Date: 2003-10-09
From: roaring brook campground

To: katahdin stream campground
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

we were all awake at 5:30 this morning so that jon and miriam could get on the road and i could get on the trail. we loaded up the truck. jon said a prayer for me. i gave miriam a hug, and jon and i shook hands (he and i don't hug. we accidentally did one time and it was kind of awkward).and, they left.just like that, i was all alone in maine. i think that is when the seriousness of what i was about to do really hit me. before that, it was more like a dream. but, as i watched jon and miriam drive away at six o'clock this morning it all became very real. holy crap. i am standing in maine and now i'm about to set off on a journey that will take me to georgia.(a little side bar at this point: i cannot thank shoeless jon and miriam enough for bringing me to maine. they are both truly wonderful people and really great friends. i consider myself lucky to know them).so, i found out on monday that the knife edge trail was closed. i walked up to the porch of the ranger cabin to see if the knife edge might have been opened back up and it hadn't. the only trail going to the top of baxter peak that was open from where i was staying on the backside of the mountain at the roaring brook campground was a trail called the hamlin ridge trail. the hamlin ridge trail it would be, then.i signed in at the ranger cabin and left the campground at seven o'clock- heading out on the chimney pond trail; from, which i would pick up the hamlin ridge trail; from, which i would pick up the upper saddle trail; at the end of, which i would find baxter peak and the northern terminus of the appalachian trail.when we left north carolina yesterday i don't think that any of the leaves had started to make the change from the green of summer to the brilliant colors of autumn. this morning when i started hiking i realized that the trees were in full swing. everything was a vibrant red, orange, or yellow. maine in october is a beautiful thing. everyone should get to experience maine in october. everyone should take a vacation in maine in october. after all, it is vacationland.the three mile hike to chimney pond was a nice little warm-up for the hike that was soon to follow. i topped off my water bottles at the pond and started up the hamlin ridge trail. the hamlin ridge trail would be more aptly named the asskicker-2000 trail or maybe even the rocktown, usa, trail.the trail started off easy enough, but that all changed very quickly. it wasn't long before it was hand over foot over hand over foot. doing this with just a daypack on would be challenge enough, but doing it with a 35 pound pack was really tough. it was well worth it, though. the day was incredible. the temperature was warm, but not too warm. there was a light breeze. the sun was shining bright. from up on the ridge i could look out over the blue lakes of maine, reflecting the early morning sun and the valleys, which looked like they were on fire with the reds, oranges, and yellows. from up on the ridge i could look over to the jagged line of the knife edge- silouheted by the sun, and i could see the back side of baxter peak. when i got higher on the ridge i found a few pockets of snow that were still lingering from last week's storm.i finally reached hamlin peak and was able to just barely make out the top of the rock cairn that stands tall at the summit of katahdin. from there, it was a short walk to where i junctioned with the upper saddle trail at caribou spring. from caribou spring, i was roughly two miles from the top of mount katahdin. two miles from the true start of my adventure.the final two miles seemed to drag on forever. they were steep and rocky and i didn't know if they were ever going to end. i finally passed a sign that said baxter peak was only one mile away. and, then i passed a sign that said baxter peak was only 1/2 mile away. i was getting closer and closer with each step. i was starting to hear the yelling and cheering of people on the summit- obviously northbounders that were just finishing the long walk from georgia to maine.i came up over a rise and, there before me, was a sight that made me stop in my tracks. there was the sign. there was the rock cairn- upon, which sat so many rocks that had been carried all the way from springer mountain. there were about thirty or forty people- of which only about 5 were dayhikers. the rest were thru-hikers. the rest were celebrating. the rest had just finished the long walk from georgia to maine. since the mountain had been closed earlier in the week, all of these people had to wait until today to complete their journey- to make the final climb to the summit of mount katahdin.i walked over and sat down on a rock about eight feet from the sign marking the summit of katahdin and the northern terminus of the appalachian trail. from where i was sitting, i could only see the side of the sign. i couldn't see the writing on it. part of me didn't want to see the writing on it. part of me just wanted to look at the side of it all day. i knew that as soon as i saw the front the sign, then my adventure would be on. then, there would be no turning back. then, all of this would be real.i sat on my rock and looked at the side of the sign (with the rock cairn behind it and the jagged line of the knife edge behind that) and watched all of these northbounders having their pictures taken with the sign. (that sign should really start charging people to pose for a picture with them). i watched the northbounders laugh, and hug, and celebrate. and, i celebrated with them. i celebrated for them. i could and i couldn't imagine what they were experiencing.it was almost three years ago to the day that my brother dropped me off at nimblewill gap, 3 miles shy of springer mountain. i stood on the summit of springer mountain at 8:45 on a tuesday night and thus began my first attempt at a thru-hike. thus, began my first attempt to walk to the mountain upon which i now stood.i walked roughly 500 miles that year. i got sick and decided it was time to come off the trail. last year i set out again, intending to walk the rest of the way to the mountain upon which i now stood. i walked another seven hundred and something miles before i decided it was getting too hot and humid for my taste, and it was time to come off the trail again. now, here i was. sitting less than ten feet from the sign that i'd waited so long to see. so long to touch. so long to have my picture taken with.i started talking with a couple of hikers that were just finishing their hike- tom for short and footslogger. i asked them when they started, where were they from. i told them congratulations. they asked me when i started. i told them that as soon as i touched that sign (pointing to the sign standing tall before me) my hike would begin. excuse me? you haven't started your hike yet? nope. it won't begin until i touch that sign right there. wow. then, why don't you go and touch it and get this thing underway? well, i think i'll just sit here a little while longer and enjoy the moment. they wished me luck and started down the trail. eventually, everyone cleared out and started making their way back down to the katahdin stream campground. it wasn't long before there were only a handful of people left. i decided that it was finally time to gaze upon this sign that people walk almost 2200 miles to see. i stood up and walked around and there it was.the sign. i looked at the sign and it just looked right back at me. i gave it a nod and it nodded back. i smiled and it smiled back. i introduced myself as grizzly adam and it said that it knew exactly who i was. it had been waiting for me for quite some time.i walked over to the rock cairn and looked it over. i thought about placing the rock that i got on springer mountain three years ago on the pile with so many other rocks that have been carried from springer mountain, but then i thought better of it. i decided that instead of leaving my springer rock on katahdin, i would take it back to its home on springer mountain. and, i would find a travel partner for it as well. a little play companion for the long walk south. i found a nice, little katahdin rock that could ride in my pack with the springer rock. they would have great fun.i walked back over to the sign and took a couple of pictures of myself seated in front of it. i hoisted my pack onto my back, touched the sign (finally touched it, finally started my adventure), said a quick prayer, and started walking south.from baxter peak to the katahdin stream campground it is 5.2 miles on what is locally called the hunt trail. or, as we like to call it- the appalachian trail. when most hikers make the climb to the top of katahdin they usually leave their heavy packs at the ranger cabin and carry a ranger issued daypack holding only the bare essentials- water, food, and extra clothing. it wasn't long before i realized why.the hunt trail was relatively flat -over an area known as the tableland- for a couple of miles and then it came to an edge and dropped down into a boulder field that was steep and long and, well, full of boulders. it was hand over foot over hand over foot over head over heels. i slipped and slided and fell all the way through the boulder field. then, i got back down below tree line and the trail didn't seem to get much easier. i'm sure that it was easier, but at that point i was so tired and my legs were so sore and weak that i was practically crawling down the trail.i finally signed out at the katahdin stream trailhead at 5:30- ten and a half hours after leaving the roaring brook campground.all of the northbounders were standing around the parking lot and under the pavilion, still celebrating. or, rather, just starting to celebrate. a hiker came up to me and asked if i was the southbounder. yes, i am. are you grizzly adam? yes, i am. the same grizzly adam that put the two northbounders, bono and rocket, up at your house this winter? one in the same. well, i'm brown bess and i read about you on trailjournals and just wanted to come meet you and wish you luck. well, thank you brown bess.brown bess and i walked over to the lean-tos where the northbounders that are summitting tomorrow are staying. brown bess told me that he didn't think the lean-tos would fill up tonight, so i decided to take up residence in one of them.i'm exhausted. my adventure is now underway. i look forward to the days and months ahead with open eyes and an eager heart. tonight i will sleep soundly and tomorrow will bring a new day. tomorrow, i will walk."my feet are prone to wander. i was born with a restless soul." -mpj