Date: 2008-09-26
From: MOUNT KATAHDIN!

To: The REAL WORLD
Miles today: 0.0

And so it was...We choose to take a different trail down Mount Katahdin. I picked the Saddle trail because I had done it before and remembered that it was a fairly easy hike after you get down the rock slide. I was the last to leave the summit after saying goodbye to my friends who had to take the AT back to their cars. It was very strange to be following blue blazes... no more white blazes yikes! It was still very beautiful out. The Nat Geo plane continued to fly over us as we descended. It still hadn't really sunk in that this would quite possibly be the last time I got to hike with these amazing people. The very people who once were perfect strangers and now had become my new family. After following the ridge for a while we had to start the rock slide. It was a bit more washed out than I remembered, but still alright to navigate. We all got a few curses in on the way down in an effort to save our knees for one more hike. After the rock slide it was a fairly easy and enjoyable hike on down to Chimney Pond. Now I have seen Mount Katahdin from several different angles, from the AT and from a canoe, and I must say that my favorite view of it would be from Chimney Pond. First off you have an amazingly clear pond and this big monstrous rock staring down on you... and after seeking this mountain for several months, it was pretty darn neat to be sitting in it's shadows. Brown Bag, Moonshadow, Kyanite, and S. Forecast and myself enjoyed a few snacks and moments of beauty there. Then we slowly made our way down to Roaring Brook. I decided to stop at a beautiful pond along the way. I met two guys there who had taken a quick dip. They asked where I had been hiking, I told them The AT.. and then explained how I had just finished. It was odd to say. I am done... I am no longer a thru hiker... I am just now a hiker, simple as that. I had a few moments by myself to ponder that in the beautiful place I was in, and then it was time to head down to the parking area. I caught up with Brown Bag on the way down, I took my time and followed him into the ranger station to sign out... from there I heard a bit of hooting and hollering coming from the park area. There My dad, Step mom, Kellie, and Sunkist already were. I got my big hugs from my parents and was then given a beer. My hands quickly became filled with all sorts of yummy things. Kellie had given me a cheeseburger, Paula had made me some MORE special k bars! so I had 2 of those and then the beer from my pops. All was well in the world. We waited for the rest of the group to come down off the hill. It was fun to see each persons expression. I guess this is where it ends, it reminds me a bit of the movie "Oceans 11" the final scene where each person is standing in front of the Bellagio fountains show, and they each walk away in different directions. We all piled into our cars and off we were in different directions. (We did end up having dinner together with our families, and said our final teary goodbyes.) You see the trail easily becomes an obsession. It starts with a crazy idea, then you start reading journals and books about the trail. From there you buy all sorts of gear and tell everyone your plan and waste a lot of "work time" dreaming about the trail. Then your dream becomes a reality, you are really hiking the trail. Some are not able to finish their dreams, some make new dreams, and yet others make it to the end. The trail has been my life long before Matt dropped me off on the trail way back in March, and now it is even more so. Today I am walking away, a dream finished, with nothing yet to take it's place. It is like losing a best friend. I think I may be in shock... and It will take time to figure out all that has come out of this experience for me. For now a quick THANK YOU to anyone who has supported this dream of mine in any way. Just by reading this you have helped me! Thanks. In the coming weeks I suppose I will be able to really sit down and send out a few more entries with some final thoughts I have about all this. I know there are some things I would love to share with anyone who wants to listen, not only about the trail but about the whole experience. Again thanks for your support... I hope you enjoyed reading about this crazy life of mine. Be WELL and SMILE,SUN BEAMAnne Weisheipl