Date: 2009-08-02
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: broken clouds

I made it! After a really easy and relaxing day into Baxter State Park and a good night's sleep at Abol Campground, my sister Anna and I started heading up the AT/Hunt Trail towards the top of Mt. Katahdin. What an amazing climb! The first couple of miles were just like hiking up any other mountain; then suddenly just before tree-line the mountain turned into a huge pile of car- to house-sized boulders, and we were scrambling the rest of the way. It truly was unlike anything else on the Trail...what a way to end the trip. The morning had been overcast, but by the time we really got above the trees we were in the clouds. They came and went for a while, so we could catch these occasional views of the little line of people weaving their way on up to the Table Lands, a plateau-like flat section a few hundred vertical feet below the summit. People were just climbing up the spine of the ridge, scrambling over rocks, and then they'd disappear over the edge and into the cloud - it was pretty surreal. It was pretty emotional to get to the sign marking the northern terminus of the AT. After 2178.3 miles of following white blazes, not to mention the ceaseless rain and injuries, it was a little overwhelming to realize that this was the end. Even though visibility was down to about 20 feet and the wind was a steady 30 mph, it was absolutely one of the most beautiful spots on the whole Trail...and after the way the weather's been this year, I wouldn't have traded it for anything.After the requisite photos and exclamations of amazement and joy, we began our way down. Instead of backtracking and taking the AT/Hunt Trail back down, we took the Knife Edge trail across to Chimney Peak, and then headed down the Helon Taylor Trail to the Roaring Brook Campground where Mom and Dad would be waiting for us. Following the blue blazes instead of the AT's white ones felt so liberating - it was like suddenly the world was opened to me again and all these little trail were once again mine to explore! And let me tell you - the Knife Edge was more spectacular, even on our cloudy day, than anything I've hiked on the actual AT. I 100% recommend it to everyone who is finishing a thru-hike (assuming you still have a way out of the park) - it will just blow your mind. It was about a mile-long section of trail on a narrow rocky ridge, dropping almost straight down to the valley floor on both sides. When we went over, the wind was blowing the clouds up and over from the South/East, and they were jumping up and over the ridge so that we had a great view down the other side towards Chimney Pond. It was just spectacular - neither words nor photos could ever do it justice.By the time we got to the car at Roaring Brook we were pretty wiped out. It is a good climb, and when you add in how emotional it is to be ending the thru-hike, it just drains all your energy. Not 10 minutes after we got to the car it started sprinkling, too - talk about good timing! And with that, we bumped out way out of Baxter State Park and cruised down to Medway, ME where we got a motel room, showers, and dinner. I'll probably post a "conclusion" entry in a couple of days when it finally sinks in that I'm really done, but let me just say that it feels pretty surreal. After following the same routine every day for months on end, it's bittersweet to completely lose it in the course of the day. I definitely needed a break - my body and mind were just totally worn down by the conditions in Maine - 281 miles of mud, bugs, and rain (all but 4 days I was in the state) really took their toll. But on the other hand the simplicity of knowing that every night you'd go to sleep, wake up the next morning, put all your worldly possessions in a bag on your back, and walk someplace new is really what keeps drawing me back to the woods. It gets monotonous sometimes, but there's a certain peace in the monotony that's hard to find here in the "real world." It's the first night after finishing a 2178.3 mile journey, and I'm already thinking and scheming and wondering where my next adventure will take me!As I get around to it, I'll upload all the rest of my pictures to Trailjournals, but until then, they're all up on my Picasa album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mil1233/AppalachianTrail2009 . I will also get the rest of the journal up to date - so at least the stats will be accurate. It's been a great journey, and I owe a huge amount of thanks to everyone who helped me out along the way - my parents, the gear companies, hikers, trail angels, and everyone who just stopped along the way and took a few minutes to chat - I couldn't have done it without any of you!