Date: 2016-09-06
From: The Birches

To: Baxter Peak
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Morning,Tuesday Sept.6.Breakfast is my standard AT trail breakfast of Cherios with Carnation Instant Breakfast packet,chocolate flavored and a powerbar.When I finish I head on down to the Ranger station.I unpack my pack of all but the minimal essentials and head towards trailhead.A small group of hikers including Elle and Trekaroni are gathered around Elle's father's car.More trail magic of water and snacks.Nice.Really good guy.It's between 6:30 and 7 am,time to go up.The first part of the trail past the falls and up is relatively easy.Corncob comes up behind me.I let him go ahead.We will leap frog rest of the way.It gets steep and rocky with alot of hand over hand combat(some tough parts) until you come to a long ridge walk.Now my heart starts racing with anticipation.Start looking for the sign each time I go over a incline.There are alot of false hopes till finally it's there.All alone in it's magnificents.I walk up and hug it.I take my wife's necklaces out along with 2 hearts I drew on pieces of paper with my daughters names in them.By now others are there including FireFly and Arrow.I ask Arrow if she would take some pictures with my camera.After I go sit down alone behind a boulder and let all the emotions of the moment free,still clutching the necklaces.Mary Lou said she see all the places I'd climb, in the afterlife.I know she was with me.I don't have or can' find the words that can describe my feelings up there then.I take some pictures.The volcanic geological features are amazing.I take a deep breath,stare at the sign.It's time to leave. On the way down I meet Disco and her dad and then Elle and her dad.We hug and say congrats and goodbys but my head is in a state of blur.My feelings are running amok.I'm sure at some later time the trail and all accomplished will come into view.6 months of hiking is over but the journey is not.So many relationships,no matter how brief,are no less important in making this such a amazing journey.DSquare,MrBlue,Frizzle,TopNot,Shiver and Molly.Booksmart,Pinky and Levi,Quirk and Vinigar.Elle and her parents.Moxie and Sunshine.Disco.Conundrum and Aurora.Trekaroni,Bombadil,WhiteCap and Braids,Corncob,McGoober,Tank,Colen,Tinker,Chicken Legs,Tweety,Cheetah,WhiteCap and Braids,Just Charlie,Arrow,Firefly,Mass.,T,and a really nice gal from St Louis who loves hanggliding who's trailname escapes me.I'll always remember our empty trailmagic.I'm sure there are others I haven't mentioned.I thank you all for making this journey and enriching my life.To all the hostel and hotel folks where we stayed along the trail,especially QuarterWay Down(Chunky) never forget the venison stew or the desert rescipe I sent home.To Oma at Three Springs who went out of her way to return me a sleeping bag liner I forgot.To all the trailangels and all the trail maintenance folks ,we all thank you.To the Rochester Hearing Center in Greece NY who sent me emergency parts for my hearing aids,I thank you.Finally ,to my family who despite a terrible irreplaceable loss and greaving time found the strength and courage to allow me this time and journey.I can never thank them enough.I just love them very much.