Date: 2006-10-01
From: Katahdin Stream Campground (Millinockett)

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

I was up at four and had the motel¢s continental breakfast¢¦couple of donuts and coffee. Packed up and left town in the dark at five and on the Trail at daybreak¢¦6:32.I summated Katahdin exactly four hours later¢¦10:32. Unlike ¢03 which was ¢crowded,¢ there were only a couple of folks around. The peak was cold, windy and engulfed in ¢clouds.¢ The climb up was clear, for the most part, and seemed to take longer. I always say, ¢when you can¢t see where you¢re going and you don¢t know where you are, you get there faster.¢ One reason why I don¢t carry maps¢¦I don¢t want to know about the ¢lousy¢ trail in front of me.I really do know how to dress for the occasion¢¦my $250 LL Bean Parka was worth every penny along with the gloves and long pants. There was ice on the rocks in places. You still had to get out of the wind on the back side of the sign to get comfortable.I wasn¢t there long when a young man showed up and changed into dry clothes. His name is Jordan and he is the Asst Naturalist for Americore and is assigned to Baxter State Park. He will hang out here for a couple of hours greeting visitors¢¦being Sunday and decent weather, a good crowd is expected.Jordan took my pictures¢¦a portfolio is available upon request for a nominal fee.It¢s funny¢¦I left at 10:32 and it took me exactly four hours to go down too. I could have sworn I did it in an hour less in ¢03. I am getting slower and more cautious on the down hills I guess.If I would have stayed longer it would have cleared up on top for me¢¦same as ¢03, I was too early. I passed a mass of people coming the other way¢¦one guy in his shorts and T-shirt¢¦¢Man, I hope he has something warm to put on when he gets there.¢ Even those that didn¢t have gloves were pulling there hands up in the sleeves to try and keep their hands warm.As I came out a woman was standing there taking video and waiting for her husband to return¢¦all excited as he was just completing his first thru-hike.My plan was now to drive to Lee, MA tonight and arrive about ten. I would stay in the same motel that I stayed twice this section hike. Then drive on home in the morning.This plan went out the window about six miles later as I rounded a blind curve on the one lane gravel road leaving Baxter. A vehicle coming the other direction did not appear to be giving me enough room¢¦my reaction was to jerk the wheel to the right even though a large boulder lay in my path (anything to avoid a sideswipe I guess). I was only doing 20 MPH and came to an immediate stop¢¦after crashing my right front tire into and over the boulder¢¦blowing the tire and taking a piece out of the aluminum rim.The other guy stops and I could tell he didn¢t know what to say¢¦he felt bad but wasn¢t going to ¢apologize and say it was his fault.¢ I¢m not sure it was anyone¢s ¢fault.¢ Neither one was speeding and perhaps he could have pulled over for me¢¦but I don¢t feel like trying to place the blame¢¦it was just one of those things. As I get older I don¢t get as excited about material losses as I used to¢¦no one got hurt and I can always get the Jeep fixed.He stayed around, making sure I had the tools to change the tire, then went on. Two other guys stopped to keep me company while I changed the tire¢¦they even helped a little.I knew something was wrong when the word ¢Jeep¢ was vertical/perpendicular on the steering wheel when I tried to drive straight ahead. I sort of thought I would have a problem too when the left front tire pointed straight ahead and the right one (that hit the rock) was pointed out to the right¢¦and I couldn¢t do more than 20 out to the entrance. There, I stopped and filled out a report and they called a wrecker for me.The wrecker guy, John from ¢John and Sons Towing¢ is one of these ¢Gitter Done¢¢¦no nonsense¢¦¢I¢m Okay, You¢re Not¢ types. Friendy, as long as you don¢t take him on, on anything.We decided to take it to Bangor (seventy miles?) thinking that it might need to be put on a frame straightener. The dealer in Millinenockett and Lincoln (fifty miles away) were small and not equipped. So, we stopped in town to pick up the wife, since they were going to the ¢big city¢ for the evening. I was pleased when she put out her cigarette before hopping in the middle of us. We have a nice chat¢¦come to find among other things, they don¢t trust doctors¢¦or people for that matter¢¦as he doesn¢t take credit cards¢¦or checks¢¦only cash. He happily stopped at the bank machine where I withdrew enough new twenties to cover the $320 towing bill. (He told me how he had to keep one lady¢s car when she couldn¢t come up with the cash.) This guy is overweight, a diabetic and unhappy¢¦blames everyone else for his problems. I think the only thing he enjoys is having ¢power¢¢¦control, if you will, over others.It¢s Sunday, so after dropping the Jeep off at the dealer, he takes me to the Bangor Motor Inn down the road¢¦owned and operated by Americans. I get a nice clean room and go next door to The Olive Garden, where I eat two salads bowls with my seafood alfredo plus the appetizer.Came back to my room, got cleaned up, went to bed and cried myself to sleep.(I¢ll do a wrap up and selected gear review late