Hiking the Good Hike

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.