Date: 2012-09-24
From: The Birches Lean-tos (Baxter State Park)

To: Katahdin Cabins (Millinocket, ME)
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: broken clouds

THE BIG DAY!!! OD and i got up early and packed up for the last time so we could meet his parents at KSC. He left a few min before me, and as I was walking down the road, a red car with Florida plates drove past. It stopped and backed up; it was OD's parents! they offered me a ride, but the backseat was full and it was only 0.2 mi to KSC. They had brought me a breakfast sandwich from McDonald's - yay! - which i had along with my oatmeal and tea. OD and I ate breakfast and talked to his parent,s then we took out all the unnecessary stuff from our packs and left it in the car. With just water, food, and extra clothes, my pack was so light it felt like nothing at all! Wish I would have slackpacked before now! OD's dad was hiking with us - he started the trail with OD and made it about 500 mi before he had to go home b/c of his knees. It was really special that the 2 of them got to start the trail together and finish together.The trail started out nice and smooth at a very gradual incline. We passed Katahdin Stream Falls on the left. Gradually, the smooth dirt was replaced by small rocks, which were replaced by bigger rocks, then boulders. I felt really strong, but held back a little so that OD's dad could keep up. He's in good shape, but not as good of shape as we are, after doing this for 6 months straight!The trail soon turned into a bunch of rock scrambles, which were pretty fun as we hadn't done any in a while, and much easier with an almost-empty pack! We got up to treeline and could see a steep ridgeline up ahead with nothing but rocks. We passed a few struggling daywalkers on one section where a piece of rebar was the only way to get up and over a big boulder. Finally, at the top of the ridgeline, we got to The Tableland, a relatively flat section with rocks and alpine vegetation. We could see, way off in the distance, a bunch of people clustered around something - it was the Katahdin sign! We were almost there! My pace picked up - I just wanted to get there, now that I could actually see it.Went up some rock steps, and finally I was at the top! OD and I touched the sign together, and I felt completely happy, to be on top of Katahdin at last. I had expected to feel a little sad, but my emotions were all positive. Od's dad took pictures of OD and I individually and together. it was really cold up there; with the windchill it must have been in the 30s, and our hands were freezing as we tried to take pictures of each other. We were getting ready to leave when we saw Grizzly, who showed us a place to sit out of the wind. We sat for a few minutes, had a snack and enjoyed the amazing views before us. I definitely want to climb that mtn again someday, maybe when it's a little warmer! Being up there was definitely a fitting end to the trail. The climb was tough, and the view at the top made it all worth it. I think it would be so anticlimactic being a SoBo and finishing on top of Springer, where the view is not that great and the climb is not difficult. I got OD to take one more pic of me kissing the sign, which turned out to be my favorite, and then we headed back down.As usual, the downhill was much harder than the up. My knees were screaming at me, but I told them this was the last mtn for a long, long time. I slid down most of the steep parts on my butt. Once we got past the rock scrambles and the trail got easier, I charged ahead, eager to be done. When we were nearly at the bottom, I saw a man in an orange jacket and orange hat with a camera, taking pictures as I walked towards him. I started at him, puzzled, for a few sections until I realized it was Head 'n Out! Tag 'n Along was not far behind. They were going to be summitting tomorrow. As we walked into KSC, we also saw Trail Mama and SOS, then Daystar, Pants and Gribley. Then we walked over to the ranger station, where everyone else was registering to summit the next day. I was sad that we weren't able to finish with our friends, but glad we got to see them and say our goodbyes.OD's parents drov eus into Millinocket, where I met my parents. I took a shower and washed off the 9 days worth of hiker funk, then put on a clean cotton shirt and jeans. Now I look like a normal person again. Weird. My parents and I went out to dinner with OD and his parents, where we wolfed down enormous quantities of food. We are planning to all have breakfast together at the AT Cafe in the morning before heading for home.I may do some post-trail reflections later on, but if I don't, I just want to say thanks for reading and offering your support and encouragement through this incredible journey. If anyone out there wants to know more about the trail or thru-hiking, let me know!