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 084

Day:  084
Date:  Friday, 25 July 1986
Daily AT Miles:  25.3
Daily Other Miles:  0.2 (shelter)
Total AT Miles:  1645.1
Total All Miles:  1692.2
Weather:  Hot, humid, overcast.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, Quik
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter.
  Dinner:  Noodles, instant pudding.
Aches:  None bad.
Animals Seen:  Chipmunks.
People Seen:  15 day hikers, 8 overnight hikers, some others.

Journal:
Got up at 5:30am and left soon after 7am after spending some time itinerary planning.  Figured out that I can probably last until Hanover before buying food if I stay at the Inn at Kent Pond.  If so, it mans a lighter pack for the climb over Killington.  It was a warm morning made a little bearable by a strong breeze.  The Trail was high on a ridge for quite a long time.  The vegetation is becoming conifer-dominated at altitude.  I was in good spirits (lighter pack) and made good time.  The Trail was occasionally rocky and boggy, but soft underfoot is good for the feet.  The Trail passed Griffith Lake, an attractive pond, and later the even more attractive Little Rock Pond.  In between, it gave excellent views from Baker Peak.  Despite some fatigue, I pushed on to a late lunch at the pretty Greenwall Shelter before negotiating the last 4½ miles to Minerva Hinchey Shelter.  Rain was forecast and it looked threatening, but held off.  Yet another Shelter to myself.  I wasted 20 minutes finding the spring (wrong directions in guide book) but, apart from that, washed and had dinner as normal and retired by 9pm.  Just 500 miles to go.  There’s a few mozzies around.
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