Day 31

I woke around 5:00 a.m., started packing up and was hiking by 6:00.  It was cold and I put on every piece of clothing I had, which wasn’t much, gym shorts under my hiking pants, short sleeve shirt over the long sleeve shirt, the lightweight wind jacket that blocks wind but not the cold, and a wool stocking cap.  I signed in on the trail register at 6:05.  People climbing Mount Katahdin are required to sign in and log the time when they start up the mountain and then record their time when they return so the rangers can make sure everyone is accounted for.  The climb started immediately.  After about a half a mile I had warmed up and stopped by the side of the trail to remove all of the extra clothing, down to a short sleeve shirt and shorts.  The sky was clear and there was no wind.  As I climbed the rocks became more abundant, larger, and more challenging to get over.  Rebar steps and handholds started appearing.  The rock and boulder scramble was hard even with the rebar.  While the trail was marked with white blazes, at points the blazes were hard to find.  A couple of times I went the wrong way through the rocks only to backtrack until I could figure out where the trail went.  At one point the trail left the large boulder field and continued up a steep ridgeline covered with smaller boulders.  It was like a maze going around the larger ones and over the smaller ones, trying to find and follow the white blazes.  Up, up, up the trail went.  The climbing was slow.  I didn’t bother looking up to the top to check my progress, but only looked far enough ahead to find the next blaze. I knew Mount Katahdin was a difficult mountain to climb, but didn’t expect anything like this.

I finally made it to the top of the ridgeline and still had a mile and a half to go, over and around smaller rocks on a fairly flat stretch.  Each step had to be carefully placed to avoid tripping.  After about a mile the there was one last major climb.  At the top the trail continued to climb but this time not as steeply  Off in the distance, on the peak, I could see a sign, with a few people huddled around it.  Could that really be it?  I couldn’t believe it.  Just before I reached the sign I heard two hikers running up behind me, yelling curses as they ran to the sign and placed there hands on it.  They were a part of the party of 6 that I’ve mentioned in prior posts.  While I didn’t like their language, their excitement at reaching the end of their journey did give me joy.

I finally reached the sign and placed both hands on it, shocked that I was here.  Truthfully, at the moment I was more concerned about the trip back down the mountain.  Not only am I prone to wander, I’m also prone to worry.  Another hiker came and volunteered to take my picture at the sign.  I placed my pack and hiking poles in front of the sign and then climbed up on the back of it still in shock.  After he took a couple of pictures the reality of the moment hit.  I raised one hand, and with tears in my eyes thanked and praised God for giving me the strength to finish the trail and for keeping me safe along the way.

After a few minutes I stepped down from the sign, got my pack and hiking poles and found a place to sit for a few minutes to gather my thoughts.  Next I found a spot where I had cell phone coverage and texted Karen to let her know I made it.  I also sent her the picture of me with my hand raised.  I also sent texts to other family members and friends who had been following my progress and who had prayed or hoped for a successful completion of the journey.

It had taken me 3 hours and 45 minutes to climb up but I suspected the climb down would be slower and more difficult.  When I had scheduled the shuttle, I had been advised to take the Abol Trail down the mountain instead of the AT/Hunt trail that I took going up.  Another person at the top who had done both numerous times made the same suggestion.  The Abol Trail was described as being steeper, but the steepest section was only 3/4 of a mile long.  It was also supposed to be a faster way off the mountain.  There was one catch, once you made it to the bottom there was a 2 mile flat gravel road walk back to the ranger’s station where the shuttle would pick me up at 3:00.  I had no desire to go back down the way I came up so the decision was made to take the Abol Trail down.

Before leaving I went back to the sign and placed my hand on it again, knowing the journey was complete and wondering if I would ever return.  I walked back down the trail and at the junction took the Abol Trail.  The Abol Trail goes to the edge of the mountain and then down a rock slide.  I took a brief look down and saw that it was indeed steep and rocky, but the decision was made.  Again, I focused only on each step down, not wanting to get overwhelmed by the task at hand.  My hiking poles were no use so I collapsed them and put them away.  Most of the way down I held on to rocks as I went.  Sometimes I could step down while others times I’d have to face the mountain and crawl down backwards.  While it was steep and difficult, the rocks were smaller and more manageable.  It took a long time to get down the steepest section.  After that trail was still steep but the footing was covered with small rocks, bigger than sand but smaller than peas.  I used the hiking poles to go down this section to avoid sliding on the trail.  The Abol Trail was fully exposed, meaning I was in the sun the whole way down.  I knew I’d be sunburned by the time I got down.  Also, I finished the last of the 2 liters of water I had started with this morning.  Both of these would cause discomfort, but I wasn’t concerned.  The trail seemed longer than expected, and I was concerned I may have gotten off on a side trail.  My only choice was to continue down.  I finally met a day hiker who confirmed I was on the Abol Trail and close to the parking lot.  What a relief it was to finally see cars parked in the lot.  I made my way to the gravel road and was able to hitch a ride in the back of a pickup truck to the ranger’s station where the shuttle would pick me up.  The trip down had taken 3 and a half hours and I was truly glad it was over.  I walked back to the sign in station and posted my return time.  After that I found the parents of Trippin, a flip-flopper (she hiked north from Harpers Ferry, WV here and will return there to hike south to Springer Mountain, GA to complete her hike), who had drinks and snacks for thru and section hikers.  Another hiker, Catapult, was already there.  I stopped for a bottle of Powerade and ate my lunch, a Cliff Builder bar and a small package of Fig Newtons, the last food in my pack.  I sat for a while and then saw the shuttle van so I thanked the trail angels and said goodbye.

This is a long post so I’ll wrap it up quickly.  I made it to the hostel in Millinocket where I did the usual things, laundry, shower, eat and make arrangements to get home.  I also called and talked to Karen, who took care of my travel plans since I had problems with the phone app accepting my credit card.  Once again she bailed me out.  It was a long and busy day, too many distractions to really spend time enjoying the completion of a journey that started in 2013.  I know that will come at some point.  Well, that’s enough for now.

I hiked 5.2 miles today, not counting the trip down the mountain.  And it was a very good day.

Prone to Wander

Day 30

The nice campsite I picked yesterday had one flaw, it was close to a hiker lean-to/shelter.  I was just getting comfortable and ready for sleep around 7:30 p.m. when a group of young hikers set up in the shelter.  They were loud, vulgar and inconsiderate. It was after 10:00 p.m. before they finally quieted down.  By then my sleep schedule had been so messed up that I had trouble falling and staying asleep.  I also was worried I’d sleep through the alarm I had set for 3:00 a.m., and that even if I did wake up my on again off again headlamp wouldn’t work.  I was awake when the alarm went off so I turned it off and started packing up to make it down to the Ranger’s kiosk to sign up for the Birches Lean-to in Baxter State Park.  My worry about the headlamp was unfounded, it worked great.  I was packed and hiking in record time and made it to the kiosk by 3:45 a.m.  There was only one person there ahead of me, having arrived only a few minutes before me, Fenway, a hiker from Boston.  I could see him because of the light of his headlamp as he hiked ahead of me on the road.  Shortly after I got there another hiker, Catapult, joined us.  The 3 of us sat there until we were joined by another hiker, then 2 more, and then a group of 6 hikers, the same group that kept me up last night.  All 12 slots were filled. I was very thankful to have a spot at the Birches Lean-to for the night. I’ll leave it at that.

As soon as the sign in process was over I started hiking.  I was cold to the core since the temperature dropped due to the cold front that came through yesterday.  Sitting for 3.5 hours without having eaten anything, plus not having any warm clothes took it’s toll.  I stopped and had breakfast by the side of the trail and that helped a bit, that and the rise in temperature as the sun rose higher in the sky.

The trail this morning was in Baxter State Park and was beautiful, going by ponds, rivers and streams (still no moose).  In many places it looked like gardeners had just been in to clean and manicure it.  It was a beautiful place for northbound hikers to finish their hikes.  Every so often I’d get a glimpse of Mount Katahdin in all it’s glory.

The trail to the Birches Lean-to is a side trail off the AT that goes in front of the ranger’s station.  A sign said to go ahead and set up camp and the ranger would come by later to complete the registration process.  I made it to the site, found a place and set up the tent, and then had lunch.  Catapult and Fenway came in, and we were then joined by 2 other hikers who had summited today, Second Chance and Lost and Found.  Both seemed to be in a daze, due to wrapping up thru hikes and from getting a very early start, not to mention being exhausted from the climb up and back down.  It was good to see them.  We congratulated them and they encouraged us for our hike tomorrow.  They both told us to rest up this afternoon since we probably wouldn’t sleep much tonight.  I took their advice, not napping, but spending quite a bit of time in my tent under my quilt.

Later, after I ate dinner, the group of 6 hikers came in, and then the park ranger came by to collect the camping fee, register us for our hike tomorrow, and give us a briefing on what we can and can’t do.  The park is not AT hiker friendly due to some of the disrespectful things that hikers have done on Mount Katahdin in the past.  Around 7:00 most of us got into our tents but the 6 stayed up talking around the campfire.  They are quieter tonight than they were last night, probably because we are all camping in a small area.

I hiked 9.9 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 29

View of Mount Katahdin from Abol Bridge

The hikers in the spot next to mine were up at 4:00 a.m. getting ready for the day.  I laid there for 30 minutes and then decided to go ahead and get up.  I was hiking by 5:30.  At 9:00 I decided to stop and take a break.  My timing was perfect since it started raining.  I pulled out my rain jacket and put it on and finished my snack just as it started raining hard as a thunderstorm passed over.  The rain finally stopped at 11:30, about the time I made it to the Hurd Brook Lean-to, where 6 other hikers had also stopped for lunch.  I had already covered 11.5 miles but I wanted to get to the Abol Bridge Store so I could figure out a plan for tomorrow.

Shortly after the trail left the 100 Mile Wilderness it follows Abol Road for a while. Just before coming to the store the trail crosses a bridge. There was a clear view from the bridge of Mount Katahdin, my second view in two days. It was slowly sinking in that this trip, and the section hike that started in 2013 was coming to an end. Most folks have mixed emotions when that realization hits, glad to be wrapping up their hike but sad to leave the trail. At the moment, all I felt was relief since this hike had been much harder than I thought it would be.

When I got to the store I had 2 Gatorades, a lemon pie, a ham and cheese sub sandwich, and 3 scoops of ice cream in a bowl.  After that I went to the campground across the road, found a nice spot and set up camp.

From here I’m 15.1 miles away from the top of Mount Katahdin.  That sounds doable until you consider the last 6 miles climb 4,200 feet, and you have to come back down and leave the park if you don’t have reservations for a campsite, which I don’t have.  Many hikers successfully do it, but I won’t since it’s beyond my ability.  Another option is to secure a spot at thehe Birches Lean-to in Baxter State Park.  To do that you have to be one of the first 12 hikers to sign up in the morning at the ranger kiosk just inside the park boundary .8 of a mile from here.  There’s only 12 spots and they are handed out on a first come first serve basis.  The sign up starts at 7:00 a.m. each morning and if you don’t get on the list you have to try again the next day.  Many days more than 12 folks are lined up before the ranger gets there.  I walked down to the kiosk and met the ranger.  He explained that some mornings hikers start gathering as early as 3:30 to 4:00 a.m.  He was very helpful and stressed that I needed to come early to ensure I could get on the list.

After that I went back to camp and got my phone charging plug-in and cord, and the battery pack and went to the Abol Bridge Store to charge them both.  The store also has a satellite phone that you can use for a dollar an hour.  I had tried calling Karen and ended up leaving a message.  I also called The AT Lodge in Millinocket to arrange for a shuttle on Monday afternoon and an overnight stay assuming I’ll get a spot at The Birches Lean-to on Sunday and be able to summit on Monday.  The store also had WiFi access that you can purchase, so I signed up for it and sent Karen an email to let her know that I was okay and give her details of my plan.  This place is so remote that there’s no cell phone service.

After my phone and battery were charged I went back to camp, had dinner and climbed into the quilt hoping for a good night’s sleep, since 3:00 a.m., the time I decided to get up, wasn’t too far off.

I hiked 15 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 28

First view of Mount Katahdin

This will be short since I’m trying to save my phone battery.  Today was a long day intentionally since I’m trying to plan the last two days of the hike…more on that in a subsequent post.  The trail was relatively flat today except for Nesuntabunt Mountain, which uad a steep 700 foot climb over .6 of a mile.  However, a pleasant surprise was waiting on the other side, the first view of Mount Katahdin.  What a thrill, so big, beautiful and majestic.

I’m camping at Rainbow Spring Lean-to.  I hit a milestone, I’ve hiked 315 miles so far.  Only 30 miles more to the top of Mount Katahdin.

I hiked 21.7 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 27

Well, my hope for a quiet peaceful night didn’t work out.  Shortly after I finished last night’s post the thru hikers started arriving.  By the time I crawled into the sleeping quilt there were 10 hikers in and around the shelter plus a group of 10 or more young ladies in a group that had set up tents further off from the shelter.

I woke around 4:30 a.m. and decided to go ahead and pack up.  That proved a bit challenging since my headlamp has become finicky, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  It was sporadic this morning but I was able to get everything out of the shelter without making too much noise.  I was packed and hiking by 5:30 a.m.  I made it to Johnson Pond Road by 8:00, two and a half hours before my resupply was scheduled to be there.  That was okay, it was nice to have a break.  Well, the appointed time, 10:30 a.m. came and went and no one came from Shaw’s.  Another 10 minutes passed and quite a few different scenarios ran through my mind, none of them good.  Did I somehow mess up the day or the time when I originally set up the resupply or when I rescheduled it?  Did Shaw’s record it incorrectly?  Did the truck break down?  Another 10 minutes passed and I was trying to decide what I would do if the resupply didn’t take place.  The only thing I could think of was to hike back up to the top of White Cap Mountain until I had cell phone service and call.  I didn’t like that option but it seemed like the best one available.  Fortunately, Mike from Shaw’s drove up at 10:55 a.m.  The first thing he did was apologize, he’d had a busy morning, and the second was to refund half of the resupply fee.  I was just glad he was there.

I put the food in the food bag and then put it in the pack, drank the Gatorade and Coke that he brought, and the gave him my trash, they pack it out as a part of the deal.  We sat and talked for a bit and then he had to go take care of other deliveries and I had to start hiking.  My pack was heavy with 4 days of food, but that was okay, it sure beat the alternative.  And finally, I hit the truly flat section of Maine.  But just when you think you have it made something else happens.  Mike shared the weather forecast for the week, highs of 85 today, 90 tomorrow, and 81 on Saturday with a 50 percent chance of rain.  So it was a long, hot and humid day, just what mosquitoes and gnats like.  Well, the upside is that I made it to Antlers Campsite where I’m spending the night around 4:30.  It’s a beautiful place, campsites in a pine forest on a peninsula out into Jo Mary Lake.  There are a lot of other hikers here but it’s a large place, large enough for us each to have some privacy.  And, I had cell phone coverage and was able to call Karen as a bonus.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

As I wrap this up, it’s thundering and may rain.  I have mixed emotions about that.  I hate putting away a wet tent, but a good shower might lower the temperature.

I hiked 16 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 26

Today the trail today climbed from an elevation of 1,050 up to 3,850 and then descended back down to 1,254.  During the day the trail climbed over four mountains, Gulf Hagas, West Peak, Hay, and White Cap.  Between each the trail dipped 200 to 300 feet.  After making it over White Cap Mountain the trail lost 2,400 feet fairly gradually over 5 miles.

I’m spending the night in East Branch Lean-to since it’s cloudy and looks like it might rain tonight.  I got here at 3:30 and decided to stop and rest since the last 3 days, including today have been tough.  I’m hoping the shelter doesn’t fill up tonight.

I hiked 14.3 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 25

In spite of the poor campsite I slept well since I was tired from yesterday’s hike.  The hike today started immediately with an 1,100 foot climb in 1.2 miles.  The trail levelled off for a bit and then climbed another 700 feet to get over Barren Mountain.  The trail continued up and down for the better part of the day, with steep climbs and descents, with many up or down rocks.  This section is referred to as The Chairbacks.  There is a Chairback Mountain in the section, so that may be where the name comes from.

After 14 miles I was tired and decided to stop.  The only problem is that no camping is allowed in this section.  I stopped and ate two dinners since I had an extra from yesterday due to the trail magic.  After eating I hiked on.  It was getting dark when I finally found a campsite off a side trail at mile 2111.0.  Fortunately, my headlamp was working and I was able to set up camp.

I hiked 17.3 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 24

I slept well last night and woke early, before any of the others.  I showered and then went for coffee.  Breakfast was served at 7:00 a.m. and this morning I gave my 3 over easy eggs to 2 of the thru hikers.  I made up for the eggs by eating a couple of additional blueberry pancakes.  After I ate I settled my account and put everything in the backpack.  There was a nervous energy from the thru hikers who were getting ready to enter the 100 Mile Wilderness.  The fact that their long journey was coming to an end was staring them in the face.  One hiker said it reminded him of when he started his hike in Georgia, he was scared and excited at the same time, and his pack was heavy.  When he started his hike he had too much gear but now his pack is heavy since he’s having to carry enough food to get him through the 100 Mile Wilderness.

I was able to get the first shuttle for the trail that left at 8:00.  We posed at the trailhead for a picture that would be put on Shaw’s Facebook page.  After that we started walking.  Not too far down the trail we came to a sign indicating we were entering the 100 Mile Wilderness.  We each posed individually for a photograph by the sign.  After that the other hikers quickly left me behind.  A couple of hours later another wave of folks that were in the second Shaw shuttle caught me.  It wasn’t a surprise, most of them are younger and all of them are stronger and have a lot more confidence navigating the trail than I do.

The trail today was in the woods, passing by eight different ponds.  I checked each one for moose without any results.  Except for a couple of long flat stretches, the trail had a lot of rises and falls, most small but a few were modest.  Around 4:00 p.m., I saw a sign that said “Trail Magic” two-tenths of a mile down an old road that the trail crossed.  I followed the sign and found the second wave of hikers that had passed me earlier sitting at a picnic table in front of a small cabin eating hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato chips, and drinking soft drinks and beer.  James Adams does this for hikers in honor of a friend of his that recently passed away.  He offered me a plate with 2 hot dogs and a cobb of corn and I gladly accepted it.  After eating and thanking James I said goodbye and got back on the trail.  A mile and a half later I got to Long Pond Lean-to.  Five of the thru hikers who had passed me earlier were here.  There’s no good flat campsites.  I pitched my tent at one of the sites and suspect I’ll be rolling and sliding all night long.

I hiked 15.1 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 23, Monson, ME

I thought that sleeping in a bed with sheets, a blanket and a pillow would result in a good night’s sleep, but that wasn’t the case.  I suspect it was the loud fan noise, or maybe the large amount of food that I ate that was to blame.  Or, it could have been all the things on my mind, trying to figure out which food resupply point to pick in The 100 Mile Wilderness, deciding whether to send home some warm clothes I had carried in my pack but hadn’t used for a while and probably wouldn’t need, and determining what additional food and supply items I would need.  And then there’s the matter of understanding the rules and permit/registration requirements for entering Baxter State Park and climbing Mount Katahdin.  I wasn’t worried about any of it but it all had to be sorted out.

I was awake until after midnight and woke from a fitful sleep around 3:30 a.m.  I stayed in bed until 5:30, when the coffee would be put out.  Breakfast was at 7:00, three eggs over easy (I normally only eat eggs scrambled but I ate them anyway), home fries, bacon, blueberry pancakes, orange juice and more coffee.

After that I opened and sorted the food resupply box Karen sent.  It contained 8 days of food based on a 12.5 mile per day average to get through The 100 Mile Wilderness.  I chose the resupply point nearest the middle of Wilderness, and decided on a 4:00 p.m. delivery time on the fourth day.  I then pulled out the extra clothes and other items and set them aside.  After that I double checked all the other items and made a list of what I needed, toothpaste, toilet paper, extra batteries for the headlamp, and a new gas canister for the stove.  I was a bit short on food for some days so I added a couple of food items to the list.  I sent Karen my food resupply plans and a list of the unused clothes and asked for her opinion.  Even though she is at home she plays a big role in helping me figure things out.  She confirmed my plans.  She had also done some research on the rules/requirements for Baxter State Park and climbing Mount Katahdin and put me at ease about the process.

I decided to take a break and walked to a local restaurant for lunch.  All of the tables were taken.  A hiker I’d seen at the hostel was sitting alone at one of the tables.  I asked if I could join him and he agreed.  His name is Hugo and he’s from Paris, here for 3 months to hike as much of the AT as possible.  He had started at Mount Katahdin and was hiking south.  We talked about a lot of things.  He indicated the biggest problem he’s had is that the U.S. doesn’t use the metric system of measurement.  He was very generous and paid for my lunch.  On the way back to the hostel we stopped at the corner market and treated him to a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.  He said they have Ben and Jerry’s in Paris, but not the selection we have here.  We joined two other hikers at a table and talked while we ate our ice cream.

After we got back to the hostel I made arrangements for the food resupply in The 100 Mile Wilderness and to send my unneeded clothes home.  I also bought the needed supplies and food items.  After that I read a bit, and then ate again, even though I wasn’t hungry.  I’ll be glad when I can get back to normal eating, when I’m hungry, of healthy food that I like.

It has been nice to have a somewhat normal day, but I’m really looking forward to completing the hike and getting back home.

Tomorrow’s agenda starts with another big breakfast and then getting back on the trail.  I just hope that comes after a good night’s sleep.

Prone to Wander

Day 22

Last night I fell asleep almost immediately and slept soundly through the night.  I was up and on the trail a little after 6:00 a.m.  That seems to be the routine.  The trail this morning was mainly through hardwoods with a few climbs but no views.  I made it to the road crossing at ME 15 by 10:30 a.m. and called Shaw’s Hiker Hostel in Monson to have them come and pick me up.

I’m staying in the bunkhouse, which is a converted garage containing 7 single beds and 1 double bed.  I was able to get a shower and do laundry, and then went on the prowl for food.  There’s a deli a little more than a block away where I ordered and ate two large sandwiches, a bag of chips, a Pepsi and a large brownie.  After I got back to the hostel I picked up the food box Karen sent here.

I’m spending 2 nights at the hostel.  Tomorrow will busy going through the food and sorting it.  After I leave Monson I’ll get into The 100 Mile Wilderness, a section that is remote and only accessible by logging roads.  The hostel offers a food drop service in the Wilderness for a fee, where they will meet you at a specific location with food that you’ve set aside.  I plan to use the service but need to decide the drop point, how many days of food I’ll need to carry to get there and how many additional days of food I’ll need to make it through the rest of the Wilderness.

While I was reading about the food drop service a hostel employee walked up to me and asked where he knew me from.  It turns out we used to see each other in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, back home, when we’d both be out walking.  He always wore a backpack since he was training to hike the AT, and we’d talk from time to time about hiking.  He completed a through hike a couple of years ago and now spends 6 months of the year working here and the other 6 months back in Georgia, just down the road from where I live.  It’s a small world.

Even though I’m not really hungry I need to go eat again.  I don’t want to wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

I hiked 9 miles today.

Prone to Wander