Date: 2012-06-03
From: Baxter State Park

To: Baxter Peak -> Kathadin Stream Campground
Miles today: 8.0

I failed to mention in yesterday's entry that we saw two moose on the main road in Baxter State Park. I was very excited - one of my goals for this trip was to see a moose. I told Marcia to stop the car and back up. She obeyed. Maybe I am a bit bossy like my mom. Anyway, I took pictures with Marcia's camera. Hooray!Last night I did not sleep well. I don't think Steven or Marcia did either. Steven has a cough that was keeping him awake. I could hear Marcia tossing and turning - like me. I'm going to have to get used to hard/flat sleeping surfaces. Also, mosquitoes are my current nemesis.We got up at 4:30 AM (!!!) because the Ranger here was basically encouraging us to not hike up Katahdin yesterday. We packed up our stuff and ate breakfast in the car. It began to sprinkle intermittently at that point. My feeling upon first seeing Katahdin in person? Pure unadulterated horror! I could not even imagine the hike on which we were about to embark. I admit that I teared up and asked Steven why we were doing this. Of course, this was MY brilliant idea that he thought was brilliant. He hugged me in reassurance and we were off. We signed the trail register at 5:40 AM and began our hike up so we could officially begin our thru-hike at Baxter Peak. Steven blazed ahead and Marcia kept the rear. It was mostly level and easygoing.I did not have 2 full water bottles, so we stopped and used our filter (thanks, dad!) in the "stream". It is a swift current in that stream! [I'd call that sucker a river] After an initial skip of a crucial step, we successfully filtered some water. YAY!On the beginnin of the initial ascent, there was a stairway... well, multiple granite stairways that the ranger told us took 20 years go make. At first we weren't that impressed, but as more and more staircases appeared, we appreciated the hard work that must have gone into it. The higher we got, the more beautiful the stairs.Also of note was Katahdin Stream Falls. A wonderful waterfall where Marcia stopped to take pictures. We hiked up a bit more to our first real view. Beautiful! At this point, Marcia bade us farewell. I am so glad she hiked up a little way with us. It made our hike special. The realization that now Steven and I are "alone" in The Middle of Nowhere, Maine sunk in. Honestly, it is quite frightening. No cell phone service to call for help, and who knows when it will be that we see other hikers. Every hour? Every few? We now need to be extra careful. I cried when Marcia left.Up we went. It seemed like Marcia picked the very best place to turn back. I was out of breath and my right knee was bothering me for a little bit - nothing lasting, though.Then we got to climbing. Our hiking poles became more of a nuisance at this point, so i hooked mine to the back of my pack and helped Steven with his. The pack he had was not good for that and I think they were in his way a lot. He stayed behind me while I slowly made my way up. There were bars built into the rocks for hand holds. I did expect that, but I didn't anticipate how cold it all was. The rock, the metal, and soon... the WIND!!We reached a ridge line and the wind was whipping so hard the rain felt like sleet on our faces. I was very thankful for my brimmed hat which protected me from some of the barrage. The more we climbed, the colder my hands became. They were turning bright pink. Oh, how I wished for my gloves. Around then I noted that my rain gear began to fail. What the heck? Newly purchased raincoat that I had doubly waterproofed with spray four days ago. The pants are older, but I also waterproofed them to make sure this very thing would NOT happen. I was wet through and through, and was becoming increasingly worried about the hike - mostly the climbing and what the descent would be like... and wondering how to dry my wet clothes. My hands were losing some function. They were clumsy and weak. I knew this was bad. We hiked still, though I voiced my concerns to Steven. Then we reached "the gateway". I couldn't see how to climb any further. I was getting colder and more fearful about falling. I cried out, "THIS IS CRAZY!" I told Steven that I didn't feel comfortable hiking any farther. I told him he could continue to the summit and I would head back to where it was warmer and wait. He refused. He said that we were going to summit together or not at all. I cried. I felt so awful for holding him back. We were about a mile and a half away! A "mountain mile" is a lot longer than a mile, as many know. It would take us at least another hour and a half with the climbing we'd presumably be doing. Steven is the nicest, most supportive guy I know. I truly appreciate how much he cares not only about us, but each of us individually.THe hike down was far easier than I (we) had feared. We were back to the trail register by 1:00 PM. I was cold and wet, but still alive. When we arrived at the ranger station, Betsy, the doubtful ranger, was glad to see us. She told us how she was sure we were going to be a "rescue". I told her that I didn't feel comfortable enough to continue hiking and that my new raincoat failed. She said, "All rain gear fails." She said the only thing that worked reliably was the pair of waders she had on. Nice. She did congratulate me (us) on our common sense.We booked the last available lean-to in the campsite and made our way over to it. We emptied our packs, got out of our wet clothes and ate some lunch while we nestled into our sleeping bags. Steven read the first chapter of our AWFUL sci-fi book I obtained for free on the Kindle. I read chapter 2. We also had hot tea. It hit the spot. We will likely have dinner soon and maybe play cards. Steven has been napping while I have been writing.