Date: 2006-09-08
From: The Birches, Baxter, ME

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: few clouds

I Got-R-Done! a perfect day too! Sunny, great friends to summit with! And My uncle Chuck made it too! It's been such and incredible journey! I can't even begin! Congratulations to all those who have finished and Happy trails to all those who are still hiking or have gotten off trails! So, here's how the day went. I didn't get up at 2 am! I didn't get up at 6 am, but when I did wake up, at 7:00, I could wait no longer. Snuffy and I were ready and on trail by 7:45, leaving the tribe, Donkey and Hot Springs to catch up later. Mike and Zan had already left along with the 4:00 crew of Lifesaver, Cash, and the Jersey Boys, Radley, Kingpin, and Twist of fate. There was a bunch of us! A huge group of day hikers were gathered at the start and it took a while to work our way through them. The trail was easy! Well, for the first mile anyways. Chuck would have had no problem. Then there was a beautiful waterfall, one of the prettiest of the trail! Katahdin Stream Falls. After that, the trail began to climb. By the third mile, it was bouldering. As I broke out of the trees, I caught Mike and Zan. We took photos squeezing through the boulders, then rock climbing using rebar for handholds and footholds. That lasted about a mile then a beautiful ridge walk and finally a flat tableland. by now, the morning mist has cleared and we could see the knife's edge. The ground cover was amazing, all turned colors. I posed for a photo at Thoreau Springs. The beginning of the Last Mile. Snuffy and I hiked in silence. Upon cresting the last little rise, I could see the sign. It was one of those moments. You know, where it feels funny in your chest, and it's like too much to put in words. I didn't know where to start. Do I take photos first, do we wait for everyone, what? Well I had a handy photographer, so I climbed up and stood on the sign. It was windy and my clothes were blowing up. The seam mostly ripped on my shorts, my middrift showing, but I had a summit photo! It was me and the sign and it was a fabulous day! I took photos for Snuffy. Some of the earlybirds were returning from the knifes edge now and the day hikers were beginning to trickle in. The sign was pretty busy for a while, then during a lull, I got out the paint and started touching up the letters. About that time, Baro showed up. He said he had something of mine. Turns out my Uncle had made it! Late last night he arrived in Millinocket and hurried out this morning to deliver my buckskins. But, I had already left. He knew he'd never catch me, so he saw a group of hikers ready to head up and begged them to bring them to me. Well, they were the tribe, and of course, they would find a way! Baro brought my jacket, Mouse brought my pants, and Shasta managed to find a way to strap my hat on the back of her pack without crushing it! I was really touched. That they would do that! They're not real light you know. So, I dressed up, actually glad to have the added layers as it was cold and windy on top. Then I climbed up on the sign again. It was all I could do to balance against the wind. It was a one shot deal. And so that's my summit photo. Newly painted sign and all! It was another photo fiasco as everyone took turns posing and then we got a group photo of all of the today's thru-hikers. Even the few that still had to some to do! To us, they were thru-hikers, just they weren't thru hiking yet! Slow Motion met Snuffy at the summit and brought champaign and chocolates, cheese and crackers to celebrate. Then I walked the Knife's Edge to the Pamola and returned. There was no one left at the summit. I started down. Actually happy to be the last to leave and having it all to my self for a few moments. I said goodbye to the mountain that had been my obsession for almost 5 months. Well, actually about a year and a half, if you count last year's practice hike. So, down I went. I was happy, skipping, jumping, running. Chuck would be at the park I was sure. I passed day hikers, more day hikers. There was a couple making their way spider fashion down a steep boulder and I practically leaped past them and bounded over the next one. The lady made a hushed comment to the man "She's one of them thru-hikers". She said something else, but I didn't catch it. I was gone. I had carried up just my town bag and there was no room for my outfit, so my poles were useless as my hands were full with about 15 pounds of leather. My arms were killing me by the time I emerged from the trail. At the sign out board, I put on my outfit one more time. As I walked into camp, I met the Jersey Boys, Lifesaver, and Cash sitting on a rock in the sun. Mouse came over to give me a hug and his address card. I spotted Chuck, still in his van, but he saw me at the same time and he came running. As we hugged, his camera was taking successive photos of some sideways trees in the background. He was there to take me home! Back in Millinocket, I joined Shasta, H-bomb, Jangles and Baro for Lobster Dinner at the Scottie Inn. We were gonna celebrate with Lobster in Maine! the next table over had the Jersey Boys, Lifesaver and Cash. The lobster was pretty good too!