Date: 2015-10-07
From: Katahdin Stream,Campground 

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

For me best laid plans rarely work out as planned. I went to bed early only to be woken up by a drunk hiker who returned to the hostel very late with a loud woman, and who was less than considerate of his fellow guests.I got up at 4 and was at the AT Cafe at 5 a.m when it opened to have breakfast. Paul agreed to take me to the trailhead at 6 rather than 6:30 to give me a little extra time to complete the climb in time to catch the 4 p.m. shuttle back to the hostel. Another hostle guest rode out with me - a good news/bad news situation. The good news was that we split the shuttling fee. The bad news was that he stunk terribly of cigarettes, to the point that several times I thought I was going to need to have Paul pull over so I could vomit. I felt nauseous the rest of the day.The daypack I borrowed had no waist strap, so all the pack weight was on my shoulders, which aggravated an old neck injury. The neck and shoulder pain started almost immediately. And the weather was not as perfect as predicted. The wind picked up as I progressed up the mountain. By the time I was above treeline the wind was really whipping.I watched the time carefully and was right on schedule despite feeling sick and being in pain. Above treeline, when I reached the giant boulders and the rebar, the wind was blowing so hard I had a hard time breathing, keeping my hat on, or firmly planting my feet. There were also dark clouds looming above Katahdin. Other hikers graciously offered to help me, but I politely declined. I really appreciated their offers, but under the circumstances I expected the weather to only get worse. It would be tough going further in the wind. But if it rained, coming back down over the wet rocks could be extremely treacherous. If I fell and became injured I would not be able to finish my thru hike, and I still had a long way to go.I made a good faith effort to reach the summit, but today was just not my day. So far on the AT I have survived treacherous rock climbs, lightening storms, rain storms, encounters with bears & rattlesnakes, and nearly drowning. I was not going to further press my luck. I also remembered my promise to myself - to never put myself in a situation I could not get myself out of. I was not sure if I went all the way to the summit that I could safely get myself back down if tbe weather continued to deteriorate. It was time to turn back.I summited Katahdin a few years ago. I already have pictures of the sign at the summit. I was not concluding my thru hike here. Under the circumstances I did not feel that I was missing anything.I enjoyed my hike down the mountain, taking time to take in the views and take pictures. I reached the campground shortly before the stinky hiker.I did not want to wait for the shuttle or ride back with the stinky hiker, so I caught a ride back into town with a day hiker. Sometimes it is amazing what people tell you when they know they will never see you again. The guy did most of the talking and told me all about his complicated relationships with his ex-wife and current girlfriend. Not the conversation I was expecting, but I really appreciated the ride.When I returned to the hostel I had a bit of a reunion with a young hiker I met in Connecticut or Massachusetts named Luigi. I met him on his first day on the AT and we sort of hiked together for a few days, running into one another at the shelters. I often wondered whether he was still on the AT. It was great to see him again.The AT is calling. I am done with Maine. It is time to head back to the VT/NH border and start hiking south to Dalton, Mass. It is also time to hook up with my husband, who I have not seen since mid-June.