Date: 2013-08-26
From: Birches Camp

To: Mt Katahdin Summit
Miles today: 5.1

August 26th: DONE!!! Completed the 5.1 miles to the summit of Mt Katahdin. Total miles hiked: 2185.9, 0.0 to go. Despite cloudy nasty conditions with low visibility, I couldn't have had a better day. After several sunny days, woke up early to the sound of rain hitting my tent. Chapinlara and I, however, were undaunted. Today was a big day, a day that was a long time coming. Nearly 7 months for him and just one week shy of 6 months for me. Got packed up in record time and were at the Ranger Station a half hour early to wait for our important visitors who would be joining us for our final 5.1 miles. For me, my neighbor Lance and son Michael were en route from a local camp ground where they had tented the night before and Chapinlara for his son Dave and daughter Melissa who had spent the night in Millinnocket with his wife and 2 young granddaughters. After we were all reunited, the 6 of us began the long accent up Katahdin. Now to say the hike up Mt Katahdin, is challenging and at times downright scary is an understatement. Not for the faint of heart, Katahdin is basically a 5268 foot rock pile with boulder fields and hand over hand scrambles that make PA seem like a playground. It wasn't just the degree of difficulty that made it sketchy but also the scrambles seemed to go on and on. The weather, which had turned to a heavy fog with 50 foot visibility and high winds only added to the fear factor. The 6 of us held together and after 3 hours made it to the "Gateway", where things level off, for the final 1.5 mile push to the summit. At this elevation, the visibility was even worse making it impossible to see the summit above. At this point I was totally lost in my thoughts thinking about my journey, the highs and lows, and getting a little emotional about what lay ahead. Must admit it was a little anticlimactic when we suddenly reached the top. We were there before I saw the famed sign and when we arrived, we were greeted by about 30 day hikers who were huddled behind rocks trying to stay out of the wind. Touching the sign was altogether different, snapping me back into the moment. A flood of relief hit me and with a tear in my eye I muttered to myself "you did it". Took all the pictures in various poses, with loved ones and friends on the iconic Mt Katahdin sign. Sounds like a bad Hollywood movie but honest to God, the sky partially cleared above and we saw the sun as we reveled in the moment. Want to be impressed? Charpinlara, my hiking partner for the last 200 miles is, according to the ATC, the first Guatemalan and only the 12th 70 and older hiker to ever thru-hike the trail. All good things must come to an end so after a quick lunch and some more pics to memorialize the moment, we headed down the mountain into the mist and wind. When we reached the bottom, there was Jan waiting with open arms wearing a T-shirt that read: One Trail, One Time, One Shot, You Are Done. Seeing Jan for me was more exciting than reaching the end. She has been the one constant for me over the past 6 months. We talked almost every day and were able to get together 8 times on the trail. I may have hiked solo most days but in a sense Jan was my hiking partner from beginning to end and I couldn't have done it without her. Chapinlara made it down a few minutes later, with his kids in tow, into the arms of his wife and 2 granddaughters who were there with flowers for their Papa. A perfect end to an incredible journey all around. Time to go home now and begin anew, all the better for my life affirming experiences.