Date: 2010-10-05
From: Mt. Kathadin Stream Campsite

To: Millinocket ME / AT hostel
Miles today: 5.2

We started hiking up the mountain at 6.45 AM. It was a class 1 day. The rangers have developed 4 classes to deal with weather conditions . One is the best and two and three are not recommended for hiking, but you can hike. On a class 4 day no hikers are allowed on the mountain. The day was to be cloud free, with temperatures around 60 degrees F and winds on the mountain at around 5 miles per hour. Perfect!!!We started out on a flat trail with only a few roots and rocks. This went on for a mile or a mile and a half. I knew this would not last long as the elevation change was going to be around 4200 feet. We would be hiking up a mountain where the summit was 5268 feet and the tree line was around 3300 feet. Soon we hit huge rock walls that we needed to climb. This section was the most difficult part of our entire hike. This section was 2-3 miles in length. At some parts we were assisted by the odd piece of rebar drilled into the rock. Again my knees were absolutely aching and as I watched others take giant steps up to the next location on the rock, I always had to figure an alternative way. I usually could throw my straight leg out and pull myself up with my arms. Sometimes I could brace one leg on a rock and with the other leg elevate my body. The problem with this is that it is a much more tiring way to hike as it uses total body strength. I have been hiking this way for much of the hike and knew I would become very tired by the time we finished going up.After what was about 4 hours this section was complete we entered the third section of the mountain - the plateau. This section was like the White mountains. It was a mile or a mile and a half of loose rocks that snaked up to the peak of the mountain. Carol was ahead on the mountain and reached the summit first. Cody and Stickwalker got there next and then I arrived. There were others there also, day hikers and a few other thru hikers. When I arrived Carol grabbed me in an embrace and became emotional. I am almost always the emotional one in the family and was a little startled by Carol. We embraced and when I hugged her all I could feel was a body that seemed so thin and frail, but I knew otherwise.We drank a small drink of champagne that had been brought up and toasted our success. Everyone was very happy about reaching the summit. The view was like being in an airplane. You could see perhaps 100 miles. It was fantastic.Being at the top was not as exciting for me because I knew going down was going to be a nightmare. It had taken 6 hours to summit and going down is always harder. To make matters worse Cody is absolutely terrified of heights. I had doubts as to whether we could get to a safe place by the time night came. Carol and I carry lights but they were not adequate for night hiking.Cody's friend talked her threw some of the more difficult spots coming down and while she negotiated these areas I was able to rest my tired body. Carol is also afraid of heights but she and I don't look at the vista unless we are in a secure location. We find this helps.After the rock face part of the climb the others hiked on ahead of Carol and I. My knees were stiff and I had slowed. Eventually we ran out of light with the last mile to go. We did use our lights and got down safely. This is when it hit me that we had been successful and I felt emotional. Not only had we hiked the AT from end to end, but we carried full packs the entire way. We did not slack pack and we hiked north all hike. Some hikers look at the profile and hike in the direction that is the least difficult. Some hikers leave sections out or take a blue blaze to shorten the hike. Before we began the hike Carol and I discussed how we wanted to do the hike and we did it.We have been asked what part of the hike we enjoyed the most and we both agree. It was the people we met. The trail angels that helped us out and the other hikers we met.We particularly want to thank Ann and Rainbow (thru hiker 1988), Ann gave us a mineral marble when we met her on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the hiker feed. She said that the marble would give us power and strength when we needed it. Rainbow met us in Port Clinton and gave us a small piece of Kathadin in a metal cylinder for inspiration. Carol and I put this in the top of our packs and during tough times we could hear it rattling in the cylinder. It really helped. Both the mineral marble and the piece of Kathatin were carried up the mountain and will remain with us. Finally we want to thank St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Father Remo who gave us a prayer for travelers. It worked as we completed our hike and were not injured. I know from our journal that members of the church have been following and we appreciate them very much. We will try to answer the questions people had and entered in our journal during the last 6.5 months. It may take a couple of weeks.Any potential thru hikers can contact us at rcr4624@yahoo.com. Enter AT thru hike in the subject area. We will be happy to give you our best advice.The Canadian Geese(Never Quit on a bad day - Bison 2009 thru hiker)