Date: 2017-07-28
From: The Birches Lean-tos & Campsite, ME

To: Katahdin, Baxter Peak, ME
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: light rain

It was a standard morning start for me, at least as far as putting on damp or wet clothes was concerned. In view of the condition of his knees, Aidan had decided to stay in the tent and rest while I climbed Katahdin. I packed my sleeping bag, mattress, and anything else I could into my backpack. I put my rain jacket, warm jacket, Tipperary jersey, some food and a couple of water bottles into a food bag and walked to the ranger station to sign the trail register and pick up a day pack. My entry in the register was a little corny, but brief: "Tipperary - it's been a long way."The day was opening with sunny conditions and lots of blue sky mixed with cloud.  I met Butterfeet arriving with a sister and his dad, who were going to accompany him as far as they could. We hugged and wished each other well. I headed to the trail, and for the last time noted my day's start time: 7:15. At the head of the trail was Tori, an AT employee, checking that I knew the AT code of Leave No Trace, the location of the last toilet, and that I'd signed the trailside register.The climb up was actually preceded by a stretch of dead flat, gravel path that all too soon turned into a more standard AT rock-strewn path up an incline past the Katahdin Stream Falls. The rocks began to be more frequent and bigger, and before long I was hauling myself up using tree branches, choosing my footholds and pole plants with care, and wondering once again how on earth 80-year-old Bucky would get over these obstacles. The trees began to disappear. I overtook numerous day- and section-hikers. The obstacles were more challenging. The cloud cover moved back in and, with a strong breeze, brought the temperatures down to where I felt just about okay without a jacket. After the technical section ended, there was a long slog across an open, rocky stretch called The Tableland. Visibility was reduced to about 100 yards. I found it quite tedious. At one point I could see on a ridge above me what looked like the sign for the summit. But it was just an intermediate sign. There were several more false summits before it became clear that I was approaching the end of the AT, and at 10:45, I reached Katahdin's Baxter Peak, the northern terminus of the AT. There was a small group of people there already. I got my turn to have my photograph taken with the summit sign and climbed the steps at the back ("Oh, that's how you do it!" said one person). While still standing on the sign, I stripped off my stained, discolored, slightly torn sun-shirt that I'd worn all the way from Marion, in Virginia, and put on the clean, brightly-colored Tipperary jersey that Aidan had brought me from my closet at home. I didn't feel exceptionally emotional. But when a couple asked me why I had done the trail, I started to choke up and couldn't talk. Lots more people began arriving and lo and behold! the clouds dissipated and the sun bathed us. The views below us were amongst the best on the trail, filled with lakes and craggy peaks. I had put on my rain jacket for a little warmth, and decided to get a few photographs of me with the sign in sunshine. Coins and Sugar showed up. In all I spent over an hour at the top before starting back down. It was just as tough, and sometimes tougher, going down as going up. I traveled most of the distance with Quick Start, a section hiker. He works for a hospital as a repairer of patient care devices. Having each other for company made the return trip fly by. We passed Zebra, and Butterfeet and his family, coming up. Back at the ranger station, Quick Start and I said our goodbyes, bumped fists, and wished each other a good rest of our lives. I made my way back to The Birches, where Aidan was still in his sleeping bag in the tent. With just over an hour before Phil Pepin would be showing up to take us to Bangor, ME, we had to hustle to get the tent stowed and gear packed. In fact, Phil did appear, a bit early, before we were quite ready. We stowed our stuff in the back of his truck, as did Coins, who was also traveling to Bangor, and hit the road. I don't know what time it was. It's time I was heading home. I've been gone a long time. Tipperary