Date: 2009-10-02
From: Antlers Campite

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The end draws near and the crowds converge.Its nice to be around all these hikers, to once again feel part of a hiker community but then again I'm not a big fan of crowd. Normally it would be easy to avoid them: they head into town I stay out on the trail, they do big miles to the next town I do, plus or minus, steady 16 mile days. But now, this close to the end, with no town to head for, only Big K, the crowd all seem to be trying to co-ordinate the perfect summit options.For the last 3 days I have been reading about the weather forecast for the week ahead. Funny though it never seems to change, never says when the forecast was made (was it 3 days ago or just this morning) and never says where the forecast is for (Bangor, Millinocket or indeed Baxter State Park). I just see the same thing quoted and re-quoted and so, of course, it is now common wisdom out here. Beyond common wisdom, its a fact.It says its going to rain buckets for the next two days but that Monday will be better, and so everybody has, completely intra-dependently, decided to arrive at the Birches on Sunday night and climb Katahdin on Monday. Unsurprisingly, things are beginning to bunch up.Before Monson I had settled on a plan that would (if all when well) deposit me on Katahdin on Monday. The plan could change but it certainly wasn't going to be because of an unsubstantiated and unspecific weather forecast. I'd been out here for over 5 months and if I had a dollar for everytime I had been given a misleading weather forecast ... you get the picture. But now, indirectly, the weather would lead to a change in plan. I didn't want to be any part of a dog and pony show on Katahdin. I don't want any part in people dressing up, popping champagne corks, smoking cigars, hogging the sign to get their photographs. You can go to Vegas for that, I come to the mountains for something altogether different. So now I would do a few more miles and aim for Katahdin on Sunday. If it rained so be it. If I didn't make it, so be it. I've been taking everything pretty much as it comes since late April, while should early October be any different.So today was a day to make miles and, being cool with a could base around 3,00ft, it wasn't a bad day for it. I walked passed frigid looking ponds of silver grey beneath slate grey skies. I walked flat smooth trails (the cakewalk I remembered). The miles came easily but there were still a couple of minor ups and downs ahead. The problem being that you never quite know how minor they will be. Sometimes minor ups and downs prove to be quite major and more ominous ones merely blips. Once again, take what comes.Nesuntabunt Mountain promises magnificent views of Katahdin but today with a cloud base at around 3,000ft and Katahdin maxing out at something over 5,000ft, well, once again, you get the picture. It was still a pretty view though, down across a huge lake and smaller mountains still impressively silhouetted in the distance.I plodded on, on up a seemingly never ending but also ever so gentle slope. It seemed to go on forever and it was hard to believe it was only the 500 vertical feet the companion indicated but the trail led on and so I followed it, its dutiful servant. On to camp and to a pleasant surprise.I wandered in and I hear a voice. A voice from the past but a recognisable one none the less. The voice came from under a silly hat and under the silly hat was a well wrapped up young lady, and the well wrapped up young lady was Rocky. It was good to see here and I show it by moaning about the crowds and group think and the sheep thing. Sometimes I'm a right ass.Rocky wasn't the only unexpected but much appreciated face in camp though, Swift and Dreamcatcher were also here. Yes crowds and dodgy weather forecasts bring their own challenges but they are not without benefits.Rocky and her little gang moved, as did some of the other hikers, leaving a great little group to sit around the monster campfire that Nordic and Freebird build, to warm our weary bones, to reminisce about days gone by, to talk about future challenges and plans, to contemplate life after the trail. It sure can be nice to have some good folks around.