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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