Date: 2016-10-06
From: Katahdin Stream Campground/Baxter State Park

To: Baxter Peak, Northern Terminus of AT
Miles today: 5.2

SUMMIT DAY   or as Big Cypress said STORMING THE MOUNTAIN 173 days Living on the Appalachian Trail while Hiking63 Days off Trail with Moonbeams broken femur 236 days from start to finish! Katahdin Stream Campground 2183.9 to Baxter Peak, Northern Terminus of Appalachian Trail 2189.1 for 5.2 miles      ** You have arrived at your destination, the route guidance is finished!We woke at 4:30, anxious for the day! Big said he didn't sleep well, I slept ok. But, I was up at 3:30 and never went back to sleep. I put on a warmer fleece layer over my sleep clothes and made quick work of my morning trail support jobs. Eggs and oatmeal were on the menu, oatmeal was off menu quickly as donuts were put in its place. We had breakfast around the campfire, nice & warm! Tent stayed up to dry out, and that helped Animal to be ready when Big was!! First time, since Aug 30 in VT. Animal & morning don't get along!! They were on trail at 6 am. Our tent site is on the trail, so easy peasy! Site 21 is awesome!! I went to the ranger station at 7 to get them checked in. As I missed it last night, shut the door at 5, oops. So...Animal was #1087 and Big Cypress #1088. Liz went to our site and got worried because I wasn't there. She met me on the path to ranger office. We visited, had coffee and joined for coffee by Huckleberry's dad and granddad. Sat around the fire to stay warm. In the 30's maybe 40 degrees this morning. Close to or about 70 high for today. Clear & Sunny & Gorgeous!! Liz packed up camp. Ladybug joined me for coffee and waited for his ride. Liz head out to Abol Campground about 11 am. I went for a walk up the trail toward the summit. Its pretty nice trail, not too many roots & rocks! I left some hearts made with red maple leaves and a couple with yellow leaves, not sure tree make or model. I also found some twigs on the ground and fashioned Two Peas, in a couple places on trail edge. I can't believe we are here! It's 12:42 now, Big thought they would be back by 1. I told him not to rush, take his time & be safe! The Lord has watched over us and walked/hiked/climbed, and drove with us!! He isn't going to stop now! I did hear the helicopter this morning, can't bear to walk to the rangers office to check. Yesterday 2 day hikers needed rescued off the mountain, the ranger told me this morning when I was checking them in. PS, the rangers have been nothing but amazing! Don't believe what you may hear. I guess sometimes your bad experience, could be Your Bad experience!For the accomplishment, Animal gets a special card for completing his 582 miles, Big does too for his Thru Hike, along with the paperwork to get his 2,000 Miler Certificate. I believe the card is mainly for the 100 Mile Wilderness or as Liz says, the 100 Acre Woods!!1:30 pm, Big Cypress logged n the trail register that party of two returned from the summit. Even though Animal had stayed behind to help an older injured hiker, down to the tree line. Two other hikers took over for Animal and cared for the gentleman. Animal arrived at about 2 pm. So....when I saw a brown hat & blue shirt through the trees, I knew it was Big. I started walking towards him and I completely lost it, I was a blubbering mess. Just about hysterical!! We hugged for several minutes and I regained my composer. We sat & talked & Big Cypress ate, while we waited for Animal. When Animal finally arrived, I greeted him up the trail with a fist bump and congratulations!! Ok, so Big and I were talking about this last 5 miles. "If I didn't have to go up there in order to finish I wouldn't have, I would have turned around & went down." "It's a dangerous mountain & precarious edges." Hats Off and DEEP bow to those who have reached the sign for that famous finish picture and Conquered their fear of heights etc....Friendly Nate met them while they were up on the mountain, they were coming down and Friendly Nate going up. Bam....Friendly Nate grabbed Big Cypress in a bear hug and said Congratulations!! Big Cypress knows now how he got his trail name. They also saw Jay & Katie, on the Table area of summit, Jay said "that was interesting" pause for effect "in a facetious way." Then they parted ways, saying "we will see you later." The summit was littered with Day hikers aka Filthy Hikers, as they don't care for the environment as much as thru hikers (in our hiker family experience) as one hiker put it, we live in the woods and you don't poop in your living room! We left Baxter and head for the campground for showers and snack/sandwich. Then into town to wash our stinky clothing and sleep gear. Hannaford's grocery for two whole rotisserie chickens, one for each. I had a little wrap with some lunch meat. In camp at 7pm, bed by 7:20pm. Texting the family and our hiker family, until my folks & Suds had me in tears. My parents had to say goodbye to their beloved kitty, Chloe. She was very sick. Then Suds was blubbering at my texts, which made me even more emotional. A long journey comes to an end. Not as we had envisioned, but still an experience we won't ever forget, an experience that changed us in ways we see now and ones that won't show themselves until later. It was a big mental challenge, along with the beatings our bodies took after hiking daily day in and day out. Not to mention the broken femur!! We made our network of hiking family bigger and that know the Struggle Was Real!! Thank you Jesus for keeping us safe and hiking beside us. Thank you Animal for relaying this journey, taking over the 582 miles I/ Moonbeam couldn't complete. God saw that you needed to spend time with your dad and made it all happen! Thankfulness flows from this momma's heart!PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR PICTURES ON THE PHOTO TAB TO THE LEFT IN THE BLUE AREA.