Date: 2006-09-23
From: Katahdin Stream Campground (ME)

To: Katahdin, Baxter Peak
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning pinata, 42, lightweight and i were awoken by she bear climbing into our lean-to and jersey and g-man started up the fire. otter even came over this morning to greet us before our summit. we had hot coffee, donuts and muffins for breakfast, but shebear and i (for once) didn't have much of an appetite before our big ascent. we all signed in together at 7:20am with a reported class 2 day. the first mile was easy, but i was anxious to start climbing...without the realization that i'd be climbing for 4 more miles. most of the climbing today was the kind of ascent that i enjoy with rock scrambling using all limbs and muscles to get to the top. hopefully i'll be able to get into bouldering when i'm done with the trail for the first part of the ascent i could see the views but by the time i got to the top of the first peak i was in the fog. for the last mile i was hiking in the fog to the sign on baxter peak, and i kept thinking "i'm here, i'm here...i can't believe i'm here." when i got to the top, lightweight, jersey and g-man were cheering me and baldy locks on. jersey hiked his sleeping bag up with him so we got under it to keep warm while we were waiting for pinata, she bear and 42. pinata summitted and we got some group pictures but became too cold to wait for the others. there was snow on the ground and i could stop my body from convulsing nor could i feel my face. i started running down and shortly ran into 42, first class (42's dad), she bear and ghost (shebear's friend and former thru-hiker), we embraced each other gave best wishes and shared tears and planned to meet back at the bottom. it took me 3 hours to ascend and half the time to get down. i slid down and lept over rocks and ran whenever it was flat, it was cold, rainy and i was DONE. we all considered purposely breaking a leg at the top so we could be airlifted out...but after my legs carried me 2,000 miles i thought it wouldn't be fair to them. as each person came down they jumped in the van until each person was down, congratulated and accounted for. there hasn't been one mountain that has worn me out like this one, so after dinner with the girls, baldy locks and first class i was ready TO GO TO BED.eventhough it was foggy at the top i wouldn't have had it any other way. the day previous was beautiful, a quiet before the storm, with breathtaking views of the mountain we were soon to conquer. the night before was with great company, a fire and smores. this morning was quiet but familiar b/c you knew all your friends were having the same emotions. the climb was strenuous but provided views on the way up. finally the top encapsulated the dedication that you must have to complete a journey as amazing as this. it represents the tough days that we all put in to reach that one perfect moment with the katahdin sign. every thru-hiker experiences the trail differently but we all share an unexplainable knowledge about ourselves, life, living, others, adapting to change, dedication, strength, good days, bad days...everything, i could go on forever but most of all we understand that mountain. we understand something that i'm not sure is tangible for those who haven't taken the steps to get here. to all of those i've walked these blazes with...i love you, i appreciate you, i congratulate your accomplishment and i know you in a way that others may never see and you in return know a secret piece of me.Lightweight put it perfectly "they want to know..but they just can't." in reference to family and friends that ask about the trail.I FINISHED WITHOUT CATCHING LYMES, OR GIARDIA, OR BEING EATEN BY A BEAR, OR MALLED BY A MOOSE, OR BY CATCHING THAT THING FROM EXPOSURE TO RODENT POOP...ha, there were times on the trail where i thought i might be suffering from each one of those. thru-hikers are such hypocondriacs.