Date: 2013-07-19
From: Lincoln, NH

To: up to Stratton, ME
Miles today: 0.0

A little under two weeks since I completed the trail and I am home, unemployed and broke. But still, I have accomplished something that I will hold very close to me for a very long time. I will do only my best to describe the final leg of the trip. Fortunately, it is the part that is the freshest in my mind. It is also the part that I feel I will never forget.It was like a dream to hike this final section of the trail; from the Whites to Maine. It is the section we all read about, and try to imagine the beauty of the ridgeline and deep forests. With plenty of ups and downs, both physically and mentally, this final part molds us and truly shows what it means to be a thru-hiker.The White Mountains were nothing short of spectacular. I was fortunate to have mostly good weather while hiking through. I remember the climb up to Franconia Ridge where the trail skirts the ridge for two miles above tree line. The wind whipping, the clouds casting large shadows on the mountains. They say to expect your daily mileage to decrease significantly in the Whites. This is true due to the increased difficulty of the trail, but even more so, to take it slow and try to take in as much of the scenery as possible, which is quite possibly the most beautiful landscape and views I have ever seen. The huts treated us well; feeding us extra food and I did a work-for-stay at Lakes of the Clouds just below the summit of Mt Washington. The summit of Mt Washington was just as I had expected- windy, cold, and in a cloud. Although the mountains wore me down and battered me, leaving me with aching knees (that still kinda hurt), I was able to share the experience with a group of other hikers; Pelican, Clifty, Kit Kat, Rabbit and Wiki. After hiking alone for the majority of the trip, it was nice to have been formed in a group of very entertaining hikers who were less concerned about the miles, and more concerned about having fun and ENJOYING the hike.After a stay at the White Mt Lodge and Hostel, we hiked into Maine and reached the border close to dusk. With the sun rapidly giving way to the dark, we ended our celebrations and continued to the shelter .5 miles from the NH-ME state line. The lack of light forced us to take out our headlamps when abruptly the trail seemed to disappear and dive straight down a cliff. Confused over this lack-of-trail drop off and with our safety in mind, we decide to save the cliff for the next day and hike back to the state line and camp there. Much to our surprise, this is what we began to expect each day; very steep trails. I heard numerous people say that there are no switchbacks in Maine. Obviously, I didn't fully grasp what they meant. Over the course of the next few days my body, specifically my knees, were completely wasted. The pain would keep me up at night, and in the mornings, I staggered out of my tent like a newborn calf or something. One thing I learned was to not underestimate the power of those mountains. While hiking with Wiki and Rabbit up Bemis Mt, we hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, though quickly approaching. With no warning, the air in front of us pulses white and is immediately followed by the loudest crack of thunder. The event sends us to the ground as fast as you can blink meanwhile Wiki yells up to us, "the hair on my arms is standing up!". Obviously, we were a little to close to that lightening than we all would have liked to be. In a few short minutes, the cloud above us bursts and I am soaked faster than if I were to jump into a pool. The hail and cold rain takes away my breath, and I move as fast as I can to 1) get out of the situation as fast as I could and 2) to avoid hypothermia. We arrive at the shelter with much adrenaline and energy still coursing through our veins.Unfortunately, a few days after, Clifty and Pelican had to depart from the group and go home, planning to finish their 5 year section hike the next summer. Then around Stratton, ME, Kit Kat continued on trying to make his deadline (with success!), Rabbit too needed to push to meet his as well (ditto). So Wiki and I were deadline-less, but still eager to done as our bodies and minds were tiring.