We are standing hundreds of feet up a mountainside looking down at a river valley ravaged by industrial air, ground and water pollution. Beneath a whitewashed hazy sky the AT climbs through a surreal wasted landscape of naked rock — gigantic boulders covered with chunks of blasted rubble. Occasional black, broken skeletons of dead trees grope upward through the barren mass. There are continuous panoramic views into the smoky industrial valley below. Beyond the heavily localized devastation, the valley and the mountainside across the river from us is heavily wooded. Distant views are heavily obscured by the steamy, dirty air.
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July 25, 1983: The ensuing trail was one of the most intriguing portions of the entire Appalachian Trail. It climbed out of the gap over a huge rockslide.
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