Date: 2013-10-09
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Katahdin 
Miles today: 10.2

I tossed and turned last night and felt like a child on Christmas Eve. It was still dark when my watch alarm sounded and I was relieved to start packing up. My excitement was mixed with anxiety from my experience of climbing Katahdin last summer. Hat Trick and I climbed Katahdin and it was a struggle for me. At one point I gave up and told Hat Trick to continue without me. I eventually summited but developed severe cramps on the way down. It took us so long that we finished after dark. Would today be as much of a struggle? I had to remind myself that I had have been training for this day for the last 7 months and over 2,180 miles. I also weigh 65 pounds less than the last time I climbed this mountain. Since I'm a slow climber and given my previous experience I wanted to give myself plenty of time. James and I were the first of my group to start the climb. We signed into the register at the base of the mountain at 6:10. It wasn't quite light and we were hiking with our headlights. The first mile was fairly easy and the dawn sky gave the forrest a fairy tale appearance. We came to a rock outcropping where we could see beyond the trees and not only was it a gorgeous view but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was shining on the eastern slope of the surrounding mountains but we were still hiking in the shadow of "the greatest mountain" (Katahdin) as it was known by the Penobscot Indians. Around mile 2 we began to boulder scramble which evolved into rock climbing in many places. Some rocks had metal bars installed in them for handholds and/or footholds. I was focusing on the task at hand but I couldn't help myself from stopping to enjoy the waking world and amazing views. James is a much faster climber and waited patiently as I worked my way up the mountain. We began to hear voices and it wasn't long before other hikers began to pass us. There is a point on the climb were you come over a ridge and you can see what appears to be the summit. I knew from my climb last summer that this was a false summit and we still had over a mile and a half to go when we reached that point. The trail followed a ridge that was impressive (see pics). The sun was now warming us and we began to shed layers. The false summit is the beginning of an area known as the tablelands. We no longer had to rock climb and the slope was not as steep. There were frozen puddles and sheets of ice that the sun had not yet melted. Signs reminded us to stay on the trail to avoid damaging the fragile plant life. In some ways it looked like a moonscape - lots of rocky soil and desolate, but beautiful in its own way. I could not believe how much easier this climb had been compared to last summer. Don't get me wrong, it's still a tough climb but over 2,185 miles of training had paid off. I could barely make out what appeared to be a group of people standing near the summit. Oh my god, could it really be true that I'm that close?!? I got tears in my eyes just thinking about it and I realized I had to maintain my focus. I could not have picked a more perfect day to conclude this journey. There was not a cloud in the sky, there was a gentle breeze, and the air was cool and crisp which was countered by the warm sun. As I hiked the group of people became clearer and I realized it really was the summit. When I was about about 50 yards from the summit the hikers who were already there began chanting "Hobo" and the tears welled up in my eyes. I nearly ran the last 100 feet. Exhilarated, I went to the summit sign and kissed it and hugged it before climbing on top to the sign for my victory pose. What did it feel like? The best description I can think of is a kaleidoscope of emotion. When you look through a kaleidoscope you are looking at a jumbled mess that makes a beautiful pattern. My emotions were a jumbled mess . . . exhilaration, exhaustion, happiness, sadness, relief, pride . . . When I turn the kaleidoscope I see my journey in a different light but its a beautiful accomplishment no matter how I look at it. It was about 10:30 when James and I summited and we hung out for another 2 hours. We cheered as each hiker summited. Pressure D and Tough Cookie were the next hikers to summit from my group, followed by Walking Stick, Hipsy Gypsy, and Oak. There were nearly 30 hikers at the summit and we took turns taking pictures at the summit sign. We also shared a group hug, took a group picture, and shared lots of toasts with champagne, Jack Daniels, and wine. It was a festive atmosphere and I wanted to soak it up. I spoke to two hikers who had just climbed up the Knife's Edge (see pics) - a different trail to the summit. The Knife's Edge is a very narrow ridge that drops off on both sides. It's often very windy and has a reputation for being treacherous. Personally, I have had enough fearing for my life and have no desire to do the Knife' Edge. About 12:30 James and I started our descent. We ran into Cheech and Chong who were still on their way up. I was glad to see them as they were the last of my group and I was concerned that they hadn't summited yet. The descent was uneventful and it took me nearly as long to get down as it did to get up. I thought Anita may be waiting on me and I picked up my pace. For the last mile James said he could barely keep up with me. Anita hadn't arrived yet so James gave me a PB&J sandwich and I walked out to the road to make sure she didn't miss the turn into the campground. No sooner had I finished my sandwich than she arrived. She jumped out of the car and we hugged gleefully. I could no longer hold it back and my tears flowed freely. We drove back to the campground and waited for the rest of my group finish their descent. It was fun to watch as family members and friends celebrated the accomplishment of each thru hiker. When all of us finally completed our descent we piled into Becca's car (that Anita had borrowed so we could transport more hikers) and James' car and headed for Millinocket. We decided to go directly to the Appalachian Cafe before they closed. The place was filled with celebrating hikers. We took turns signing our trail names on ceiling tiles - a tradition for thru hikers. Wow, what a day it's been!I will write more soon about my post hike activities (7 hikers went home with me) and some summary thoughts.