Date: 2004-09-18
From: The Birches - Katahdin Stream Campground 

To: Baxter Peak
Miles today: 5.2

I was not able to sleep very well last night. The anxiety of climbing to the summit of Katahdin was a bit much to overcome. My mind kept wondering back to the wonderful journey I¢ve had getting to this point. I realize that I haven¢t completed a thru-hike, but I have thoroughly enjoyed walking the 1000 miles that I have completed. I feel blessed to have seen what I did see.In an effort to get some solitude on top of the mountain we had to leave early. So rise and shine came around 5AM, way too early for this hiker. A wealth of emotions rushed through me as I packed up my stuff for the time on this trip. By 6:30AM, I was hiking out of the Birches and back to the ranger station. As I approached the ranger station, I saw a number of vans in the day use parking lot. There was kid after kid piling out. I knew it would be crowded today, since it was a weekend but 50 kids was not what I was expecting.Unfortunately it was too early for the weather report to be posted. So we only had our intellects to gauge our summit attempt. Should we go, or should we stay. It was a bit cloudy out, but there was no rain. As with most thru-hikers, the decision was made to push on and deal with it. After signing in, we started up the easy and graded path following Katahdin Stream. For the first mile, the trail is relatively easy. Once reaching the falls, the real climb starts. It gets rather rocky and much more steep. But I knew this was no easy walk in the park. The whole trip led up to this point. All of the skills that I¢ve gathered getting me this far (albeit not the whole 2174 miles) would be required.At tree line I was rewarded with a great view down off the mountain. The clouds were low, but intermittent enough to offer a view which will stick with me for a long time. Soon after climbing about the trees, Bear and I encountered what is called the ¢Gateway¢. It¢s steep ascent of large and small boulders. Some even have iron rods in them to assist with the climb. While I had a sense of urgency to reach the top, I knew this was it for this trip. So I had to consciously slow myself down and enjoy the last 2 miles.Reaching the top of the Gateway revealed the next section called the Tablelands. As the name would dictate, it is a part of the mountain which is more or less flat for about a mile. Unfortunately, the clouds had not cleared up but the good news is that we climbed above them. So the view off the mountain was a blanket of clouds. Walking across the Tablelands, I could see the top of the mountain and the sign. The very peak and sign which was my destination when I left Springs Mountain, GA back on April 4th. Wow, I could see the sign which I thought so much about for so long.As I neared the peak, I reminisced about the adventure which brought me to this point. The emotions ran wild. Happiness and sadness were just the beginning. I had seen so many pictures of that sign and so many pictures of people with it. Now it was my turn to do the same. I reached the summit and touched the sign at 9:49:47AM. Already at the top was Caterpiller who arrived shortly prior. Bear was a few steps in front of me. Lots of ¢High Fives¢, lots of hooting and hollering. Amazing journey, amazing scenery, amazing friends!!I knew the summit would soon be engulfed with people. In fact there were probably already half dozen people there. I managed to get in my plethora of summit photos. Bear, as well, took his many photos for his collection. Included in both of our collections is a picture chugging a celebratory Miller Lite. Water from the stream just didn¢t seem to do it this time. :-)Before coming back out for this 2nd leg of my adventure, I had apprehensions of climbing Kahtahdin without having completed a thru-hike. I am soooo glad I decided to come back out. First, felt honored to be there as my friend finished his hike!! Second, while I¢m not a thru-hiker per say, I do know what these people have gone through. I¢ve experience the same cold in April and May, the same rain in May, the same heat in June, the same climbs in NH and Maine, albeit they just did more of it. So I know the perils and sacrifices made by a thru-hiker. It made my day to be there with Bear (and the other thru¢s) when he finished up. It also helped give me a sense of accomplishment to my hike, as I watched Bear grow from someone to never backpacked in his life to an accomplished Thru-Hiker. Way to go Bear!!!Soon we were joined by Mushroom, who I had only met a few days prior. Soon after, Wife and Beater arrived. Followed by Critter and his Dad. Critter I had met early on in my hike, making it great to be there when he finished. A day hiker kindly snapped a series of pictures for the Class of ¢04.As time ticked by, the crowd grew to an amazing number of people. I¢m glad I did get up and start hiking when I did, as the summit was soon overcome by day hikers. Unfortunately the sun never came out, making it a bit cold. Also given the fact that the peak is the highest point in Maine, it was rather windy. So by 10:45AM I was freezing cold. A quick bite to eatThe hike back down seemed to go really quickly. Again I had to consciously make myself walk slower and enjoy the views. Also for the first time this trip, I was hiking south on the AT and miles didn¢t count toward the goal. Strange to be following the white blazes, knowing it¢s over for now. The Gateway took it¢s toll on my knees and feet, making the last two miles rather tough. But tough is what the hike was all about.Arriving at the parking lot, we met Critter¢s mom and his girlfriend for beer and sandwiches. Yum! In a matter of about 30 minutes, the group of thru-hikers were again reunited in the parking lot. Lots of talk about the trip from beginning to end. After consuming the food, Critter¢s parents gave the group a ride into Millinocket via their pickup.In town we jumped out of the pickup and all said our goodbyes and exchanged last minute contact info. As the group split up and went their ways, Bear and I decided to head down the street to what seemed to be a bar. A cold beer seemed in order and a good way to celebrate. The plan was to have a beer or two and decide where we wanted to stay in town.We rolled into the Blue Ox Saloon about 4PM and had those beers. The locals at the bar welcomed us with open arms, as did the owner Tom. About 11PM, we still hadn¢t decided where to stay. Oddly enough, Tom offered to let us stay at the bar. We were going to sleep on the porch out back. No big deal, we¢d been living outdoors for months. We ended up staying until 3AM (might I add, we were completely trashed) and slept IN the bar. What a way to celebrate a great journey!One of the many things I¢ve learned on this adventure is just chill out and it¢ll all work out. :-)