Date: 2018-09-08
From: Rainbow Lake Campsite

To: Birches Lean-to and Campsite
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Everyone was packed and ready to roll at 6:30a.  It was cold so moving is the name and I set as fast a pace as I felt comfortable.  We would have phone signal on Rainbow Ledges briefly so I wouldn't hold up the group I prepared a detailed text message for Robin and my support group of Jim, Julie, Nikki, Moondog, and Nailgun the night before that I could dispatch quickly.  When we got to Rainbow ledges we got signal and everyone tried to make contact.  Chaco's girlfriend was denied a permit into the park, it was sold out! and would try to meet outside the park.  Huck arranged to meet his mom and go to Millinocket.  I called Robin and spent a couple minutes on the phone, which turned out to be serendipity.  All got chilled standing in the wind and headed on leaving me to catch up later.  By the time I got to Abol bridge and the restaurant they were 30 minutes ahead and sitting down eating.  The Birches have 12 spots first come, first served for thru hikers and when I hit the restaurant was told there was one spot left! and that registration was .1 miles up the trail.  Since all were couples except me, I dropped my pack and double timed to the registration which happens to be a half mile up! and got the last spot at 11:55a and, it specifically says you agree you cannot sign in, leave the park and go back to the restaurant to eat with your friends! and if you try and are caught you will be thrown out of the park and no Katahdin!! I had already put my name down when I read this and, my pack was back at the restaurant.  I hustled back to get my pack, missed that meal I was really looking forward to and grabbed my pack.  The others said they will do the commercial campground and try to get a shuttle in the morning to meet up then.  They still have the ten miles to Birches to hike.  I grabbed some peanuts at the concession and my pack and zipped back to the park, apparently unnoticed and hiked the ten miles to the Katahdin Stream Campground ranger station for my hiker's permit and Birches registration.  It took all afternoon and I met two local fishermen, Doug and Churchill, who later helped me celebrate the summit on Sunday.  About halfway here comes my tramily SOBO slack packing! Really made me wish I stayed back at that restaurant!  I still had my paid for campsite, which at the moment I didn't need, for Sunday night at the Katahdin Stream Campground!  I hit the ranger station at 4:30p and waited for Nick, the ranger to show up at 5p with hopefully answers to all the scheduling questions.  He showed up at 4:45p and signed me up for the Birches and issued the Katahdin Hiking permit #709 ... yeah I'm in! and also registered my receipt for campsite #24 for the next day.  I watered up and zipped over to the Birches to find Compass and others I have been hiking with.  They shared a lean to spot with me.  It was very cold as the sun set and we had a nice fire to cook by.  I ate and shared a nice cool one then hit the sack as the fire went out and it got dark...about 7:30p.  It was hard to sleep with the end so close and the climb the next morning. At the registration the park had the latest weather report which looked fabulous for tomorrow except the knife edge trail down was closed for electrical activity!  Who knows why because the sky was almost cloudless!