Date: 2018-08-21
From: ShawÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs hostel, Monson, ME

To: Mt Katahdin, mile 2,190.9
Miles today: 114.5
Weather: moderate rain

I¢ve hiked through blizzards, outran forest fires, dealt with flooding, severe thunderstorms, bugs, mud, illness, and record high temperatures for the majority of my hike. I have been fortunate to stay mostly out of the injury column, but apparently I was in need of 1 more final test: starvation. With Evan hiking this final stretch with us, we had a solid plan to take 7 days to hike the 100 mile wilderness. Stupidly, I said ¢I¢m only taking 5 days worth of food because I have my fishing rod, we¢ll be fine¢. Let me also clarify the 100 mile wilderness isn¢t that ¢wild¢. I was actually quite disappointed in the amount of people we say on the private logging roads, and just out for the day hiking. I knew there was a hostel a little over half way through that served over priced burgers and pizza, but I was stubborn at determined to let this 100 mile stretch be as wild as possible and receive no aid. (There was also the option to pay to have Shaw¢s drop off a resupply to you on the logging roads). I quickly learned that fishing would be much more difficult than expected. These lakes get too cold in the winter to support a good bass population, and the trout and landlocked salmon are hundreds of feet deep in the lakes this time of year. The river/streams/brooks connect all of the lakes together. The right time of the year, these trout and salmon come into the rivers to spawn, but not in the heat of August.As I hike with a rationed food supply, I feel very weak, and even this easy terrain becomes difficult. I have difficulty sleeping with a rumbling stomach. Just as I decide I¢m going to have to stop at that hostel after all, we meet a gem named Rowdy. A former thru-hiker, and injured attempted thru-hiked this year. She is spending the remainder of the hiking season doing trail magic, and in the middle of the 100 mile ¢wilderness¢, she flagged us down and fed us sausage McMuffins and PBR! I think I ate about 4 and packed 2 out. This was a huge mental and physical boost, and this allowed me to have enough food to finish the wilderness without having to divert the plan.All through the wilderness, there were signs for ¢Katahdin view¢, and only once did we actually see the full mountain (I went to look, and it was in clouds, then sunshine yelled for me to come back as it cleared up for a few minutes). We finished the 100 mile wilderness at Abol bridge, and stop in the restaurant for some real food. A guy at the public campground offered us his spot (the best spot at the campground) as he had to leave for family reasons. He left us home grown veggies, homemade pickles, and cut firewood for us. What a guy! The store attached to the restaurant sold brauts and buns, so we grilled those up for dinner that night, and for dinner the next night. The plan was to hike 9 miles the next day to the base of Katahdin, and summit on the 22nd. Around 10am on the 21st, about a mile before we get to camp, Sunshine is waiting in the middle of the trail and says ¢How do you feel about summiting today? It¢s going to be bad tomorrow.¢ It didn¢t take long for us to agree to finish today, and after registering with the ranger, we were on our way up by 11am. The first 2.6 miles were pretty easy, and then we hit tree line. 1.5 miles of rock climbing and rebar ladders. After a valiant 112 miles, Greenbag realized that his knee just couldn¢t handle going back down this stuff. I asked him to do more than anyone without 2,188 miles of practice could be capable of (But it was necessary due to the food and storm situation). So he sent us on our way and made his way back down. Though Katahdin isn¢t the highest mountain on the trail, you ascent 4,180 feet in 5.2 miles, by far the highest top to bottom climb within that distance. About 1 mile from the summit (the longest mile of my life), a big cloud rolls through and hinders my view of the sign. Then, all of a sudden, there it is. The weight of my pack is seemingly lifted as I can finally see what I¢ve been walking towards for the past 5 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day. I thought for sure I would cry my eyes out when I finally saw that sign, but I think I was just in complete shock instead.I finished the Appalachian Trail on 8/21/18 at 3:06pm. I never once skipped even the most insignificant portion of trail, and carried the full weight of my pack the entire way; something that an overwhelming majority of people (who are still considered thru-hikers) cannot say. Not everyone has what it takes to be a ¢purist¢ ;).There were a few other thru-hikers that were up there, most having finished as well. I spent an hour up there taking pictures and eating the 5 cheddar brauts I precooked for that night, not intending to summit today. All finished right? Nope, there¢s no roads or train up here, it¢s 4,180 feet back down to the campground. We took a different path down for different scenery, and it was a little shorter (but steeper). Sunshine¢s family met us at the very bottom, armed with all of the proper picnic supplies. Staying in Millinocket with them the next 2 nights, then back to reality again I guess.