI slept until 6:30, didn't leave until 7:45. Climbed up to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. It was 10:45, to early to stay, so I ate some free leftover pancakes and headed to Mt Washington. I got there about noon. Wild Flower was there eating. I bought 2 hot dogs, 2 cakes, and 2 sodas and I sat with her. She left but Chesty, Roadhouse, and Danish arrived. We discussed trying to get work for stay at Madison Hut tonight. We all left, and they immediately pulled away from me. The trail is all rock between Lakes of the Clouds and Madison; very slow hiking. The miles in the Whites seem a lot longer than miles in Vermont, which are way longer than miles in South Jersey. It took me from 1:30 until 5:15 to cover 5.5 miles from Mt Washington to Madison Hut; not very good. When I got there, Danish, Chesty, and Roadhouse were already there and had asked about work for stay, but all the slots were already filled; so no chance. I choose to hike 0.6 miles off trail, steeply down to the Valley View Campsite. Again, all the spots were taken. I found a spot in the middle of the trail where the maintaineers had buried rocks to keep people from camping there. I dug them up and camped right there. I have to camp someplace.
Date: 2012-08-03
From: Madison Hut - Valley View Campsite

To: Pinkham Notch - Gorham, NH
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: fog

Pinkham Notch - Gorham NH - 7.8 milesI was up at 6:00, left at 6:45. I hiked back up to Madison Hut where I saw Chesty, Roadhouse, and 65. I talked with everyone for a while, then left just as Wild Flower got there from the campsite. The hike up Mt Madison was difficult. In addition to the steep climb, the wind was blowing hard. So as I neared the top I had to be very careful. Between balancing on rocks, climbing, and the wind blowing me, it was all I could do to stay upright. Since I knew how Wild Flower was concerned about the rocks back on Moosilauke, I waited for her there to make sure she was OK. When she arrived, I walked down the rocks on the other side with her. As soon as we got back to treeline, Wild Flower said she was OK so I went on ahead. The walk all the way to Pinkham was difficult, and I didn't get there until 3:00. Wild Flower had caught up when I took a break, so we arrived together. Even though it wasn't a lot of miles, I was tired. So, I decided to go to Gorham for the night. Patty Roy, who works at Pinkham, volunteered to take Wild Flower and I into Gorham when she got off work in a half hour. Great. I reached 'The Barn', a hostel in Gorham, about 4:20. Time for a shower, put the clothes in the washer, and get some dinner. For dinner I went to Mr Pizza where I had a nice dinner; Chicken Parm with spaghetti on the side, garlic bread, and root beer. I topped it off with ice cream. It was a great dinner.
Date: 2012-08-04
From: Pinkham Notch - Gorham, NH

To: Carter Notch Hut - Work for Stay
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: few clouds

Carter Notch Hut - work for stay - 6.2 milesI was up at 6:00, and walked out at 6:50. The first vehicle offered me a ride back to the trail. Skunk Ape, whom I haven't seen since CT, was already in the truck. He dropped us off back at the Pinkham Visitor Center, and Skunk Ape and I went inside and got an "All You Can Eat" breakfast buffet. I was finally ready to walk at 9:00. MamMaw-B, Princess Doah, and Rainbow showed up as we were leaving so we all left together. I haven't seen Rainbow since GA, and this is the first time I met MamMaw-B. Shortly, we ran into Chesty and Roadhouse, who were camped nearby, then 65 and Yosemite who left a little before us. However, because of different paces, we soon all separated and I was hiking alone again. The climb up Wildcat was long and steep. When I reached Peak E, I took a short break with others who were there. When I reached Peak D, I stopped for the view, ate lunch and called my wife. I stayed there an hour and a half. The rest of the walk to Carter Notch Hut was hard, but not as steep. I had planned on continuing to Imp Campsite, another 7 miles, but it was already 2:30. I'll never make it before night fall, so I decided to try for work for stay. It's too early to ask now, so I sat outside and waited. 65 arrived, then Pedestrian. About 4:00 the hut master came out, and asked if we were thru hikers wanting work for stay. Well, of course. She said she would take 4. Then Meat, Spoon, and 2 others arrived. Time to decide who stays. 65 and I were in because we were there first. The others did rock, paper, scissors. Spoon, Pedestrian, 65, and I are in. The others left to go set up camp a 1/4 mile away. 15 minutes after they left it started to rain; hard, of course. I felt sorry for them, but glad I was inside. We waited until dinner time, and then set the tables for the guests. When dinner time arrived, we had to leave. So since it was still raining, we sat on the porch of one of the bunk houses while the guests ate dinner. When they were finished, they had us give a talk to the guests about thru hiking. All 4 of us gave our perspective on our hike: the high points, low points, what we carry, how we plan etc. We probably talked for about 45 minutes, mostly answering questions. After that, we got dinner; leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, bread, and cake. It's amazing what thru hikers will do to get food and a place to stay. The hut gets rid of food that they otherwise would have to pack out, and our sleeping on the common area floor doesn't cost them anything. So it's mutually beneficial. Since the hut isn't full, and this one has bunk rooms of 4 people each, they let us stay in an empty bunk room instead of sleeping on the floor of the dining hall. Nice!
Date: 2012-08-05
From: Carter Notch Hut - Work for Stay

To: US Route 2 - Gorham NH
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

US Route 2 - Gorham NH - 14.9 milesI was up at 6:00, packed up and back at the dining hall at 6:30. All they asked us to do was wipe off and then set the tables, so we did. Since they didn't want any more work from us, I packed up and left before breakfast. I want to do 14+ miles today, and considering recent terrain, I will need time to make it. The climb up Carter Dome was tough. A lot of scrambling up steep rocks. Very tiring but with the early start, I was OK. The hike over south, middle, and north Carter was hard, but I kept moving. My first stop was when I reached Imp Shelter, 6 miles. I stopped for water and lunch with Chesty and Roadhouse. Then off to do Mt Moriah. Another hard climb, but not as bad as early this morning. A couple miles past the top it started to smooth out even more. Finally, about 3 miles before the road, the trail got nice. I was actually able to walk again instead of constantly scrambling over and around rocks. It took a few minutes to get used to the feeling of just walking, but soon I was walking along at 3 miles an hour. I haven't been able to do that for a long time. Meat, Chesty, Roadhouse and I reached the road together and tried to hitch a ride into town. Only a couple of cars passed us when someone pulled out of the hiker parking lot and gave all of us a ride. It turns out it was Wolverine. The one mentioned in the AWOL's book. He was just in the area and hoping to give some hikers a ride. He took us right to The Barn. There, I go a shower, put my clothes in the washer along with 65 and Yosemite, and then went to dinner with them. We went to the Asian Buffet where I ate and ate and ate. Upon return to the hostel, it was 9:00 and I was tired; so off to bed.
Date: 2012-08-06
From: US Route 2 - Gorham NH

To: US Route 2 - Gorham NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

US Route 2 - Gorham NH - The Barn Hostel - 0.0 miles20th zeroLess than 300 miles to goAnother zero day, my 20th. I slept until 7:30, got up and went to breakfast with Meat. Then I stopped at the Outfitter. I wanted to replace my socks. I've been wearing Darn Tuff socks and they wear great. I switch between 2 pairs, and the first 2 pairs lasted from Georgia to New York. So even though they offer a lifetime guarantee, I didn't use it. But one of the new pair is worn out already, so I wanted to replace it using the warranty. The local Outfitter sells Darn Tuff socks, but said he didn't replace socks on warranty. I called the manufacturer. They immediately agreed to replace it, but told me that while most retailers will honor the guarantee, they cannot force an individual Outfitter to do so. They told me to mail the socks back to them and they will send me a new pair. I did so, but since I want socks now, I also bought a new pair so I will have socks to wear. I received a text and then phone call from Jane Kent, who I worked with me at Lockheed Martin. She is taking her annual vacation in Southern Maine, and suggested we try to meet. So we arranged to meet at Grafton Notch between 4 and 5 in the afternoon on Wednesday. Now I just need to do 31 miles by then. In the old days, before the Whites, I would have thought that was easy. Now I'm not so sure. This stretch also includes Mahoosuc Notch, a mile long boulder strewn piece that is very, very slow going. It is often called the hardest mile on the trail. It also includes a long, slow climb up Speck Mountain. It wouldn't be easy. So I plan to get an early start tomorrow and see how far I can get. After our phone call, I went to Burger King for lunch with 65 and Yosemite. Then off to catch the bus to Walmart to resupply. While at Walmart, I also bought a precooked chicken, and macaroni salad for tonight's dinner. After taking the bus back and repackaging my resupply, I was ready for dinner. I ate practically the whole chicken I had bought. I only left 1 thigh and the wings behind. I'm full. Now I'm going to bed.