Date: 2008-08-16
From: Katahdin Springs Campsite

To: Mt. Katahdin Summit
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

SUMMIT DAY:Well the day started out very early. I awoke at 3:30AM to pack up my tent and get on the road. Last night, the campground was a madhouse. It was loud with people up until well after midnight. That combined with my the excitement of what today holds I didn't get much sleep. So, on the road by 4 AM, we drove the ~17 miles to the entrance to Baxter State Park. At the gate, there was a huge line already...at 4:25!! The gate doesn't open until 5, so we sat in line, in the dark and inched our way to the gate. Luckily, we got in and a parking spot near the campground by just after 5. Its cloudy, but nice and cool and I am ready to get going. I eat some breakfast, head over to the Ranger station to sign in, and get some water for the day.Pete and I hit the trail about 7AM. I am so excited, I'm just flying up the trail, passing day hikers the whole way. I have to constantly slow myself down. I have 5 miles and almost 4200' to climb. The first 1 1/2 miles went by quickly and before I knew it I was above treeline. Then the climbing started. The trail was literally climbing over huge rocks, at one point using a rope to help negotiate a tall face of rock. The climb was fun though, and there was a few pretty dicey pitches, but plenty of handholds and footholds. There were acouple of false summits, and once I got to the first one, it all really statred sinking in. Everything seemed very surreal, and memories of the whole trip started flooding my mind. That combined with the simply breathtaking views made this stretch so amazing. After reaching that second false summit I arrive at the stretch called the tablelands. This section is a flatter stretch that leads up to the final pitch. After about 1 mile, I reached the final pitch. The line of people ahead of me is impressive. I can see the famous Knife's edge to my right, the summit up to my left. I start to make out the famous sign...the northern terminus, the summit...what I have been striving for for 5 months, 2 thousand miles...I can't believe it's so close. The wind is blowing a freezing wind across me from right to left, my head is pointed to the ground to find my footholds, but I creep closer. Finally, my last steps...the sign was in front of me...I tune out all the people crowding the summit, and take a few breaths...once I touch that sign, the climb is over. I give Pete my camera to capture the moment and then I wait for clearing and take my last few steps, my hand stretched out out and finally touch the sign. Words just can't describe the feelings coursing through my head. I'm here...I never thought I could get here, but at the same time felt like I was always going to get here. I made it. I back away and take off my pack. I walk around the summit and take pictures, knowing they will do no justice to this amazing moment. I soon realize I'm starving so I ducked behind the summit and have some lunch and soak in the view all the way down to Chimney Pond. It's pretty cold up here and I have a long climb back down, so after about 45 minutes at the summit, I have to go back down. All the way down, a real feeling of completeness really washed over me. I was really surprised by this, I really thought because I skipped a big chunk of Maine, that I would feel like I still have some hiking to do, but that was not the case...now I have a decision to make...Once back down to Katahdin Spring, I strolled over to the ranger station to sign for a completed summit. I run into Alohawk! I stopped and chatted with him for a bit. It was good to see him again, he was planning a summit for tomorrow. Pete and I decide a celebration is in order, so we get back in the car and head for Bangor, ME a few hours away. That night the beer was amazing...I felt on top of the world.