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October 2, 1983: A side trail brought me to Big Niagara Falls (no, the other one). The falls were not enormous (no, that’s the other one), but they were impressive enough, and quite scenic.

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

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September 28, 1983: At the bottom of the long descent from the Chairback range was the second-biggest water ford on the Appalachian Trail: the West Branch of the Pleasant River.

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

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August 31, 1983: The Appalachian Trail followed some dirt roads through a pleasant farm valley encircled by mountains and reentered the forest to begin a rather taxing climb up to Holts Ledge, the first real mountain it had thus far traversed in New Hampshire. It kept turning onto one woods road after another, and each was a bit steeper than the preceding one.

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

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June 2, 1983: From the bottom of Hughes Gap, I began the fabled ascent of Roan Mountain. Roan is a sprawling mountain. The scenic section of the Unaka Mountains I would be passing through today and tomorrow, known as the Roan Highlands, stretches for about twenty miles.

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

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July 7, 1983: A ledge just above the AT along the ascent had a 180-degree view stretching from southwest to northwest. To the south, Skyline Drive snaked around Hogback's green summits and followed the Blue Ridge towards Stony Man, Hawksbill and beyond.

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

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May 24, 1983: I awoke cold and clammy this morning and lay in my sleeping bag fascinated, watching tiny wisps of cloud swirl in through the gaping holes in the shelter’s wall above my head, drift leisurely across the ceiling, and slip out of the open side.

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

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September 25, 1983: I became briefly lost while returning down the side trail from Moxie Bald to the AT.

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

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August 19, 1983: The terrain between Dalton and Cheshire was typical of the Berkshires: long, relatively flat ridge crests covered with boggy areas. Vast expanses of luxuriant fern growth in great variety carpeted the forest floor. The ridges were densely wooded, frequently featuring cool, dark coniferous forests.

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

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June 3, 1983: Of all the mountains I have seen on this hike, Hump is now my favorite.

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