morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-15
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Little Rock Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Little Rock, who is a chef, cooked us all a huge pancake breakfast this morning at the hostel. The pancakes were great, and it's much easier hiking when you start off with a real breakfast.After breakfast the caretaker of the hostel drove us back to the trailhead at 7:00 am. The trail was nice again today with many great views including Bromley Mountain, Styles Peak, and Baker Peak. I also stopped and had lunch at the side of Griffith Lake. The views from the lake were incredible, and I almost went swimming but decided to push forward.I made it to the Little Rock Pond Shelter by 3:30 pm. The pond is the clearest lake we have seen on the trail so far. As such, Two Speed, Little Rock, and I decided to stay here for the night and went swimming and canoeing around the lake. Also, Two Speed's cousin Pat, who is currently performing trail maintenance in the area, met up with us and brought some trail magic.
Date: 2013-07-16
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Governor Clement Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: broken clouds

I made great time today and already had 13 miles in before noon when I met Two Speed at the road crossing. Since we only had 7 miles left for the day, we decided to walk a mile down the road to a deli for lunch. That ended up being a mistake. The deli was great, but by the time we got back on the trail the temperature was about 90 degrees with 100 percent humidity. Plus, we had a steep rock scramble followed by a large uphill climb, which wore me out. I finally made it to the shelter around 5:00 pm.Tonight I'm tenting outside the shelter with Two Speed, Little Rock, Baker, Baylor, and Blitzo. It was good to see Baker and Baylor again. I think they plan to hike with us for the next few days.Unfortunately we received some sad news last night from Trucker. He is having to leave the trail due to a foot injury. I hope he is able to come back and finish the trail after coming so far.
Date: 2013-07-17
From: Governor Clement Shelter

To: The Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a quick 10 mile hike into town today so I could resupply and do laundry. We had two options for lodging including the Yellow Deli hostel in Rutland or the Inn at Long Trail where would have to take a bus into town to resupply. I originally planned to stay at the hostel since I have always enjoyed eating at the Yellow Deli in Chattanooga, but all of the locals and section hikers have been hyping up the Inn. I'm glad I stayed at the Inn though because it was cool place. Plus I was still able to eat lunch at the Yellow Deli when I took the bus into Rutland.A lot of hikers are staying at the Inn tonight including Meadow Flapjack, Two Speed, Bulldog, Mountain Goat, and Clutz. We all had a great time having dinner and drinks in the restaurant downstairs with Murray, the owner of the Inn.
Date: 2013-07-18
From: The Inn at Long Trail

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 19.9

With 90 degree temperatures and near 100 percent humidity again today, I feel like I am in Alabama and not in Vermont. The terrain was nice though, and the trail passed a lot of water sources where I could rehydrate and douse myself.With about 5 miles left to the shelter, a huge thunderstorm hit. It rained hard for about 45 minutes, including about 5 minutes of pea-sized hail. The trail became a river, and I hiked in ankle deep water for almost 3 miles. I was a little worried about my gear getting soaked because I had forgotten to line my sleeping bag and pad in plastic bags this morning. Fortunately the rain stopped around 5:00 pm and none of my gear got too terribly wet.Tonight I'm tenting outside the shelter with Blitzo, Baylor, Bulldog, and Two Speed.
Date: 2013-07-19
From: Winturri Shelter

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: thunderstorm

We had another really hot day with temperatures reaching 95 degrees and a lot of fairly steep uphills throughout the day. I started earlier this morning around 6:00 am to try to beat the heat, but it was already too hot.Fortunately, we had two road crossings with deli stops during the day including one at 9 miles and another one at 17 miles. Blitzo, Two Speed, Bailer, and I took long breaks at each one and loaded up on food, ice cream, and coke. The first stop was Cloudland, which we were hoping was a full deli but turned out to be a fancy dinner place not open for lunch. However, they did have some homemade ice cream, cheese, soda, and some other items for sale. The second stop was a deli where I bought a large sub and the owner gave us the remaining pizza slices not sold at lunch. I doubt I would have been able to hike 20 miles today without those stops.After many other breaks throughout the day, I finally made it to the shelter around 6:30 pm. I'm tenting outside the shelter with Baylor, Two Speed, Blitzo, Grandpa, Bulldog, and Running Shoe. Heavy rain is expected tonight, but we are still tenting to avoid the mosquitoes.
Date: 2013-07-20
From: Happy Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: broken clouds

I hiked a quick 6 miles this morning and crossed the Vermont-New Hampshire border into Hanover. Only 2 states remaining.Hanover is home to Dartmouth and is a cool college town that caters well to hikers. We had a great time exploring the town and being treated to some free food for hikers, including free pizza at Ramunto's. I also had important package waiting for me at the outfitter which contained some new underwear. I thought my exeos might last the entire trip, but they finally gave out after 1700 miles.Later this afternoon, I resupplied at the grocery store and then attempted to hitch to the hotel where I had a reservation. I had almost given up when a nice guy in a truck stopped and gave me a ride. The driver was actually the owner of Ramunto's.After a shower and laundry, I met up with Bailer, Two Speed, and Baker for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant down the street.
Date: 2013-07-21
From: Hanover, NH

To: Fire Wardens Cabin
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: light rain

After the short day yesterday, Bulldog, Two Speed, Mountain Goat, Clutz, and I decided to pull a long day so we can get to the Whites in two days. Fortunately, the weather was much cooler today than what we have had over the last week. We had a really tough day though. There were several climbs throughout the day and one large steep climb to end the day.Before the last climb though, we made a stop at Bill Ackerly's home, who is also known as the ice cream man and lives next to the trail. He is an interesting guy who enjoys meeting the thru-hikers every year. We talked with him for quite awhile, and he gave us free ice cream and a coke.We finally left Mr. Ackerly's house around 5:00 pm and made the long climb up to the Fire Wardens Tower. I got exhausted before reaching the top and had to stop twice to eat more food. I finally reached the top and the shelter a little after 7:00 pm.Tonight I'm tenting outside the shelter along with Bulldog, Two Speed, Mountain Goat, and Clutz. I would have liked to have slept in the shelter, but a large group of out of control southbounders claimed it.
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Fire Wardens Cabin

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: overcast clouds

After the tough day yesterday, I had a fairly easy 20 mile day to the Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff, NH. About halfway through the day, I ran into Java Man for the first time since New York and caught up with him for awhile. I was a little surprised to catch him since I took all that time off in Boston, but he took time off as well.I made it to the hostel around 4:00 pm and resupplied at a local gas station. The hostel is full tonight with Mountain Goat, Clutz, Two Speed, Blitzo, Java Man, and several section hikers staying here. Rain is forecast for all day tomorrow, which should make my first day in the Whites interesting.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up to rain this morning with the forecast still calling for rain all day and tonight. As such, Two Speed, Blitzo, and I decided to slack pack the first 10 miles of the Whites (White Mountain National Forrest), while many of the hikers decided to take a zero at the hostel.With only a 12 pound pack, I made great time up the 4500 ft climb to the top of Mt. Moosilauke, which was the first time I was above the tree line. However, I couldn't see more than 100 ft with the rain and clouds. Also, the rain turned to sleet when I reached the top.I met up with Two Speed after reaching the summit, and we decided to hike together down the mountain so we could hitch at the road. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn on our way down the mountain and didn't realize it until we reached the bottom. We briefly thought about hiking back up but decided not to as the rain was coming down even harder and we didn't have much food left. SO we hiked down an old forest road for about 4 miles which led us to the main road, and we managed to get a quick hitch into town.Tonight I'm staying in a hotel in North Woodstock, NH. We haven't heard from Blitzo all day and were a little worried since he was suppose to split the hotel room with us. He finally rolled in about 10:00 pm because he had decided to slack pack an additional 16 miles. I can't believe he did 26 miles in the Whites, but you can tell he regretted that decision.
Date: 2013-07-24
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 16.3

Two Speed and I decided to slack pack one more day since this is our last opportunity to do so in the Whites. Plus, the weather was still bad with overcast skies and patches of light rain. We had to say goodbye to Blitzo though, since he had the huge day yesterday.Despite only carrying a 12 pound pack, the hiking was still extremely tough. It was still a lot of fun though. The hike up and down the South and North Kinsmen Mountains was more like rock climbing than hiking. Also, I was worried I had veered off the trail at one point as the trail became more like a waterfall than a trail.Even with the slack pack, it still took almost 9 hours to hike 16 miles. We finally made it to the road around 5:00 pm and caught the shuttle back to town.
Date: 2013-07-25
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: North Woodstock, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Today was crazy. Two Speed and I packed our gear to hit the trail for a short 10 miles but seriously thought about taking a zero since it's been over two weeks since the last one. Also, since we had to go to the post office to mail gear back home, we didn't get to the trail head until almost 10:30 am. Right when we hopped off the shuttle at the trail head, Baker and Bailer sent me a text that they made it into town late last night and were taking a zero. Without hesitation, Two Speed and I threw our gear back on the shuttle and headed back to town.Two Speed, Baker, Bailer, and I had a great time in town today and visited Clark's Trading Post, which is an amusement park with live bear shows, acrobats, and blaster boats. We also checked out the local brewery and restaurant in North Woodstock and got some much needed rest.
Date: 2013-07-26
From: North Woodstock, NH

To: Zeacliff Pond
Miles today: 18.2

After way too much time in North Woodstock, Bailer, Baker, Two Speed, and I finally left town this morning around 8:00 am. We didn't have completely clear skies today, but I finally had some great views above the tree line from the tops of Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette. We took a long lunch break on Mt. Lafayette to enjoy the scenery.We had originally decided to hike 16 miles to the Guyot Shelter but didn't realize it was one mile off the trail. So we decided to try to stealth camp 2 miles further down the trail at Zeacliff Pond, which didn't work out too well. The pond was on a short side trail and was supposedly an old shelter site in 1936 with plenty of tent spots. However, when we arrived at the pond we found the water level had risen over the years and flooded all potential tent sites. Fortunately, we were able to find some places to pitch our tents a little further up the trail.We all needed water, but there wasn't a good spot around the edge of the pond to get water from. Baker volunteered to walk barefoot into the pond and fill our bottles, and we all were definitely very appreciative.
Date: 2013-07-27
From: Zeacliff Pond

To: Mizpah Hut
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Two Speed, Bailer, Baker, and I started early this morning at 6:00 am to try to make it 20 miles to the Lake of the Clouds Hut. The first 10 miles today were easy, and we made great time. However, the next 6 miles were extremely tough with the climb up Mt. Webster and Mt. Jackson. We made it to the Mizpah Spring Hut and campsite around 4:30 pm and decided to call it a day.The Hut offered us work for stay but we declined as we wanted to tent and leave early in the morning. The weather forecast is calling for rain tomorrow afternoon, so we plan to get to Mt. Washington as early as possible to try and get some good views.
Date: 2013-07-28
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 19.6

Bailer, Baker, Two Speed, and I left early this morning around 5:30 am in hopes of getting some free breakfast leftovers at the Lake of the Clouds Hut and then some clear views at Mt. Washington. As soon as we left the Mizpah Hut, we quickly climbed above the tree line and got to watch the sunrise over the mountains. We then made it to the Lake of the Clouds Hut and had free breakfast at 8:00 am. We could see Mt. Washington from the Hut, and it looked like we might not have a view from the top.However, as we made the climb up, the clouds burned off and we had great views from the summit. We spent almost 2 hours taking pictures and eating a second breakfast. We also ran into B Rocket's mom who offered to slack pack us from the mountain to Gorham. We originally planned only a 14 mile day but with the slack pack we decided to hike the 20 miles into town.The last 12 miles were tough though, even with the slack pack. We finally made it to the road around 7:00 pm and just beat the rain. Tonight we are staying in a hotel in Gorham and may plan to slack pack again tomorrow. We are headed to the local pizza place for dinner tonight.
Date: 2013-07-29
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 21.1

Two Speed, Baker, Bailer, and I decided to slack pack 21 miles today. We slept late though and got off to a very late start since we didn't leave town until around 10:00 am. Two Speed and I decided to hitch first to the trail head. As soon as I stuck my thumb out the first car pulled over and gave us a ride. The driver's name was also Mack, and he plans to thru-hike next year. He said he's been picking up hikers all summer to get some advice and tips. Baker and Bailer weren't so lucky though, and we had to wait about an hour and half for them at the trail head.We finally started hiking around 11:30 am. A few hours later, we were soaked in heavy rain and were freezing. With 7 miles left, Baker and Two Speed decided to bail back to town down a side trail. However, Bailer and I pushed on and made it to the road around 9:00 pm. We had to headlamp it the last 30 minutes.When we arrived at the road, we were hoping to get a hitch but there was no traffic. We also called every shuttle service with no luck. So, we started road walking the 4 miles to town. Fortunately, after about a mile, a truck going the opposite direction turned around and gave us a ride back to town.
Date: 2013-07-30
From: Gorham, NH

To: Trident Col Campsite
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

After back to back 20 mile days in the Whites, Baker, Two Speed, Bailer, and I decided to sleep late, eat breakfast and lunch in town, and enjoy the pool at the hotel. After doing laundry and finally checking out of the hotel, a trail angel named Bruce gave us a ride to Walmart to resupply and then a ride back to the trailhead.We hiked a short 7 miles to the first campsite. Tonight we are staying at the Trident campsite along with a huge group of Girl Scouts. Fortunately they camped far away from us.
Date: 2013-07-31
From: Trident Col Campsite

To: Bull Branch Campsite
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: moderate rain

We had perfect weather today and enjoyed great views from the mountains, which included Mt. Success and the Goose Eye Mountain peaks. It was a long day though with several tough climbs. We ended the day by completing the Mahoosuc Notch, the toughest mile on the AT.The Notch is a one mile boulder scramble that we had been warned may take us 2 hours to complete. Two Speed, Maggie, and I went through it together and finished it in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bailer and Baker finished it at that same pace as well. It was a tough mile, but we had a lot fun finding our way through the maze of rocks.Tonight we are all staying at a campsite just past the Mahoosuc Notch. Also, I crossed the NH/Maine border today. Only 1 state left.
Date: 2013-08-01
From: Bull Branch Campsite

To: The Cabin Hostel
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

After the long day yesterday, Two Speed, Maggie, Bailer, Baker, and I slept late and didn't start hiking until 9:30 am. We had initially planned to go 17 miles, but we got off to a late start and tough climbs up Mahoosuc Arm and Old Speck Mountain slowed us down considerably. I think we were just tired from yesterday.So we decided to only hike 7 miles and make reservations at the Cabin Hostel in Andover, ME. Maggie, Two Speed, and I made to Grafton Notch Road around 2:30 pm, where we found the Hostel's shuttle already waiting for us. However, Baker and Bailer were still almost an hour and half away from the notch. Since the hostel is far from the road crossing, we had to wait for them. Since we had some time, the shuttle driver decided to take us to a local brewery (Sunday River Brewery Company) to get some food. We had a good time there and enjoyed telling Bailer and Baker what they missed.Tonight the hostel is packed with our crew and several section hikers. We also found Shadow staying there, and Zman and Nightrider were staying at another nearby hostel. I haven't seen any of them in almost a month. We all caught up with each other while getting a small resupply at the local gas station/deli.
Date: 2013-08-02
From: The Cabin Hostel

To: Surplus Pond
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up this morning to a huge breakfast cooked by Marge, the owner of the hostel. Breakfast included all you can eat blueberry pancakes, homemade biscuits and gravy, bacon, potatoes, and fruit. It was probably the best breakfast I have had on the trail. I even packed some of the leftovers to eat for lunch today.After breakfast, Two Speed, Bailer, Baker, and I were shuttled to the general store where we met Maggie's mom, who agreed to slack pack us 10 miles to the next road crossing. We were then dropped off at the trailhead around 9:00 am. We had great weather and views from the top of Baldpate, which was a lot like Stone Mountain in GA. As we climbed down the mountain, a small thunderstorm hit us but passed quickly. We took a long break and dried out our feet at Dunn Notch Falls and then again at the next road crossing, where we met Maggie and her mom to pick up our full packs.Maggie's mom agreed to take us back to the general store in Andover to pick up some sandwiches and drinks to pack for dinner. We then hiked another 2 miles to Surplus Pond to set up our tents for the night.
Date: 2013-08-03
From: Surplus Pond

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 16.9

Two Speed, Bailer, Baker, and I hiked out of camp early this morning with a goal of 21 miles to have an easier day into town tomorrow. However, we had some tough climbs and rough terrain all day. On top of that, we had to hike through about 3 hours of cold rain. Bailer and I made it to the Bemis Shelter around 5:30 pm and decided to call it day. Two Speed and Baker didn't arrive for another hour, and they were both exhausted as well.Tonight we are tenting outside the shelter along with Mr. Burns and Not a Bear. The shelter is packed with Silver, Calamity, and several other thru-hikers. Fortunately the rain stopped shortly after we arrived at the shelter.
Date: 2013-08-04
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: broken clouds

We all left early this morning to start the 18 mile hike to the road crossing that would take us to Rangeley, ME. I was the second one to leave the shelter around 6:00 am. About a half mile down the trail from the shelter, I ran into my first moose. A large female moose crossed the trail about 50 ft. in front of me. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a picture.I had great weather most of the day, and the terrain was much easier as well. I ran into Maggie around noon, and she told me her mom would be waiting at the road and would take me to town if I arrived there about the time that she did. So, I booked it all the way to the road and skipped lunch. When I got to the road, Maggie's mom hadn't arrived yet and neither had Maggie. I had been trying to hitch for about 15 minutes when her mom showed up and took me into town. It was good timing, because right after that the rain started. Two Speed, Baker, and Bailer managed to hitch into town about an hour later.Tonight we are all staying at the Town And Lake Inn and plan to zero tomorrow for Baker's birthday.
Date: 2013-08-05
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Rangeley, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Two Speed, Bailer, Baker, and I took a zero today to rest and to celebrate Baker's birthday. We managed to rent a lakeside cottage that was cheaper and much nicer than our hotel rooms were last night. We had a good time enjoying the cottage, town, and local bowling alley. We may even take another zero tomorrow.
Date: 2013-08-06
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Poplar Ridge Lean-to
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

After a late checkout, a stop at the coffee house, and lunch at the ice cream stand, Bailer, Baker, Two Speed, and I finally hitched out of Rangeley and back to the trailhead around 12:30 pm. Hitching was easier than expected as a girl from Florida visiting her grandmother picked us up. I have been really surprised by the number of females willing to pick up hitch hikers.With such a late start and big uphills to climb, I thought the hiking may be really tough and slow. However, the weather and views from the Saddleback Mountains were great which made the miles go by fairly quickly. I reached the second shelter around 6:00 pm, and the others arrived shortly thereafter. We wanted to hike another 3 miles or so past the shelter but decided set up camp for an early start tomorrow.Tonight the four of us are tenting just up the trail from the shelter on the mountain ridge while several other thru-hikers are staying in the shelter. We are either planning a long day into the next town tomorrow or two short days to get into town.
Date: 2013-08-07
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: moderate rain

Bailer and Baker decided last night to hike 14 miles today and then a short day into Stratton tomorrow as rain was forecast for both days. But Two Speed and I wanted to arrive in town tonight to make up for the short days over the last week. Hopefully that will also allow us to have some decent weather for the Bigelow Mountains out of Stratton.With several large ascents and descents including the Spaulding and Crocker Mountains, I wasn't sure I would make it. However, I was the first one to leave the shelter around 7:00 am and made decent time. Two Speed caught up with me on the last summit on Crocker Mountain around 4:00 pm. With only 5 miles left and nothing but downhill hiking remaining, we decided to go into town. Baker and Bailer got off to a late starts this morning and stuck to their plan of 14 miles.I'm staying at the White Wolf Inn and Restaurant. At only $50 per night, this room is actually very nice and the food was great. Rain is forecast for tomorrow, so I may slack pack 18 miles back to town.