Date: 2012-07-23
From: The Birches Lean-to

To: Mt. KATAHDIN
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Whoa. Last day. Felt really nervous this morning, butterflies and everything haha. Got started around 7 am so we could beat any bad weather. Katahdin has not let me down on the a cool climb. There's boulders everywhere you literally have to climb. Trekking poles aren't an option, this is all hands on. The whole way up I don't really feel like this is the last climb of the Appalachian Trail though. It feels as natural as just another PUD in Georgia. There's a gorgeous waterfall on the mountain, got a little water and kept trucking. Compared to some climbs, this actually isn't that bad. Maybe because every time I think of what mountain I'm on I get this childlike giddiness feeling all over. So the climb starts in treeline and slowly climbs out of them. Once above treeline however, the climb gets even steeper. It was more fun than anything though. So after a couple miles of this climbing I look up and see a peak. I don't know if it's Baxter Peak of not but I thought I should probably wait for everyone. So I snacked up and let everyone catch up. Once they did, off we went. Saw Balls and Sunshine and they let us know that that was in fact the LAST peak. Katahdin. Freaking out for sure. Even typing this I'm remembering the feeling of excitement. Better than Christmas, I think the only thing that will rival that feeling will be seeing my wife in a white dress or the birth of my children probably haha. That feeling was only amplified when I actually saw the "Katahdin" sign a few hundred yards away. Me, Whistler, and Fancy all saw it almost the same time, Fancy yells, "RUN!" So we did, adrenaline was pumping and legs were burning but I didn't feel anything except the course wood of that sign under my fingers as I threw myself on it. Never before have I been so engrossed with a moment before in my life. NOTHING else existed except me, that sign, and the feeling of accomplishment I had. No tears fell, just a goofy grin for about an hour. =]Pictures , pictures , pictures for the next hour! We cheered Daypack as he walked up. He was the one out of us all who didn't want to quit the trail yet, so it was definitely bitter-sweet for him. Then Other Brother came along and was really emotional for good reason, that kinda changed the whole mood up there. Hugs, high fives, and rebel yells. We'd made it! Through, the blood, sweat, rain, mud, hunger, exhaustion, blisters, and PUD's we had made it. Definitely VERY sad to say goodbye to these guys, me and Fancy were going down the back side of Katahdin down the Knife's Edge, while everyone else went back down the AT. Usually there was a chance I'd run into them again on the trail sometime, but now it's kinda final. Knife's Edge was crazy, just how you'd imagine it. really strange to not be following white blazes anymore... at all. On the way down I kept leap frogging this cute blonde and we talked a little then I didn't see her for a while. So when we got the bottom, we realized we had to now hitch 90 miles into Bangor, ME. So basically, I just sat in front of this parking lot and was gonna start asking whoever passed me. Lo and behold the same blonde I'd been passing and being passed by walked out of the woods and towards me. I asked, "I have a weird question for you, are you headed to Bangor?" "Yeah, going through it actually.""Me and my buddy just finished the Appalachian Trail (yep, pulled THAT card) and we really need a ride to Bangor.""No way?! Yeah that would fine!""Sweet. Fancy, I got a ride!"The rest is history.I want to formally thank all of my dedicated readers out there! All the support and encouragement I received on this trip was over whelming in the best way possible. I want to open this blog up to everyone out there now, if you want I encourage you to sign my guestbook on the left side on this page and ask me any questions you may have about anything. Please leave your name and if you would want my response and your question posted publicly or just a private answer. I'd love to answer anything to the best I know how and look forward to hearing from anyone. Thanks again!