Date: 2005-08-10
From: Monson, ME MP 2056

To: DONE! KATAHDIN!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

SUCCESS! A.T. CLASS OF 2005!I summited Katahdin at about noon on August 6, 2005. The only thru-hiker with me was Johnny Blaze, whom I met a few days prior. It was 70 degrees, a light breeze, and not a cloud on the horizon. Thank you, everyone, for following my journal, praying for me, and giving me encouragement!The 100 mile wilderness was a lot of fun! I hiked most of it with Sweet Cheeks, Four Cheese, and Flash "Git-R-Done!" Gordon. Unfortunately, those meddling trail gobblins had removed the fishing gear from Rainbow Springs Shelter. Bah! There's a hunting/fishing lodge in the middle of the wilderness (reached by a 2-mile side trail) called White House Landing. The trail ends at a boat dock, where you squeeze an air horn and a guy comes across the lake on a boat and takes you to the lodge. I had stayed in 2003 and enjoyed the sodas, 1-pound hamburgers and smiling faces. My companions joined me for lunch but didn't stick around. I had planned to spend the night there, so I did. That's the reason everyone else finished a day before me. It was vastly worth it. The lodge is located on a massive lake filled with trout and moose and everything else wild. I took a canoe out to the middle of the glassy-smooth lake around sunset and got a great velvet view of Katahdin in the fading light. Absolutely wonderful! That night brought 50 degrees and was completely clear... after my nightly potty break I looked up at the night sky, smiled, and put the canoe back in the water. I had no idea what time it was... maybe 2am? Anyway, I paddled into the middle of the lake and gazed upon the heavens. With no moon and not a street light for 60 miles in any direction, the stars were so thick I couldn't pick out the constellations. Two days later I strolled into Abol Bridge (14 miles from the end) and resupplied. It was a cloudy, drizzly day and I was able to see the bottom 1/3 of Katahdin... The top was engulfed in nasty blue thunderheads. "Yikes! glad I'm not up there right now!" At THAT VERY MOMENT, in fact, Kodak, Handlebars, Bohdi, and my three wilderness companions were attempting to conquer the mountain. I'm so glad I took my time and smelled the roses! Mt. Katahdin is the tallest peak in Maine. On a beautiful saturday, it attracts day hikers from all over. There were about 300 folks at the top of the mountain (we call these people "muggles"). Many don't realize that it's the end of the famous Appalachian Trail, so when we arrived yelling "WE MADE IT!", they roll their eyes. (They think we hiked from the parking lot, when in fact we walked from Georgia.) At the base of the mountain is a ranger station where you can leave your heavy gear and "Slack pack" up and down the mountain. We were really moving! A beautiful cool day, with two water bottles, a camera, and six donuts in my pack made for a very pleasant climb. Climbing Katahdin is a 5 mile hike in which you gain about 4300 feet in elevation. It starts in smooth birch woods, then progresses steadily uphill into pines, then short pines, then REALLY short pine trees, treeline, and then a 1000 vertical foot boulder scramble, and finally ends with a gentle uphill in alpine tundra (across the "tableland") and to the summit sign. Keep in mind that the last time I climbed this mountain, I was horribly fat, inexperienced, and out of shape. This time I had done a 2000 mile warm-up. It only took us about 2.5 hours to reach the top, taking only one 5 minute break for donuts. It's a very technical climb, and in many places involves vertical climbing and grasping metal bars sticking from the boulders. Some day hikers, gingerly feeling their way up the rocks, recieved a brief warning: "Look out!, northbounders a'comin'!" All they sensed was a bright flash and sonic boom as I vaulted up six-foot rock walls past them. Ahhh, it felt good. I bounced back down the mountain in short order and cobbed a ride to the nearby town of Millinocket with some Russian guy. In town I met Alice and Tater (Who had a rental car). On monday they were able to drop me off at Portland, ME. To show you what a small world it is, do you remember my story of the annoying white dog in Tennessee that followed us, and I wanted to kick it off a cliff? Well, Tater was the anonymous "old guy" who took pity on the dog and had someone come and adopt it! How about that! This realization occured after about 10 minutes of blank stares and "where do I know you from?" reminiscing. GET THIS! I spent about 24 hours straight (monday afternoon to tuesday afternoon) leapfrogging Greyhound buses to get back to southern VA from the north woods of Maine. My route was Portland, Boston, Manhattan, Baltimore, Richmond, Roanoke. There I was, standing in Times Square at 1:00am, COMPLETE with pack and hiking poles, eating a mystery hot dog I bought from a Lebanese vendor's cart awaiting my next bus connection. All I could do was stand in a monkey-like stupor as taxi cabs flew by, neon lights flashed, and important looking people scurried about. I didn't take a picture, but if you search the dictionary for the word "overload", you'll find one. I'm at my parents house in VA now, 55 pounds lighter than when I left. My 168 day adventure has come to an end and yeilded great memories and friendships for a lifetime. If you'd like to hear more stories, make a pot roast and invite me over sometime. YOURS TRUELY