Post summit

10/9/15 - Millinocket, ME
I ate breakfast at the local diner this morning with Buckles, Luigi and Kyley.   Pace came in late and said he'd heard from the Baxter SP ranger that starting tomorrow, they will be actively discouraging hikers from attempting to summit Katahdin.  So essentially we just made it.

We'll drive over to Monson later today, then tomorrow we'll hike the fifteen miles of trail in the 100 Mile Wilderness that we skipped last week due to the heavy rain.




10/10/15 - Monson, ME
Once again I had trouble sleeping last night.  I finally gave up around five this morning and started getting ready to hike.  At six, I headed next door to Pete's for breakfast and also ordered a to-go BLT sandwich for lunch.

Rebekah's husband Charlie dropped us off at Otter Pond road about eight.  The bog at the trailhead had dried a very small amount, so we still had to carefully pick our way through.  When we hit the AT, we turned south and started the final stretch of trail.

We had three creek fords within the first two miles. The water had dropped from last week, and reached only to our thighs, but it was very cold.  By the time we could cross a ten yard wide creek, our feet were completely numb.  No fun!

We met about fifteen NOBOs today, all entering the 100 Mile Wilderness.  It will take them nearly a week to get through, so it's iffy if they can summit at the end.  Good Luck gang!

The trail was pretty bad today.  Lots of roots and mud, and the elevation was a constant roller coaster.  The track wandered as if the planners had been chasing a drunk moose through the woods.  I was glad I was slack packing, it would be a very tough stretch with a fully loaded pack. It took me until five to finish, a distance which normally I'd have done by three or four. But it was the final section of trail, so I gritted my teeth, resolved to trash my shoes in town, and powered my way to the trailhead.

Tomorrow we leave the Trail for civilization.  Mac's mom will drive us to Portland and the airport.  We will stop at the LL Bean store in Freeport, then catch an afternoon showing of A Walk in the Woods, then go our separate ways.  It's been fun, but I'm ready to start for home.