Weekly Overview
DAY 120
August 30, 2019
- Route: Monson, ME (Mile 2077.5) to Long Pond (Mile 2092.6)
- Daily Mileage: 15.1 miles
Today was my first day in the 100-Mile Wilderness, but I didn’t feel that daunting pit in my stomach that many hikers get when they enter it.
Perhaps it was because I didn’t begin the journey by passing the infamous sign warning hikers to take 10 days of food with them. I wasn’t going to have to push through all 100 miles unassisted with all that weight on my back.
Instead, I was following the wisdom of the age old question, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer: one bite at a time.
I was planning to break the 100-Mile Wilderness into smaller chunks. I’d slackpack a 15-mile section SOBO today. Then I’d hike with a lighter pack for another 15-miles tomorrow until I got to my food drop. And only then would I attempt the final 70 miles with all my gear and food.
I was going to eat this elephant one bite at a time.
WISDOM
After nearly 4 months of walking, I’ve settled down enough to realize that every challenge isn’t there for me to prove how tough I am. I know in my heart I can I could shoulder a heavy pack and take off into the 100-Mile Wilderness without assistance.
I’ve done it before on this hike. And I’ve done it on other hikes. But I wasn’t injured then. And I didn’t have 2,100 miles of fatigue on my joints and muscles.
The new question is do I want to do that? Honestly, who am I doing this hike for? Am I out here to prove something to other people so they can validate my worth? Or am I going to do it the way that makes sense for me in this moment?
Making some concessions to break the 100-Mile Wilderness into easier chunks isn’t going to erase all the hard things I endured on this thru-hike (or in life in general). I’m simply making my hike more enjoyable.
100-MILE WILDERNESS – PART I
I wasn’t the only utilizing the option to slackpack SOBO to Shaw’s today. Two other hikers named Robin Hood and Anchor were heading out with me, and our starting point was an old logging road that took quite a bit of time to get out to.
Consquently, we didn’t get on trail until around 9:30 am this morning (an admittedly late start for thru-hikers). I wasn’t fretting though. We also only had 15.1 miles to go to get back to Monson this evening. That was more than enough time, even with the sun setting earlier and earlier each afternoon.
The terrain only had a few moderate climbs and my knee felt pretty good thanks to my newly purchased knee brace and super light pack. The first real test was a talus field and I had no problems at all.
This section of the 100-Mile Wilderness included several rivers, but I didn’t want to get my shoes and socks completely soaked fording them. Hiking in wet footwear for too long tends to result to my feet developing blisters. Risking that nuisance just seemed silly. It was warm enough out here and the water was low enough that I could ford the streams in my sandals instead.
It took a bit of extra effort to take my shoes off and put them back on at every river crossing, but I had time. And it gave me the opportunity to really slow down and enjoy the scenery.
If I’d come into this section as I’d originally planned (NOBO and straight through the 100-Mile Wilderness), I know I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it nearly as much. I would have my blinders on, with tunnel vision for Katahdin as I raced through past all the good stuff toward the finish line.
Around 4:30 pm, I made it to the sign announcing the boundary for the 100-Mile Wilderness, but I almost missed it because I was coming from the opposite direction. I bet when SOBO hikers get here after their first grueling 100 miles on trail they are jumping for joy!
And then it was just another small stretch over some rocks back to the parking area, where I’d get a ride back to Shaw’s for the night.
RULES, RULES, RULES
Back in Monson, I got cleaned up and headed down to the Visitor Center in town for one last task. An ATC volunteer gathered a bunch of my demographic hiker data for their 2019 stats, and then set about telling me all the rules about Baxter State Park so I didn’t get in trouble.
Once you exit the northern end of 100-Mile Wilderness, your next major landmark is Abol Bridge. This is where the trail crosses over the Penobscot River, and it’s the park boundary for Baxter State Park.
NOBO hikers still have 9 more miles to go from Abol Bridge to to Katahdin Stream (the trailhead at the base of Katahdin), and then another 5.2 miles to the summit of Mt. Katahdin from there.
So, assuming you are planning to coming back down from the summit on the same you route you took up (i.e., the AT), you have right around 20 miles left on your thru-hike once you get to Abol Bridge.
But, here’s where things get difficult. There is no stealth camping permitted inside Baxter State Park, and hikers are required stop, read, and sign this notice before entering the park.
The state of Maine knows (from experience, I suspect) that many hikers are willing to thumb their nose at rules they don’t necessarily agree with. So Baxter also has park rangers and courtesy patrols all along the AT corridor inside the park to strictly enforce these no-camping rules.
In addition, only 12 thru-hikers are permitted to stay at the sole AT shelter (aka The Birches) that sits between the park boundary and trailhead to Katahdin’s summit.
With this 12-person quota in place, there’s a high probability of a giant logjams occurring inside of Baxter State Park. So there’s a sign-up sheet near Abol Bridge immediately before you enter the park’s boundary on the AT.
If the sign-up sheet for the Birches Shelter is full when you arrive, you need to either:
- Wait outside the park and sign up for the next day or when there’s room;
- Try to get a coveted online reservation at the park’s campground at $25+/night; or
- Stay at a hotel or hostel in nearby Millinocket, Maine.
And if that all wasn’t enough, there was even more rules…
- Immediately before you actual begin your climb up Mt. Katahdin, you also need head over to the closest Ranger station to register for a summit permit.
- And, you better plan to begin your ascent early because you aren’t allowed to depart from the trailhead after 10 am.
All those pesky details really seemed to overcomplicate the process of getting to the northern terminus of the trail. It felt almost as if the Baxter State Park is erecting unnecessary roadblocks to foil any plans a hiker might have of hiking to the summit with all their friends or trail family.
But those rules are there for a reason. Katahdin isn’t just a mountain. It’s a sacred place for the native Penobscot Indian Nation. Maine takes their job of protecting their cultural and religious site seriously. The inconvenience these rules place on AT thru-hikers isn’t really at the top of their priority list.
So, after digesting all that info, I felt fully overwhelmed. But I thanked the ATC volunteer for her time nonetheless. I just needed take some deep breaths and relax. In a few days, I’ll be finishing the trail!
DAY 121
August 31, 2019
- Route: Long Pond (Mile 2092) to Carl Newhall Lean-To (Mile 2113.4)
- Daily Mileage: 20.8 miles
After one final night at Shaw’s it was time to head back to the trail for good. Today, I’d return to the same logging road I’d hiked SOBO from yesterday and I’d head north with Robin Hood.
My decision to take a zero before the 100-Mile Wilderness and to slackpack SOBO yesterday means pretty much my entire trail family is ahead of me. Everyone else was heading NOBO the entire way.
And although I’d only hiked 15 miles yesterday, I had my eye on getting a bit further today. I had a lighter pack with only a day of food in it, and a shuttle driver from Shaw’s was going to drop the rest of my food off at Katahdin Ironworks Road this afternoon.
I was hoping carrying less weight today would allow me to keep a good pace and give my injured knee one final break before the push to the end.
MY PRECIOUS VISOR
The ride out to the trailhead occurred a lot earlier this morning than yesterday. Instead of out late start, we were on the trail by 6:45am!
Unfortunately, I made a grave error before I even took my first step. It was super chilly this morning, so I wore my beanie hat on the ride out and put my sun visor down on the truck’s floor with my pack.
Then when I got out, I grabbed my pack and trekking poles, but completely missed my visor. I didn’t even see it when I was getting my stuff out of the truck, and I suspect it might have slid under the seat when we were bouncing down the road.
I didn’t realize my mistake until right after the truck drove off. And by then, the driver was too far down the dirt road to see me waving him to come back. I had no cell service, and there was nothing I could do! I hiked 2,100 miles with my beloved Hikertrash visor and now I’d have to complete the final days of my thru-hike without it. 🙁
I know it’s not the end of the world, but this loss bummed me. I’ve only misplaced one other thing on this trail. My sit pad. And these both casualties occurred in Maine near the end of my journey!
THE CHAIRBACKS
The first 10 miles of the day was going to be a bit harder than yesterday’s tearing. I had to get over the Chairbacks, a series of 2,000’ – 3,000’ peaks that were taller and steeper than anything I’d done since the Bigelows.
The first climb went up Barren Mountain, which had the remains of a fire lookout tower near the summit. As with most of Maine’s peaks, the views were lovely and there were plenty of blue lakes to look out on.
Not long after that, I hit another big milestone. My final 100-mile marker on the AT. It was formed out of sticks on the side of the trail. Robin Hood and I quickly stopped to take pictured of each other and then moved on. We still had a lot of climbing to do.
After the Cloud Pond Lean-To, we only had four more peaks to climb – Chairback Fourth, Chairback Third, Columbus Mountain, and Chairback Mountain. The scenery was gorgeous and I was really loving the 100-Mile Wilderness from this vantage point up in the mountains.
We reached Chairback Mountain right around lunchtime and had just enough cell signal to call Kim (Hippie Chick) back at Shaw’s to arrange for our afternoon food/bag drop.
The folks at Shaw’s didn’t want to just leave a bunch of unattended food or gear in the middle of the backcountry where animals might find it. But they also didn’t want to have an employee sitting out at a road crossing all day long either. So Kim asked us to text her when we got to Chairback Mountain and she’d send a shuttle out to the trail to facilitate our hand-off.
Robin Hood arrived at the summit of Chairback Mountain before me, so he did the honors or sending Kim as text with our ETA and kindly asked for them to look for my missing visor. Maybe the driver could bring that out too!
KNEE PAIN
Our food drop was scheduled for sometime around 2:30 pm, which seemed pretty reasonable. It was only 3.5 miles from the summit of Chairback Mountain to the trailhead at Katahdin Ironworks Road. That gave us 90 minutes to hike 3.5 miles, and it was almost all downhill according to the terrain profile.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t as simple to get there as I’d hoped. My knee was acting up on the descent, and I was falling further and further behind. Eventually I just told Robin Hood to just take off ahead of me. As long as one of us was there in time for the drop off, it would be ok.
By the time I made it to the dirt road, the shuttle was long gone. Robin Hood had my food bag, but – unfortunately – they hadn’t been able to find my visor in the truck. Sigh. I guess I’ll have to just suck it up and drive on.
Although my knee still throbbed with the pain from going downhill, I wanted to keep hiking while I had daylight. The only problem now was I simply didn’t know whether my body would hold up until the next permissible stop.
The next stretch of the AT went through an area named The Hermitage, which is filled with 100-foot tall old-growth trees. There was no stealth camping permitted in this area. So If I wanted to continue hiking this afternoon, I’d have to make at least another 6 miles to the Carl Newhall Lean-To near Gulf Hagas Brook.
My pack was fuller and heavier now than it had been for nearly a week, but I was determined to push on. It didn’t matter how slow I needed to go. If I could make it those additional 6 miles tonight and eat some of this weight down, tomorrow would undoubtedly be easier.
DAY 122
September 1, 2019
- Route: Carl Newhall Lean-To (Mile 2113.4) to Antlers Campsite (Mile 2140.3)
- Daily Mileage: 26.9 miles
I fell asleep last night with a grand plan in mind. If my knee could tolerate it, I was going to try to make some big miles these next few days. My goal is to see if I can catch up to the bulk of my trail family so we can all summit Katahdin together on September 4th.
Based on their mileage goals, it looks Gear Boy and Trail Magic might arrive in Baxter on September 2nd or 3rd. And Toaster, Moss, Daffodil, and Luna are all on track for summiting on the 4th.
So, If I can hike the remaining 70 miles to the Katahdin Springs trailhead/The Birches over the next three days, I could be right there with them for the end of our collective journey!
THERE’S KATAHDIN
Of course, getting those kind of big miles means I needed to get up super early. So I was awake at 5:15 am, packed up, and on the trail before 6 am!
My early start meant I was able to complete the four peaks from Gulf Hagas Mountain to White Cap Mountain before 10 am, which is always a good way to start the day.
White Cap was definitely my favorite of the four mountains. The hike up was a bit rocky, but then the summit opened up and you could see everything around you. White Cap is also the highest of all the peaks in the 100-Mile Wilderness so there was nothing to obscure my sweeping views of the area.
And once I was on the top, I had beautiful, clear views to Mt. Katahdin to the north. It was no longer just a blip on the distant horizon. Katahdin was right there, emerging from the ground with tremendous prominence like Maine’s own Denali or Mt. Whitney.
It was a clear, sunny morning and I felt lucky that I could see it with such ease. The end of my epic journey was in sight. Quite literally!
GAZELLE
The rest of the day, I was pretty distracted with my thoughts about finishing the trail. That’s the thing about seeing Katahdin. If it had been overcast or super limited views up on top of White Cap, I probably would have paid closer attention to my immediate surroundings.
But seeing Katahdin directly in front of me changed everything. I was on a mission now. I was going to hike and hike (and hike) today to see how close I could get!
My views of the end of the trail also had me thinking about Gazelle. She should have summited Katahdin yesterday. Or at least that was her plan. She’d lingered as long as she possibly could with all of us. But as soon as she hit the Maine border, she had to start hiking like the high-octane machine that she was.
Gazelle had to fly back to Oakland, California to start her orientation for her Physical Therapy Doctorate program. And she needed to fly back no later than Labor Day. Tomorrow is Labor Day, so that means she had to summit yesterday (or earlier) to catch her ride down to the airport in time. Man, I sure hope she made it!
A BIG DAY
I tried to pace myself today, and stopped at each shelter and take quick rest breaks so I’d be able to hike the super long day I was aiming for.
I was back to walking entirely on my own again and I barely saw a soul. In fact, the only real activity I saw out here was at the East Branch Shelter where a MATC crew was in the process of building a new privy.
According to the trail’s crew leader, a storm was heading our way tomorrow. Plus it’s supposed to be a chilly, rainy day. This news really lit a fire under my feet. I decided I was going to push one of my biggest ever days on trail yet. A full 27 miles – assuming my recovering knee could endure it. My aim for this evening was the Antlers Campsite right on the banks for Jo Mary Lake.
Luckily for me, the AT cooperated with my agenda. I had some really nice, mellow trail conditions this afternoon and I was able to maintain a really good hiking pace. I felt like I had my mojo back and everything.
The Whites and Southern Maine had been so difficult and slow that I was starting to think I could no longer hike at a respectable pace. But, my legs felt stronger than ever today. I was motivated and the AT was more forgiving that it had been in a very, very long time.
When I got to Jo Mary Lake at dusk, I met a super nice couple who was out for a multi-day trip in the 100-Mile Wilderness. The three of us had dinner together near the banks of the lake and then retired to our respective campsites in the dark.
As I crawled into my tent, I felt awesome. Sure my body was sore, but I’d hiked a 27-mile day (ok, it was really only 26.9, but who’s counting?). I haven’t hiked that far since southern Pennsylvania. In fact, according to my trusty yellow trail journal, today was my 3rd longest day of the entire AT!
If all goes well, I probably only have two more days until I get to Baxter State Park!
DAY 123
September 2, 2019
- Route: Rainbow Stream Lean-To (Mile 2161.9) to Katadin Stream Campground (Mile 2186.8)
- Daily Mileage: 21.6 miles
I was up again at 5:15 am thanks to some latecomers who showed up after dark and decided to pitch their tents super close to mine.
There was no AT shelter here, so they could have pretty much set up anywhere on the edge of the lake. But no. They must have subscribed to the “safety in numbers” theory of camping, and the two of them set up their tents a mere 15 feet away from mine.
The two guys were back up again just after 5 am, talking and smoking right next to our cluster of tents. The cigarette smell woke me up pretty darn quick, and I was a bit annoyed (again) with their choice to camp right on top of me.
On the plus side, I got to see the beginning of a remarkable sunrise on my way back from the privy. The sky was a crazy shade of magenta and violet (thanks to the inbound storm, I think) and the colors looked gorgeous as they reflected in the lake.
A WET DAY
I packed up pretty quick after breakfast, but my rainfly was drenched from the overnight rain that rolled though. Sadly, I wouldn’t have any opportunity to dry it out today either. So, I shoved the wet bundle into the outside mesh area of my pack this morning and figured I’d worry about what to do with it later.
I spent the early hours zigzagging around a series of lakes, which only seemed to add an extra chill to the journey. On a nice sunny day, I’m sure I would have loved the lake views, but today it just make everything feel cold and dank.
By the time I got to Nahmakanta Shelter, the rain was falling pretty consistently and I’d resigned myself to just getting completely wet. It one one of those rainy Appalachian Trail kind of days that followed me all season. In fact, about 1 out of every 3 days was filled with rain on the AT this year.
When I arrived at the shelter, another hiker was already hanging out inside and trying to warm up. I joined him and actually broke my stove out to make some hot coffee and ramen for an early lunch. I don’t usually cook in the middle of the day, but I was willing to make an exception today. The chilly, wet conditions left me with an incredible urge to curl my numb fingers around something warm.
Thanks to today’s wet conditions, I think I spent much of my time focused to my feet l so I didn’t slip. I saw some really vibrant mushrooms at one point (a high point of the day), but I also had to navigate the dreaded wet bog boards that I’ve begun to detest for their slick peril.
The rain temporarily paused just as I rounded Nahmajanta Lake gravel beach. Someone had placed two beach chairs out here, but I didn’t bother to stop and rest in them. They were wet and I needed to keep moving to stay warm.
A bit further up the trail I passed a smaller lake, with several boats and canoes stored on the shore. It seemed crazy to me that someone carried these giant beasts all the way out here to the middle of the wilderness. Before I puzzled out how (or why) someone would go through all the trouble, I found myself hiking toward a lone Jeep Wrangler parked out a trailhead.
DEDICATION
One of the few things I haven’t mentioned in this journal up until now is K2. He’s an older hiker (in his early 70s!!) from New Zealand who’s out here thru-hiking the AT this year. I initially met K2 and his wife during my zero at Shaw’s, and I’ve crossed paths with them at least once a day since then.
K2 began the trail back in February, and was originally hiking the trail solo. But then, his wife flew in from New Zealand and joined him down when he made it to Virginia. The two of them hiked the next 800 miles together and saw some of the prettier sights of the American backcountry.
However, it was never his wife’s dream to backpack the entire trail. So K2 continued on without her for the next several weeks. When he got to the Whites, K2 started having some issues with one of his legs, so his wife returned to support him along the rest of his journey.
When I first crossed paths with the two of them, K2 was already slackpacking his way through the 100-Mile Wilderness and his wife was either shuttling him back to the Shaw’s Hostel for the evening or setting their tent up near trailheads so they could camp together each night.
All us were enthusiastically rooting for K2 to finish. Whenever one of us other hikers would see K2’s wife, we’d give her an update of where we’d last seen him on the trail and how he was holding up physically (so she was ready to support him whenever he arrived).
As I got to a trailhead at Wadleigh Pond Road this afternoon, I saw the familiar Jeep Wrangler that K2’s wife rented down in Portland, Maine. She wasn’t inside it when I passed, but I soon found her just over a bridge. She was waiting under a tent awning where a guy named Iceman had a trail magic station set up.
It was pouring heavy rain when I joined them, and I enjoyed the dry respite for the next half hour. Iceman offered me a burger and hot dog, but I politely declined and took his offer of a beer instead. Sitting in one of the camp chairs, it was my turn to update K2’s wife on his status.
When I’d last passed him an hour ago, K2 was in good spirits, but he moving at about a 1 mph pace. Sadly, I suspected this would be my final time seeing the two of them. I was pushing for another bigger day (~22 miles) and trying to get all the way to the Rainbow Stream Lean-To tonight, and that distance just wasn’t in the cards for K2.
Still, I hope with all my soul that K2 makes it to the end. Seeing his determination is just inspiring!
LET’S ZERO TODAY
I only had 5 miles from Iceman’s trail magic spot to the shelter where I planned to call it a day, but it took me a full 2.5 sluggish hours to get there. Everything was wet. The rain was pouring even harder than it had all day.
I was simply focused on getting to the shelter, cooking myself a warm meal, and drying my wet gear out. Then, if all went well, I’d get a good night’s sleep before hiking my final miles into Baxter State Park tomorrow!
When I arrived as the Rainbow Stream Lean-To though, I almost didn’t get to do any of those things. The shelter was completely packed. Nearly every inch of the shelter was occupied with bodies were lying prone in their nice warm sleeping bags.
WTF?!? Where did all these people come from? I had only seen four other hikers out here all day.
I was able to convince everyone inside to make spot for one more person, but they insisted I change out of my wet clothes first. They were all nice and dry after sitting inside the shelter all day. All seven of them had taken a zero here at the shelter instead of hiking in the rain.
Ok. That is the most absurd thing I’ve heard in a long time. Everyone just sat here all day? Because it was raining?!? They are only 25 miles from the end of this trail and they just stayed put?
Why in the world?!? Had they not gotten wet the entire time they hiked from Georgia?
DAY 124
September 3, 2019
- Route: Rainbow Stream Lean-To (Mile 2161.9) to Katadin Stream Campground (Mile 2186.8)
- Daily Mileage: 24.9 miles
Today I made it to Baxter State Park! I finished the day within 5 miles of the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail!!
But, let’s back up and start at the beginning. I was up at 4:30 am this morning, all excited to get hiking. The sun wasn’t up yet and I needed to get across Rainbow Stream, which was flowing strong and swollen from the last day of heavy rain.
Last night I’d tried to scout a place to cross the river. I really didn’t any want to ford and suffer through cold, wet feet all day long. Crossing in the dark was a bit more difficult that expected, and it took me a while to find the best spot with the lim light of my headlamp. But I made it dry and intact.
When the sun rose, I could see the trail was still moist – but at least it wasn’t raining any longer. Today was going to be a good day for hiking!
IS THAT A MOOSE?
As I got close to Rainbow Lake, I heard something really large moving through the trees. It wasn’t moving super fast, but it was definitely making some noise crashing through the underbrush and plants.
I was hoping this moment was going to be my opportunity to finally see a moose in the wild. If I didn’t see a moose today, it’s probably not going to happen on the Appalachian Trail at all.
Sadly, I never caught a glimpse of the creature stomping through the woods and making all that racket. For all I know, it could have been a hiker wandering off trail to dig a cat hole. Sigh.
Shortly afterward, I was treated to a novel sight though. There were seaplanes taking off and landing on the lake as I hiked around it! So, at least I had something interesting to amuse me during my final miles of the 100-Mile Wilderness.
SUMMIT PLANS
After Rainbow Lake, there was a good climb up to an open granite bald called Rainbow Ledges. It as only a bit after 9am, but I’d already hiked 9 miles this morning. And this spot would be the highest point of elevation for the day, so I turned on my phone to search for cell signal.
I had two bars of service and checked the weather forecast for my big summit. And that’s when I learned another massive storm was heading in overnight and it would linger for the next 24 hours. If I didn’t reach Katadhin’s summit before sundown tonight, I was going to need to hit “pause” on the final ascent of my hike.
That sucked. I’d love to race to the finish and summit tonight. Doing so would mean it took me exactly 4 months from begin to end on this trail. I left Amicalola Falls on May 3, 2019 and today was September 3, 2019.
But as cool as the mental symmetry of those dates would be, I knew I had no real chance of getting to the Katahdin sign today. That would require a 35 mile day – 25 miles to get to Katahdin Stream Campground and then the 10.4 miles (round-trip) up to the summit via the Hunt Trail. Absent a miracle, that was NOT happening.
Tomorrow’s forecast was showing a miserable day with heavy rain, wind, and clouds. I didn’t want to end my hike on that note, so I probably wasn’t going finish the AT tomorrow either. I’d just have to wait an extra day (or two, or even three) to head up on a beautiful morning instead.
I needed a plan for somewhere to stay until the weather cleared. So I called Keith and discovered he was camping in the RV down in Orono, near the University of Maine. Given all my problems with my knee injury, he didn’t expect me to get to Baxter State Park until sometime tomorrow or later. So he was still a 3-hour drive away.
I was only about 15 miles from Katadhin Springs, so we coordinated for him to drive up and meet me in Baxter this evening. I’d head back to Orono and wait for the storm to clear. And then all three of us – Keith, Finn, and I – would complete the final 5.2 miles of my journey and summit Katahdin together just – as we had last August.
BAXTER STATE PARK
With a plan in hand, I set out for Abol Bridge and just did my best to take in my surroundings and enjoy the final miles of the trail. In another few hours, my AT thru-hike would be over. I needed to just soak it all in. My 4-month journey was coming to an end.
When I got to Abol Bridge, I stood there looking down as people floated toward me on the Penobscot River. Just last summer, I’d been in their shoes on a whitewater rafting trip.
It was approaching lunchtime as I arrived at Abol Bridge and I strode inside to grab something to eat. Two other hikers who I’d met back in the Whites (Coach and John the Baptist) were already sitting at the diner’s lunch counter eating burgers, so I dropped my pack and joined them. My belly was ready for a celebratory meal of fish and chips, a local draft beer, and some pie!
I hung out with Coach and John the Baptist until 1 pm, and was overcome with that sated, lazy feeling that always comes with a belly full of town food. I could have easily just parked myself on a bench outside and taken a long nap. But I’d already told Keith I’d meet him in Baxter at 5 pm. I needed to get a move on if I didn’t want to keep him waiting.
I departed Abol Bridge feeling pretty darn satisfied. I down to single digit miles until I got to Katahdin! I’d started out with close to 2,200 miles to go, and now I had less than 10!
The AT entered Baxter State Park by crossing over a small wooden bridge, and the park officials had painted a bright red line over the middle of the bridge to delineate the park’s boundary. This was a bit absurd, but it served to remind hikers that there was no stealth camping once you hit the opposite bank of the stream.
On the far side, there was a kiosk with the sign-up sheet for the Birches (the only shelter between here and the trailhead leading to the summit). Four of tonight’s coveted 12 slots at the shelter were already claimed by other hikers, and the last name on the sheet was Luna’s! Luna was just ahead of me!!
ALMOST THERE!
The final miles through Baxter State Park were mostly flat, but there were a surprising number of streams and river to ford! The AT followed the Penobscot River for the next 3.3 miles, then turned north to follow the Nesowadnehunk Stream that followed as it flowed south and fed into the Penobscot.
There were some humorously named waterfalls (Big Niagara Falls and Little Nigara Falls) along this second stream, and I was super glad I didn’t have to ford either one today. The water was really rushing over the rocks!
After of the series of falls, the AT diverged from the Nesowadnehunk and made a hard right turn toward some ponds on its way toward Katahdin Springs. From Dickey Pond and Grassy Pond, I caught beautiful glimpses of the nearby mountains, and eventually even Mt. Katahdin. I was almost there.
AND THEN I WAS THERE.
Before I knew it, I was at the trailhead for the Hunt Trail (aka the last 5.2 miles of the AT) as it heads up to Baxter Peak on the top of Mt. Katahdin.
The Katahdin Springs campground was just across the way and the campground looked as if it was 100% filled with car campers and day hikers for Labor Day weekend.
Finn and Keith were already waiting for me in the parking lot near the trailhead, and I posed for a quick photo with the trailhead sign. Just four months ago today, they were dropping me off at the Amicalola Falls Visitor Center in Georgia. And now, here they were, picking me up at the base of Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Talk about a surreal journey!
All the big feelings were there just below the surface when I arrived.
- I was so overwhelmed with elation that I was beaming.
- I felt tremendous relief that I never quit on the hard or miserable days.
- I was grateful my body (and especially my knee) held up these past few weeks.
- I felt immense appreciation for all the trail angels and hostels who helped make this journey possible.
- I wanted to hug Keith for picking me up at random trailheads.
- I was proud to show Finn what perseverance could accomplish.
- And I was a little sad that I was there without my trail family.
That last feeling encouraged me to head over to the Birches to find Luna. I hadn’t caught up to him since I saw the sign up sheet. Surely he made it there ahead of me.
But, when we arrived, he wasn’t there. The shelter was completely empty. I would have texted him to track him (and everyone else) down, but there was no cell signal inside the park. My text wouldn’t go through. Sigh.
The best I could do was leave him a note in the shelter log. I told him I made it to Baxter, but was going to hold out for good weather to summit. My current plan was to wait it out for a day, then head back on the 5th and try for a sunny day then.
DAY 125
September 4, 2019
- Route: Zero Day in Orono, ME
- Daily Mileage: 0 miles
I didn’t do much today. I probably should have cleaned my gear or done something productive, but I couldn’t must the drive. All I did was hang out instead as the rain poured around me.
I checked Instagram and saw that Gazelle did, in fact, make it to the summit before she had to return to California. But I had no clue where everyone else was at. No word yet on Luna, Trail Magic, Gear Boy, Toaster, Daffodil, or Moss.
DAY 126
September 5, 2019
- Route: Katahdin Stream Campground (Mile 2186.8) to Mt. Katahdin’s Summit (Mile 2192)
- Daily Mileage: 10.4 miles – round-trip to the summit and back
We were up hours before sunrise this morning, so we could drive back to Baxter State Park. The weather forecast predicted a beautiful day. Yesterday’s storm had pushed through and clear skies were in our future. It would be cold, but I should be clear.
We arrived at the entrance for Baxter before 7 am and there was a line of cars waiting to get in. A black Jeep Wrangler was right in front of us, and I wondered whether it was K2’s wife. I looked just like that Jeep I’d seen over and over this past week.
While we sat parked in line waiting our respective turn to enter the park, I decided to risk a look. Sure enough, it was her!! The two of us stood next to her car, excitedly embracing each other and swapping details of the past few days.
I shared how I’d made it to Baxter two days ago, but I still hadn’t finished my hike yet. I decided to wait for a break in the weather to head to the summit. I still have 5.2 miles left before I finished the AT. But, it all went well, today would be the day.
Then I learned that K2 made to The Birches last night. He was hoping to summit today too, and then he planned to come down the Chimney Pond trail and meet his wife on the far side of Katahdin. Oh, I’m so happy for him! K2 was going to make it! That was awesome!
Once we finally made it through the entrance and to the parking area, it was time to head up the trail. But first, we needed to head to the ranger station to get our summit permit. And that’s when we discovered the trail was closed!!!
The rest of the day’s journey is worth it’s own entry in this trail journal. And so I’ll save it for the next installment.
WEEK 18 SUMMARY
- Lowest mileage day: 0 miles
- Highest mileage day: 26.9 (finishing strong!)
- Days with rain: 3
- Days spent waiting for good summit weather on Katahdin: 1
- Nights I slept at a hostel: 1
- Nights spent in my tent or an AT shelter: 4
- Nights I slept in the RV: 1
- Number of moose I spotted: 0 – not a single one in 290 miles of Maine’s backcountry!
- Consecutive days I ran into K2 and/or his wife: 5
- Number of family members heading with me to the northern terminus: 2
- Number of my trail family heading up with me: TBD
- Total miles hiked this week: 119.7