Date: 2015-08-07
From: Birches Campsite

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

We met Sugar Magnolia and Uphill at the Ranger Station. You can borrow a day pack for free. However I decided to keep my pack because I wanted to hike down another trail from Katahdin and didn't want to have to worry about getting my stuff or having someone else have to move it for me since we would have to hitch a ride out of Baxter State Park. We then set out on the trail through the campground and signed the hiker register log at 6:20 am. The first mile went by pretty quick but we knew that would be over soon. We started climbing and soon started getting some elevation. After almost two miles we stopped to get one last water refill at the spring and have a snack before moving up again. A stream of water ran down some of the trail. We quickly got into some rock climbing. Unhinged caught up to me and I let her pass since she too was slackpacking. Some of the rocks were pretty high and took some creative body strength to pull myself up. Soon the trail turned into a boulder scramble and climb. We knew there would be a couple miles of hand over hand climbing. I would toss my pole up and pull myself up. Once I awhile there would be a metal hook to grab but only a couple times. It was interesting maneuvering with my pack. But the views behind me were spectacular. Beautiful day!! Visibility was pretty clear. I only hoped it would stay that way. I put on my GoPro to try to capture some of it. Hopefully I am not grunting too loudly! I fell behind the others as I climbed slower with a full pack. I made it to one level to see an amazing ridge of climbing before me. I kept going up and up. It was a little breezier at the higher elevation. I could not squeeze through one narrow crevice with my PCI. Some young kids behind me caught up and their day packs were also too big so one of them lifted up their packs. I asked Pedro if he wouldn't mind grabbing mine too. I put it back on and reached the false summit we had been warned about. It felt like it should be the summit because you could see a brown sign but it was to warn hikers to stay on the trail and off the delicate vegetation.However the trail was now flatter but Rocky. I walked along the trail and could see the summit in the distance covered in a big cloud with more grey clouds off to the east. About a mile later I started climbing again to the ridge. Once on top of the ridge, I could see people on top ahead going back and forth to a big tripod sign. It must be to the summit. I made it up greeted by Wookie, Crafty, Sugar Magnolia and Uphill just a few minutes before 10 am. I touched the sign still disbelieving I was actually done! Though we still had to hike back down. We laughed as Sugar Magnolia changed into the sparkly summit dress she had found at a thrift store. Uphill then took my photo and we sat down near the sign and snacked as more hikers arrived. Flash who started April 13th, Bourbon Bill who hiked from Harpers Ferry, Unhinged, Wolverine. We kept waiting for the grey clouds to move out but then decided to do our group photo. A nice day hiker took photos with all of our cameras. Then Six Strings and Wild Thing arrived so she was kind enough to take the photos all over again. It was truly amazing to be on the summit with so many NOBO Thru Hikers, six of whom I had known for over 1,000 miles! And a four whom I had met in the last week of my hike. It was amazing to sit there and none of us could believe it. More and more day hikers kept arriving. It was breezy but not nearly as chilly as we expected it to be. Around 11:15, we decided the clouds weren't going away so we decided to head back. I was hoping to hike Knife's Edge which is a ridge hike along boulders and rocks with steep drops. The section was in and out of the clouds. But the descent was the steepest of the three ways down. A better hike up. So Crafty, Sugar Magnolia and I took the Saddle Trail down which was also pretty straight down steep for a bit but not quite as bad. We then connected to the Chimney Pond Trail so our descent was 5.5 miles to Roaring Brook campground. Everyone else went down the 5.2 mile AT trail but it gets congested with day hikers and because of the terrain it bottle necks. Plus I wanted to hike a different trail down to see more of the park. The views of the Saddle were phenomenal! We made it to the campground by 2:15 pm. I asked a ranger about the best way to get a ride and learned the park road dead ends where we were. So we walked to the Parking lot and hoped to find someone getting ready to leave. It was pretty dead but we did see a guy in a SUV so I hurried over and asked him if he was headed to town and that we had just finished thru hiking the AT. He said he hadn't decided where he was going next but couldn't turn down Thru Hikers who just finished! So he moved a lot of stuff in his vehicle so we could squish in. His name was Eli and he had hikes Katahdin that morning via Knifes Edge and descended the way we did. He kindly drove is all the way in to Millinocket, about 15 miles away and dropped us off at the Appalachian Trail Lodge. Wookie and Uphill had just arrived. We checked in at the hostel, showered, and started laundry. The five of us and Wild Thing walked over to the Appalachian Trail Cafe for celebration dinner! We signed the Class of 2015 Ceiling Tile. six Strings joined us a bit later. We walked back to the AT Lodge where Wookie's uncle and his girlfriend were picking him up. They were driving back to Virginia and also giving Sugar Magnolia a ride so we had our first round of goodbye's which was sad. Crafty, Uphill and I walked to the market nearby. Wild Thing and the three of us played Gumball, Trivial Pursuit and Uno until 10 pm ... Well past hiker midnight but we didn't have anything to do in the morning!! It was strange. Still surreal. Today was incredible and a perfect ending to an amazing experience. I never thought I would ever hike 2,189.2 miles and then some in 132 days. It is hard to believe that I am done. What's next?!?!?A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey! The moral support has meant everything. The care packages were wonderful! Nutty bars, cookies, bread, and other treats always tasted so much better from a friend or family member. I look forward to the opportunities to reciprocate!! To all hikers and future hikers .... happy trails!!!