Date: 2009-08-03
From: TX - ME

To: Katahdin - K Stream Campground
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Report: Physically, I¢m off the trail and at home. This report is for July 21.III. Tuesday started with a very early start. There was an 0500 wake-up, 0530 breakfast and an 0630 departure for Baxter State Park. Since I was the only one with a park reservation, I was really the NBFF. I loaded up the fuel and water, and removed about 1.5 day supply of food. We got to the park and checked in with the ranger station for summitting Katahdin. We left our packs at the ranger station, prepared day packs and were starting the 5.3 mile summit before 0800. The first three miles were rather uneventful, steady climb. Mile 3-4 was mostly a rock scramble, aided in about a half dozen locations by iron bar handholds. I have the utmost respect for the volunteer trail crews who maintain the AT, but, I would suggest another couple handholds would have been highly appreciated. The last mile plus was on the ridge crest up to the summit. One would have thought there was a convention at the summit. We had only seen about 12 dozen other hikers on our trail to the summit. However, there were a number of much easier trails from the backside and I¢d guess there were 50 or more on top. The weather was very thick clouds, which is considered a very good day for the mountain top. After some brief photos, it was back to the park campground. I had a memory card error and I fear that I have few pictures of us on the summit!!!!!Now for NOBO thruhikers, this is the culmination of 2178 mile trek, with the highest sustained climb of 4200 feet. For the SOBO hikers, this is simply an ¢access trail¢ to the summit, from which one can start officially counting mileage. The descent was routine except for one disturbing event. We came across a young boy probably around 13, alone and crying in his applesauce. I tried to talk to him to see if there was anything I could do to help; but, he wasn¢t too receptive. There wasn¢t any immediate danger and I wasn¢t certain that I could improve his safety by trying to take him down with me. Also, Lumpy and I had seen a similar situation earlier where adults were really hard on their boys. As reported earlier, everything I know about raising kids I learned from training dogs. But I can guarantee these youth will not be looking forward to going out hiking anytime soon. Fortunately, I¢ll have a more positive report in a future journal entry.We got down to the ranger station, recovered our packs and proceeded to campsite. We fixed dinner and bedded down, just before the rain started ¢ yes, rain again!I was somewhat apprehensive about starting essentially my third trek in this year¢s AT hike. First, I was concerned about Libra Lady. She had really come thru her surgery and recovery well. I had stayed with her thru the 1st three weeks of full restricted duties; however, I left her with another three weeks of limited restrictions. Another major factor was the total loss on my ¢trail legs¢. In fact, I had injured my right knee in working out, had not exercised for over a week and was concerned about how well it would hold out. Then there was the Mt K climb. Next would be the 100 mile wilderness. And then I was hiking solo¢¦. But, I felt very good after this 1st day and was hiking with TNT and FB.IV. QOD: What happens if you get sick?   Pretty much lump it .¢¦   Seriously, the primary factor is prevention. At the strategic level, I had a complete checkout and got approval for this hike from all my doctors, even able to work in a dental checkout during my off=trail break). In addition to my normal meds, my primary care physician also provided some heavy-duty Rx¢s for bacteria and virus infections should I get really ill in the backcountry. Next preventive method is water purification and personal sanitation. I treat all my spring water and clean food utensils regularly after use. I also use anti-bacteria soap after hygiene breaks and before food preparation. And I brush my teeth and floss more on the trail than at home. And, if that all fails, you try to trudge on to a place to try to recover, hopefully a nearby town or shelter. And finally, if there is a serious medical problem, hope you have a cell phone signal and/or request help or assistance from fellow hiker.V. POD: One of my early summer activities was ¢working¢ on the family farm outside Clayton, OK. I think the farm was owned by one of Granny¢s brothers, and worked by Granny¢s sister and her husband. Then many of the relatives would come and help out during the summer.   Two mules were used to plow the field. I can remember making butter from whole milk. I guess this was a poor farm because we didn¢t have a butter churn, just glass jars. The men used gallon pickle jars, the women used quart-canning jars and us kids had pint jelly jars. I remember Cousin Johnny Carl asking to go into town, where Papa Carl could get a beer, Mama Grace could get a grapette, and us farm boys could get a root beer. I liked Saturday mornings, because for one thin dime, you could go to the motion picture theater and see the serials, news and a show ($.07), get a coke ($.02) and have a bag of popcorn ($.01)POD: Cousin Corky. CC and CJC were slightly other than me and they had worked on the farm for several summers before I arrived. I remember them trying to fire some handgun ammo with a hammer and pair of pliers.   Most of the the time, they spent thinking up ways to be mean to me. Later, I visited CC out in west Texas where he drove a Corvair convertible and checked on oilrigs. CC now lives west of Houston and I kept a German Shepherd, Woody, for him for a while ¢ best dog next to my Thor.