Date: 2003-09-11
From: Katahdin Stream Campground (1090ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ)

To: Baxter Peak, Katahdin (5267ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ) 
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: broken clouds

¢The translation of the Indian word Katahdin is ¢greatest mountain.¢ The native Maine Indians considered the mountain a holy place and, to keep white men away, according to some, invented the mythical Pamola, the deity of Katahdin, who would purportedly destroy any man who ventured too close to the mountain. The first recorded ascent of Katahdin by Euroamericans came in 1804, when Charles Turner, Jr., reached the summit by the same rocks-and-roots route used by the Appalachian Trail ¢ the Hunt Trail. Since then, the mountain has captured the imaginations of many, including Henry David Thoreau, who explored the area in 1846. Thoreau Spring, on the Tableland, bears his name, although he never made it there. From Katahdin Stream Campground, it is a 10.4-mile trip to the summit and back. The ascent packs an elevation gain of almost 4,200 feet into five miles.¢I have beaten Pamola and climbed Katahdin.11 September 2003Aloha! Yepper, I have slain the deity and climbed Mount Katahdin. It was all I could have hoped it to be. Shall I share with you the toil, the weather, the tears, the joy, the sadness, and the festivities? I believe so. Especially since you¢ve hiked this hike also and I never could have completed it without you. Let¢s go.The strangest thing happened last night, I slept pretty much like a log. Since I only had one beer I can¢t think that played much part in my having one of the best nights sleep I¢ve had on the trail. I¢m guessing it was shear exhaustion because not even the excitement of today could keep me awake. Very weird. I lay awake for at least an hour before I actually got up and packed my stuff though. I lay there remembering all the days, people and events that got me to this point. It¢s been a long, arduous, emotional journey and it¢s almost complete. It¢s somewhat surreal being here. With warm thoughts of the many that have helped me get to this point, I got up and got moving.With everyone¢s stuff stowed in either Matthew or Don Quixote¢s trucks, we were pretty much ready to slackpack our way to the top. I carried little more than things to keep me warm at the 5267-foot summit if needed, my lunch, water, a couple of other odds and ends, and my hiking poles stuffed inside. Pizazz had recommended leaving them completely but they¢re my third and fourth legs and I couldn¢t do it. They were going with me ¢just in case¢. We all left at slightly different times with Old Corpus leading the way and Gutsy following not terribly far behind. Coffee, Matthew and I signed in at the kiosk indicating which trails we were going UP and down at 7:00am. We were on our way.We weren¢t very far into the trail when Matthew and Coffee stopped to take care of the blisters that Matthew acquired during yesterday¢s hike. I wanted to wait with them but¢¦ couldn¢t. This hike was everyone¢s own individual hike. With the adrenaline pumping a little more than originally thought, I left them to continue on my own.In 1.1-miles, I arrived at the gorgeous Katahdin Stream Falls (1530¢). Not wanting to take a chance of not seeing it again because the possibility existed that I would come back down via the Knife¢s Edge or some other trail, I took a few moments to take pictures. I wondered at the time if I thought it was the most gorgeous waterfall along the whole route of the AT because it was on Katahdin or if it actually was the most spectacular. It is absolutely one of the most spectacular if not the most. Even worth a day hike.It wasn¢t long afterward that I caught up with Gutsy. She was doing well and her knee seemed to be holding up. She had a long way to go to get to the top and then back down but she¢s a determined lady. She is definitely GUTSY! We hiked along together for a while but, as it seemed most everyone would do on their way UP, ended hiking our own hikes until we met again either along the way or at the top.As I came out above treeline (approximately 3400¢) I stopped for a moment to take in the weather and the views. We weren¢t getting the crystal clear blue-sky days of the previous four but it wasn¢t terrible. There were breathtaking views of the mountains to the sides and right below us. There just wasn¢t a view of what lay ahead. Clouds rolled in, over and around, clearing at intervals everywhere but at the top. Or at least what I thought was the top. Turned out it wasn¢t but it didn¢t matter, I wouldn¢t have been able to see it either. It was from this point on that the hike became really interesting. As I scrambled UP the often-steep boulders, I realized that at this point the Hunt Trail had thrown in a taste of almost every state I had come through on this Grand Adventure. All the states were represented in a short, but long, 5.2-mile trek. Georgia and its greenery, North Carolina¢s wake-up in-your-face slaps, Tennessee¢s Smokey Mountain highs, Virginia¢s green tunnel, West Virginia and Maryland¢s easy trod, Pennsylvania¢s ankle-twisting rocks, New Jersey and New York¢s smooth and slick rock faces, Connecticut and Massachusetts¢s wooded wonderlands, Vermont¢s own lovely green tunnel, New Hampshire¢s rocks and above treeline breathtaking views, and of course, Maine¢s earlier rocks and roots. They were all here; all represented in their own way. It was pretty cool.In several places, the trail offered iron rungs in the huge rock boulders to assist in getting to the next level of huge rock boulders. A bit of Lehigh Gap and the White Mountains thrown in if you will. I had a blast climbing through this stuff, just as I did in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. It was hard and sometimes scary, especially coming down, but it was also fun. At various times through this part I saw Gutsy, Don Quixote, Coffee and Matthew, Walkabout (the male from many weeks earlier) and others I didn¢t know. Everyone was smiling.At the Gateway shortly before the Tablelands the number ¢2¢ and an arrow are painted on a rock. After all that effort, hand over hand climbing and some teeth grinding moments, there was still two-miles to go to the top. I had to laugh. Once again, the AT teased with its false tops.At the Tablelands, a mile from the top, the trail turned nearly flat. I loved this part of the hike. It allowed me to either run if I wanted or amble along if I so desired. I opted for halfway in between the two. The weather was teasing us by clearing now and then, giving breathtaking views all around¢¦ except for the top. There was a sign about that point that you could see from a little ways off which gave me the impression that I was almost there. When I reached the sign I found a notice asking that all hikers save the alpine vegetation and stay on the trail, I had to laugh. Gutsy later told me that she saw that sign from afar also and started crying - thinking she had arrived at the top! You have to love trail maintainers for their humor if nothing else!As the top came into view, I unexpectedly slowed my step. There was a crowd at the top. The only two I knew from our group that would have arrived were Gutsy and Old Corpus. I watched Gutsy fly across the Tablelands. She was a woman on a mission. Pain be damned. I hadn¢t seen Old Corpus since his departure but knew he was there. I stopped not 50 yards from the top - not quite ready to get there. It was humorous listening to the voices as they floated down to me. Many seemed concerned that I ¢wasn¢t coming¢. ¢Why isn¢t she coming?¢ ¢Is something wrong?¢ I laughed to myself when I heard Old Corpus finally silence them with ¢She¢s waiting for Coffee.¢ I laughed out loud when I heard some else respond ¢Someone¢s bringing her coffee?¢ Yes, I guess someone was! Old Corpus and Gutsy came down and joined me.I was waiting for Coffee, the two-legged kind. I¢ve hiked with many people during this Grand Adventure and treasure each one of them but Coffee is the one I¢ve hiked with the longest. From the day we met coming out of Crawford Notch he has been a constant in my journey and I thank him for that. I waited for Coffee. I wanted us to hit this top together¢¦ and we did. Are you wondering if there were tears? Yes, there were tears. I cried but probably not for the reason you think I did. I believe most tears shed up there are tears of joy. There were many folks having arrived from a variety of trails ¢ all in exuberant moods and all happy to have arrived safely at the top. Many excited that their journey was over and others, like me, sad that my Grand Adventure was coming to an end. I did not want this adventure to end. My tears were a mixture of happiness that I had finally made it and beaten the odds and sadness because I had made it and it was over. It was just a short cry but yes, I did cry. With that said¢¦ let the celebrations begin!You would have thought we had all just climbed Mt Everest. Pictures galore. Individual and group shots were taken. Surprises came out from a variety of people. Thanks to Char, my White House Landing mail drop included Hawaiian leis. I was able to give my hiking friends a lei as a congratulations for having completed the trail. Also included in that package was something I hadn¢t expected ¢ a Hawaiian grass banner reading ¢Aloha¢! Wonderful! Other surprises included Coffee not only bringing his son but also a bottle of champagne to be shared by all. Wench surprised everyone by appearing in a pink and white ankle length skirt! Tropical print at that! She dressed for the occasion! Another surprise was when I found that Wench and Hotdog had carried a flag that had been tag-teamed from the beginning for another hiker named Ted Anderson. Ted had planned on thru-hiking the AT this year but unexpectedly passed away six days prior to his departure. Wench and Hotdog had carried the flag the last 1300 miles. It brings a tear to my eye writing about it. Don Quixote was surprised when those he gave tee shirts saying ¢Katahdin or Bust¢ on the front and ¢Don¢t Follow Me, I¢m Lost¢ on the back pulled them out and put them on. Wench surprised me again when she handed out birthday candles to everyone. When asked why she simply stated, ¢Because this was a piece of cake!¢ Wonderful! Surprises everywhere. Celebrations everywhere. It was fantastic!I had to laugh again as we were clamoring about the sign posing for whatever picture when I heard a day hiker on his cel phone (which aren¢t allowed in Baxter State Park) saying to someone, ¢I don¢t know what¢s going on up here but there are Hawaiian leis, champagne and a really festive party. Wonder what they¢re celebrating?¢ Later, Hotdog¢s wife Sheri told me about the guidebooks informing the readers that they were in for a wonderful moment if they happen to arrive on Katahdin the same time northbound thru-hikers did. That guide was absolutely correct.Along with all the festivities there were other moments just as touching but not as festive. I attended four funerals while on Katahdin. Don Quixote sadly, but touchingly, spread the ashes of his two brothers and father. There was also another funeral shortly before his. Old Corpus and I also took a moment to share our friendship and the surroundings; just the two of us. I will always appreciate our time together. He is so special. In short, I shared many things with many of the people up there and I am honored to have done so.The weather turned out great. As we stood atop the summit the winds would blow the clouds in and out. Mostly out. Ten minutes after having left the top, the sky was crystal clear and blue. We had gorgeous views of the Knife¢s Edge, Chimney Pond and other trails leading to the top. I had considered doing the supposedly hazardous Knife¢s Edge if the weather warranted, and it did, but I chose to return by the same trail UP. I was physically and emotionally tired. The easiest way down seemed the best way.Before going down I had one small decision to make. Not long before leaving for my Grand Adventure in 2001 a friend of my father¢s, JoNell Jordan, sent me a trail angel pendant to carry with me on my journey. That pendant was with me today at the top. My decision was whether I should leave the pendant, as many people do pebbles from Springer Mountain, for possibly a southbounder to take on their journey, or take it with me. I debated long and hard and ended up bringing it back with me. This trail angel had gone through hell with me. I think I¢ll give her a break. Mahalo Mrs. Jordan.I also took a moment to think of those that lost their lives in the attacks on 11 September 2001. I had not originally planned on ending my Grand Adventure on such a memorable day but I¢m glad I did. This journey, and the loss of those lives, reminds me often of just how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to do this. I am one very lucky woman in so many ways.It took me three hours and 20 minutes to get to the top. It took me ten minutes less to get down. After scrambling, hanging on by fingernails and possibly teeth, I realized that I no longer needed to follow the ¢white blazes¢. I could take any shortcut, easier way, less hazardous rock, or whatever to make my way down. I laughed again when I realized I was diligently trying to follow the white blazes to the bottom. My journey of white blazes has ended. I can go any way I want from this point on! What a strange feeling. I can¢t tell you what time I signed off that mountain because Coffee did it for me. Don¢t laugh but I had to pee so badly after so many hours (no where to hide on the Tablelands and limited off trail spots on the rest of the trail) that I literally ran the last half-mile or so. When you gotta go; you gotta go!At the bottom, the next phase of celebrating began. Mama and Papa Wench, along with Mrs. Hotdog (Sheri) and Tom¢s wife, Pat, had a party ready to go. The cloth banner/sign Mrs. Hotdog made for Hotdog and Wench was fantastic. Names, dates, states made from maps, the AT sign, and even Ted¢s name appeared on this wonderful celebration of their successful journey. Champagne, beer, food and snacks filled the table. It was a superb ending to a fantastic hike. We were even joined by CeeBee and Irene as they hiked into Katahdin Stream. They will be climbing the Big K tomorrow. With the ending of the Katahdin Stream party, you would have thought that would have been enough but alas, that¢s not the case. Thanks to the Wenches, reservations had been made at a local restaurant in Millinocket for all to celebrate. Gutsy, Coffee, Old Corpus, Matthew and I had reservations at one of the local hotels while everyone else had the same at one place or the other. After quick showers and finding our cleanest dirty clothes, we met the others at the restaurant. It was a crowd. Wench and the Wench family, Mr. and Mrs. Hotdog, Thirsty Boots, Tom and Pat, two other NOBO thru-hikers Pez and Heather, Vermont Pete, Gutsy, Old Corpus, Coffee, Matthew, and I made up the party. It was a wonderful way to end the day. The topper, besides Wench¢s candles, was when Mama and Papa Wench brought out the cake. I won¢t go into the details on how it¢s accomplished but they had had a postcard of Katahdin with a moose in the foreground transposed in eatable ink on to the top of the cake. It was gorgeous! And tasty! Another job well done. Mahalo Wench family! Okay, I am literally drained. It is time I shut this down and brought this day to an end. I don¢t want it to end but it must. Tomorrow I¢m meeting others for breakfast, driving with Old Corpus to Bangor to pick up my rental car and then return to pick up Thirsty Boots and head back out to Katahdin Stream to surprise CeeBee and Irene upon their return from slewing Pamola. It¢s been a long and wonderful day. Tomorrow will be also ¢ just differently. Thank you for joining me in my Grand Adventure. Hopefully you enjoyed the hike to the top of the world too. I¢ll see ya tomorrow. Aloha for now.Blood, Sweat & Tears: a little blood when the Moosilauke scab was knocked off AGAIN, no sweat, and the tears you already know about.Aches & Pains: knees, but mostly the pain of a Grand Adventure endingMoans & Groans: having to make decisions¢¦. Do I go finish the Long Trail now or go home? No Waah! Just Hummmmm¢¦Critter Count: 1x red fox when leaving the park with the Hotdogs. Hotdog¢s note, ¢We¢re now seeing the dead ¢ Redd Fox.¢ Poor!Countdown: 0