In 1986, a few days after running the Boston Marathon, and following a year of touring the US and Canada in a campervan, I set off by train to realise a dream to walk the Appalachian Trail. I first heard about the Trail from the American wife of a work colleague in Melbourne a few years earlier and had since read widely about the trail. The Trail follows the crest of the Appalachian Mountains for more than 2,200 miles along the eastern side of the US. Starting in mid-spring, I followed the trail northwards from Springer Mountain in Georgia to its northern terminus at Mount Katahdin in Maine, finishing in the late summer. It remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, fostering an ambition for more such experiences and inspiring me to retire from work early enough follow through on that ambition. In 1986, only about 80 people each year completed the whole trail, but during that year National Geographic did a feature article on the Trail and its popularity increased dramatically.

Appalachian Trail - Day 065

Day:  065
Date:  Sunday, 6 July 1986
Daily AT Miles:  24.6
Daily Other Miles:  0.2 (shelter)
Total AT Miles:  1282.7
Total All Miles:  1321.3
Weather:  Hot, humid, hazy.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Eggs, toast.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, chocolate pudding.
Aches:  Pain next to right big toe.
Animals Seen:  Deer, chipmunks, squirrels.
People Seen:  1 AT Thru-hiker, 8 overnight hikers, 8 day hikers, many others.

Journal:
Got up at 6:30am and left the Hostel at 7:10am, saying good-bye to Steve (?) and Verna.  I first went to a phone box and called Barb who was unexpectedly home, and we had a good chat for about 20 minutes.  I then walked up the road a little way to Hilda’s cottage to return the Hostel key and she made good on her promise to cook me breakfast.  She was obviously a talented lady – writing and painting – but seemed to be in poor health.  We had a good chat while I ate and she showed me the baby skunk she was raising – cute.  I left at 8:10am and crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, optimistic that things were on the up despite the very hot day forecast.  I stopped at the Visitor Centre in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area that Barb and I had visited in the rain last October on our way to New York and finished off a bottle of Pepsi I was carrying.  I then set out up the Trail which was well-travelled and easy walking for the four miles to the attractive glacial lake, Sunfish Pond.  From there, the Trail degenerated into the same old Pennsylvania rocky Trail.  The going was slow and hot.  After another few hours, I reached Rattlesnake Spring and met Jerry from Ohio who was an AT Thru-hiker and having trouble getting going again after a four-day lay-off with his parents and girlfriend.  I was like a godsend to him and he attached himself to me.  A likeable guy, but I hope he doesn’t plan to walk with me the whole way to Maine.  The remainder of the day was spent trekking along a low rocky ridge in high heat and humidity with occasional views marred by the haze.  Near the end of the day, the former blister between the big and second toes on my right foot began to hurt a lot.  I limped in the last few miles to Brinks Road Shelter and arrived at 7:15pm.  It was very hot with mozzies around so we both erected our same tents (you can sleep with no clothes on in the tent!).  After a hurried dinner, I got to bed at 9:00pm and spent time on my diary and re-reading letters before lights out at 9:30pm.
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