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Pictured: Pen Mar Park from High Rock.
July 14, 1983, 42 years ago today: Entering Pen Mar Park was a relief. In the years around 1900, this spot was billed as the Coney Island of the Blue Ridge, with an amusement park, seven hotels and about a hundred boarding houses. After years of slow decline, the park was forced out of business by World War II gas rationing in 1943.
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July 14, 1983, 42 years ago today: High Rock had a takeoff platform for hang gliders and excellent views north and west of the Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania. A glider was airborne as I arrived. I sat and watched for a few minutes and shot some pictures of the views. The stifling humidity limited visibility, but the enormous valley lay dreamlike beneath the mists.
DC day 1: Approach and Rambaud
Backpacking sucks, but sometimes it's necessary, or at least logistically convenient. I was getting tired of doing mundane, obscure peaks within a moderate day of trailheads, and there remain very few interesting unclimbed peaks for me within that radius (shrinking with age). Thinking upon my mental to-do list, a couple of ideas came to mind. First, though I had day-hi
https://drdirtbag.com/2025/07/13/dc-day-1-approach-and-rambaud/
#Backpacking #California
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July 13, 1983, 42 years ago today: On the other side of I-70, the stiff climb up Pine Knob was a harbinger of things to come. I had been told that the AT becomes much more rugged in the northern half of Maryland. I could also see this for myself by scanning the elevation profiles on my map.
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July 13, 1983, 42 years ago today: I climbed out of Crampton Gap, leaving Gathland State Park. The Appalachian Trail followed the ridge crest along a combination of woods roads and paths similar to yesterday’s route.
https://www.europesays.com/de/264675/ Backpackerin 12 Tage in Australien vermisst: Um zu überleben, trank Carolina aus Pfützen | News #Australien #Backpacking #CastropRauxel #Deutschland #FeldhausKai #GärtnerKolja #Germany #Headlines #Krankenhaus #Nachrichten #Natur #News #Reisen #Rettung #Ruhrgebiet #Schlagzeilen #texttospeech #TopNews #TopMeldungen #TopMeldungen #TopNews #Urlaub #vermisst
Getting ready to take the kiddo on her 1st backpacking trip into desolation wilderness. Only a 3 mile hike in, I think it'll be a bit slow to get there, but am packing a couple lollipops to help keep her on the trail and make the trek a little sweeter. Really excited to spend a few days with the family under the stars 
#backpacking #California #adventure
Last year in mid-July, I was backpacking the Gray Wolf and Cameron Creek loop in Olympic National Park. Beyond the Three Forks campsites, we only saw 4 people in 4 days. If you need some nature solitude, please consider this less-traveled trail so it stays maintained just by some boots on the trail. This photo is from descending Cameron Pass into the Cameron Creek alpine meadows.
(tall photo might need a click to see full view)
Just published a new blog post: a solo walk through Knoydart in 1995. Three (ish) Munros, and a stormy night above Mam Barisdale. A look back at the gear I carried, and the ground I crossed.
http://noroutemap.co.uk/2025/07/08/a-walk-back-in-time-through-knoydart/
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July 12, 1983, 42 years ago today: Not far past the shelter, the Appalachian Trail left the canal path, crossed the B&0 Railroad tracks, passed under US 340, and began the ascent of South Mountain. That is the long ridge I will be following throughout Maryland and into southern Pennsylvania. The climb was not all that bad.
Starting Thursday, VA7SGY and I will be doing a #backpacking trip in Manning Park, BC. You might recognize it as the end of the Pacific Crest Trail, although we won't be going to the border cairn. We'll be using the Mowich campsite as our base.
Hoping to do four peaks, so keep an eye out on SOTAwatch and Pota.app. I believe they will all be in the provincial park boundary.
CW and FT8, and maybe some SSB.
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July 12, 1983, 42 years ago today: On the Maryland side of the river (5 states down, 9 to go), I crossed the remains of the old Chesapeake and Ohio barge canal. It was a main artery of trade between Washington. D.C. and the interior for a time after its construction in the mid-1800’s. Badly damaged during a Potomac River flood in 1924, it was never reopened.
German backpacker survives 11 days lost in Australian outback! A remarkable tale of resilience and rescue. #SurvivalStory #Australia #Backpacking
Read more: https://ndpost.org/national/lost-german-backpacker-survives-11-nights-in-australian-outback/
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Pictured: the Potomac River when I crossed it leaving town July 12.
July 11, 1983, 42 years ago today: After a mile of descent, the trail crossed the Shenandoah River on a highway bridge and climbed the steep bluffs lining the opposite shore, beginning the last mile into town. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is located on the roughly triangular-shaped peninsula between the rivers
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July 11, 1983, 42 years ago today: After four miles on the Appalachian Trail, I reached the junction with the Loudon Heights Trail, which descended steeply off the west side of the ridge into West Virginia. I turned onto this path, which is part of the blue-blazed alternate route through Harpers Ferry.
AZT 2025)
VA7XF CN89 
