Misty orange sunset. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. July 8, 2020, 8:21 PM. #sunset #hiking #lake

Autumn leaves floating down the Mill River. Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. November 4, 2022, 2:18 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #river

🧵1/3 May 15, 1983: Eventually the AT descended to a road crossing at Stekoah Gap, where I caught up to Dave. We relaxed for a while in a roadside meadow also surrounded by mountains and acres of national forest. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

A tropical Beach with a small pandanus tree. Aitutaki, Cook Islands, South Pacific. May 1990. #hiking #SouthPacific #tropicalisland

Fossilized coral seacliff, late afternoon, Atiu coastline, Cook Islands, South Pacific. May 1990. Atiu's coral reef grows directly from the shoreline and encircles the island. Eruptions from an undersea volcano have raised the inner portion of the reef to form these cliffs. #hiking #tropicalisland

🧵1/3 September 6, 1983: I have always been fond of South Twin. At 4902 feet, it is one of the loftier summits in New Hampshire, and the ridge crest has an extensive alpine zone. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Monochrome. The day after Christmas in Waterbury, Connecticut, December 26, 2021, 8:35 AM. #city #monochrome

When I lived in Brookings there was a trail I walked often, maybe because it was close to home, but it was also magical. Through a forest drenched with sun rays, a meadow, to dripping moss and spectacular views. See Alt text for more.

Weather-beaten tree atop the cliffs tackles another winter, Giant's Right Knee, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. January 10, 2025, 2:40 PM. #hiking #monochrome #mountains

🧵1/13 August 10, 1983: About two miles from the end of the long roadwalk, we stopped at a little town park in Pawling, New York, about an hour’s drive and two or three universes removed from New York City. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Lush green springtime at the marsh and pond, Herron Pond, White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. June 4, 2025, 3:50 PM. #hiking #forest #marsh #pond

🧵1/4 June 4, 1983: Standing at the top of that large, steeply-rolling meadow, a rural two-lane curved through the green valley below and up over the next ridge. Beyond, there again were Roan and Hump Mountains and the intervening sweep of balds. #hiking #backpacking #AppalachianTrail

Mountain laurel blossoms, Mattatuck State Forest, Plymouth, Connecticut. June 13, 2020, 7:30 PM. #hiking #wildflowers #flowers

🧵1/3 July 1, 1983: It rained throughout the night upon the massive trees and lush ferns surrounding Maupin Field Shelter. The air hung still and leaden, cloaking the old forest in a shroud of dense fog and mystery. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Knapweed blossom, Scoville Reservoir loop, Wolcott, Connecticut. June 10, 2020, 7:57 PM. #hiking #wildflowers #flowers

Fire and ice sunset. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. January 30, 2021, 4:50 PM. #sunset #hiking #winter #lake

🧵1/5 May 20, 1983: The day started off well. It was an overcast morning, but gradually clearing. I made the initial three-mile climb to Clingman’s Dome, the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, in good shape — in about ninety minutes. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

White water lilies and green lily pads in dazzling sunshine, Plunge Pool, White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. July 8, 2024, 2:45 PM. #hiking #waterlily #flowers #pond

🧵1/4 September 16, 1983: The bottom half of the trail up Old Blue Mountain was an instant replay of the ascent of Moody. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Pink water lily and green lily pads in a reflected summer sky, Herron Pond, White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. July 8, 2024, 1:30 PM. #hiking #waterlily #flowers #pond

Umbrella November, stylized photo, Finch Brook Preserve, Wolcott, Connecticut. November 24, 2019, 4:21 PM. #hiking #forest #marsh #rain

Wow seems kinda bad

🧵1/10 August 15, 1983: As I entered Sages Ravine, I crossed the Massachusetts border. Ten states down and four to go. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Smudges of gold and rippling waters sunset. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. June 20, 2020, 8:37 PM. #sunset #hiking #lake

Rotator cuff surgery today. Injured descending over steeply-slanting wet rocks about an hour after this pic was taken. Should be back tomorrow. Hiking over Mount Bushnell as a persistent morning cloud clings to its crest, Taconic Mountains, Sheffield, Mass. August 25, 2025, 9:17 AM. #hiking

🧵1/10 June 17, 1983: No sooner had I begun the three miles of ridge walking on Pearis Mountain, than the sky, which had been darkening all day, turned truly ominous. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Two old trees sunset. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. May 9, 2020, 7:00 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest #lake

Golden hour forest floor near Giant's Left Hip, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. May 24, 2024, 6:50 PM. #hiking #forest

🧵1/5 July 12, 1983: On the Maryland side of the river (five states down, nine to go), I crossed the remains of the old Chesapeake and Ohio barge canal. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

This stone dam's design seems to have been inspired by the old stone boundary walls so common throughout New England. Old stone dam on Beaver Pond and a shady forest, White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. July 10, 2024, 4:11 PM. #hiking #forest #lake

🧵1/6 May 18, 1983: A short while later, we hit the nicest spot I had seen up to that point in the Smokies — a grassy little rolling meadow atop a knob called Little Bald. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Late Afternoon Hike Through the Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Monument (now National Park), California. March, 1984. #hiking #desert

September evening in the forest, Woodtick Trail, Wolcott, Connecticut. September 23, 2020, 5:34 PM. #hiking #forest

🧵1/6 September 5, 1983: Following another brief stretch of hard climbing, I reached the crest of Franconia Ridge. The rugged climbs continued as I followed the ridge crest over Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette. ... #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

The very fleeting emerald green of early spring. Woodtick Trail, Wolcott, Connecticut. May 13, 2020, 6:46 PM. #hiking #forest #springtime

🧵1/7 August 13, 1983: It was still cloudy this morning when I awoke. The air had turned even chillier. I had not seen a morning that cold since Tennessee. After the persistent heat wave #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

A lake like glass in mid-October, New Britain Reservoir, Southington, Connecticut. October 13, 2019, 6:03 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #lake

Burnin' Sky (h/t Paul Rodgers and Bad Company), Hidden Lake, Fall Mountain, Plymouth, Connecticut. November 7, 2020, 4:51 PM. #sunset #hiking #lake

🧵1/4 June 7, 19833: The trail gradually descended along the ridge into the green valley where Damascus lay nestled among the mountains. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Pink and violet Winter sunrise, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. December 6, 2019, 6:53 AM. #sunset #hiking #winter #lake

Golden winter sunset, Giant's Chest, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. February 15, 2023, 4:32 PM. #sunset #hiking #winter #mountains

🧵1/6 July 22, 1983: I took my third and final break of the day about 4 miles past Neys Shelter at Auburn Lookout, the sole viewpoint from the Appalachian Trail all day. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Very old tree. Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. July 6, 2020, 4:03 PM. #hiking #trees #lake

Rainy autumn evening stroll along Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. October 13, 2020, 5:27 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #lake

🧵1/7 May 12, 1983: I also wandered a while along the now-wooded crest of a 5000-footer called Silers Bald before descending to cross a narrow strip of state road in Wayah Gap. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Mossy, rocky stream banks, Mad River ravine, Wolcott, Connecticut. August 2, 2020, 7:20 PM. #hiking #forest #stream

Wild daisies sunset, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. June 8, 2020, 8:26 PM. #sunset #hiking #lake #wildflowers

🧵1/10 September 4, 1983: The scramble up Mount Kinsman was a bear. The AT followed Eliza Brook back up towards the ridge crest. At first, it climbed on a weedy, grassy old woods road above the brook, but it quickly dropped back to the banks of the stream. #hiking #backpacking #AppalachianTrail

Blue flag iris, Scoville Reservoir loop, Wolcott, Connecticut. June 5, 2020, 6:45 PM. #hiking #spring #wildflowers

🧵1/10 August 9, 1983: The next three-and-a-half miles were an easy walk through pleasant forests with no distant views. The Appalachian Trail then crossed New York Route 301 and ascended a very rocky trail alongside Canopus Lake. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail