Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	089
Date:	Wednesday, 30 July 1986
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	23.6
Daily Other Miles	0.9 (0.3 shelter, 0.6 restaurant).
Total AT Miles:	1746.2
Total All Miles	1797.4
Weather:	Mild, overcast, fog and drizzle.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Muesli, health drink. Lunch: Cake and ice-cream, cookies. Dinner: Noodles and sauce, instant pudding.
Aches:	None real bad.
Animals Seen:	3 snakes.
People Seen:	1 overnight hiker, some others.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	Got up at 5:30am after a good night’s sleep. It had stopped raining. I packed up and left at 7am, saying goodbye to the others who I’ll probably meet again in the White Mountains. Everything was extremely wet and rain was forecast. Fortunately, the Trail was easy and not overgrown. A lot of it was on roads and woods roads and I made good time – I suspect the miles were short. I climbed to the top of Smarts Mountain without a break. It was very steep near the top and the Trail was extremely wet. It was alpine-like at the top and quite cool and windy. Fog prevented any views. I descended down the difficult rocky and wet Trail and then had some more road-walking before the ascent of Mount Cube. Another wet difficult ascent but, at least this time, I got occasional views through the blowing clouds – they were spectacular. The descent was especially difficult and dangerous in the wet conditions. I slipped and fell twice but suffered no damage. I reached NH 25A at about 2pm and walked the ¼ mile to a small restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately, pancakes were off at noon and they’d run out of apple pie, so I settled for two plates of cake and ice-cream and six big fresh cookies. The manageress was very nice. I left at 3:10pm to walk the remaining 7½ miles I’d planned. More very wet Trail and hence feet. Progress was a bit slower but at least more level. It was through old forest, reclaimed farmland and past weekenders. I stopped with three miles to go to find there’d been a relocation. The distance was supposed to be the same but, of course, the new Trail was slow and I didn’t reach NH 25C till 6:40pm. I crossed it, and then a stream, and found a good campsite on the other side amongst the pines. I decided to try a fire despite everything being wet and was successful. I set everything up as quickly as possible because of the forecast rain but, fortunately, it held off and it was a pleasant though hurried evening. I went to bed at 8:50pm.