Date: 2015-07-28
From: The Birches

To: Mt Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: light rain

Last night we got to the shelter at nearly 9pm. The sun had nearly set and I was convinced that Smasher would be asleep, and probably thought that we were dead. I walked through the silent, dark campsite carrying the McDonald's. I hesitantly said "hello?" And Not Yet and Smasher appeared from the lean-to. They were happy to see us, but even happier when I handed them the Big Mac meals. Not Yet had never had a Big Mac meal before, and they both claimed that it was the best meal they had been given. BigBen moved into the other shelter, by himself. Because he snores so I stayed in the shelter with Not Yet and Smasher. All four of us tried to decide what time to wake up. Smasher planned to wake up at 1am and climb Katahdin in the dark to see sunrise on the top. BigBen decided to join him, provided he could wake up. I decided to set me alarm for 4.30 and leave by 5.30am. I would probably meet Not Yet at the top. Absolutely no ones plans worked out. At 1am, I heard Smashers alarm go off. I also heard the heavy rain that meant he wouldn't be able to climb. He decided to wait. All three of us were awake then, laying quietly in the dark, trying to combat excitement and nervousness to get back to sleep. Not Yet got up to pee, then I did, then BigBen, then Smasher. Then the rain came down even harder and we could hear a thunderstorm in the distance. Throughout the early hours I listened, growing increasingly anxious about the poor weather. The thunderstorm got closer, the rain got louder, the lightning lit up the forest. Eventually, I fell asleep. I woke up to Smashers alarm at 4am and listened to the heavy rain falling on the shelter. I asked Smasher what he was going to do, and he said wait until the rain stopped. I fell back asleep and woke up to my own alarm at 4.30. The rain continued. Sleep. Rain. Sleep. Rain. I eventually got up about 5.30, when the rain had subsided. I wasn't optimistic for good weather, but I hoped that the thunderstorms had finished. I left just before 6, after a quick breakfast of oats. I nearly didn't have them, but I knew I couldn't finish my last day on the trail without them. I went to the Ranger station and dropped off the majority of my stuff. I just kept my pack, my food, my rain gear. I needed to strip down my pack to make the hike as easy as possible. I registered at the very bottom of Katahdin at 6.11am. The first mile was nearly flat, nice smooth trail. Then the next section went up to Katahdin stream falls, which was extremely buggy. I had to wear my bug net. The trail steadily got more rugged as I climbed up. As the mileage increased, so did the amount and size of the rocks. These first few miles were fine really. Nothing particularly unusual, just a couple rocky points that were awkward to get over. But then as soon as I passed the tree line, the trail just became an extended rocky scramble. I kept my poles in hand for a while, but quickly had to put them away. I had to use all my arm strength and creativity, and lose all dignity, to get up and over many huge boulders. There were a few metal rebars, and the first one made me sick with anxiety because of the sheer height. If I slipped, I would be dead. Not Yet was just ahead and waited for me, incase I got stuck.I managed to smack the top of my skull into a boulder, and felt dizzy with pain for a few moments. The combined height of the rocks on this cliff edge climb and my head pain was not remotely fun. But then I saw Not Yet stopped on the trail with a pale face. He pointed to the boulders in front of him and described how he just nearly died. We both took it much more carefully from then on. The rock climbing went on for hours. Just constantly dragging myself up and scraping myself on rocks, and squeezing up tight rocks, and getting wedged in awkward positions. At one point I had to roll onto a rock, another I had to spin around and climb backwards. By this point, the sun was well and truly out and blinding me. I was hiking up into it, as it was still just cresting over the top of Katahdin. There was a brief section where clouds blew across from another mountain and I was climbing in thick fog. Eventually, I reached Tableland. The big boulders had stopped, but there were a lot of rocks. It was nearly flat for the first section, but I had to rock hop as the trail was flooded. There were little ropes to keep hikers within the trail boundaries, and of course it was only within that section that there was a river flowing. Only that section of the entire top mountain, and we had to hike through it. Still, it was a relief to stop climbing and use my poles again. The sun soon appeared again, and the sky was clear blue. I could see for miles. I could see Not Yet in the distance. Beyond him, I could see the rest of the mountain. I could make up little dark figures on the top. I was so close, but there was absolutely nothing I could do to make myself go faster. Slowly, steadily, I got closer to the top. I could see a sign. I could see figures. I could make out the colour of their clothing. I desperately hoped that it wasn't a false summit, and they weren't just sitting there taking a break before another big climb. As I got closer to the sign, I saw my friends stand up. I could see the end. I felt a bit emotional for a moment, but mostly I felt absolutely destroyed by the climb up. My shin was bleeding and both were scraped. I got within a few feet of the sign and threw down my poles. It was about 9.30. I told the others that I didn't think I could go back down, and they laughed. I was so happy to be at the top, and to be with my friends. It was such a fantastic moment to share with my fellow hikers. I was in awe of the view from the top, and took a bunch of photos before I got my own obligatory ones taken with the sign. I had a lot of photos taken, since I knew that I would never, ever be coming back. Eventually, it was time to go back down. I had a little bit more energy, but I quickly lost it once I got back to the rock climbing. We passed a lot of people coming up, and I was glad we had managed to miss the crowds. It took a very long time and even more pain going down as my knees hurt so much. I made it to the bottom at 12.35 and signed out on the trail register. I went directly to the ranger station to collect my stuff and met Smasher. The ranger gave me an ice pop, and it tasted fantastic. I got my Katahdin number, #119. We all collected our stuff and went to the picnic table to wait for Deerdog to come and pick us up. In the meantime, we relaxed and ate from our food bags. Before we finally left Baxter, I got given food by Crusty and got a bit of trail magic from the AK Twins. Deerdog drove us to Millinocket and we went to the Trail Cafe. The three of us who hiked today got the Katahdin burger, and I got a root beer float. It was the last hurrah for a large amount of food that I cannot repeat without gaining an enormous amount of weight. We stopped briefly to get some "healthy" snacks before getting on the road and doing the long drive to Boston, where I have been writing this from. Each time we stop and get out of the car, my legs hurt so much and it's visibly obvious who out of us has been hiking. Firstly because we're all filthy, but secondly because we all walk like newborn deer using our legs for the first time. I'm still a bit in shock about having finished. I don't think it will sink in for a while. I feel relieved, but I think I will really feel it when I don't hike tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that. For now, I just feel happy and relaxed. I don't have any solid plans for the rest of my time in America yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing Boston and spending time with my friends.