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[at-l] Blisterbutt's Maine Trail Journal (very long)
- Subject: [at-l] Blisterbutt's Maine Trail Journal (very long)
- From: Gary Roberts <GRoberts@npr.org>
- Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 10:47:18 -0500
I thought you guys might like to read a pretty good journal from a friend of
mine. "Blisterbutt" or "Flyin' Brian" has been hiking the trail since 1991.
He has finally finished and I am really glad he did it. He's done some of
the CDT, too. I hope you enjoy his journal as much as I did. I know he has
met with lots of you already. Let's give him a big YoooHooooooo!!!
Save this for sometime when you have a half hour to kill.
BLISTERBUTT TRAIL JOURNAL 1999
GORHAM, NH TO MT. KATAHDIN
31 DAYS, 307 MILES
Many hikers consider Maine to be both the most beautiful and the most
difficult part of the Appalachian Trail. I'll go along with that. The
terrain, especially the first 100 miles or so, is some of the most rugged of
the entire trail. When I got there, Maine was in the midst of one of the
worst droughts in years. Two hurricanes later, it was anything but dry.
Overall, it was fuckin' awesome!
TUE AUG 24
Long travel day. Got up at 4:30am, arrived in Gorham at 9:15pm. No
motel rooms available. Had to settle for a bunk in a hostel which was
crowded with thru-hikers who were using the town as a base for slack
packing. A bit of culture shock for me, coming from a clean, spacious home
to the stench of an overcrowded bunkroom, but I adjusted quickly and slept
well with the aid of my earplugs.
WED AUG 25 6.9 MILES TO TRIDENT COL TENTSITE
Woke at 6:30am to a completely deserted hostel. Weird! Got to get up
early to slack the Whites, I guess. Big breakfast, post office at 8:30 via
borrowed bike, and finally a ride to the trail at 10:30. Miserable hiking
conditions: steep terrain, weak muscles, heat, bugs, and NO water sources
for 7 miles. Arrived tired and thirsty at Trident, where there was barely
any water, at 4:00.
THU AUG 26 4.9 MILES TO GENTIAN POND SHELTER
Up 6:05, out 7:35. Met McGiver, who told me about 5 "near death"
experiences he's had since leaving Georgia. More tough terrain, but
adequate water. In 12:30. Nice shelter with a good view gave me a pleasant
place to spend the afternoon reading. Lots of slack packers passed thru.
Shared the shelter with Chief-No-Pecs.
FRI AUG 27 10.2 MILES TO FULL GOOSE SHELTER
Arduous 1 mph day. Isn't this supposed to be a vacation? Up 5:00, out
6:05. Good views from Mt. Success before crossing the NH-ME state line.
After Carlo Col, a 0.6 mile detour to the only water source in the section
and lunch, misty rain moved in. Wet rocks made for what seemed like
rediculously difficult climbs. No views from Goose Eye Mtn. from in the
clouds. Boots soaked thru. In 5:15. Shared the shelter with a college
group; very nice people.
SAT AUG 28 5.1 MILES TO SPECK POND SHELTER
Out at 7:30 and headed for Mahoosuc Notch, reputed to be the single
hardest mile of the entire A.T. One mile of climbing over, under and
around house sized boulders would normally be fun, but with the rocks wet
and with my bulky external frame pack, it was torture. Shortly after
entering the Notch, slipped on a wet rock for my worst fall ever on the A.T.
Landed against the side of a boulder on my hip and bruised it badly. Got up
and proceeded with extreme caution. 3 1/2 hours later I had gained 1 mile.
Had lunch and then started the steep ascent of Mahoosuc Arm. This was like
a paved sidewalk at a 45 degree angle (no exaggeration) with more boulder
climbing as well. About halfway through the 1.5 mile, 1500 ft. climb was a
section the map calls Mahoosuc Notch Two. It sucked. In 5:30 with a bad
heel blister, a sore hip, sore right knee, chaffing from knee supports, and
sore legs. Shared shelter with Zau-Gau.
SUN AUG 29 6.9 MILES TO BALDPATE SHELTER
Up 6:05, out 7:30. Cold front has passed! After 2 days of hiking in
the clouds, it was finally windy, cool, and SUNNY! Still a bit sore,
decided to wear heavy knee brace for extra protection. Terrain still steep
and rocky, but easing up. Tons of day/weekend hikers. In at 2:15. Time to
rest, relax, and read. Had a shelter to myself for the ONLY time of the
trip. But I would not be entirely alone...
MON AUG 30 8 MILES TO ANDOVER
A quote from "A Walk In The Woods", by Bryson: "Hunters will tell you
that a moose is a wily and ferocious forest creature. Nonsense. A moose is
a cow drawn by a three year old. That's all there is to it. Without a
doubt, the moose is the most improbable, endearingly hopeless creature ever
to live in the wilds. Every bit of it- it's spindly legs, it's chronically
puzzled expression, it's comical oven-mitt antlers- looks like some droll
evolutionary joke. It is wondrously ungainly; it runs as if it's legs have
never been introduced to eachother. Above all what distinguishes the moose
is it's almost boundless lack of intelligence. If you are driving down a
highway and a moose steps from the woods ahead of you, he will stare at you
for a long minute (moose are notoriously shortsighted), then abruptly try to
run away from you, legs flailing in eight directions at once. Never mind
that there are several thousand square miles of forest on either side of the
highway. The moose does not think of this. Clueless as to what exactly is
going on, he runs halfway to New Brunswick before his peculiar gait
inadvertantly steers him back into the woods, where he immediately stops and
takes on a startled expression that says, "Hey--woods. Now how the heck did
I get here?" Moose are so monumentally muddle headed, in fact, that when
they hear a car or truck approaching they will often bolt OUT of the woods
and onto the highway in the curious hope that this will bring them to
safety."
The thing that blew me away about the moose that woke me up at one
o'clock in the morning, and remained outside the shelter chewing on leaves
for the rest of the night, was it's height. With full antlers, and in the
light of my flashlight, it reminded me of something out of Jurassic Park.
It was huge! I wasn't scared, but between it and some lively shelter mice,
I didn't get much sleep.
Up 5:00, out 6:10. 2nd encounter with the moose, this time beside the
trail. Apparently annoyed by my flash photography, he turned and came at me
abruptly. Now I was scared. Decided to see how fast I could run uphill
with a pack on. Made good time on the 50 yard dash, but neglected to clock
it. Oh well, maybe there'll be more meese later. Pack weight pretty light
now, felt strong. Summitted Baldpate Mtn. in the clouds, with 20mph wind.
Got to East B-Hill Rd. at 12:20 where it took 50 minutes to hitch a ride
into Andover. Stayed at "the Cabin", where owners Honey and Bear offered me
free hostel accomadations if I would play their guitar in the evening for
them. No problem, I'd have paid them to play it! Enjoyed my first
opportunity to call home since Gorham. Awesome family style dinner with
Honey & Bear, Songbird & Caboose, Do It, Dude, Wild Bill, and 'The Lord'.
Decided to take up the offer to slack pack (hike without my pack) the next
day and stay another night.
TUE AUG 31 10 MILES FROM SOUTH ARM RD TO ANDOVER
Huge breakfast, then a ride to the trail with a daypack for my 10 mile
slack. Saw Yagi (from Japan), Zau Gau, Timeout (from Israel), Dog-Bone,
Titanic, A1A, Steve Nevins, and McGiver. Also met "Earthworm". This guy
looked very out of place in street clothes, and when we spoke I knew there
was something wrong with him. Made it to East B-Hill Rd. around 3:00, where
'The Lord' was waiting with the truck to give me a ride back to the Cabin.
Had a great evening, and decided to slack again the next day and stay a 3rd
night.
WED SEP 1 13 MILES FROM RT 17 TO SOUTH ARM RD
Dawn's birthday! But it was a rough day for Blisterbutt. Rugged
terrain, heat, and lack of water supply made even slacking this section
difficult. The spring at Beamis Mtn. Shelter was completely dry. Later,
after 9 1/2 hot miles with only 1 qt. of water, came across the only water
of the section. It was a puddle of standing water; not exactly something I
cared to scoop up and add iodine to. Fortunately, just as I was standing
there staring at it, a hiker named Gentleman Jim came from the other
direction and let me use his pump filter. Saved! A steep climb up Old Blue
Mtn., and a 3 mile- 2200 ft. descent brought me back to 'The Lord', and
salvation at the Cabin. Exhausted.
THU SEP 2 8.3 MILES TO LITTLE SWIFT RIVER POND CAMPSITE
Out 9:00. Still tired from the day before. Sore feet and achilles
tendon. Terrain still rugged with many roots and rocks. Beautiful ponds,
some very swimmable, others infested with leeches. Break at Sabbath Day
Pond with Citrus, Yogi, and Binx. Watched a snake eating a large toad.
During my lunch, Earthworm came slacking the other way. All he was carrying
was an unopened bottle of wine. When I mentioned I was from Jacksonville,
he related that he had stayed in a homeless shelter there once and gotten
beaten up and robbed by a bunch of crackheads. I suspected that this kid
really had some problems. Made it to camp at 3:30 where I encountered a
college group and Timeout. Steve Nevins, Little Mac, and Gentleman Jim
showed up later. Got a much needed 10 hours of sleep in my tent.
FRI SEP 3 10.4 MILES TO SADDLEBACK MTN.
Up 5:00. Saw a female moose wading in the pond and drinking. Out
6:30. Easier terrain. Had lunch at Piazza Rock Shelter with Yagi and the
caretaker. Later, bathed and rested at Eddy Pond, before deciding to carry
3 quarts of water up a dry Saddleback Mtn. to camp on the summit. Tough
climb, but well worth it! Outstanding views from well above treeline, with
hardly any wind and no clouds. I was really enjoying the peace and solitude
when, just before sunset, I saw someone else approaching the summit. It was
Earthworm. Shit! We talked a bit, and he pulled out the same unopened
bottle of wine and offered to open it. But the conversation with him was
making me very uneasy, so I declined, not wanting to encourage him to stay.
In fact, I blatantly encouraged him to move on. After an incredible sunset,
I got in my bag to go to sleep, but Earthworm lingered on, staring at me
from 10 yards away. My instincts told me that this guy was a psycho, and
being in such a secluded spot with him made me very tense. Finally covinced
him to leave, much to my relief. Soon the stars were out in all their
brilliance, and I was dazzled by meteors, sattelites, and the glow of the
Milky Way.
SAT SEP 4 9.2 MILES TO A LOGGING ROAD
Out 6:45 after a beautiful sunrise. Tough terrain as usual. Lunch at
Poplar Ridge Shelter with southbound section hikers. Bathed in Orbeton
Stream. Dinner by a brook, where I met up with Steve Nevins. We hiked
another mile or two, then camped on an old logging road (the only flat spot
in the area).
SUN SEP 5 10 MILES TO CROCKER CIRQUE CAMPSITE
Up 5:00, out 6:30. Hiked with Steve all day; good conversation.
Several tough climbs including Lone Mountain, Spaulding Mountain, and
Sugarloaf Mountain. Long descent to the Carrabassett River for a cold swim,
lunch, and a rest. Reached campsite at 3:45 with sore toes and bad chaffing
behind the knees. Hung out with Timeout, Gallahad, Double, Yagi, and Steve.
MON SEP 6 7.3 MILES TO STRATTON
Up 5:20, out 6:30, psyched to be headed for town! Reached Rt. 27 at
11:30. Quickly got a ride, along with Timeout and Gallahad, in the back of
a pickup. As we approached Stratton, I spotted Earthworm who was hitching
back out. Found out that my instincts about him were good. It had taken
Gallahad a couple days to ditch Earthworm back in New Hampshire.
Apparently, Earthworm had been in trouble with the law as a teen and
committed to a mental hospital. He was diagnosed to be schitzophrenic,
didn't want to take medication, and hoped that hiking would cure him. I
never saw Earthworm again, but I hope that he'll be OK. Got a room at
the White Wolf Inn and enjoyed the ammenities of civilization. Had to wait
until the next day to get my mail drop from the PO, since it was Labor Day.
Had dinner with Gallahad, and a nice talk on the phone with Dawn.
TUES SEP 7 10.7 MILES TO SAFFORD NOTCH CAMPSITE
After the customary huge breakfast, picked up my mail drop, which
included replacement straps for my pack. (A shoulder strap had broken back
in the Mahoosuc Range.) With repacking and a hard hitch, finally made it to
the trail at 10:30. Hiked with Timeout for a while, but couldn't keep up
with the 24 year old thru-hiker on the steep climb into the Bigelow Range.
Caught up with him at Horn Pond Shelter. Had a quick lunch and decided to
press on to Avery Campsite, 3 more tough miles over and beyond Avery Peak.
The caretaker at Horn Pond assured me that there was water available there
in the spring. But along the way, hikers coming the other way were telling
me otherwise. Summitted Avery Peak in the clouds, and descended to the
campsite. Sure enough, no water whatsoever. The word 'angry' doesn't begin
to describe how I felt about that caretaker; especially since it was 3 more
difficult miles of steep downhill to the next water source, AND it was
getting close to dark. Decided to go for it. I NEEDED WATER! Made it to
camp at 7:00, tired and thirsty, just as it got dark. Set up my tent and
cooked dinner in the dark with my headlamp. Loud college group nearby, but
I was happy to be where I was. It rained heavily all night. The drought
was over.
WED SEP 8 12.5 MILES TO WEST CARRY POND SHELTER
Up 7:00, rain had stopped. Packed up my wet tent and left at 8:20.
First 5 1/2 miles, over Little Bigelow Mtn., were very difficult- big, wet
rocks and steep terrain. Had lunch at Little Bigelow Shelter with Timeout
and Gallahad. Then the trail got easy for the rest of the day. In fact,
what is considered to be the toughest part of the entire A.T., now lay
behind me, much to my relief. In 5:30. Took a cold bath in the pond.
Full site, with 7 in the shelter and 4 camping outside. Hot weather,
crowded shelter, and a sick Gentleman Jim made for a poor night's sleep.
THU 9-9-99 14 MILES TO CARATUNK
Awesome day! Nine must be a lucky number. Up 5:30, out 6:35. Sunny
weather and very easy terrain. Hiked my 2000th A.T. mile! Best swim for me
in Maine at Pierce Pond, just before lunch. At 3:00, crossed the Kenebec
River, which was unfordable, via canoe ferry. Got a ride to Northern
Outdoors resort with tent cabins, showers, swimming pool, hot tub, laundry,
restaurant, bar, and game room. Was treated to some Maine lobster by some
vacationers from Rhode Island. Found out about Dawn's new job, with more
pay and more vacation! Also found out about a new CEO at Wind River...mo'
money fo' me! Decided it was time for me to take the next day off and rest
my weary body. And this was definately the place for it!
FRI SEP 10 0 MILES
Monsooned all day long. Couldn't have timed my day off from the trail
any better! Turned out to be the remnants of Hurricane Dennis. Had a good
time. :)
SAT SEP 11 14.7 MILES TO BALD MTN. SHELTER
Up 6:00, buffet breakfast, and hitch to the A.T. Out 7:40. Cool,
clear weather, but the brooks were all flooded. Wasted half an hour trying
to find a dry way across a roaring brook. Finally made it over dry, via a
moss covered log, only to slip in the mud while skirting the opposite shore
and get soaked up to the knees. With wet boots and socks, at least I didn't
have to worry about further crossings- just walk right through! Took a 2
hour lunch break at Pleasant Pond Shelter. Made good time to Moxie Stream,
where I met Ramen Train, and we had to cross the stream on cables- very
squirrelly! Hiked with Ramen for the last 3 miles; in at 5:45. Shared the
shelter with Sparrow.
SUN SEP 12 13 MILES TO HORSESHOE CANYON SHELTER
Up 5:30, out 7:15. Cooler weather, finally, after weeks of
unseasonably warm weather. Climbed Moxie Bald with a nice view, then easy
terrain all day. Had lunch after fording the West Branch of the Piscataquis
River. In at 4:30. Shared the shelter with McGiver, Matt, and 2
southbounders.
MON SEP 13 9 MILES TO MONSON
Up 5:50, out 6:50. Easy terrain and a light pack. Got to Rt. 15 at
11:30. Within minutes, Keith Shaw (from my intended place of lodging,
Shaw's Boarding House) drove up and asked if I needed a ride into town. We
went to Greenville first, on an errand, then over to Monson, where I would
spend the night and resupply for the longest stretch of wilderness on the
A.T.- The 100 Mile Wilderness. Of course, the "Wilderness" isn't what it
once was. Several dirt logging roads provide access to points along the
trail, and there is even a hostel within a mile of the trail at one point.
But, nevertheless, I would still have to carry 9 days worth of supplies,
which is a pretty heavy load. My pack weighed 30 lb. coming into town, and
45 the next morning. When I called home and spoke with Dawn, I learned that
a hurricane, named Floyd, was threatening Jacksonville and that she might
have to evacuate in a couple days. We discussed our plan of action, and I
felt very comfortable knowing that she was there to take care of everything.
The hardest part for me would be not knowing what, if anything, was
happening there until 10 days later! Enjoyed a big family style dinner at
Shaw's. Songbird came by later to see if Matt and I wanted to go to her
party, but we both decided not to. I wanted a good night's sleep, and Matt
was sick.
TUE SEP 14 10.4 MILES TO WILSON VALLEY SHELTER
BIG breakfast! Out, 8:10. The first 50 miles of the Wilderness are
exceptionally rugged, and would prove to be a very trying time for me.
Tough terrain and a heavy pack made for a difficult 1st day, but hurting my
achilles tendon made it miserable. Didn't eat until I got to the shelter
at 3:45. Rested my heel and ate. Shared the shelter with McGiver, and
Golden Waldo. Camping nearby were Grayman, Spuds, Carolina Kid, and Heavy
Pack. The mice in this shelter were ferocious!
WED SEP 15 10 MILES TO CLOUD POND SHELTER
Despite my best efforts, the mice got to my food bag and anhilated my
gorp- eating all the peanuts but leaving all the raisons. Had to chuck the
raisons anyway for obvious reasons. Nine days worth of energy food gone.
Hiked with McGiver until lunch. My heel felt OK for the first 5 miles, but
after boulder hopping across Long Pond Stream it got considerably worse. It
stung with pain throughout the steep climb up Barren Mtn., but when the
terrain eased up it felt better. I probably needed to take a day off, and
let my heel heal (sounds like something you'd say to a dog, doesn't it?),
but with a limited food supply and wanting to return home on the date I had
planned on, I really didn't want to. Decided to let nature decide: If it
rained the next day, I'd rest, if it didn't, I'd hike. Found a large
Snickers bar on top of Barren Mtn. It looked like it had been melted and
crushed in someone's pack at some point. After staring at it for a minute,
I opened it up. The wrapper had to be peeled off. It looked like a turd.
Ate it anyway. It was very good! In at 4:30. Shared the shelter with Frog
and Slow Buffalo.
THU SEP 16 0 MILES
RAIN! Frog felt he was carrying too much food and unloaded 2 bags of
crackers on me to help me through my rest day. Around noon, Sir PeeAlot
showed up after a 5 mile day and decided to take the rest of the day off
because of the rain. Had a full shelter that night with Sir PeeAlot, Matt,
Rhubarb & Jilebi, and Golden Waldo. Rain pounded the shelter all night.
Ironically, I was still worried about Hurricane Floyd hitting Jacksonville,
not knowing that it was already right here, raining on me!
FRI SEP 17 7.2 MILES TO CHAIRBACK GAP SHELTER
"The Thru-Hiker's Handbook" warns: "The section from Cloud Pond to
Chairback Gap is only about 7 miles long but can be a challenge when the
rocks are wet and the weather is nasty. It has a lot of little ups and
downs that make wet-weather hiking somewhat tedious. Take heed." The rocks
were wet, the weather was nasty, and Wingfoot was not kidding. It took me 5
1/2 hours to get to the shelter, where I arrived cold, wet, and tired at
12:45. In the shelter were Gumby & Smoky, who were staying put from the
nasty weather, and were figuring that the upcoming West Branch of the
Pleasant River would be flooded anyway. The shelter soon got more and more
crowded with hikers taking refuge. Later in the afternoon, Gumby's huband,
Tom, showed up, having hiked up 4 miles from his truck which was parked at
the river. He reported that the river was severely flooded and probably
wouldn't be passable for at least 3, probably 4 days. He offered to take as
many of us as could fit in the back of his pickup, the next day, to a point
further up the trail. He figured that Jo-Mary Rd., 28 miles up the trail
from the river, would be the first place available. I wasn't happy at all
about skipping 28 miles of the trail. But with limited time, and very
limited food, I couldn't afford to wait 3 or 4 days to cross a river. Maybe
I could come back and hike the section later. Or maybe I could come to
terms with not having hiked every mile of the Appalachian Trail. Either
way, it looked like my dream of completing the trail on Mt. Katahdin was not
going to happen. Spent a very cramped 18 hours in the shelter with Matt,
Sage, Sir PeeAlot, Gumby & Smoky, and Roger. Chase, Cobweb, Rhubarb &
Jilebi tented out in the rain.
SAT SEP 18 10.8 MILES TO NEWHALL SHELTER
Out at 9:00, clear, cool, and windy! A very redeeming day. Made it to
the river at 11:30. Flooded indeed. Yelled across to southbounders
stranded on the other side. They'd been camped there for 2 days already.
Dried my wet gear in the sun. While waiting for Tom's ride, two trail
maintainers showed us a way on a topo-map that the A.T. could be accessed
via dirt roads at a point directly across the river. As ten of us piled
into Tom's pickup, I asked if he could try the route they had described. 45
minutes of bumpy road later, we reached a sign at the end of our
questionable road: "Gulf Hagas Trail, Junction with A.T. 0.9."
Back in business!! Six of us got out there, while the other four continued
with Tom to Jo-Mary Rd. for fear of being stranded at the upcoming East
Branch of the Pleasant River. Hiked with Matt. Got to the shelter at 5:30,
but tented out rather than stay in another crowded and mice infested
shelter.
SUN SEP 19 15.9 MILES TO CRAWFORD POND
Up 5:30, out 6:50. 40 degrees. Four steep climbs before reaching the
summit of Whitecap Mtn. with the first good view of Katahdin. Lunch at
Logan Brook Shelter, the point at which the trail would suddenly become
remarkably easier all the way until Katahdin! Forded the East Branch at
2:30. Tough ford on underwater boulders which were invisible in the dark
water. The swift current didn't make it any easier. At least I wasn't
stranded for 2 days like others had been in the wake of Floyd. Kept hiking
until 6:00, when I camped on a flat spot in the middle of the trail, near
Crawford Pond. Around 10pm, I heard what sounded like 2 hikers coming down
the trail and past my tent. But without lights? Called out and unzipped my
window to see who it was. As soon as the noise of the zipper stopped, all I
heard was something trotting away quickly. Moose! Slept poorly after that,
worried that some 1500 lb. moose might trip over me in the darkness. (This
is rarely a problem back home.)
MON SEP 20 17.4 MILES TO WHITE HOUSE LANDING
Up 5:55, out 7:15. Easy terrain and great weather. Had lunch at
Antlers Campsite, 2 days too late for a spaghetti feast that had been hosted
by Bill Irwin (the only blind person ever to thru-hike the trail). I heard
it was 5 dollars for all you could eat, but you could give him 1 dollar. Ha
ha. Made it to the hostel, which had just opened to hikers in July '99, at
4:15 after a motorboat ride across the lake. Hot shower, relaxation, call
home on a cellphone, and pizza and pumpkin pie for dinner with Cobweb,
Chase, and Glenn. Slept GREAT!
TUE SEP 21 16.6 MILES TO RAINBOW STREAM SHELTER
Big breakfast, then out at 7:50 in light rain. Rained on and off most
of the day, but for my last hour and a half hiking it came down heavily.
Got to the already crowded shelter and took the last available spot, after
searching unsuccessfully for a tent site. Shitty night with lots of mice,
and a hiker named Just Divine, who Chase and I agreed was one of the most
inconsiderate people on the trail. My only physical discomfort now was
chaffing, but it was pretty bad.
WED SEP 22 11.5 MILES TO HURD BROOK SHELTER
Up 5:30, out 6:50. Wet hiking clothes, and the trail is a continuous
puddle. Still chaffing badly. Met up and hiked with Rhubarb, Jilebi, and
Matt. Stopped for the day at Hurd Brook at 11:50. Peace, rest, and food.
Shared the shelter that night with Spoonman, Dutch, and Peter.
THU SEP 23 13.4 MILES TO KATAHDIN STREAM CAMPGROUND
Up 6:00, out 7:15. EASY HIKING! 3 miles to the road that marks the
end of the 100 Mile Wilderness and where I loaded up on food at the Abol
Bridge General Store. This store and the hostel a few days back were a big
help. 8 easy miles later, at Daicey Pond, Spoonman, Dutch and I secured a
reservation for a lean-to at the very popular Katahdin Stream Campground.
Saw many of my aquaintances at KSC, returning from summitting Katahdin (and
completing their thru-hikes)! It was very exciting. This was a pretty bad
day to be above treeline, though, from the sound of it. Only thru-hikers,
and none of the day hikers, ventured into the harsh, cold winds. Enjoyed a
picnic dinner courtesy of Funtracker and his wife, along with Spoonman and
Dutch.
FRI SEP 24 10.4 MILES SUMMIT AND BACK
What made the last 5 miles of the A.T. really fun, was the fact that I
could leave my pack on the porch at the ranger station. Took a day pack
with food, water, camera, and warm clothing and headed out at 6:30am.
Although the climb up Mt. Katahdin is only 5 miles, it is the single biggest
climb of the A.T., with more than 4000 feet of elevation change to reach the
5267 ft. summit. Much of the climb is hand and foot rock climbing, which
was enormously fun without the full pack. Luckily the weather was much
nicer than the previous day. But near the summit, I ascended into the
clouds, and was denied one of the best views on the A.T. It seemed fitting,
though, considering how many other great views I've missed due to weather.
( Standing Indian, Max Patch, Roan Mtn., Big Bald, Greylock, Moosilauke, the
Franconia Range, the Presidential Range, Baldpate, Bigelow, and many more.)
Maybe another time! Summitted at 9:30, with Cobweb already there, and Chase
just behind me. Stayed about 45 minutes, then hurried down. ( If I could
get to Millinocket before the P.O. closed, I would have a ride that evening
all the way to Bangor with Funtracker.) Naturally, the weather cleared an
hour after leaving the summit. But everything worked out great, and I was
happy to be headed home!
The End
PREVIOUS A.T. SECTIONS
APR '91 JAMES RIVER,VA to ROCKFISH GAP,VA 7 DAYS 73
MILES
AUG '91 DICKS CREEK GAP,GA to SPRINGER MTN.,GA 8 DAYS 80 MILES
MAY '92 DICKS CREEK GAP to FONTANA DAM,NC 9 DAYS 97
MILES
MAY '93 FONTANA DAM to HOT SPRINGS,NC 9 DAYS 107
MILES
JUL '93 ROCKFISH GAP to HARPERS FERRY,WV 12 DAYS 148
MILES
JUL '94 HOT SPRINGS,NC to DAMASCUS,VA 14 DAYS 184
MILES
SEP '94 FRANCONIA NOTCH,NH to GORHAM,NH 10 DAYS 77
MILES
APR '95 JAMES RIVER,VA to DAMASCUS,VA 23 DAYS 311
MILES
OCT '96 CARLISLE,PA to HARPERS FERRY,WV 8 DAYS 105
MILES
APR '97 CARLISLE,PA to HUDSON RIVER,NY 21 DAYS
289 MILES
OCT '97 DALTON,MA to KENT,CT 8
DAYS 104 MILES
MAY '98 KENT,CT to HUDSON RIVER 5
DAYS 64 MILES
AUG '98 DALTON,MA to FRANCONIA NOTCH,NH 22 DAYS 250
MILES
SEP '99 GORHAM,NH to MT. KATAHDIN,ME 31 DAYS
307 MILES
______________________
187 DAYS, 2196 MILES
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