Date: 2017-10-04
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

10/4Katahdin Stream Campground to Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin 5.2 miles Total miles: 2189.8Today was summit day. After nearly six months of walking through fourteen states in all different kinds of conditions, the hike ended today. It was a sureal feeling to pack up camp, knowing it was for the last time. Climbing Katahdin is considered one of the bigger challenges on the AT. While many peaks are part of a ridgeline, Katahdin rises up alone. The 5.2 mile climb to the summit rises 4,169 feet. Tengo, Gravity, and I left at 7:00. The climb was everything it was reported to be, and I felt a range of emotions as I neared the summit. The peak was covered in clouds with a brisk wind blowing when I arrived at the famous summit sign at 12:15, after a more than five hour climb. Several other thru hikers were there. I took my turn climbing onto the sign to have my summit photo taken. I asked for everyone's attention, explained a bit about Beau, and set the rest of him free into the winds over Katahdin. We made it, Beau! A thru hiker spends so much time focusing on the summit, that the reality of the descent tends to be overlooked. The only way down from Katahdin is to walk. After we had a group photo of the three of us taken, Tengo, Gravity, and I began our hike down the Saddle Trail, which would eventually lead us to Roaring Brook Campground, where our loved ones would meet us. While the ascent was made challenging by large boulders and rock faces, the descent took us down a rock slide which presented all new challenges. We were met about halfway down by Gravity's two sons, Logan and Landon, who hiked up to meet their dad. We arrived at Roaring Brook at 6:00, and my AT thru hike officially ended. Sandy and Kim were waiting for me. As we left the park, I turned in my yellow slip at the main gate. Everyone who hikes Katahdin is required to obtain a yellow slip from the Ranger Station and to turn it in as they leave the park. This is their way of keeping track if anyone is left on the mountain. One man, who like me had just finished his thru hike, apparently broke his hand during his descent of the Saddle. Fortunately, I escaped with nothing but some superficial abrasions and a bruised knee. Kim, Sandy, and I drove to Millinocket, where we checked into the Katahdin Inn and then went to dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. Tomorrow we are meeting Tengo and his wife, Gravity and his family, Sir Poops-A-Lot, and Corrina at the AT Cafe for breakfast. I understand that thru hikers get to sign a ceiling tile. From there, we will drive to Providence to spend a few days with Kim and Sue, and then fly home to Missouri. It will take awhile for the reality of being a successful thru hiker, Class of 2017, to sink in. Tengo and I discussed how our friends and loved ones have also been growing and changing while we have been away tramping up and down mountains. I'm excited about completing my trek and returning home. I certainly feel a sense of accomplishment on completing a forty-year dream. I guess time will tell what, if any, changes were brought about by my adventure. I plan on continuing with my journal until I am back home in a more regular routine. One of my favorite songs is Glory Days, by Bruce Springsteen. In particular, I find the line about sitting around and telling boring stories of glory days to be most compelling. For years, my outdoor buddies at home have had a rule. While it's fine to talk about our past adventures, every conversation must include talk about new, upcoming adventures. I'm not sure in what direction my new adventures will take me, but I do know I will have, God willing, many more of them. I'm going back to sleep in my hotel room now, content in the knowledge that whatever decisions I make tomorrow, they will not include how many miles I plan to walk. Beau and I made it, and that's enough for me for now. I want to thank everyone who has been reading my journal. Your interest and support mean the world to me. I wish you all many adventures, because life is short and there is all sorts of stuff to do.