7/21 Day 140 Monson, ME to Long Pong Lean-to – 15.1 miles
As anxious as we were to enter the 100 mile wilderness,
basically the last 100 miles of our journey, we weren't in a huge hurry to
leave our last trail town. We packed our bags and enjoyed the all you can eat
breakfast at Shaw’s. We ate with many thru hikers we had met and hiked with as
well as many south bounders just beginning their journey. I was reminded of our
first hostel stay at the Blueberry Patch in Georgia when this whole thru-hiking
thing was very new to us and we hadn't quite shed our nerves. I felt ready to
finish but I was in a way jealous of those just beginning.
We were prepared to
hitch back to the trail but we were very kindly offered a ride back to the
trail by one of the operators of Shaw’s. We piled in and said our goodbyes to
Monson. We entered the “wilderness” passing by a sign warning of the dangers of
this section and to enter this section with no less than ten days of
supplies. We laughed as we had only six days of supplies. The hiking was easy
relative to all we had seen in the past months. We were in very high spirits
for having just left town partially due to the excitement of being so close to
Katahdin and also having the opportunity to spend our last week of trail with new
and old friends.
7/22 Day 141 Long Pond Lean-to to Carl A. Newhall Lean-to –
20.8 miles
Today was one of our longest days in a while. The hiking was
more difficult with many annoying ups and downs but nothing extremely
difficult. As it turns out, the 100 mile wilderness isn't so wild. We have
crossed gravel roads and heard traffic and even seen day hikers. It seems more
of just a 100 mile stretch with no towns. I guess the “100 miles with no
convenient re-supply point” doesn't roll off the tongue quite like “100 mile
wilderness.”
7/23 Day 142 Carl A. Newhall Lean-to to Cooper Brook Falls
Lean-to – 18.9 miles
White Cap mountain is pretty much the last mountain between
here and Katahdin. It seems we will basically coast from here to the base of
Katahdin. We were excited to climb White Cap Mountain as we were looking
forward to our first glimpse of Katahdin. As we made our way up the mountain it
became clear we would not see Katahdin today. The rain and thick fog we had
become very accustomed to had once again moved in. With nothing to be seen we
spent no time on the mountain and continued our trudge through the rain.
Our destination for the night would be Cooper Brook Falls
Lean-to a place that had been described by many as picturesque. Arriving at the
crowded lean-to soaked in cool rain we were ready to call it quits for the day.
We rested under the shelter of the lean-to enjoying the company of the other
northbound thru-hikers waiting for a break in the rain to set up tent. Our
break came and we quickly made camp before returning the lean-to to cook and
eat our dinner.
7/24 Day 143 Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to to Wadleigh Stream
Lean-to – 21.5 miles
We took our time breaking camp and getting started today. We
had a full day of hiking ahead of us but the elevation profile indicated it
would be easy miles. The miles were easy, the sun was shining, and we were
beginning to dry out a bit until the rain made another appearance just as we
arrived at Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to for lunch. After lunch the sun was back
and we soon caught our first glimpse of Katahdin from across Pemadumcook Lake.
The peak was shrouded in clouds but it was an amazing feeling to finally see
the goal we had been walking toward from 143 days. The end was literally in site,
it was an unreal feeling. The remaining hiking today was, as they say, a walk
in the woods. I can’t remember any miles on this trail as effortless as these
seemed.
7/25 Day 144 Wadleigh Stream Lean-to to Hurd Brook Lean-to –
19.6 miles
Another late start today. Our day began with a small climb
up Nesuntabunt mountain where we were treated to unrestricted views of Katahdin
and loads of wild ripe blueberries. It was a beautiful day with beautiful
hiking through blueberry patches and passing pond after pond. We broke for
lunch at Rainbow Stream Lean-to before continuing to Hurd Brook for the night. Many
of our friends continued on to Abol Bridge today but we chose to call it quits
here with Giuseppe, Kestrel, and Sharpshin. Tomorrow we’ll have a short hike to
Abol Bridge and then continue to the Birches Lean-to for our last night on
trail.
7/26 Day 145 Hurd Brook Lean-to to The Birches Lean-to –
13.5 miles
It was an easy three miles to Abol Bridge where we were
re-united with Tail Lights, Ember, Long Spoon and Lazer Death Kill. We met
Lazer Death Kill’s dad who had travelled from Colorado to climb Katahdin with
him. We hung out under an awning playing euchre, eating, and watching the rain.
We had a nice lunch at The Northern Restaurant, bought our last bit of snacks
for the evening and then continued to The Birches.
The Birches is the last lean-to (shelter) on the trail for
use by thru-hikers only and requires signing in and a small fee at the Katahdin
Stream ranger station. We signed in at the ranger station and learned we were
northbound numbers 59 and 60 to reach this point. Our last night on trail was
as good as I could have imagined. We were lucky enough to spend the evening
with Kestrel, Sharpshin, and Giuseppe; three guys we had spent the majority of
our nights and days with from the White Mountains to this point as well as Long
Spoon, Lazer Death Kill, Ember and Tail Lights who we had hiked with pretty
much from Gatlinburg, TN to Harpers Ferry. I felt very fortunate to have spent
our last night with this amazing group of people but also really missed those
who we had come to know but had continued ahead of us or were trailing behind
or had left the trail for some reason.
I had been counting down the days to this point for over a
week but suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness that this would all be over
tomorrow. I was excited to go home to my family but saddened with the idea of
leaving these people who had become our family for the last 145 days. This
trail had been our life and it had been amazing. Tomorrow we will complete a
task that I have been dreaming of for years; I thought this day would never
come. Tomorrow we will climb 4200 feet to Baxter Peak, the northern terminus of
the Appalachian Trail. It will undoubtedly be a day filled with mixed emotions.
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| Thanks Lazer Death Kill! |
