Date: 2012-08-29
From: Abol Pines

To: Katahdin - AT Lodge in Millinocket
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I went to bed around eight last night and woke up around six-thirty. I was in no hurry to get up because I knew if I got to the Katahdin Stream Campground after eleven, I'd have missed the daily cut off and would have to wait until tomorrow to summit. Around seven-thirty, I decided to test the disposable camera by walking back to Abol Bridge to take a picture of Mount Katahdin. Of course plans change out here all the time. Mange arrived at the bridge about the same time as me, knew my plans to summit tomorrow and asked if I wanted to finish today and have my birthday off to celebrate. It was clear he wanted to finish when he mentioned we had about three and a half hours to do the nine to ten miles to the Katahdin Stream Campground before the cut off. Since I¢d have someone to summit with and more importantly take a picture of me at the summit, I was sold. He went inside for a quick breakfast and I told him to catch me on the trail since he's a faster hiker. Three hours and fifteen minutes later, we were at the campground talking to the ranger and filling out our paperwork.The ranger told us it would take us about three hours each way since we were thru hikers and had already come from Abol Bridge this morning. At times, the climb was a combination of the notch and arm with wind gusts above tree line up to thirty miles an hour, per the forecast, although it felt like fifty at times. Some of the gusts were sustained and almost blew me over rocks and down the mountain before I realized it was easier to stand still and let them pass before continuing. We knew about the false summit but for some reason the Knife's Edge had our attention, so the Katahdin sign kind of snuck up on me. I was within fifty yards before I realized how close to the end I was. Part of that had to do with the day hikers that were already atop the mountain. The ranger was right, two and a half hours to the top.It was an amazing end to the trip! It was cloudy but there was still a view of the surrounding below them. Mange took my picture in front of the Katahdin sign with the disposable camera and I took a few for him. I know some people get emotional when they finish but I was calm. I was thinking, yep, I thought I could do this, I gave it a try and here I am, mission accomplished.After thirty minutes at the top, I was getting cold so we headed down the way we came. I would have liked to hike down the Knife's Edge but it was just too windy. I was surprised how much pain my body and particular my knees were in on the way down. I had two thoughts in my mind. The first was don't fall down and hurt yourself now that its over. The second was to promise my knees there will be no hiking or running for thirty days if I get down safely. Back at the ranger station, we got fortunate that someone had called for a shuttle to the hostel in Millinocket just before we arrived and there was room for us. WOW! It¢s slowly sinking in that I am a thru hiker! I was psyched when a woman asked me on the descent if I was a thru hiker because for the first time I could say YES! I was a thru hiker. I didn't have to say ¢We¢ll see¢ or ¢I¢m trying¢. It was weird how it hits you out of the blue every now and then. I was sitting around the hostel, recovering like at the end of any other day, and all of a sudden I think ¢ wait, I¢m done. I¢m not hiking tomorrow. I¢ve finished a thru hike. And then a bizarre grin comes over my face.