Date: 2008-09-22
From: Monson, ME

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 110.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, its over. I am now sitting at home in Minnesota. I summited Katahdin on September 23rd, exactly six months from when I arrived at the approach trail. This will be a two-part entry. Hot Tang, Longshot, Briar and I decided to push through the 100 mile wilderness without resupply. Even though there are no towns in the wilderness, there are people who will drive in on one of the few road with a resupply box or you can go to White House Landing. The thought of a final push, a final challenge, appealed to me so I loaded up on enough food- six days to make the 100 miles to the Abol Bridge campground. The last time I carried that much food was in the Smokies back in North Carolina! The first three days out of Monson were mountainous. On the third day I climbed the last mountains before the long stretch of flat "sidewalk" to Katahdin. The mountains were reminiscent of the rollercoaster stretch of trail, but somehow much easier. They went by so quickly because the sky was clear and I knew I'd see Katahdin from Whitecap Mountain. Finally, I got to see Katahdin only about 70 miles from the finish line. I was surprised how large it looked! It rises up out of a very flat area and the mountain looked so close. I was surprised that I hadn't seen it before. After Whitecap, the next 3 days to Abol Bridge were a breeze. Coming down Whitecap there was trail magic and I was fed an AWESOME stew. Magic in the wilderness! The trail was relatively flat, some stretches were just great and I could fly down them. Others were rocky, rooty, or wet but still flat. On the 20th, I was walking down the trail with Briar having just left Potaywadjo Shelter and through the trees I see the strangest sight. It was as if there was no horizon of any kind. There was a lake, then fog, then the sky and the affect was that it looked like the earth and sky were the same thing. So, we bushwacked to the lake to investigate further and found our own slice of heaven. Pemadumcook Lake was amazing! In our bay there was this incredible stump in the water and Katahdin in the background separated from the connected lake and sky. Briar and I sat around on this perfectly large rock for laying on for a very long time. Eventually Hot Tang and Longshot walked on by and we called them over too. Briar and I continued hiking and came to yet another awesome lake. This lake had a beach and four loons. I love loons! They are my favorite animal. So we sat on the beach and Briar made loon calls and they answered back! It was a great day and I couldn't help but think how soon those amazing days on the trail would be over.Abol Bridge was a very exciting destination as it marked the end of the 100 mile wilderness. There was a camp store, showers, and a river/lake with an amazing view of Katahdin. We stayed the night camped in front of the perfect view of the mountain. I made a fire and cooked my dinner of 7 eggs, 6 pieces of bacon, and a can of beans. Disgusting, I know! But sooo good. I think my body needed protein. Hot Tang, Longshot, Briar and I hung out by the fire and once again the sad thoughts of the end of the trail kept creeping in. In the morning I went and got coffee and breakfast at the camp store and noticed that the leaves around the lake had changed overnight. I drank coffee while reading the book I picked up for free at the store- its called Empire Falls and I recommend it highly. Eventually we started hiking and the trail followed a river most of the day. There were waterfalls, falling leaves, views of Katahdin, and a well groomed trail. I was so overcome by the beautiful fall day that I actually agreed to jump into the river. I stayed in for about 2 seconds! SO cold. We took our time getting to the Birches laying on every rock, going to every view, walking slow and just soaking up the last day on the trail.The Birches was a nice shelter. Hot Tang, Longshot, Briar and I were there on September 22nd along with Fizz (pleasant surprise) and 3 speedy Florida thru-hikers that I'd never met. We all sat around a fire and stayed up past my bedtime (I'd been going to bed around 7:30pm). I really enjoyed everyone's company and was happy that I had a great group to summit with. I went to bed thinking how much I love my life, how much I loved the trail, and how I was not quite ready to be done.