Date: 2015-08-18
From: Hurd Brook Lean To

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 13.4

8/18, 13.4, Katahdin Stream Campground, 5.2 to goAs one might expect emotions were high this morning, and yet interestingly subdued. We faced a relatively short day, 13 miles or so, reunion with our wives/mom, and completion of our approach to the final destination on Mt Baxter but our pace was just as it has been for several weeks. Awake at 5, breakfast, visit with shelter mates while packing and on trail at 6:30. Relatively business as usual. I did not sleep well last night which I am sure was a combination of the humid heat, excitement, and the pain in my left shin from the stream fall nearly two weeks ago. My shin has a swollen knot on the side that looks like a half a baseball pasted there and the swelling encompasses the entire calf from time to time. Overnight the pain will pinch every now and then but does not seem to respond to ibuprofen or naproxen so it will wake me and/or keep me up some as I toss from hip to hip. I have moved the compression brace from my left knee down to cover and compress the area which seems to reduce the swelling but strangely enough the pain seems best managed by walking. It does make it interesting to get started though after each break. We hiked quickly toward the road, the end of the 100 mile wilderness and the camp store at ABOL bridge. The campground there is just outside of Baxter State Park and would be our rendezvous with Kathy and Maxine. When we reached he road we found what Maxine called our "Amish Text" scrawled in the dirt shoulder at trails end. She and Kathy had scratched our names in hearts and left an arrow pointing the way yesterday, just in case we needed a little help. It was a warm welcome and we took several photos to share. We hiked up the road and arrived at the camp store at 8 am, settled in the shade and got some snacks and drinks to wait. Kathy and Maxine were due to arrive at 9 and came buzzing down the road from Millinocket at precisely 8:59 by my watch. The reunions were as expected, warm and joyous but we soon got about the business of finishing this trek. We stowed most of our gear in the vehicle keeping our packs to carry snacks, water, filters and things necessary to finish the 10 miles of approach yet to the base of Katahdin. We hiked on at 10 after sandwiches, chips, veggies, and cold drinks from the tailgate were consumed as well as a cookie or six. Keep in mind we are still burning 6000 calories each day so eating everything in sight is a normal behavior. The last ten miles to the base are relatively flat and smooth but contain just enough mud bog, roots and rocks to remind us that the AT is still in charge of our day. The weather was very warm in the 80's and humid so we kept drinking, taking a rest about half way. We arrived at the camp area near the birches at 1:30 in time to greet many of the thru hikers just completing their summit hikes today. Kathy and Maxine had emptied the remainder of the trail magic into them and we all shared fist bump congratulations to those who had finished as they wished us well for tomorrow.We have now settled in at the hotel in Millinocket after showers, dinner and some Maine blueberry pie and will try to sleep through the excitement tomorrow will bring. We have arranged to ride a shuttle back to the base of the mountain that leaves at 6:30 in the morning so we sill meet in the lobby at 5:15 to go to breakfast and get there. At this point the emotion hat rises most in my thoughts is how fortunate I am to have been granted the freedom to do this by my God and my country, but most importantly how blessed I am to have the support of Kathy, my family and friends, and all of you who have read along and encouraged this endeavor. Tomorrow I will carry all of that to the top and look forward to returning to familiar places and people in the next few days.Silverback