Kevin's AT Thru Hike

Day 162, Thursday, 8/25 – I woke up at 2:45am. There was a group of other hikers packing up nearby. They steadily got louder until they were talking at normal voices, then started crushing beer cans. I imagine they were just excited to finish their hike, but it was still pretty rude. Not everyone in the campsite wanted to wake up at 3:00am. I hiked out with Genie, Splitzy, and Birthday just before 5:00am. It was still dark, so we hiked out with headlamps on.

We started with a 10 mile hike to the base of Katahdin. The 10 mile hike was really cruisy. I was hiking with Genie when we saw a squirrel frolicking through the forest carrying giant a mushroom. It was something I’d only expect to see in an animated Disney movie. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough with the camera to get a photo.

We got to the base of the mountain, and we each got a permit from a park Ranger to summit Katahdin. I’m the 489th north bound thru hiker to summit Katahdin this year. As I was about to hike out, I ran into Polaris getting her permit.

We started the 4,000ft+ hike up to the summit of Katahdin. The first half was a relatively gradual uphill, but quickly transitioned to a rock scramble. On the scramble section, I ran into Mowgli! He just finished his hike, and was on his way down from the peak. I also saw 2×4 and Puffer on their way down from the peak. In about the same spot, I saw Apollo, Laughing Loon, Carla, Justin, and a lot of their family and friends heading up to the peak. There were a lot of congratulatory words being shared between all the hikers.

I didn’t have expectations for what the hike up Katahdin would be like, but it wasn’t the magical, joyous moment that one may have expected. I hiked up to the top with Birthday, and I felt out of place. It felt weird, so I hiked the rest of the way solo. When I got to the top, I was just staring at the reality that this was the end of the hike. Of course, it was a gorgeous hike with beautiful views, but on another level, it’s just another mountain. The key difference is that Katahdin is the last mountain.

Laughing Loon and her crew showed up to the summit, and they busted out a bunch of snacks to celebrate. They shared with everyone, then we all took a bunch of photos with the sign.

We hiked down from Katahdin, and the descent was a whole lot easier than the hike up. We got back to the road, and started our journey to Millinocket, which was the closest town. The ranger gave us directions out of the park, but I guess I didn’t fully understand the directions. There was a considerable amount of road walking that I wasn’t prepared for. We all got lucky. Blaze’s dad, who was there to pick up Blaze, gave us all a ride into town.

I hadn’t made reservations for a place to stay in town yet, so once we got dropped off, I checked out the place that Stretch was staying at. I didn’t have a good feeling about the place, and I was starving, so I decided to eat before figuring out accommodations for the night.

I went to a pizza joint with Genie, Splitzy, Birthday, Stretch, Pace, and Chompers. The pizza was good enough, but the owner was surprisingly rude. I hate to sound like I’m complaining a lot, but this wasn’t just my opinion. Genie and Splitzy also had interactions with this guy that just made us not want to be there.

I left the pizza joint, and went to the bar with Stretch, 2×4, Puffer, Birthday, Wizard, Pace, Rusty, and a few other hikers. I had a great time at the bar. I had an awesome conversation with 2×4 and Puffer, and also met Gonzo.

I was talking with Gonzo and Stretch about my plan for the night. I was planning on sleeping outside by the Post Office because they had a spot hidden by bushes where I didn’t think I’d get caught. But I checked the forecast and it looked like it was going to rain at some point in the morning. When Gonzo heard this, she offered me floor space at her room in the Pamola Motor Lodge that she was sharing with Cardi (who I had also never met before). I graciously accepted the offer. It was getting late, and I started to crash, when Gonzo said I could go to the motel early if I wanted to. She gave me the key, which was wildly trusting. The motel was 1.5 miles away, so I decided to run there. I got to their motel, took a shower, then fell asleep on the floor. I left the door ajar so they could come in when they got there.

Well that’s it folks. That’s the end of my Appalachian Trail journey. What a wild adventure. Thank you all for following along, and for all the support. I’m not home yet, so maybe I’ll keep the blog going until I’m back in my bed in St. Louis.