Date: 2008-10-05
From: The Birches

To: Millinocket -AT Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

October 5th, 2008. As I awoke, I felt the cold air against my face. I was mentally preparing to face whatever the day was going to bring? Would we be heading up the mountain soon and summitting, or......?The knaw in my stomach was mixed emotions, I was excited but deep down was that looming possibility of not finishing? We packed up, took a final look at the Birches then headed for the Ranger station. The anticipation was building, and upon arrival, the station was locked up. Could it be made any more tense?Thoughts of "should we go for it anyway" began to rise? There is a hefty fine for doing this and the good possibility of being banned from the park before you summit. Sneaking to the top was not exactly how I wanted to finish.That's when we noticed the bulletin on the door which stated that the trail was "closed" today. In fact, all the trails in the immense park were closed.You could hear our spirits hit the floor. I stood there in disbelief re-reading the words as the impact of the message made it's final blow to my gut.Well, what now? We can't stay at the Birches again, The Abol Bridge Campground is only 10 miles from here or we could find a ride and stay in Millinocket? We located a Ranger doing something at a parking area approximately 200 yards away. We had him reconfirm that there was no chance of summitting today.Where we stood we could see Katahdin, standing in greatness and the top covered in white. In speaking with him, he returned to the station and made a call for us to have a shuttle come pick us up and take us into Millinocket some 40 miles away. There was nothing closer.During the hour of waiting, I sat on the grass leaning against my pack, taking in the surroundings. This is a beautiful place, in fact I learned from the Ranger that here in Baxter Park was the inspiration for the scenery depicted in the animated Disney movie "Bambi". A team of artists were sent here to sketch and capture the essence of the area.I was surprised when our shuttle arrived right on time. Here we met Paul Renaud or rather "Ole man" as he too, is a former thru-hiker and owner of the AT Lodge where we are going to stay.The drive back was long and remote, however the sceney made up for the low spirits. Millinocket had a lot of character. It was unfortunate the town was feeling the strain from a closed paper mill which had once been the life blood of the area.We settled in our rooms, I was in the hostel and the girls had their own room.This was somewhat of a soothing consolation considering the mood of the day?We then walked through the streets and took in this small town of Millinocket. We walked down the main street through town and headed for a grocery store about 2 miles away. We were almost there when a pick up pulled up behind us along the side of the road. It was Sprite's brother Steve and his wife Rhonda.They live in Maine and drove here to see Sprite and meet her gang. Again, what are the odds? Their plans were a "tentative thing" not a "for sure". And they had no idea where were staying or where we would be? They just happened to be driving down the right road at the right time and there we were.After some fairly quick shopping we drove back and sat in the girls room visiting. Steve & Rhonda soon had us in stitches, it had been a long time since I laughed this hard and long. We spent the rest of the day enjoying their company, laughing and sharing stories. Having them here, and not to mention how they found us, was truly a God send. It was no coincidence, that today of all days they were here. It was if they were specifically sent to cheer us up and restore all that was good inside us.They will never know just how much meeting them and spending a short time together meant to me, and how much better they made me feel. Later I made a couple of calls and vented some frustration. I was glad that I planned some buffer time, when setting the date for my return flight. There still was time, but I was flying out of Bangor in the morning, 4 days from now. Later in the night, I lay awake and feel my guts grinding. So much is happening right now. Under ideal conditions just having to say goodbye to people, you have shared so much with, and care for would be difficult enough. I know alot of what I'm feeling is normal, I have heard and read the accounts of others who experienced the same. There is also the realization that this Wizard of Oz adventure has come to an end. This dream that occupied my thoughts for so long and entertained my outdoor fantasies has been made real, and can now rest and make room for new dreams. This dream has been like an old friend that I have been close too and known for many years. And now like the others, all though it will remain close to my heart always, I soon will have to let go and say goodbye to it as well.