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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