Date: 2009-10-04
From: The Birches

To: Mt Katahdin (Baxter Peak)
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: light rain

It was just after midnight and I was sitting on the edge of the shelters sleeping platform looking out at the rain. Last night I hadn't been overwhelmed by the prospect of a long, wet and cold walk up over 5,000ft. Not a particular problem if you're packing an overnight bag and heading out for a day in the hills, but I had packed my overnight bag back in April and since then my gear has taken something of a battering. Nobody plans to get hypothermia and the human body is pretty resilient but the mountains can be an unforgiving place. Bottom line is that my gear wasn't really up to what lay ahead. 4,000 vertical feet, 10 mile round trip. With the right gear and some spares in your backpack you could probably make it up and most of the way back before you started to get uncomfortable but with my limited and decrepit lit it would be a long, damp hike at best. The upsides were minimal the downsides potentially severe. Melodramatic perhaps, but nobody who gets into trouble plans it that way and year after year people do find themselves in over their heads, sometimes disastrously so.So having woken to the drumming of the rain and with Sarge sleeping to my left and Walking Home sleeping to my right I shuffled to the front of the shelter, sat up and watched the rain. I wasn't going. I was perfectly happy. Springer to the Birches would be my journey and a great one it had been. There was no need to go further. I would wake and hitch my way out of the park. I lay awake for the next 30 minutes, perfectly content.And then ....I woke at 6 ready to call it a day but now it was mild and dry, suddenly I felt that I should give it a go after all. It wasn't really what I had hoped for but what can you do. I'd prepare as best I could, head on up to tree line and then reassess. I would have no problem deciding to turn round but at the same time I wasn't looking for an excuse. The day would probably be pointless. A long, damp and at times exposed walk over potentially slick rocks, with no views. I'd tag the top and make my way down. It was now or never and so off I went.I made quick progress alongside a stream, passed the falls, up steps and then over some boulders. The trail was wet, and at times water poured over the rocks, but it was still dry above and any dampness resulted from trail side foliage. The trees became more stunted and sparser, rock becoming the predominant feature. Treeline, my checkpoint - all seemed reasonable enough. Maybe not great, and I might still not make the top, but not bad enough to turn around - not yet.Upwards. A simple scramble, some down, along and more up. More scrambling and then up onto the smooth shoulder of the mountain. So far so good: no rain yet; I was still reasonably warm and dry; and the conditions on this exposed stretch were perfectly manageable. I headed on up a steeper section, up into the mist, and as things closed in the visibility fell to around 30 yards - not brilliant but OK, the white blazes standing out surprisingly well through the mist.I made it to the tableland. The end was in sight - well only 1.5 relatively flat miles away. It was more exposed up here though, well and truly in the clouds and also fairly breezy. It still wasn't raining but I was now getting a bit of a soaking as the wind drove the mist into me. Still no hat or gloves though and so I was happy that I still possessed a fair margin of safety. Mentally though I would have been happier had I been heading away from the top rather than still plodding towards it.I kept expecting the sign to appear just ahead but no such luck and the trail went up more than I remembered but eventually there it was, the hint of something, 5 more yards, yes definitely something, 5 more yards, yes a sign, only 20 yards away.I think I spent a whole two and a half minutes up top. A swig of water, a couple of photos, 10 seconds of contemplation and I was off. I had made it, I had tagged the top but I wouldn't be happy until I was down a little lower and certain that no ill could befall me.For somebody who doesn't like crowds I got my wish today at Baxter Peak. Just me. I wonder how many people can say that. I passed Sarge and Walking Home and then Chef just as I was coming down off the tableland. My mind drifted and I stumbled a couple of times but after a stern talking too there were no more mishaps. Relief on reaching tree line; a settle stroll back down, back to the ranger station, the end. I say I could quite happily have lived without today but maybe I'm kidding myself.