You, too, belatedly. Been a little out of it lately.

Standing beside the shore of a large lake. Just in front of us at the edge of the lake is a small thicket of leafy plants, grass, dandelions an clusters of tiny white wildflowers. Hundreds of lily pads are floating in clusters upon the lake. A tiny wooded island far offshore is near the top right of this pic. Beyond that, the far shore and the ridge rising behind it are both heavily wooded. A water tower sits atop the ridge near the top left of this pic. Low, dark and angry clouds drift above the ridgeline. The setting sun is a blaze of gold and yellow through a break in the clouds along the horizon. This is mirrored on the lake surface below.

Angry clouds sunset, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. July 9, 2021, 8:05 PM.

#sunset #hiking #forest #lake

The afternoon sun is shining down through a forest, creating fascinating sunshine and shadow patterns. the trees are decked out in the intense greens of spring, mirrored in the rippling waters of a river running through the forest. A wide path runs along the near shore of the lake. The forest floor is grassy, and new green leafy shoots of underbrush are just starting to sprout.

Sing me sunlight and shadows (h/t Jackson Browne). Mill River, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. May 26, 2023, 3:29 PM.

#hiking #forest #trail #river

You can read or listen to my book for free if you are a Kindle Unlimited eBook or an Audible Plus audiobook subscriber. Both options are available from Amazon, where the paperback, eBook or audiobook can also be purchased.

Then the Hail Came: A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Then the Hail Came: A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike [Steffanos, George] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Then the Hail Came: A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike

🧵7/7
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 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike). Available in paperback, audiobook and eBook: www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFG4ZR6

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 there are touches of the bright autumn colors of hardwoods.

🧵6/7
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.

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.

🧵5/7
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.

🧵4/7
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.

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.

🧵3/7
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, 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.

🧵2/7
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 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.

🧵1/7
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 #AppalachianTrail

Walking a dirt and gravel path beside a large lake. The path is raised about 10 or 15 feet above the lake to our right and a flat stretch of grass to our left. The right shoulder of the path slopes steeply down to the lake and is covered with a wild profusion of leafy shrubs and wildflowers. The left shoulder slopes steeply down to that grassy area, which has been recently mown. The opposite shore is heavily wooded. It is post sunset, the sky is filled with thin clouds streaming past us tinted bright pink and darker purple from beyond the horizon by the rays of the sun. All this is mirrored on the gently rippled lake surface.

Pinking of you sunset. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. August 9, 2021, 8:08 PM.

#sunset #hiking #forest #lake

We are in bright sunshine although the visible sky to our east remains cloudy. We are standing next to a rustic fenceline of unfinished wooden posts supporting several strands of barbed wire. Beyond the fence, a small river runs in a graceful S curve between two pastures of lush green grass speckled with scattered yellow dandelions and small white wildflowers. Pale golden brown water grasses line the riverbanks. A small grove of beautiful trees with very light gray bark grows along a short stretch of riverbank to our left. In the distance a range of rugged green mountains runs across the entire horizon, just brushing the clouds in a few spots.

Riverside pasturelands on the Pacific Coast Highway in Washington, with the Cascade Range in the background. March 1984.

#hiking #pasture #mountains

Note: I'm finally starting to work on my hiking blog for my aborted August hike. I'll have a link soon. A hard fall on a steep descent cut short my plans for a six-week hike after one great week. This will put off my sequel AT hike until 2027, but there will be new hikes next year.

Places I've Been | Then The Hail Came George Steffanos My 1983 Appalachian Trail Hike in Photos. There are around 750-800 photos here scanned from my 1983 slides. I believe this to be one of the oldest thru-hikes on the Internet to be documented in photo...

🧵5/5
Bourne Pond was almost as large as Stratton Pond, and just as lovely.

More of My 1983 Appalachian Trail Hike in Photos at www.georgesteffanos.com/places-i-ve-...

Beneath a whitewashed evening sky we are standing next to a large lake looking out over a bog packed with dense low leafy plants along the shoreline. The near end of the lake is filled with bleached pale gray husks of a couple dozen trees stripped of bark and left to die by beavers. They are partially submerged in the water. Similar husks can be seen around the lakeshore.

🧵4/5
After brushing the western shore, with that view of Stratton Mountain, the trail passed through several mossy bogs, crossing them on wooden bridging and steppingstones. I emerged from the woods at Bourne Pond, which the trail skirted with more gorgeous views across the water of the mountain.

Beneath a cornflower blue sky with a puffy white clouds we are standing on the shore of a large lake. A small shrub growing along our rocky shore frames the pic to our right. The far shore of the lake is heavily wooded, sloping up to the crest of a low ridge.

🧵3/5
The hollow was a shallow depression in a wide plateau which nestled against the western slope of 3900-foot Stratton Mountain. The western shore of the lake gave a picturesque view of that famous mountain, which would be covered with skiers in a few short months.

Beneath a deep blue sky with a few clouds we are standing on the shore of a large lake. The unsubmerged portion of tree trunks and branches that fell into the lake is a few feet ahead. A peninsula to our left and the far shore of the lake are heavily wooded, except for a single visible cottage far to our right. A tall green mountain rises above the trees on that shore.

🧵2/5
I came out of the woods at Stratton Pond, a large mountain lake in an extensive hollow encircled by low ridges. It was a lovely spot, particularly on a crystal-clear day like today, with the blue water glittering in the sunlight.

Beneath a deep blue sky with a few clouds we are standing on the shore of a large lake looking out over some tall water grasses. There is a white rock and a small tree to our left. The unsubmerged portion of a tree trunk that fell into the lake is a few feet ahead. The protruding tip of a single branch of another submerged dead tree is a short distance past that. The far shore of the lake is heavily wooded, except for a single visible cottage. A tall green mountain rises above the trees on that shore.

🧵1/5
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 #AppalachianTrail

Standing beside a lake on a beautiful late summer day. The evening sky is a soft gray blue beginning to fill with long streaky clouds near the western horizon. The recently set sun is tinting parts of those clouds bright orange and gold. This is all mirrored on the dead calm waters below. The far shore is lushly wooded. Just in front of us on the near shore is a dense thicket of green leafy plants. Long clusters of tiny bright yellow blossoms top about a dozen of these.

Goldenrod sunset, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut, August 15, 2021, 7:45 PM.

#sunset #hiking #forest #lake

A flat grassy glade surrounded by and shaded by a lush forest. A soft blue late afternoon sky is visible through the canopy. The sun is offscreen top, straight ahead of us. Lengthening shadows are flecked with small patches of golden sunlight. The grass around us is turning golden brown with the season, the foliage is an assortment of yellows, golds, oranges and bright greens. A few moss covered boulders and small leafy shrubs are scattered across the glade. To our right a rocky trail skirts the meadow and disappears over the edge of the plateau as it descends through the forest ahead.

Grassy forest glade on a golden October evening, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. October 8, 2024, 4:11 PM.

#hiking #autumn #forest #meadow

You can read or listen to my book for free if you are a Kindle Unlimited eBook or an Audible Plus audiobook subscriber. Both options are available from Amazon, where the paperback, eBook or audiobook can also be purchased.

Then the Hail Came: A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Then the Hail Came: A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike [Steffanos, George] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Then the Hail Came: A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike

🧵6/6
where the Appalachian Trail crossed Tennessee Highway 19E.

From my book Then the Hail Came (A Humorous and Truthful Account of a 1983 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike). Available in paperback, audiobook and eBook: www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFG4ZR6

🧵5/6
The path was a recent relocation, and the soft ground, not yet compacted by foot traffic, kept crumbling away beneath my boots. Many stretches were overgrown, and the route was constantly blocked by fallen trees. It was slow going most of the way to the bottom of that descent,

🧵4/6
From Doll Flats, the Appalachian Trail descended north off the state line ridge into Tennessee, and I said goodbye to North Carolina as well. Two states down.

A deep blue sky with fleecy white clouds. The lush green grass is interspersed with stalky plants and many white wildflowers. A handful of leafy shrubs are scattered across the meadow, which slopes uphill from our left to our right.

🧵3/6
however, the Appalachian Trail broke out into the clear one last time, one mile later, at a place called Doll Flats. From this large, level meadow were great views southward into North Carolina, and, to the west, one last excellent farewell look at Hump Mountain’s summit.

A soft blue sky. Standing in a grassy meadow far up the mountainside of lofty Hump Mountain. The lush green grass is interspersed with stalky plants, small white wildflowers and leafy green shrubs. There are some gray rock outcrops to our right as the grassy crest descends into a sag and then climbs over a knob. The flank of the mountain is wooded. In the near distance, the wooded flanks of a long, lofty mountain with several peaks rises above us.

🧵2/6
Obviously, southbounders will remember the climb up Hump Mountain just as northbounders remember the ascent of Roan. The east slope of Hump was densely forested from a point just below the summit and beyond;

Looking up a mountain slope from the bottom of a grassy meadow filled with patches of yellow daffodils. To our right is a wire fence with rustic wooden posts that runs up the middle of that slope. Small patches of trees and shrubs grow along either side and hide much of the fenceline looking uphill. The very top of this slope is the wooded summit of a knob. Beyond that are the forested slopes of Hump Mountain rising above everything. Many of the trees on the top of the knob and the slopes of Hump Mountain are budding and everything is bright greens and yellows because it is still springtime at these elevations.

🧵1/6
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 #AppalachianTrail

Walking along craggy gray stone cliffs under a deep blue sky with a large swath of thin hazy clouds partially obscuring the sun straight ahead. To the right is a deep ravine running down the mountainside, with another peak rising beyond. The forests along our cliff and the peak across the ravine are a riot of oranges, golds, yellows and bright greens, with a scattering of deep green cedars for contrast.

Indian summer cliff walk, Right Knee, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. October 25, 2023, 3:23 PM.

#hiking #autumn #forest #mountains

Four adult Canadian geese stand on a grassy slope near a rough gravel woods road. They are protecting five goslings, still in their baby fuzz. One is lying by itself between them. The other four are standing in a tight cluster just behind the adults. Offscreen trees are casting long shadows across the grass and the road in the evening light.

Four adult Canadian geese assume defensive positions around five goslings. New Britain Reservoir, Southington, Connecticut. May 21, 2020, 6:17 PM.

#hiking #forest #birds #geese