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September 22, 1983: Morning emerged reluctantly from the murk, leaking a cold, bleak light through the persisting deluge. I glanced outside, rolled over, and slept in until 8:30. By that time, the rain had tapered off to a steady drizzle. It was chilly and dank as I made my breakfast and prepared to depart, but the storm clouds were gradually dissipating.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Maine #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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August 23, 1983: The initial four miles were a piece of cake. The Appalachian Trail traversed flat terrain through dense forests. I breezed quickly over that stretch to make some time for later.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Vermont #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 3, 1983: I sat on top of Hump Mountain for almost an hour, drinking in views. The climb down was long and very steep.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #Tennessee #mountains #nature #forest #AppalachianTrail

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July 9, 1983: The first seven miles of trail were another game of lost-in-the-woods. When it was over, I sat down to rest for ten minutes on a rock beside the trail. Five minutes after resuming my hike, I passed a park bench in the middle of a clearing surrounded by a pleasant forest grove. I wished this spot had been mentioned in my guidebook.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #nature #Virginia #outdoors #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 6, 1983: My camera received heavy use this morning, as I traversed another group of scenic ridges with equally picturesque names. The six miles of trail between Neels Gap and Tesnatee Gap featured a long uphill climb similar to yesterday’s and some steep downhills, but most of the trail was nicely graded.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #Georgia #nature #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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September 29, 1983: A relatively-level ridge walk led to Mountain View Pond. Across the small, crystal-clear lake, Boardman Mountain’s slopes were aflame with fall colors.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #maine #mountains #nature #forest #AppalachianTrail

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August 14, 1983: The trail turned into a virtual rock climb straight up the face of a cliff to the top of Barrack Mountain. It was a rather sadistic climb for a backpacking trail, but some open ledges near the summit offered great views to the north and to the south — some of the nicest since Shenandoah National Park.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Connecticut #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 10, 1983: Later, as I descended along the ridge, I encountered a herd of about fifteen wild horses grazing a grassy saddle between two rocky knobs.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #mountains #Virginia #nature #forest #outdoors #AppalachianTrail

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July 14, 1983: High Rock had a takeoff platform for hang gliders and excellent views north and west of the Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania. A glider was airborne as I arrived. I sat and watched for a few minutes and shot some pictures of the views. The stifling humidity limited visibility, but the enormous valley lay dreamlike beneath the mists.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #outdoors #nature #Maryland #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 27, 1983: Less than two miles later, another side trail led to White Rock Cliffs, from which there were more great views.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #nature #mountains #Tennessee #AppalachianTrail

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September 13, 1983: The Appalachian Trail descended alongside Moss Pond's outlet brook to Gentian Pond. A trail shelter was perched atop a small ridge flanked by the pond on one side and another great view to the south on the other. I caught up to a couple of guys there — the first people I had encountered since leaving Gorham.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewHampshire #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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August 24, 1983: I crossed over several knobs along the crest to Peru Peak. This summit, at 3429 feet, was the highest I crossed today, but the peak was heavily wooded.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Vermont #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 1, 1983: A couple of days either way and I wouldn't have been there for that massive peak daffodil bloom. I've had my share of bad weather luck on this hike — everyone does — but this hour made up for a lot.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #mountains #nature #AppalachianTrail

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July 28, 1983: There were frequent good viewpoints along the ridge crest, but I could not see for great distances through the steam. I did manage to get several decent pictures. This corner of New Jersey is surprisingly scenic. The northern half of New Jersey is one of most heavily developed areas of the country, much like the portion of Connecticut I call home.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewJersey #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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May 23, 1983: Yesterday afternoon’s long-awaited azure skies gave way to a glorious sunset before fading into nightfall. The stars appeared like sharp, bright promises of better days ahead. Before long, a brooding darkness appeared along the western fringe and slowly spread across the firmament, devouring those fragile lights one by one.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #mountains #Tennessee #AppalachianTrail

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September 8, 1983: It was mostly cloudy in Crawford Notch at 12:30 when I set out on the #AppalachianTrail. A nice, stiff breeze was blowing, the air was fresh and dry, and the day was much cooler than the last few had been. As usual, that 12:30 start was considerably later than I wanted it to be.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewHampshire #nature #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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August 17, 1983: Three miles later, I was at Finerty Pond. The next good water on the trail was more than eight miles ahead, so I settled for bad water and pitched my tent for the night. I was not about to drink pond water without boiling it for several minutes. I was forced to drink hot chocolate with my meal. Mmmm, mmmm.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Massachusetts #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 29, 1983: The remainder of the trail was densely wooded, generally lacking in viewpoints. That was of little consequence today. The cold rain intensified and lingered into the night. Rain makes for a much more introverted hiking experience than on a clear day. Far-off vistas disappear and distant colors are muted into shades of gray.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #virginia #nature #forest #AppalachianTrail

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July 10, 1983: The trail left the road, went into the woods, and entered West Virginia. The last few miles of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia drifted back and forth across its state line with West Virginia. The trail for the most part was on rocky old woods roads.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #outdoors #nature #Virginia #WestVirginia #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 18, 1983: Derrick Knob shelter was in an excellent spot, similar in appearance to Russell Field. About a dozen small deer were wandering around nibbling the grass and the lower leaves, and they let me approach surprisingly close. It is pretty amazing how brave the deer are in the national parks, where no hunting is allowed.

#backpacking #hiking #NorthCarolina #Tennessee #mountains #nature #AppalachianTrail

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September 9, 1983: Last night’s weather forecast called for increasing clouds today, with a chance of rain tonight. I drove to the Mount Washington Auto Road from Gorham, not expecting much. What we got was one of those perfect days which are so rare in the northern Presidentials.

#backpacking #hiking #NewHampshire #hikingadventures #landscapephotography #nature #outdoors #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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August 8, 1983: The first climb was a bear, even compared to the rest of the trail in this park. By the time I reached the ridge crest I was exhausted, and I had only come little more than a mile. It was depressing. I had the idea in the back of my mind that one or two days of hiking would restore all the conditioning lost in those few days at home.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #nature #NewYork #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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June 14, 1983: Another steamy day began with seven miles of trudging up and down short, steep climbs, occasionally crossing hollows with sluggish brown creeks. Then I had a long, steep climb up to and along Chestnut Ridge to Chestnut Knob. Both were attractive. An extensive swath of grassy, flowering meadow ran along the ridge crest up to and past the knob.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #mountains #Virginia #nature #forest #outdoors #AppalachianTrail

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July 25, 1983: The ensuing trail was one of the most intriguing portions of the entire Appalachian Trail. It climbed out of the gap over a huge rockslide. There were several tough scrambles that probably did not belong on a backpacking trail, but the area possessed a certain unique charm (if you can call it that).

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #outdoors #nature #pennsylvania #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 18, 1983: A lot of ups and downs along a rolling stretch of ridge crest brought us to Russell Field Shelter. Most AT shelters had wooden walls with an external firepit for cooking.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #Tennessee #mountains #nationalparks #nature #AppalachianTrail

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September 5, 1983: Following another brief stretch of hard climbing, I reached the crest of Franconia Ridge. The rugged climbs continued as I followed the ridge crest over Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewHampshire #nature #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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August 7, 1983: I crossed New York Route 17 just after descending Agony Grind and entered Harriman State Park, a place historic on the AT. When the idea of this long-distance trail was conceived in 1921, only a few sizable stretches of existing trail could be incorporated.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewYork #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 9, 1983: I eased the puppy off my pack and lifted it onto my shoulders. The Appalachian Trail crossed Virginia Highway 601, a narrow, rural road, and went through an open field for a short distance before disappearing into the trees. I said good-bye to my two new friends and turned away, crossing the road and the field without looking back.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #nature #mountains #Virginia #forest #AppalachianTrail

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July 6, 1983: About a mile later, after a climb, the trail skirted around an enormous mass of ancient, exposed rock sitting atop the wooded crest. A short spur trail led to the base of the outcrop. Marys Rock towered high above the deep Blue Ridge pass called Thornton Gap.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #nature #Virginia #nationalparks #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 18, 1983: After lunch, the ridge crest was one open grassy meadow after another, with long, lush green grass. Clusters of trees in full bud added pinks, whites and reds to the vivid display.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #Tennessee #mountains #storm #forest #AppalachianTrail

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September 2, 1983: The trail descended past a water source called Hairy Root Spring (I know — sounds yummy, doesn’t it?) to the shores of Wachipauka Pond, the mountain tarn I had just seen from above. The AT crossed a marshy area and climbed over a wooded hill before dropping down to state road 25, another small two-lane highway.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewHampshire #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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August 25, 1983: After the shelter, the Appalachian Trail passed through private lands for the final seven miles of the day. It remained, for the most part, in the woods, but crossed a few open pastures.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Vermont #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 10, 1983: I spent the day today wandering a high green country of forest and rocky pastures encompassing Mount Rogers and its surroundings.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #mountains #Virginia #nature #forest #outdoors #appalachiantrail

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July 21, 1983: The descent from Second Mountain was on wide woods roads, which I really appreciated after that overgrown trail. This was followed by a four-mile walk on paved roads. About a mile into the roadwalk, I came to a small store named Ron’s Grocery. I ate a nourishing second breakfast: sixteen-ounce coke, some cookies and a pint of ice cream.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #outdoors #nature #pennsylvania #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 18, 1983: From Georgia to Virginia run long intricate strands of interconnected mountain ranges anchored by the main fork of the Blue Ridge on the east and another fork far to the west. The deep gorges of major rivers such as the Little Tennessee divide this western fork into a series of separate mountain ranges.

#backpacking #hiking #NorthCarolina #Tennessee #mountains #nationalparks #nature #AppalachianTrail

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September 3, 1983: The spruce gradually diminished in height as I ascended the narrow ridge crest.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewHampshire #nature #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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August 15, 1983: The southern portion of the Taconic Mountain Range is basically two parallel chains separated by a high central valley. The Appalachian Trail follows the eastern fork.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Connecticut #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 7, 1983: The trail gradually descended along the ridge into the green valley where Damascus lay nestled among the mountains. The late morning sun had finally burned through the clouds as I followed the Appalachian Trail along the main street of this small southwestern Virginia town.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #nature #mountains #Tennessee #Virginia #AppalachianTrail #outdoors #AppalachianTrail

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July 12, 1983: Not far past the shelter, the Appalachian Trail left the canal path, crossed the B&0 Railroad tracks, passed under US 340, and began the ascent of South Mountain. That is the long ridge I will be following throughout Maryland and into southern Pennsylvania. The climb was not all that bad.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #outdoors #nature #Maryland #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 12, 1983: I walked non-stop for the first ten miles. This mountain pass marked the onset of a long climb up to the summit of Wayah Bald which was the grueling climax of the ten-mile grind. Along the crest, the AT joined a paved road which had also ascended from Wayah Gap. The hard surface was not kind to my feet, which had been pounded by my non-stop marathon.

#backpacking #hiking #nature #forest #NorthCarolina #landscapephotography #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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September 1, 1983: I flipped through the register, finding comment after comment about the magnificent view from the fabled Smarts Mountain privy. I shrugged my shoulders and sauntered up to check out the outhouse.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #NewHampshire #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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August 13, 1983: The Appalachian Trail went into Dark Entry Ravine, ascending through the perpetual twilight silence of an old hemlock forest. Long years of decomposing fallen needles had buried the boulder-strewn ground and transformed it into a soft, lumpy carpet. It was lovely, even though the stream was barely running.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #nature #Connecticut #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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June 3, 1983: I slept the sleep of the dead last night, so exhausted I did not wake even for a moment until 6:30 in the morning.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #nature #mountains #Tennessee #forest #AppalachianTrail

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June 13, 1983: From Gullion, the Appalachian Trail descended (steeply again) along a spur ridge into Crawfish Valley: a flattish wilderness of impenetrable rhododendron thickets surrounding a wide channel of sluggish brown water. Then, it climbed Big Walker Mountain on a well-graded trail.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #virginia #mountains #nature #AppalachianTrail

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July 7, 1983: Views of the Shenandoah Valley opened as I reached the crest, following a line of westward-facing cliffs. As the ridgeline narrowed, a nice view of the Piedmont appeared from some eastward-facing outcrops. Beneath today’s clear skies, the prospect was especially impressive — an endless sprawl of farms, towns, and solitary wooded hills stretching to a distant horizon.

#backpacking #hiking #nature #Virginia #nationalparks #mountains #forest #AppalachianTrail

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May 11, 1983: When I reached Winding Stair Gap, I found a parking area by the side of the new US Highway 64, a main thoroughfare in these parts. At the edge of the parking area, a pipe jutting out from a large rock formation was gushing out delicious, cold spring water. I filled up my water bottle and sat down to drink my fill before continuing on the Appalachian Trail.

#backpacking #hiking #landscapephotography #NorthCarolina #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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September 30, 1983: There was no third consecutive night hike yesterday, but I did not miss it by much. At 6:20, the Appalachian Trail passed a small peninsula thrust into an enormous expanse of water. Along the eastern edge, a string of about a dozen aging wooden cabins slumbered beneath giant pines of even greater antiquity along a gravel shore.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Maine #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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August 29, 1983: In some ways, the portion of the AT which I describe in this chapter can be thought of as a connecting trail between the grandeur of the Green Mountains and the magnificence of the Whites. That outlook would ignore the charms of this pleasant country of rolling ridges and neat little farms.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Vermont #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail

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June 12, 1983: Before 6:30, as the first faint blue twilight tinged the blackness, I was on my way. The woods were at their prettiest in those fleeting moments before sunrise; I promised myself that I would try to get early starts more often.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #virginia #mountains #nature #AppalachianTrail

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July 3, 1983: My final twelve miles today were in Shenandoah. The trail inside the park was well-graded and almost completely cleared of overgrowth. I hiked through dignified old forests of stately trees, following the ridgeline for most of the distance. There were a number of good viewpoints.

#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #virginia #mountains #nature #forest #AppalachianTrail