Date: 2004-09-17
From: Kathdin Stream Campground

To: Baxter Peak, Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Our worst fears were realized when we woke up. It was raining. Damn!We were hoping this would hold out until tomorrow, oh well. Grass and I had started moving around when she spotted the guys. My brother Mike and friends Sam (MailTragic) and Darrel were coming to make the final climb up the Sacred Mountain with me. I jumped back in my sleeping bag. It was very early and it would not do to frighten them before the big climb. It was before 6AM and for them to see me awake this early might unsettle them too much. It was Sam who (not without reason perhaps) named me Sleeping Beauty after all.It was great having the guys join us for our final hike. But I had mixed feelings about the day as you can imagine. The whole hike had come to this, the final Mountain. I was ready to stop hiking, six months of hauling my pack up and over mountains is a long time. But to leave this now familiar life and these new friends, that was a different thing entirely. I was elated to be reaching this goal that had always seemed so far away. I was blessed to be sharing this with such good friends. I was happy to be leaving behind all the physical toil and deprivation. Lord knows it has taken its toll. But it was also a sad and sobering moment. Tomorrow we would all be leaving the Trail and going back to our separate lives. I thought of all my new friends that had already done just that. Dragon Slayer, Flora & Fauna, Leki-less, Wicked Lobstah & Buddy, Slim & Biscuit, Camel, Scuba, Bandicoot and all the others. They had been slipping away for a while now. Now it was our turn. So, we set about the task of getting ourselves together for the final hike. I emptied my pack of everything but the bare essentials, and added a nice bottle of Pinot Noir that Sam brought for the summit. We got a little later start than we had planned, no need to change tactics on the last day. MailTragic lead the way for the first section followed closely by Grass, Uncle Ben, Slips and myself. Rain Man and Jason had started an hour or so before us and Michael and Darrell were following a little behind. We were still in the trees when we encountered a couple of ladies that had been stranded up on the mountain last night. We were told to keep our eyes out for them by the ranger this morning. It seems they had been caught up above treeline when it got dark last night and spent the night in the rain huddled together under a space blanket. They seemed in fine spirits and were moving well when they stopped to congratulate us on our eminent thru-hike completion. They were very excited for us.As we approached the treeline up in the drifting clouds, we were greeted by some nice views of the surrounded peaks. The clouds were starting to break up and we could see momentary glimpses of the peaks and valley below before more clouds would sweep in and obscure the views. There were giant rocks to scramble over and some even had iron handholds drilled into the rock to help us climb up. We had caught up to Rain Man by then and we made our way, helping each other up to the Tablelands. As we climbed blue sky was visible more and more through the breaking clouds, and as we approached the summit it had cleared altogether revealing spectacular views and warm sunshine.Ben could wait no longer, and as we stopped to snack and take a rest, he sped ahead and made for the top. Grass, Rain Man, Sam and I stuck together and pushed on for the summit at a slower pace. We could see the crowd at the top and were even passed by Jason as he was on his way back down. We told him that since the weather had cleared, Ben and I, at least, would be descending by the Knife Edge trail. So he took Rain Man¢s car keys so that he could pick us up at Roaring Brook Campground on the other side of the Mountain. As we neared the top the wind was very strong. Ben returned from the summit and climbed the final bit with us. Before I knew it we were there. Standing next to the sign I had seen so many photos of. Where in the weeks before so many of our friends had stood. Where those friends behind us would stand after us. I felt as if we were all there together in spirit at least. To share the same place and feelings that those who made it before us had experienced, and those after us would, made me feel as if they were there with me. I was happy to be there. It was beautiful up there. We could see the Knife Edge and it looked wild. The 360-degree views were mind blowing. Katahdin is a spectacular place and fitting end to the Appalachian Trail. The wind was fierce, so when Michael and Darrell arrived, we took shelter in the rocks on the leeward side. With a wonderful view of the valley far below we had our last meal together on the trail. The guys had brought some cheese and bread, sausage and chips, and other treats for us to enjoy up top. We opened the wine, and some sparkling cider, and toasted ourselves, and our accomplishment. There was one person not here that I missed most of all. My girlfriend was home in Italy and could not be here with me. Darrell had brought his cell phone and he soon had her on the line. It was so great to share this moment with her, to hear her voice on the top of this mountain in Maine. Thank you Sweetie, for being so supportive and loving me through this thing.(Thank you Darrell for the phone, it was worth the toenail you will surely loose.)All good things must come to an end, so it came time to leave this place and hike down the Mountain. The bulk of the group elected to return by the same trail we came up on. Uncle Ben and I could not resist the draw of the Knife Edge Trail. The wind still threatened to blow us off the narrow ledge, but we did it anyway. We were the last to leave the summit that day. As we reached the end of the Knife Edge, I looked back and across the gulf we could see a tiny speck that was the cairn that marked the peak. It was already so far away. One last look and we headed down the mountain, through the trees and back to our separate lives.