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 105

Day:  105
Date:  Friday, 15 August 1986.
Daily AT Miles:  27.2
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  2020.2
Total All Miles:  2078.2
Weather:  Mild, overcast.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Muesli, health drink.
  Lunch:  Biscuits and peanut butter.
  Dinner:  Macaroni cheese, instant pudding.
Aches:  None bad.
Animals Seen:  Moose, weasel (?).
People Seen:  1 AT Thru-Hiker (southbound), 10 overnight hikers, 2 day hikers, some others.

Journal:
Got up at 4:30pm and packed up in the dark, putting everything in garbage bags in preparation for the big crossing.  After breakfast, I headed down to the river which was now much lower and covered with a patchy mist.  Quite attractive.  I carried a pole for support but, apart from some slippery rocks, the crossing was something of an anticlimax and, at its deepest, the water was only mid-thigh.  On the northern bank, I rearranged some things and put on my shoes and socks before setting off on a long day of 27 miles.  Fortunately, the first six miles were road-walking and I covered them in good time.  The first of those miles took me through the little village of Caratunk where everybody seemed to be still asleep as I tip-toed through.  I took my first break at Pleasant Pond Lean-To before the steep climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain.  I didn’t bother taking the side-trail to the summit.  The Trail descended the other side through deciduous forest and it was here I disturbed and saw my first moose.  It trotted off into the forest.  I continued to make good time and took my second break at a very pleasant spot on the shores of Moxie Pond.  Then followed the ascent of Moxie Bald Mountain from the shoulders of which there were excellent views towards the bluish mountains in the distance.  I had lunch at Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-To on the shores of pretty Bald Mountain Lake and chatted to a female school-teacher from Philadelphia and a southbound AT Thru-hiker.  With weather reports indicating scattered afternoon showers, I walked the remaining seven miles to my target Breakneck Ridge Lean-To through mixed forest with plenty of bogs.  Already there, with a fire going, was Gary, who was out for a few weeks shakedown in preparation for doing the AT next year.  We talked a fair bit and I went to bed at 8:30pm.  A big, but good, day.  I was initially worried a bit about Gary, who seemed the Rambo-type with knives etc., but he loosened up after a while.
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