Date: 2015-06-03
From: Millinocket, ME

To: Mt. Katahdin, Baxter State Park, ME
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: few clouds

PineCone here, running 'base camp' for 1Step from home in Marietta, GA. 1Step arrived in Millinocket, ME on Sunday evening, 5/31 planning to summit Mt. Katahdin on Tuesday 6/2. He spent an extra night at the AT Lodge there as the weather forecast on Monday night predicted snow and Hunt Trail, the AT, was closed on Tuesday. This morning the AT Lodge provided a shuttle to Katahdin Stream Campground where he made the ascent to Baxter Peak on Mt. Katahdin. He said it was pretty cold, felt like maybe 35 degrees. He was happy!We've traded many texts over the last few days and a couple of phone calls as he walked to the park headquarters on Monday and found a hilltop where he had phone connection. Some last minute preparations included washing his hiking clothes and adding some Permethrin bug repellent for extra protection from what locals say is the worst ever year for black flies and bugs. A NOBO (northbound) thru-hiker arrived on Monday, having hiked 2 hours up Mt. Katahdin and 2 hours down, completing his hike that he started at Springer Mountain, GA at the end of February! There were a few other hikers starting out with 1Step today. For those who don't know, the hike to Katahdin is 5.2 miles or so one way and is the official northern end of the AT and is a very challenging hike. Tonight 1Step will stay at a tent site at Katahdin Stream Campground and hike southbound tomorrow. I understand it is a few miles before he enters the hundred mile wilderness. Somewhere in there he will get a food drop from the AT Lodge so that he doesn't have to carry food supply for the whole distance.We don't know what kind of communication we'll have while he's on the trail. He will post when he can and I'll post when I hear from him. We will also add some info about our gear, food, etc. as we can. He's wanted to do this for such a long time. Let's cheer him on!PineCone out...1Step Here (entry date June 16):The summit to Katahdin was quite the challenge, required much more upper body strength than I had expected. Except for the fact that I had to check my pack and take a day pack from the ranger (to ensure no one tries to camp on the mountain), the day started as any normal hike up the trail passing through very dense forests with mostly thin fir trees. Then came the ascent up to the tree line, some quite challenging spots, wet, steep, and formidable with bus-size boulders, roots, and slippery, but still I could term this a hike. This turned out to be the easy section.After I reached the tree line, I would better term my activity "mountaineering" or climbing. Hiking poles were useless. The climb was technically demanding. Most advances after the tree line for about a mile needed three limbs with solid holds before I could move the fourth limb forward (or rather, upward). These boulders were much larger, more impressive, and required some thought about how to move around or over them.The tablelands were a nice surprise, unexpectedly beautiful. Rare and endangered plants, nearing the top of the cloud cover made for brighter light which gave the tablelands a magical spirit. A plateau covered with about 2 inches of new snow, very windy, and still wet, and getting very cold... and this was June 3rd. The AT at this point is a very narrow trail with guide wires to encourage people to stay away from endangered plants.After a mile or so on the table lands, the more steep ascent to the summit began for another mile and a half. Gladly, I was leaving the cloud cover, the sun shone brightly, the boulders were not quite as big, but still very steep and rocky was the trail. I say trail, it was really just a pile of boulders and rocks with white blazes painted on them. Where it not for the blazes, I would have had no clue which way to go. And with each step, the wind continued to get stronger. Thankfully I had my Rab jacket, windproof.When I reached the summit, I found the cloud cover below prevented me from seeing anything except Knife's Edge, a very dark and sharp peak that reached about 500 or so feet below where I was standing rose out of the white clouds in a very dramatic way. I hope to load the pictures soon. My "hike" started at 8:30 am and I reached the summit some time around noon. Stayed for an hour enjoying the sights, had a great time over lunch.The decent turned out to be the most difficult of all requiring more leaping and hanging than I had expected, lots of upper body use and thin passage ways to work through until I finally reached camp at about 5:30 pm. A very memorable, exhausting (in a good way) day. Wow!1Step out