Tuesday, September 29 6:59 pm
AT 2187.8 Abol Campground → AT 2193.0 Baxter Peak, Katahdin
Weather: 4-8 am fog, clouds, mist/rain with clear spurts and wind above treeline, 8:30-10am clearing conditions with heavy wind
Trail Conditions: Hardest day on trail in my opinion, both in terms of emotional difficulty and technical aspects of the climb/descent requiring precise body positioning, hand and foot placement
My Condition: Feeling weird. Pride, tired, full, empty, have been single-mindedly pursuing a goal only to have reached it after 146 days! Such a bittersweet day. Emotional, lots of tears.
As of about 8 am this morning, I am officially an Appalachian Trail thru hiker! Lost my way a few times in the darkness and the thick mist searching for blazes through fogged over glasses. Above treeline, the challenge shifted from visibility to pathfinding/actual rock climbing. I listened to the Return of the King soundtrack as I climbed. The sky cleared to reveal a pale sunrise as the beacons of Minas Tirith were lit atop distant mountain peaks. The clouds gave way to sunlight on the tabletop as Theoden and the Rohirrim, horns bellowing, rode in with the sun to make their great charge at Pelennor Fields. The sign, and Blue with her USA flag flapping in the fierce wind, appeared through the fog as brave Samwise cried out “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!” on the slopes of Mount Doom. I played “Into The West” as we finished our photo shoot. Pure adrenaline, and maybe my concoction of 4 caffeinated Nuun tablets and 2 packets of Pedialyte in one 16 oz Gatorade bottle, carried me up The Greatest Mountain. It was incredible – really can’t put all the emotion into simple words. I cried when the sign appeared. I cried when my trail family saw the sign and cried. I cried when we congratulated one another with big old hugs. I cried when people we crossed paths with on the way down congratulated us. I cried the first time I saw one of my summit pictures. I cried when I heard from my mom, and from Pat and Kelsey. I cried after I talked to my mom, and Janne, and Pat and Kelsey on the phone later that day. I cried a lot today – of sadness at a journey’s ending, of triumph of the completion of something so incredibly monumental, of knowing that soon I’ll have to bid a trail family I love goodbye for now. The climb down was tough with tears in my eye much of the way, not even to mention the steep, technical drops and slides. Blue’s spirit mom picked us up and drove us in to Millinocket. Hummingbird’s parents came to pick her up and we had to say our first goodbye, and it was every bit as tough as I expected it to be.
Wow! I did it!!! Still so much to process, but I’m tremendously proud of myself and my trail family, of the grit, the adaptability, the problem solving, and the stickwithitness we have shown in accomplishing this incredible feat. 2193 miles, 14 states, Georgia to Maine, Springer Mountain to Katahdin!
Post Trail Analysis
I’m not going to say much about this particular entry. I encourage you to watch my Katahdin video, which shows it all much more eloquently than I’m able to say it. On my way down, I crossed paths with Hollywood on his way up the mountain, alongside his new fiance! Pretty cool moment for him! Also, big shout out to Pipes on the “Into The West” recommendation as a summit song. That song hits even when you didn’t just finish your AT thru hike atop Mt. Katahdin, but it hits something special up there!
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