Today is the day. I was up with the crack of dawn, anticipating the day. I went to the Privy early and on the way back, I checked on the Squatter Juice. As I came around the back corner of his shelter, I yelled, “Squatter it’s time to get up!” He jumped out of his skin, dang you scared me! Yeah, that’s what you get for waking me up with your thunderous voice over the past week. We laughed and I went back to my Lean-2. That’ll be the last time I’ll be waking up with Juice and Wedding Walker.

We all had daypacks ready for our summit today. The boys borrowed theirs from the Ranger Station. Blue and I are old hats when it comes to slackpacking and we have our own small version of packs. We had coffee and some as version of breakfast, then headed to Blue. Now that she’s a City Girl, as she calls herself, she likes to sleep in the confines of her SUV. The Ford Edge has been reconfigured into her home on wheels. I can’t believe how quickly she resorted back to life off the trail. Poor thing, never had a chance!

Blue had fruit to share with all us Hiker Trash but we had a breakfast of Beef Sticks, Macaroons, Peaches, Oatmeal with Carnation Instant Breakfast, and were quite content. Plus we need to be light on our feet. There are many thousands of feet to climb. We headed to the trailhead and began our days assault on the mountain.

The summit of Baxter Peak on Katahdin is the highest point in Maine, and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The views are without a doubt the finest in the state, if it’s not covered in thick cloud cover. Hopefully the clouds will lift by the time we reach the summit.

The first mile or so was nice with slight elevation, and followed the Katahdin Stream. We saw many of our thru-hiking friends and lots of dayhikers. The weather guessers said it would be cloudy with no rain, so it brought more people out than usual.

By the second mile, we were climbing. We passed the Katahdin Stream Waterfall and we’re back on boulders and roots. The best part was there was no mud. Oh how I was thanking the Lord for drying out the trail. As we reached the first view point, we were above tree line. Reach The Hunt Trail, from this point on to the top of The Gateway, the trail climbs steeply on an exposed ridge that can be very akin to technical climbing at times. This is when it gets fun and a bit more involved than hiking.

We had a break in the clouds for a moment and had great views of the the Brothers Range, The Owl, and the Northern Maine Woods. The clouds had completely cover Katahdin but I was holding out hope that it would break up as we climbed.

The technical part of this trail was indeed, what everyone spoke of. There were huge boulders to climb, crazy exposures that I could not think about and a full-body workout once again. The difference today was that everything I had done on previous days, prepared me for this ascent. It was difficult and I was huffing and puffing, but I felt at ease. It’s funny when I write this because I’m surprisingly shocked that I can say this. Me, of little climbing ability, did a Class 2-3 climb without ropes or pitons, and actually did a-okay. It was a slow approach as there were a few others ahead. After 2-1/2 hours, we reached the top of the most difficult part of the climb at The Gateway. At this point, the trail transitions from the incredibly steep, nearly technical climbing of The Hunt Spur to a flatter, rocky walk on the Tablelands.

On a clear day, you can see for miles in all directions. Unfortunately, the clouds never lifted and we had no view except for the ground underfoot. Seems like every time Blue and I get to the highest peaks, Clingsman Dome, Mt. Washington and now Mt. Katahdin, it is raining or foggy. We had a little of both. It was more like a heavy mist, but poor Norman was soaked down to his fur covered inners. I finally had to stow him inside my pack so he could warmup for the photo-op.

Juice was ahead and waiting for us at the Summit. As we were closing in, Nails was coming down. It was such a great reunion and I finally felt the gravity of what we accomplished. Hugs, high fives and many tears flowed as we made our way closer. The final climb were granite steps and some rocks with Alpine Flora and Fauna. It truly is a spectacular place and revered by the Penobscot Native Americans of this area. Mount Katahdin is the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Maine at 5,269 feet (1,606 m). Named Katahdin, which means “Great or Greatest Mountain.”

As we arrived, Juice was nowhere to be found. Wedding Walker called him and due to the limited visibility, it was hard to make anyone out. We walked closer to the wooden sign, and Juice stood up. He had sheltered behind some huge boulders. It was wet, foggy and misty. Mr. Blue was also waiting for his companion Pokemom. We all walked to the sign together and took our pictures quickly. Then gathered behind the big boulder to eat.

I turned on my phone and to my surprise, I had one bar of service. I called my hubby George and after several tries, was able to celebrate with him. I don’t think George would’ve liked this hike. The weather was difficult, we were all wet and cold, and Juice’s fingers were literally blue. After a short while, we packed up and headed down Abol Trail.

Abol Trail is a Blue Blaze, much steeper with rock slabs and a bit shorter than the 5.2 miles up the Hunt Trail. It started out well but within a few steps, it was a butt slide for a couple of miles. The slabs were damp, but what really made it slick was the peat gravel that adhered to our shoes and provided little traction. For two hours, we slid on our butts, lowered ourselves down with our arms and shoulders, and went ever so slowly not to twist or break anything.

Wedding Walker glasses kept foggy up so I took the lead, hunting for Blue Blazes. This, if you dare call it a trail, was poorly marked. What I did find was a gal who was hiding behind a rock, waiting for her family to catch up. She could barely walk because she had terrible leg cramps.

Since I have been on the Appalachian Trail, I have been using this supplement called Sport Legs. It is the most effective aide I have found that helps my legs from fatiguing and shortens the length of recovery. I gave her a handful along with some salt tablets. Wait for 5-10 minutes, and you’ll be golden. We continued on and saw this sign “Stay on Trail.” I about choked! What trail? It was a series of boulders, slabs of granite with an occasional Blue Blaze. This is NOT a trail.

Finally after nearly shredding my skirt from butt sliding, we made it to a proper version of trail. There were switchbacks and some resemblance of dirt. Wedding Walker and I hiked down towards the parking lot. His wife Beth and College Roommate planned me meet us at the trailhead. I asked Wedding Walker if Beth would hike up the trail to meet us? He didn’t think so because he hadn’t asked her to. As I was ahead, I saw two ladies sitting on a rock and thought, hmmm that looks like Beth, the wife in his pictures. I called out her name and told her Wedding Walker was right behind me, then stepped off the trail so she could videotape his arrival. They haven’t seen each other for a month. What a beautiful reunion they had. He wanted to run to her but his legs were spent from climbing up 4400’ and coming down much the same.

Me and Beth’s friend, can’t remember her name, walked together talking about many different things, while Beth and Wedding Walker got reacquainted. We still had about a mile to get to the car, and then find the car in the overcrowded parking area. Beth had written an inscription on the back of the car window, “Neither rain, nor mud, nor pestilence will keep them from climbing Katahdin or finishing the AT. Congratulations Wedding Walker and Juice”.

Then the party began. Beth made a feast for us. Fresh turkey sandwiches with avocado and tomatoes, three kinds of chips, strawberries and raspberries, homemade cream cheese brownies, and a wide assortment of beer. There was plenty to go around as a few more hikers showed up. What a celebration and feast we had!

Once we sat, drank and ate, there was nothing but miles of smiles. It’s funny how soon you forget of the hardwork and crazy weather we endured for hours. I guess it’s part of our selective memory. You remember the good parts, the joyful times, the friends and family you met along the way. Wedding Walker and I shared about all the aspects of the trail. He had been on trail for one month to the day, and I had been on the trail for three months to the day. There were so many emotions that we both shared, yet it always comes back to the people you meet along the way. Yes, the environment is lovely, the mountains are majestic, the animals, well elusive, but the Trail Angels, the Hostel Owners and Shuttle Drivers, and the Hikers we met on this journey, are truly what is etched in our minds. Wedding Walker and Juice were my family at the end. We shared laughter and sometimes pain, we shared shelters and small tent sites, but most of all, we shared the common goal to stay true to what we came to do. I admire that because in the back of my mind, I know justhow hard it really can be.

There was an article in “The Trek” about the success of thru-hikers. It stated that 1 out of 4 maybe 5 , will actually finish their hike. The odds are fairly low. So what makes you successful? Support. Having family or Tramily as they call it on the trail. Trail-Family. When things get rough and you don’t feel like continuing, know that someone else will fill in the gaps. I’ve had several people on the trail that helped me along the way. From the beginning when my knee smacked the rock, Triple Crown JZ was there to the rescue. He took me to Urgent Care, brought me to his home, and helped me back to the trail. Couch and Braveheart were my first Tramily. We spent a couple of weeks together, working out rock problems and weather issues. We bonded quickly and made plans to finish the trail together. Then came Blue. It wouldn’t had been the Platinum Version of Trail Life without her. When it was raining for days on end, she would be finding backroads, hostels and hotels that we could find refuge in. I She was a lifeline, my laughter and joy when things went south. And when she left the trail, Wedding Walker and Juice took me under their wing. I’ve had so many people who helped me proceed north. And I can’t forget my most trusted and loyal companion Norman. Some may think he’s just a monkey on my back. But he was the one and only that stayed with me through thick and thin. He consoled me when I was ready to throw in the towel, when I wasn’t sure how much more I could handle, yet with his sheepish grin, I knew I could go on for just one more day. To all my friends and family back home that cheer me on, who follow this blog of my tales from the trail, thank you. Much of my reason to be out here is to share Gods love on the trail and with you.

I am not quite finished yet. On August 22nd, I’ll be back at it, heading south from Harper’s Ferry. I have roughly 300 more miles to go and plan to culminate this adventure at McAfee Knob. That’ll finish my journey and complete my stint on this ribbon of dirt, rock, mud and muck. For the next few days, I will be relaxing in Portland, Maine with Blue, doing not much of anything. I’m planning to take a page out of Blue’s Playbook. Relax, eat fine food, drink lots of beer and celebrate my birthday. Sounds like a perfect way to transition from north to south.