Date: 2008-06-01
From: Baxter State Park

To: Katahdin Stream Camground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My brother and Earl dropped Jeff and I off at the Katahdin Stream Camsite at about 9:30am. We set up camp at site #17. Before hiking Katahdin we went to the rangers station to check in and purchase some fire wood. No rangers were there. The cabin was empty. There was a log book out front on the screened porch. Jeff signed in as himself and Ias Phoenix3. Baxter State Park provided smaller day packs as a courtesy to hikers. Basically it was an honor system as they expected their gear to be returned when you were done. I took a red pack that was inreasonable condition. Jeffs primary trail pack also had a lumbar day pack as the top compartment, he used that. Having these day packs allowed a 45+ lb. decrease in weight for us while climbing Katahdin.Katahdin was w tough mountain, its inline was constantly challanging. We kiked over 4000vertical feet in less than 5 miles... pretty much straight up. We only had a 10 mile day in front of us and it was a good thing because we were both struggling at our ascent. Toward the top of the mountain a dark grey cloud hovered over the last few hundred yards of the summit. Jeff and I agreed that if it began to thunder that we would turn back with no hesitation. So we moved in toward the cloud. The wind picked up immediatly and the temperature dropped significantly. We were getting pelted by specs of rain but it wasn't bad. There were some areas at the top of Katahdin that were extremely steep. It was close as can be to a technical climb (rock/mountain climbing). While 5000 feet vertical your mind eliminates the risk and danger and focuses at the task at hand... one step after another. We wound through skinny canals of giant granite and carefully decifered our next moves over the jagged boulders.Jeff and I reached the summit. The rain was getting worse and we began to hear thunder in the thick clouds around us. We picked up our pace and headed for the alpine line for safety from the storm. As we decended from the summit I became extremely hungry. It was sudden and could not be ignored. I felt that my balance and wits were being effected by an empty stomach. We cruised past a group of younger guys that we had passed on the way up. We literally took 5 steps outside of the grey cloud and we were back in the blue sunny skies of summer. We hid behind a giant boulder and ate a snack of granola and jerkey. The wind was still pretty brutal where we stopped and the boulder blocked it for a peaceful break.Camp was good, it rained off and on and the bugs were relentless. We ate Pad Thai freexe dried food. It was the best damn Thai food I have ever had! Right before settling in for the night I was brushing and flossing my teeth. While I was flossing I realized that for months I have been practicing flossing while intentionaly not looking in the mirror. Every time I flossed I would think to myself, "you won't have a mirror on the trail, practice with your eyes shut". Sounds stupid... and it is, but I just flossed for the first time in the woods and had this major flash of the past months of thinking about the trail.I'm exausted and going to sleep.*Campground elevation = 1080ft.*Mt Katahdin elevation = 5267ft.