Date: 2012-09-06
From: The Birches Baxter State Park

To: Mt. Katahdin!!!
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Well last night i did not sleep very well, i don't think anyone did really, i don't know how any one of us could. i was fully awake at around 5:00am and i just sat there waiting to see if anyone else was awake yet. soon after i hear the guys in the other tent talking so i got up as well. we all packed up our gear for the last time and ate out last trail breakfast with very little words,i think it is sinking in that this is our last day on the trail.We all got loner day packs from the park office so we did not have to take all our gear all the way up to the top and we put the rest of our gear in the office. we started up Mt. Katahdin at around 6:15am and the trail went slowly up steeper and steeper the further up we went. over all we would have to climb up 4200 feet from the park office to the peak. The trail went up and up and it was like most other big mountains, the further up we went the trees got smaller and the rocks got bigger. Soon we were up in the clouds and it looked like we were not going to have any good views from the top, but at that point i could care less about the views, i have seen mountain top views before all i wanted to see that that sign.Soon we surrounded by pine trees then they faded out and it was nothing but boulders, the trail went over, under, around and through a bolder field while going up very steeply. there were a few steel pegs pounded into the rocks because there wasn't other way to get over some of the bounders. soon we got out of the boulder jumble and into a more manageable rock scramble on the very peak of the mountain. The trail went up and up and soon we were above the clouds and we could see all the surrounding smaller mountain peaks poking through the clouds. We finally made it up the big long climb to the Table Lands which is almost at the very top but it levels out flat for a little while and the trail follows flat rocks. The views were spectacular but i was not here to see views, i was here to see the sign and nothing was going to stop me. i all but ran the last mile to the top and soon i could see the sign. Then I was there, right in front of it, i was finished, i was finished, done, it was over. I just stood there in disbelief, but then i came around and let out a big victorious yell, i was finished!!!!Right behind me was Big Sky, then Dirty Girl, Hill Hiker, Domino,, Bucket and then Froth and they all had about the same reaction that i did, smiles all around. We all took turned taking pictures by the sign and slowly one by one we started back down the mountain. I did not feel finished because i still had to go another 5 miles back down to the Park office.I decide to stay up longer than everyone else, it was cold and windy up there so everyone else went down, I wanted to see everyone summit that day. Then the thru hikers kept coming, i am not really sure of the order but here is every one that submitted today: Me(Diesel), Big Sky, Hill Hiker, Bucket, Domino, Froth, Dirty Girl, Rhyno, Mamaw B, Shorts, Aqua Blaze, Caveman, Yosemite, Rayman, Manfred 46, Hot Shot and Tripsalot.We all slowly made our way back down the mountain and made it back to the office to get our gear, we called the hiker hostel in Millinocket so that they would come out and pick us all up. we all sat around once again and talked hiker stuff till the showed up with two suburbans. They then took us into town and got us all settled in and we could then relax. we were FINISHED, and we all deserved to do nothing by sit and relax. For the rest of the evening we celebrated and just had a great time at the hostel. Now here i am doing my last journal entry, i am sure i will do a conclusion entry but that one will have to wait a little while so i can let the feeling of actually finishing sink in...wow i am done...its over...i cant believe it...so i guess for now...night all.