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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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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.
#backpacking #hiking #outdoors #landscapephotography #Maine #nature #forest #mountains #AppalachianTrail
The sky is overcast, with smaller clouds drifting past below us. We are standing atop a lofty mountain on its alpine summit. A rocky trail before us winds across the crest and down the mountain. The crest is strewn with gray lichen-covered boulders. There are very small scrub spruce shrubs and small leafy shrubs turned bright reds and golds for autumn. At intervals small rock cairns are piled up beside the trail. There is a smaller wooded mountain to our right. The rest of the frame is dominated by a portion of a huge lake in the otherwise wooded flattish valley below. Beyond the lake is a low wooded ridge and then another valley with two more lakes visible. Beyond that are more ridges and valleys with a slightly larger peak on the far horizon.
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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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. A good, steady breeze was blowing, rapidly drying out the leaves and brush.
The sky is gray and overcast, with smaller clouds drifting past below. We are standing atop a lofty mountain. The crest is strewn with gray lichen-covered boulders. There are very small scrub spruce shrubs and small leafy shrubs turned bright reds and golds for autumn. In the valley a few thousand feet below portions of several very large lakes are visible, separated by low wooded ridges and mountains.
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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I did not even need my rain gear when I left the shelter at 10:15. It remained overcast, but the ceiling had lifted well above the mountain.

Avery Peak sported an extensive alpine area on and around the summit, an old wooden fire tower and a spectacular panoramic view.
The sky is gray and overcast. We are climbing the last 50 feet or so of a summit peak covered with equal parts gray boulders and rock outcrops and low, leafy alpine vegetation. The plants have turned maroon or golden brown with the season. A small and squat old wooden fire tower painted brown and faded white sits on a foundation of native stone from the peak around it.
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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On extremely clear days, Katahdin can be seen in the distance, but today was not such a day. That was disappointing, but forecasts had called for an all-day rain, so I was not complaining. The air was dry and comfortable, and the sun was even trying to burn through the overcast.
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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I also had a breathtaking view of Flagstaff Lake, an enormous, sprawling, 11-mile-long expanse of water in the valley below. Beside that ran the long arc of Little Bigelow Mountain, my next adventure.
The sky is overcast, with smaller clouds drifting past below. We are standing atop a lofty mountain. A rocky trail before us winds across the crest and down the mountain. The crest is strewn with gray lichen-covered boulders. There are very small scrub spruce shrubs and small leafy shrubs turned bright reds and golds for autumn. At intervals small rock cairns are piled up beside the trail. There is the long arc of a smaller but still impressive wooded mountain to our right.
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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A new trail relocation covered the descent from Bigelow and the climb up Little Bigelow. The footway was deadly after last night’s heavy rains. It had not yet become compacted from hiking traffic; pieces kept breaking off and sliding away, taking my feet with them.
We are descending from a mountain looking over the treetops to an enormous lake in a relatively flat valley several hundred feet below. Several low mountain ranges cascade to the horizon. The sky is bright and sunny, with numerous clouds along the horizon. The deep blue of the lake and the very few scattered small shadows moving over the brightly sunlit landscape indicate that the sky above us is much clearer. A vast forest surrounds the lake and covers the mountain ranges. Mostly it is the deep teal of the spruce and fir trees, but their are touches of the bright autumn colors of hardwoods.
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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George Steffanos
@GSteffanos
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I took another Maine back flip on the way down.

From my book Then the Hail Came (A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 #AppalachianTrail Thru-hike). Available in paperback, audiobook and eBook: https://amazon.com/dp/B09Q...
08:47 AM - Apr 26, 2024
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