Date: 2023-08-21
From: Birches Campground 2193.1

To: Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin 2198.4 +3.9 to Abolish Campground 
Miles today: 9.0

Hiking Day 150, ending elevation 5267 FeetIt¢s 9:30 p.m., way past hiker midnight, but I don¢t care because I¢m no longer on the trail. Tomorrow, I don¢t have to think about the miles to hike, the mud to slog through or the roots and rocks to slip on, trip over or otherwise cause me harm! It¢s quite liberating. Today, we arose at 4:30 a.m. and two months past the summer solstice, it was noticeably dark until we got going at 5:30 a.m., another reminder that the days are growing shorter and the fall is coming. We were back on the trail at 6 AM and walked the 5.3 miles to Baxter Peak in 4 1/2 hours which is not a bad time for a more than 4,000 foot climb! Most of the climb was in a two mile vertical stretch which included some class 3 scary climbing. We had emptied Felix¢s pack but put it on him incase we had to carry him ( it has a handle on top of the pack). We did lift him in a couple of places, but mostly he was just fine: Felix the dog, the wonderful, wonderful dog!Ranger Pete had explained to us last night that the weather pattern in this vicinity at this time of year includes a lot of moisture/rain especially early in the day¢¦toward noon, if the weather is forecast to be good, the skies clear. This is exactly what happened today. We went up the mountain in heavy fog and high winds and as we rose above the tree line into the vertical section of the ¢trail¢ (yes, that¢s a joke!), the winds became so strong, I had trouble maintaining my balance and I was very concerned about Felix being blown off the rocks. It was then that we had a rebar handle set in the rock to help us up the granite and iron holds to hang onto to pull us up some of the vertical faces. I was pretty close to terrified and all I could think was, I have to go on. It was like being in one of those epic adventure movies where everything comes apart and someone ends up dead before the ¢happy¢ ending.We met Hot Lips at this point, she and her husband are hoping to complete the triple crown this year. She was so terrified at half way up the mountain, that she decided to go back down the mountain (no easy feat) and return another day. We clambered on. McDuck and friends passed us. McDuck and his son helped us a little and I actually located the trail for them that they seemed to have briefly lost. But they were on a mission and soon disappeared into the mists. We saw them later on the summit and exchanged mutual congratulations; they remembered that our paths first crossed about 1800 miles ago.We kept going, one foot in front of the next, all the time knowing we had less than three miles to go to the end of the trail. It was steep, impossibly difficult, cold and windy, but we persevered and eventually, we reached the ¢plateau,¢ an enormous plain near the top of the mountain that one must traverse before the final steep, but not vertical, ascent of Baxter Peak, the highest point on Mt. Katahdin. This was a great relief, because we were back to rock hopping the ubiquitous puddles, whilst being whipped around by the wind. Visibility was about 15 feet so we had no idea of the majesty around us. That would come later, when the skies finally cleared for our descent.Upon reaching the top, a young man by the name of Josh, a day hiker took the obligatory photos of us on the Mt Katahdin sign, which Kerry and I both think is tacky and should be replaced with something more classy for the situation. After that, we sat down to eat. I wasn¢t hungry but Kerry is always hungry these days, he¢s quietly starving so it¢s a good job we¢re going home to find some of that weight he lost. A young man by the name of Everett/Booty Juice came over talk to us and wanted to pet Felix, who wanted none of that.After sitting there about 1/2 an hour, the mist began to clear and after we were there about an hour, and were ready to move on, the skies blued up and we had spectacular views all around for our difficult, steep descent down the Abol Trail, basically a 4000 foot descent of a rock/boulder fall. But our long journey was over. Early in the trek, we had read on a sign that upon hiking the entire trail, one has climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest 16 times. I couldn¢t conceive that at the time, but now I find it totally believable.We had arranged for Gail, who owns the 100 Mile Wilderness Inn to pick us up and take us into Millinocket with Matt/"Tapeworm" and Rachel/"Riot" who shared the tent platform with us last night. We are coordinating with them on transportation to Portland, ME for our air transport home. In the meantime, Kerry and I ordered a pizza that we took to the local tavern, with the owner¢s blessing in order to eat with a celebratory drink, me with 2 Bombay Sapphire martinis and Kerry with beer. Tapeworm and Riot joined us and so did a brand new south bounder, Colton.Felix stayed at the Inn and slept, amazing dog. This hike has changed him; physically he looks like a working border collie, all muscle and strength and he has become completely attached to us in the way dogs do with their pack. He is really special.I haven¢t had time to digest the end of this hike yet. I will have something to say later. Right now, it¢s hard to wrap my head around the fact that Kerry and I just spent 5 1/2 months wandering around in the woods after 50 years of marriage (anniversary Friday, August 25). Who knows where the time goes?¢Across the evening sky, all the birds are leavingBut how can they know it's time for them to go?Before the winter fire, I will still be dreamingI have no thought of timeFor who knows where the time goes?Who knows where the time goes?Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leavingAh, but then you know it's time for them to goBut I will still be here, I have no thought of leavingI do not count the timeFor who knows where the time goes?Who knows where the time goes?And I am not alone while my love is near meI know it will be so until it's time to goSo come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring againI have no fear of timeFor who knows how my love grows?And who knows where the time goes?¢--Sandy DennyIf you haven¢t heard this song, Look for it on YouTube, it¢s hauntingly beautiful!Thank you for sharing our journey!