Date: 2010-08-12
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Miles today: 0.0

SORRY!Really, I am sorry. First I was just trying to wrap my head around things, and that was cool. I figured, hey, this blog needs a big ol' cliff hanger right before the climax. But, I told myself, be sure to put up an entry within a week. And well, I just never did it. So, here it is, this is how the story ends, or perhaps it begins. Actually, the truth is, this story does end just about here, but there will be another one, and another one after that.And so, I head out of Monson ready to brave the hundred mile wilderness and eventually tackle Katahdin. As usual, this called for a hitch out of town. It just so happens that my last hitch of the entire trip happens to be the creepiest one. At first, the guy seemed like any other guy. Big dude, pickup truck, dirty clothes. He tells me he is on his way home from a road construction gig today, as we head up towards the trailhead. Conversation moves forward, and as usual, the trail is discussed. He wants to know about the south, and I tell him I loved it (minus the fact that mother nature was intent on killing a couple of us). He then proceeds to tell me how a "lot of people" are killed on the trail down south every year. This is not true, at all, and I know it, but rather than argue with a man who is already helping me, I just kind of let him say his thing. Only his thing goes into how easily someone could chop a body up and hide it down in the woods somewhere. I tell him everyone was super nice, and he suggests that for some it is just a front, and that everyone has a malicious side to them. And then I sit there thinking about, how this guy right here seems pretty nice, and here he is talking about how "easy" it is to kill and hide a body in the south. I could just hope that he didn't know he was dropping my at the southern border of the "hundred mile wilderness", which is actually the most remote section of the entire trail.And so I asked myself the oft quoted question originating from Sockburn. "Will we die today?" And answer was, as usual, probably not. And, lucky for me that proved to be the case, yet again.Then I raced through a couple of miles to the first shelter before dark set in where I re-united with Mouse. It was nice to be back with Mouse after having left him back in Vermont. We had both started the same day, met at the same shelter our first night, and had hiked much of the trail on a very similar schedule. Now it seemed, we would also finish our hikes on the same day as well.And so, Mouse and I set off through the wilderness. Only, it turns out, that maybe the wilderness once was wilderness, but it didn't feel much like it. We saw lots of camps, logging (some paved) roads, couple of cars, and even day hikers (who asked us if we knew where the "hundred mile wilderness" was). Not that I mind any of these things, they're part of hiking no matter how you feel about them, but to call it the 100 mile wilderness seemed a little like an exaggeration.The other thing about the wilderness, is that the second half is possible the easiest stretch of trail on the entire AT. To illustrate this point, Mouse and I sort of accidentally did a 30 mile day with relative ease. At mile 21 and we thought we'd possibly be able to catch Moonpie and Doozy, who have also hiked a considerable portion of the trail with us by doing the extra mileage. Turns out, we actually passed the two of them, as they had camped a mile south of the shelter by one of the million ponds or lakes we have been passing (and swimming in).Now it was set, Mellow Yellow, Mouse, Moonpie, and Doozy would all be climbing Katahdin together on July 31st. Again, it is amazing the way the trail has you lose and reconnect with people, and just in time in our case.And so, we had another day of hiking, and then we had another. On the second of these, our last day before we summit and our last night on the trail, we only had 13 miles, and so at mile 3 we stopped at the Abol Bridge camp store for lunch and drinks. Our whole summit crew, Mouse, Moonpie, Doozy, Pine, Wilbur, Sea Otter, Nuthatch, and Lint were assembled where in attendance. After much time, we got up and pounded out the final ten miles of the day.When we hit the Katahdin stream campground, my parents were waiting for me. And it gets better, they wanted to take me out to dinner. So, of course this is what we did. It even gave me a final opportunity to do some more night hiking in order to find our the correct thru-hiker designated shelter.It's rare of thru-hikers to make a fire. Usually we are just too spent from hiking all day, to bother. It's even rarer for us to stay up past 9:00, that night was different. In my opinion, everyone just wanted to share each others' company one last time and say a few things about the trail while we still had the chance to do it. After that, we all knew that while we would be surrounded by family and friends, they would not be able to relate the way other thru-hikers can. In fact, after one or two discussions about it, they will likely have heard enough, and you will likely have nothing interesting to say any longer, except trail related items.And then. Katahdin.To be entirely honest, Katahdin may very well be the single most awesome (in the biblical, not surfer dude manner) mountain on the entire trail. It is, without doubt, the single largest climb. It starts out with what may be the best trail in Maine. Flat, turning to sloped, then with lots of stone steps. I think to myself, "cool". Then, it gets steep, and turns right into what most of Maine's trail tends to be, a steep eroded ravine going straight up the mountain side. Fine, I was used to that. Then, some pretty hefty boulders come in, which gave way to a straight up technical rock climb bringing me above treeline and towards the summit. Seriously, this trail got ridiculous. But, it also got beautiful. Katahdin is the definitely the tallest mountain in the area, and once you get above tree line, that becomes rather evident. The hike continues for about two miles above tree line until the infamous Katahdin summit sign comes into view.Wilbur and Pine had already beat us to the summit. In fact, we could smell Wilbur's victory cigar before we could see the sign.I walked up, touched the sign, and promptly shouted "MELLOW FUCKING YELLOW" from the mountaintop. I apologize for such language, but that's what I yelled. I also want to note, that I am possible the only thru-hiker with a first middle and last name. We took pictures, sat down, had a snack, waited for everyone else, took more pictures. Lingered. Laughed. It was over. That was it, five months of hiking, and now it is over.I didn't mean to leave you all with a second cliff hanger, but now I'm going to do it. Because, I'm the author, and I can do those things. Coming soon, thoughts, emotions, reactions, and what has happened post-hike.