Date: 2011-10-03
From: Abol Bridge (Golden Road)

To: Birches Lean-tos
Miles today: 10.0

ah, another morning in the woods..."sweet tea...look- I think I see it...I think I see the Big mountain." Said mom. Up and out of bed I go to see the finish line reflecting off of the large body in front of me. This was my first time seeing the mountain that was 70 miles away. Although there has said to be many spots where you could see the mountain I have not been able to because of being in rain and clouds for the last 6-7 days. Looking at the mountain I realized this final climb will be nothing like I've ever done before. You could see many rock slides on it, from where snow built up and avalanched taking parts of the mountain with it. But I can saying looking at the mountain it was clear and a sight to see. When the group got back together we all set off to hike the final 10 miles over to the base of Mt.Katahdin. The trail was great! We got to walk along a river for more than half of it then along a smaller creek. The Appalachian Trail had to cross the creek just to go on the other side for a mile and cross it again. There was a bad weather trail that stayed on the one side of the creek and walked around another lake. We were forced to take that trail, because of all the rain we had the creek raised and was unsafe to ford. This was the first time I ever had to take a bad weather trail and I ended up being very disappointed in myself. After talking it over with the group though I did learn that if the water is high and unsafe then the by-pass trail becomes the official trail. I figured I should listen to that instead of risking my life. We ate at big Niagara Falls...Hopeful had a gingerbread man in which he had dancing around singing the song "Catch me if you can..." Well while singing this Guinness out of no where snatched with gingerbread man out of his hands. Hopeful's face showed being confused and being once again put upon. Guinness gave the gingerbread man back to Hopeful but the look didn't go away. As she broke the gingerbread's head off.... I could not help than not to laugh at all that happened in all it's randomness. While hiking after dinner I was behind hopeful carrying on another one of my endless ranting conversions when we pass by someone and says to Hopeful "You never know who you are going to run into in the woods." When I looked up I found Mr.Eisenman "three bellies" standing there in the middle of the Maine forest. After swapping hugs with him I introduced him to the group. As he is the one who came up to Maine to summit the big K with me. He hiked out with us to the Birches, as we were swapping stories of all that has happened through out time. We all were also making a 12 point gateway to get used to regular life again. #1- stop walking...others included buy and wear cotton clothing with out saying cotton kills...showering everyday with soap...learning that traveling faster than 3 miles per hour is OK...realize sneakers bars is not a major food group...going to the bathroom in your neighbors backyard is frowned apon, along with looking for a AMC sign to pee on....to stop looking for stealth sights while going down the road....learning that it isn't ok to blow snot rockets while in public. And so so many more were came up with. After making it to the birches we all piled up in "morning glories" car for the long drive into Millnocket for the night. I learned that the smell of a lobster cooked over a fire and in a car, along with a fast moving car on a rough road is not a good combination. I ended up just putting my head down for the ride as I felt car sick. While the question came to mind...what am I going to do when I have to be in a car for 14 hours heading home? After making it into town I meet back up with my family, got a shower and went to the American Logger restaurant and got AYCE tacos! Then went back to the hotel and enjoyed a 8ft deep indoor pool and a hot tub! IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO END THE DAY! "Don't let anything stop you from your dream, just expect mountains to climb to get to the end of your dream."