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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 50m

Golden hour January sunshine, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. January 10, 2025, 3:36 PM. #hiking #winter #forest #trail

Beneath a soft blue sky with hazy white clouds, we are walking along an outcrop of dark gray rock speckled with light grey lichen. The late afternoon winter sun is directly ahead, shining through the leafless branches of the forest, creating patterns of shade and golden sunshine. Long swaths of light green moss line both sides of the rock. In addition to the moss, a few pine trees and shrubs scattered among the hardwoods add a bit of color to the sleeping forest.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 1h

🧵1/7 May 9, 1983: Dave and I are having lunch in Bly Gap, just across the state line into North Carolina. One state down and eleven to go. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Beneath a deep blue sky with puffy clouds, we are standing atop a mountainside. A large, rather steeply-sloping meadow runs down the side of the ridge from the crest here, bright green grass broken by reddish brown channels where several runoff streams (dry today) exposed the clay soil. The grass is sparse in spots, lush in others. A few smallish trees with bright yellow buds or tiny bright green leaves just emerging sprinkle the meadow. A forest of larger trees, also budding or beginning to sprout leaves surrounds the meadow. We are looking out across rugged foothills partially cloaked in the intense greens of a more advanced spring season. Several parallel ranges stretch out to the horizon. The nearest range is just as lofty as ours. Their crests are also showing some early signs of green, like ours.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 22h

Gnarled tree trunk, Finch Brook Preserve, Wolcott, Connecticut. November 7, 2019, 4:03 PM. #hiking #forest #monochrome

On a gray day of fog and rain, we are standing beside a tree trunk covered in knots, burls and sprouting small branches from many of the burls.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Creamy swirl autumn sunset. New Britain Reservoir, Southington, Connecticut. October 13, 2019, 5:40 PM. #sunset #hiking #autumn #lake

On the shore of a lake beneath a blue gray sky with banks of clouds, many tinted gold by the setting sun, beginning to fill the sky from our right. The lakeshore is rocky in places, otherwise flattish with low green ground cover. Beyond that, a forest surrounds the lake. Many of its trees are sporting bright red, orange or gold foliage. The sky and far shore are perfectly mirrored on the dead calm lake surface.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

🧵1/7 October 3, 1983, 43 years ago today: Except for one incident, which was only bad for a few moments, the climb up Hunt spur was fun. It was maniacally steep, it had many tricky parts, and it was strenuous as hell. I rather enjoyed it. It was the last big climb. #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Beneath a clear pale blue sky, we are standing on a plateau covered with many large gray boulders, a golden brown alpine plant that looks like grass, and a low ground hugging plant with small bright red leaves. Ahead a very rocky steep slope with swaths of gold and green alpine vegetation rises to a summit ridge several hundred feet above the plateau, culminating in a rocky peak.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

🧵1/14 October 3, 1983, 43 years ago today: The beginning was remarkably easy. The path was wide, relatively rock-free, and climbed at a very gentle grade. It followed a bank of Katahdin Stream up to the base of a set of cascades, where it crossed over to the other bank. #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are standing at the bottom of a steeply sloping narrow ridge running up into the clear blue sky. The ridge is covered with light gray rocks and boulders - it almost looks like a pile of rocks. There are swaths of ground-hugging green plants and shrubs - less near the top, more of them near us at the bottom. There are some patches of red and gold among the green swaths.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Forest floor sunset. Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. March 20, 2023, 6:45 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest

Shot from ground level on a sidehill sloping down from left to right. The right side of the bottom foot or so of a tree trunk stands in the foreground left. The forest floor is covered with rocks, twigs, a few ground-hugging green ferns and many dead leaves, bleached and flattened by a rainy winter. At the top right we can see through some tree trunks the orange sun about to set behind a nearby mountain.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My brother's dog Devo contemplates the universe, Beaver Pond, White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. September 23, 2026, 3:52 PM. #hiking #nature #dogs #lake

A small light brown dog sits on the rocky shore of a lake watching small waves ripple past. He is a mixture of chihuahua, whippet and something a bit more muscular.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

🧵1/7 October 2, 1983, 43 years ago today: A side trail brought me to Big Niagara Falls (no, the other one). The falls were not enormous (no, that’s the other one), but they were impressive enough, and quite scenic. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

The twilight gloom of a rainy day. A roaring stream churns through massive gray and beige rock formations in a lively series of flumes and cascades between forested banks teeming with maples. Red, orange and gold foliage and the bright trunks of white birch trees contrast with the dark green spruce and fir.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

🧵1/6 October 2, 1983, 43 years ago today: My first three-and-a-half miles took me through the end of the wilderness. The Appalachian Trail wound through an attractive forest, and it was gentle walking. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are standing on a hill looking down over the treetops towards a broad river below us. It is raining. The river mirrors the gray sky. The far riverbank is also wooded, but the ridge just beyond is part of an area that was burnt over several years earlier. It is covered with the white charred still-standing trunks of dead trees and some shrub growth. Beyond that ridge are the lower slopes of a mountain that quickly disappear into very low clouds. Some of the trees on our riverbank are turning gold or orange. The trees on the opposite bank are a riot of golds, oranges, reds and greens.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Hiking into the sunset. Violet Trail, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. April 20, 2023, 7:14 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest #trail

Hiking westward on a trail high up the north slope of a mountain. The trees and shrubs around the trail are sprouting buds or small, bright green spring leaves. The sun is setting behind a distant ridge directly in front of us, tinting the horizon gold and orange. The rest of the sky is a pale gray blue.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Meadow phlox at the edge of the forest, Todd Hollow, Mattatuck State Forest, Plymouth, Connecticut. July 10, 2024, 10:40 AM. #hiking #foresT #meadows #wildflowers

In bright sunshine against a backdrop of lush green forest a cluster of blossoms rises from an overgrown meadow. The blossoms are a vibrant pink color with five petals each.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

🧵1/8 October 1, 1983, 43 years ago today: After crossing Pollywog Stream on a logging road bridge, the AT proceeded to Rainbow Stream, which it followed for a good distance upstream. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Beneath a soft light blue sky with a single small cloud in the upper right corner of the photo, we are standing on a shady portion of the shore of a large lake. Our portion of shoreline is covered with tall grasses and a few leafy shrubs. The far shores are low forested ridges, mostly covered with evergreens sprinkled with a few hardwoods showing red, orange or gold autumn foliage. Beyond those ridges, a bit hazy with distance, rises a massive lofty mountain, with extensive alpine regions in its top half.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

🧵1/7 October 1, 1983, 43 years ago today: The first day of October in the North Maine Woods was a warm one — even warmer than yesterday. It was not even a bit chilly when I awoke. The trail today was rugged for this flat lake country. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

It is very early in the morning. The clear sky has little color yet and is almost white. There is a lot of mist and haze in the air. We are standing several hundred feet above a large lake looking out through a large gap in the trees. Other small mountains like the one we are on rise across the lake. The lakeshore and mountains are covered in a forest predominately of dark green spruce and fir. There are a few autumn reds and golds mixed in.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Afternoon sunshine, Giant's Chest, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. October 8, 2024, 4:28 PM. #hiking #nature #forest #mountains

A deep blue sky with banks of fair weather clouds and feathery streaks of haze. Sitting on a rock outcrop high atop a mountain, a small, weather-beaten red cedar to our left. All around us, patches of tall grass, golden brown with autumn, grow through cracks and fissures in the rock. Several hundred feet below, a mostly wooded valley with numerous clusters of houses and larger buildings slants down towards a city on a seacoast around ten miles away. Smaller hills and ridges crease the valley floor. A few scattered trees are showing early autumn color, but most of the valley is still green. A dazzling shaft of sunlight slants down from the upper right corner, sparkling off the golden grasses.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Winter's last stand, Finch Brook Preserve, Wolcott, Connecticut. March 23, 2020, 6:08 PM. #hiking #winter #forest #streams

A black and white photo. A slushy early spring snow had turned to rain. Crossing a small marshy stream winding through a leafless forest. An inch or two of wet, sticky snow clings to the tree trunks and leafless branches. On the ground the snow is even thinner with splotches of dormant grass and twigs starting to poke through. The underbrush of the forest and the marsh plants are also barren clusters of twigs and stems at this time of year. The stream is completely unfrozen, rippled in intricate patterns by hundreds of raindrops. Reflecting the barren trees and gloomy sky, its waters look almost black with swirls of gray.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🧵1/8 September 30, 1983, 43 years ago today: After the shelter, the AT descended for a half-mile to Pemadumcook Lake, which was even bigger than Lower Jo-Mary. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

A hazy, soft blue sky. A breeze is lightly rippling the deep blue waters of a large lake. A long drought has exposed a great deal of rock and gravel covered lakebed, especially adjacent to the shore. A low wooded ridge with a predominantly evergreen forest rises above the far shore.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🧵1/11 September 30, 1983, 43 years ago today: There was no third consecutive night hike yesterday, but I did not miss it by much. At 6:20, the Appalachian Trail passed a small peninsula thrust into an enormous expanse of water. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

The author (24 years old at the time) sits behind a rough wooden desk on the open porch of a rustic wooden cabin. A large green backpack loaded with gear is leaning against the side of the desk beside a pair of brown leather work boots. He has long curly dark hair, a beard and mustache, and is wearing a bright red long sleeve shirt.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

November sunset over Hidden Lake, Fall Mountain, Plymouth, Connecticut. November 7, 2020, 4:57 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest #lake

A windswept rock ledge surrounded by mostly leafless trees and shrubs, although brilliant red leaves still cling to some of the shrubs. A few dozen feet below is a small lake surrounded by low ridges wrapped in late autumn forests with burnt orange and brick red foliage. These forests are mostly silhouetted in the evening twilight. The sun has set behind the ridge over the far shore of the lake painting the horizon and nearby clouds vivid yellows, oranges, pinks and golds.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The big meadow in autumn. Mattatuck State Forest, Plymouth, Connecticut. October 27, 2020, 4:20 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #meadows

A cloudy late afternoon sky. Standing at the edge of a huge field, recently mown, surrounded by forest. Fallen autumn leaves are scattered through the still green grass. The trees along the edge of the field are almost leafless. A shrub just to our right at the edge of the forest is covered with bright red leaves just beginning to turn golden brown.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🧵1/7 September 29, 1983, 43 years ago today: The higher slopes of Boardman were decked out mostly in the dusky teals of a spruce-fir forest, but streaks of color added bright accents. #hiking #backpacking #AppalachianTrail

Beneath a cloudless sky of deep light blue, we are standing atop a mountain looking across a valley to a ridge, then another valley, then a mountain a bit higher than the one we are on. A large fir tree frames the photo on the right, several branches of another fir frame the lower left. Everything else in view is covered with a forest of mostly hardwoods in full autumn foliage. There are bright light greens, golds, oranges and reds, with occasional dark greens of fir and spruce. There are wider strips of evergreen forest on the other mountain, but still plenty of fall colors. Other mountains are visible along the horizon, including the lofty Whitetop Range top left.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🧵1/6 September 29, 1983, 43 years ago today: A relatively-level ridge walk led to Mountain View Pond. Across the small, crystal-clear lake, Boardman Mountain’s slopes were aflame with fall colors. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

A clear deep blue sky. We are standing beside a bush on the shore of a pond. The shoreline is rocky, there are more partially submerged rocks just offshore. A mixed evergreen and hardwood forest surround the pond, continuing up the slopes of a small mountain directly adjacent to the far shore. The evergreens are dark teal, the hardwoods are a riot of reds, oranges, golds, yellows and bright greens.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Rainy October hike at Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. October 29, 2019, 5:55 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #lake

A gray and rainy day, walking a gravel and dirt path. A wooden footbridge crosses the mouth of an inlet on a large lake. Inlet and lake have an abundance of lily pads. There are pine forests on both ends of the bridge, their branches frame the view right and left on our side. At ground level a cluster of leafy shrubs on either end are blazing with red, orange and yellow leaves. The large deciduous trees are mostly past peak with golden brown foliage.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Autumn leaves and lily pads float on a secluded pond, Herron Pond, White Memorial Foundation, Morris, Connecticut. October 24, 2024, 2:44 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #lake

A deep blue cloudless sky. Standing on the shore of a pond surrounded by a mixed forest of pines, hemlocks and hardwoods. The hardwoods have lost many of their leaves, those that remain are the burnt oranges and golden browns of late autumn. In several spots just offshore, including one just ahead of us, there are patches of tall water grasses, green giving way to golden brown here, too. The surface of the pond is almost still, reflecting the trees and the sky. There are clusters of green lily pads which have also collected a number of brightly colored freshly fallen leaves.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🧵1/14 September 28, 1983, 43 years ago today: At the bottom of the long descent from the Chairback range was the second-biggest water ford on the Appalachian Trail: the West Branch of the Pleasant River. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are standing on the bank of a wide but shallow river beneath a deep blue cloudless sky. There are many gray rocks and boulders along the banks and projecting out if the water. Much of the near bank and river are in shade. Everything else is drenched in sunshine. Both banks are wooded, a mix of evergreens and hardwoods. The hardwoods are sporting foliage of reds, golds, oranges and bright light greens.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🧵1/11 September 28, 1983, 43 years ago today: The climb of Chairback Mountain was easy, and an expanse of craggy, buckled slate gray rock cliffs around the summit had the best views of the entire range. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

$Bright sunshine with a few puffy clouds. We see only the portion of the sky right above the horizon, so it is a rather light blue. Standing atop a mountain on rugged cliffs of fractured dark gray rock. A few leafy ground-hugging shrubs in brick red and maroon autumn colors grow out of the rocks. The mountainside below us is covered with dark green spruce and fir trees with some hardwoods sporting orange and gold leaves mixed in. On a plateau a few hundred feet below is a large mountain pond reflecting the otherwise unseen deep blue of the September Maine sky above. Beyond the plateau is a country of rugged mountains and valleys. The plateau and those mountains and valleys are all predominantly the deep green of the spruce-fir forest with a few hardwoods beginning to show colors mixed in.$

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Miniature canyon. Mad River ravine near Peterson Memorial Park, Wolcott, Connecticut. August 2, 2020, 7:38 PM. #hiking #natur #forest #streams

In a forest of hemlock, laurel and small leafy trees, a small stream forms a quiet pool in a narrow opening between vertical rock walls 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters) high. The rocks on our left are the highest, open and covered with thick green moss. To our right they are lower and covered with shrubs and ferns and trees. It is drizzling and has been raining. Everything is wet.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Golden hour ferns, Mattatuck Trail, Fall Mountain, Plymouth, Connecticut. September 9, 2019, 6:21 PM. #hiking #forest #goldenhour #ferns

It is evening in a forest of leafy hardwoods carpeted by lush ferns. The late day sun is low in the pale blue sky, shining directly towards us through all this greenery. Mingled with the deepening shadows, warm golden toned sunshine is backlighting swaths of foliage and glistening off patches of ferns.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

🧵1/15 September 27, 1983, 43 years ago today: The Appalachian Trail continued eastward along a humpy and hummocky ridge. It traveled a rugged course with constant sharp ups and downs through high, windswept forests. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

It is late in the day. Shadows are long, the sun is low in the sky, washing out the sky and glaring off the tops of clouds banked along the western horizon. We are atop a mountain looking out over the treetops of a mixed forest of fir, spruce and northern hardwoods turning bright yellows and golds. Across a sprawling wooded valley with splashes of golds, reds and oranges another lofty mountain range runs across that western horizon.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

🧵1/5 September 27, 1983, 43 years ago today: The trail’s first breakout from the woods was about halfway up the mountain at the top of Barren Slide, where fractured slate cliffs trailed a jumble of boulders far down the mountainside, #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

$We are high up a mountainside standing atop an enormous dark gray outcrop of fractured granite covered with splotches of darker gray lichen. Several weather battered fir trees and hardwoods grow through crevices in the rock. The hardwoods sport bright red or yellow leaves. The vast wooded valley far below is mostly in the shadow of clouds, with a few patches of hazy sunshine. A corner of a large lake is visible at the top right. It is extremely hazy, almost foggy.$

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

New Years Eve golden hour at the old abandoned quarry, Giant's Head, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. December 31, 2024, 3:58 PM. #hiking #forest #mountains

A deep blue evening sky with billowing fair-weather clouds. The evening sun is directly behind us, casting long shadows towards the base of towering reddish brown cliffs straight ahead. It is also painting those cliffs with a rich golden light. The cliffs are almost bare rock, with a few scraggly trees scattered around, leafless hardwoods with a few pines mixed in. A fringe of red cedars and more leafless hardwoods run along the top and down both sides of the cliffs.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A ridgetop park road that has been closed to vehicles for several decades. Baldwin Drive in autumn, West Rock State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. October 21, 2024, 2:00 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #oldroad

A narrow, long-abandoned paved road along the flattish, wooded crest of a mountain. Its edges have become overgrown with grass and small leafy plants. Straight ahead, it passes through a mature forest of stately hardwoods. Today they are ablaze in dazzling golds, yellows and oranges beneath a deep blue cloudless sky. The forest floor and most of the old road are just as colorful, blanketed in freshly fallen autumn leaves. A very narrow strip down the center of the road has just a light scattering of leaves.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

🧵1/4 September 26, 1983, 43 years ago today: I passed two more attractive ponds as I traversed those ridges for five-and-a-half miles, but toward the end I was growing weary of all the climbs and descents. I was relieved when the Appalachian Trail came out at Little Wilson Falls. #AppalachianTrail

A large brook cascades over precipitous ledges of cracked gray slate laid out like a series of irregularly placed steps. The surrounding forest is very dim in the late day light.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

🧵1/4 September 26, 1983, 43 years ago today: The Appalachian Trail left the road and entered the woods, soon reemerging at the shore of another beautiful mountain pond. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Beneath a soft blue partly cloudy sky we are walking along the shore of a lake rippled by a strong breeze. Water levels are low, the shoreline is a swath of jumbled gray rocks that are usually part of the lake bed. The forest surrounding the lake is a mixed hardwood and evergreen forest. Several of the hardwoods are turning gold and orange with autumn.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A taste of honey... fungus. Honey fungus, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. September 27, 2024, 5:16 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #mushrooms

A closeup of a rather large clump of dark golden brown mushrooms with irregular edges, dark brown centers and hairy scales on the tops. Most are slightly bowl-shaped, a few have very pronounced upward curves. The surrounding bit of forest floor is covered with freshly fallen leaves and clumps of grass.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Small stream running through an autumn meadow and forest, Northville-Placid Trail, Blue Mountain Wild Forest, Adirondack Preserve, New York. September 11, 2024, 1:07 PM. #hiking #autumn #forest #streams #meadows

Beneath a cloudless deep blue sky a small, tranquil stream meanders through a meadow of waist-high golden-brown grass with occasional strands of green grass and a few leafy shrubs. We are standing on the bank of the stream. Beyond the stream and the meadow is a forest of mostly spruce and fir with some northern hardwoods starting to turn reds, golds and oranges.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🧵1/8 September 25, 1983, 43 years ago today: I became briefly lost while returning down the side trail from Moxie Bald to the AT. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are atop a mountain, looking out over a series of striated gray granite outcrops along the crest, partially covered by a forest of stunted dwarf spruce and fir sprinkled with a few hardwoods covered with bright golden autumn leaves. We are looking down at a huge valley dominated by a very large lake reflecting the very hazy very pale blue sky. In the misty distance beyond the lake a series of forested low mountain ranges cascade to the horizon.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🧵1/7 September 25, 1983, 43 years ago today: Indian summer in western Maine. The weather is perfect: warm, sunny days followed by frosty nights. The insects of summer have, for the most part, died off for the year. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Standing in a fire tower atop a mountain. Much of the visible crest of this mountain is large outcrops of smooth gray rock streaked with dark lichen mixed with a weather-beaten forest of spruce and fir. A second rounded peak ahead has a massive open rocky area around its summit. We can see for miles across a vast wooded valley with some large open fields and a lake to a range of mountains running along the horizon. The sky is clear with a few tiny clouds.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Fossilized remains of ancient trees, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, March 1984. #hiking #Southwest #desert

A deep blue desert sky with streaks of cloud. A mostly arid, gravelly rolling ground with clumps of spring vegetation. Scattered around are the remains of ancient trees that have crystallized into brown rocks streaked with rainbow colors.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Psychedelic sunset, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. March 20, 2021, 6:40 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest #lake

Walking a dirt and gravel footpath along the shore of a pond. The path and adjacent shoreline make a 90 degree turn right ahead, then follow a narrow peninsula with a forest of leafless trees waiting for spring. Already rather low in the sky, the sun is shining directly towards us through the branches. To our right we can see a small corner of a small cove on the lake, most of the lake is out of frame. A small patch of thin ice sits near the far shore. The rest of the bay is open water, rippled by gusty breezes. Those ripples are distorting the silhouetted reflections of the trees into a psychedelic pattern of wavy loops.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🧵1/8 September 24, 1983, 43 years ago today: The climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain from the shelter was the worst section of trail I had hiked in a while, but nothing could bring me down today. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are atop a mountain, looking out over the tops of spruce and fir trees running down the mountainside sloping down ahead of us. The green predominantly spruce and fir forest stretches out as far as we can see. Directly ahead is a wide, flattish valley with a couple of small ponds amid the forest. Beyond that rises a single mountain. A few gray cliffs along the side facing us and near the top break up its forested flanks. Other mountains rise in the background. The sky is a hazy bright white. A mix of sun and clouds is creating patches of bright sunlight and shade across the scene.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🧵1/8 September 24, 1983, 43 years ago today: From the bank, it all looked so peaceful. Golden sun-drops swirled innocently over foam-flecked blue and soft breezes stirred the pines. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

Beneath a hazy blue sky with a few streaky clouds we are standing at on a shaded rocky bank of a wide but shallow river. The opposite shore is also a jumble of rocks and small boulders, a long, narrow bar of ricks and gravel lies not far from that riverbank. A low wooded ridge rises above the far bank.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Haircap moss and boulder, forest floor, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. August 23, 2024, 4:34 PM. #hiking #forest #moss

A rather extensive colony of bright green moss with starburst-shaped leaf clusters grow next to a large, irregular-shaped boulder covered with dark and light gray lichen. Wisps of grass, most of which is golden brown and dormant, grow along the near edge of the moss.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Hazy ball of fire sunset, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. May 21, 2021, 7:45 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest #lake

A soft blue sky that is almost completely filled with gauzy swirls of thin, cream-colored hazy clouds. We are standing beside a lake. The sun, setting behind the wooded far shore, is a bright yellow orb through the haze tinting the surrounding haze vivid orange and gold, and creating a long fiery reflection on the rippled lake surface. A nearby cluster of green lily pads is also catching the last golden rays.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🧵1/8 September 23, 1983, 43 years ago today: I fell in love with Pierce Pond and decided to pass the night upon its shore. A shelter sits a few feet away from the pond’s southern tip in a beautiful forest of shaggy cedars with a nice spattering of spruce and pine. #backpacking #AppalachianTrail

A bright whitewashed early morning sky. Standing in shadow along the shore of a large pond. A breeze is chopping its blue waters as morning sun just hitting the far end of the pond is stirring up some morning mists. Sunlight is also hitting a low ridge above the far shore with a mixed forest of deep green conifers and hardwoods with bright foliage, including numerous white birch.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🧵1/7 September 23, 1983, 43 years ago today: The AT followed the Arnold Trail for almost two miles. It crossed a flat, very boggy area surrounding the inlet stream for Middle Carry Pond but stayed well to the north and out of sight of the pond itself. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are standing on the shore of a cove on a lake. The sky is a soft deep blue with fluffy clouds. The lake is an even deeper blue, a fresh breeze is chopping its surface, small waves are breaking along the shore. Dry weather has left much lakebed exposed, creating a shoreline of light gray gravel, rocks and boulders. There is a great deal of bleached white driftwood piled up at the normal waterline up against the edge of a lush forest. The trees are mostly dusky green conifers, with a scattering of white birch and other hardwoods turning gold with autumn. A low ridge rises above the cove.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Soft pastel sky sunset, Scoville Reservoir, Wolcott, Connecticut. June 9, 2021, 8:26 PM. #sunset #hiking #forest #lake

We are walking a dirt and gravel footpath with grassy shoulders overgrown with wildflowers and small leafy shoots. We walk past a small copse of trees on the right and then along the shore of a large lake. The right shoulder slopes several feet steeply down to the lake, the left is a similar slope down to a flat swath of grass along the edge of a forest. Up ahead the path arcs right and then left again. At that second turn a cluster of several spreading trees grows along the shore. The rippled waters of the lake mirror a soft pale blue gray sky with gray clouds tinted peach, pale pink and cream pastel tones by the setting sun.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Evening on the trail, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, Connecticut. August 23, 2024, 7:04 PM. #hiking #forest #mountains #trail

Walking a trail through a lush hardwood forest on the side of a mountain. The sun is sinking low in a soft blue evening sky, shining an orange-tinged light through the trees ahead. The footpath is a swath of dark brown earth and small gray rocks, while the surrounding forest floor is blanketed in grass, ferns and small leafy plants. A large fallen branch lines the trail to our left.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🧵1/8 September 22, 1983, 43 years ago today: The ascent of Little Bigelow was gradual and the new trail well laid-out. The AT reached the ridgeline of the mountain and traversed a series of rocky knobs, several of which had open ledges. The sun had finally broken through. #hiking #AppalachianTrail

We are standing on open light gray rock ledges atop a mountain looking over the treetops at a much loftier range of mountains arcing to our left as it stretches into the distance. Its slopes descend towards a valley on our left. There are some rocky patches along the ridge crests and a set of massive gray granite cliffs to the left of the crest as it ascends the nearest mountain. Everything else in the picture is covered with a lush forest consisting mostly of teal colored evergreens, with streaks of hardwoods turning red, gold and orange for autumn. The sky is clear and bright, but a bit hazy and whitewashed. The ledges are covered with pale green and dark green lichen. There are a few stunted spruce and leafy shrubs that have turned brick red or bright gold with autumn.

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George Steffanos @gsteffanos.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🧵1/7 September 22, 1983, 43 years ago today: Morning emerged reluctantly from the murk, leaking a cold, bleak light through the persisting deluge. I glanced outside, rolled over, and slept in until 8:30. #backpacking #hiking #AppalachianTrail

The sky is overcast, with smaller clouds drifting past below us. We are standing atop a lofty mountain on its alpine summit. A rocky trail before us winds across the crest and down the mountain. The crest is strewn with gray lichen-covered boulders. There are very small scrub spruce shrubs and small leafy shrubs turned bright reds and golds for autumn. At intervals small rock cairns are piled up beside the trail. There is a smaller wooded mountain to our right. The rest of the frame is dominated by a portion of a huge lake in the otherwise wooded flattish valley below. Beyond the lake is a low wooded ridge and then another valley with two more lakes visible. Beyond that are more ridges and valleys with a slightly larger peak on the far horizon.

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