Date: 2017-07-28
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Baxter Peak
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: broken clouds

After completing the 100 Mile Wilderness, I took a zero with the idea of being well-rested for the last leg of my journey. Ole Man shuttled a group of us to the ranger station where we registered. I had brought a daypack with me. I had two liters of water, a puffy, raingear, snacks and a headlamp. I brought my poles, with the idea of stowing them if and when they got in the way. The trail is easy to begin with but soon starts to climb. I met Tipperary and Quick Start, both of whom blog here at Trailjournals. I took a few pictures at Katahdin Falls. After so much anticipation I had a pretty strong rush of adrenalin and made good time in the early going. The rebar or as they now call it monkey bars is a common point for hikers to turn back if they feel the climb is beyond their capabilities. I have talked to or heard about several who have done so. When I got there, a group of us stood there checking it out and two day-hikers turned back. I watched several younger hikers go up the feature, and decided to continue. The monkey bars are small metal bars, bent into suitable shapes, that serve as hand or footholds in the rock. They were placed right where they needed to be, for a person my size (5'11"). Some shorter hikers found it a stretch to get to some of the handholds. As I approached the Gateway the adrenalin wore off and I slowed down. I was looking forward to sauntering across the Tablelands, where the grade is fairly lenient, but it was rough and rocky and I went slowly, picking my way across. After passing Thoreau Spring (it's a puddle) at the junction with the Abol Trail I could see a crowd at the summit. Descending hikers passed me on their way down - I congratulated them and they wished me luck. It took me about six and a half hours to reach the summit. After studying my local training hikes, during which I focused on altitude gain, I found that I can climb somewhere between 10 and 20 feet per minute on a sustained basis. So, a 4,200 foot gain at 10 feet per minute works out to seven hours. I figured I could do it in 6 or 7 hours. I didn't plan the descent, other than to be patient and take my time. At the summit I posed for a picture and enjoyed the views. It was overcast, cool and windy, so the pictures I took are somewhat somber. I didn't experience the jubilation or exuberance some hikers feel, it was more of a quiet satisfaction that I had completed my once in a lifetime journey and adventure. Zebra posed on top of the sign (in photos). The descent was an attention getter. I elected to go down the recently renovated and reopened Abol Trail, rather than going back the way I came on the Hunt (AT) Trail. I didn't want to do the monkey bars in reverse and the Abol Trail, while steep, doesn't have any features that require a lot of thought or unconventional maneuvers. I joined up with a group of 4 day hikers who were descending at a pace that was comfortable for me. Jessica is good at downhill and the rest of us mostly followed her lead. Eventually I asked Jessica and Marsha, who had a car at the bottom, if they could give me a ride into Millinocket, which they agreed to do. So we hiked along, chatting about this and that, while the trail gradually flattened out. It turned sunny, hot and windy. My hat blew away (I had a spare). At the bottom, I yogied some water and declined the offer of a beer. From there it was on into Millinocket, where I had a shower, a late supper, and so to bed.