I don't think it has still fully sunk in that our journey is over. We are both planning on adding a post about our overall impression/thoughts on our hike (although based on our blogging rate you can expect that post sometime in 2015:)).
Here is a recap of our last 12 days on the trail:
Day 150 (9/3)
Starting: Stratton, ME 1997.1
Ending: Flagstaff Rd 2013.8
Total: 16.7
We spent last night in an amazing B&B in Kingfield Maine. Kingfield is technically not a designated trail town off the AT but the owner and caretaker from the B&B will pick you up from the trail head and drive you back to the farm for no additional charge. Also, compared to most of the trail towns we have been visiting in Maine Kingfield looks like it has more than 50 people living in the town. They had a laundry mat, a decent size grocery store, and multiple restaurants to choose from. One of the biggest surprises I have had while traveling through Maine is how sparsely populated this part of the state is. Most of the cities have had one "grocery" store and maybe one restaurant. It makes resupplying pretty difficult.
We made reservations to stay two nights in the B&B and slack pack over the Bigelow mountain range. This is the last mountain range over 4,000 feet until Katahdin. We have heard that the climbing can be difficult so we were excited to do it without the full weight of our packs. After an amazing breakfast we got dropped off back at the trail head around 8am. As soon as we got back on the trail we saw a sign advertising trail magic about 17 miles ahead. The trail magic was set up in the same parking lot we were planning on getting picked up from to go back to the B&B. We were really excited to be ending our day with trail magic and then going back to sleep in a real bed. It definitely made us excited about our day ahead.
About 3 miles into our hike we hit the 2000 mile mark. It was definitely a different feeling from hitting other huge milestones. I remember feeling so excited and having a huge sense of accomplishment hitting the 100, 500, and 1000 mile marks. Since we are now only concentrating on the end it was kinda like "oh there's the 2000 mile mark, thats nice." Needless to say, we still stopped for a picture at the official plaque.
We spent the rest of the morning climbing the 3 peaks that make up the Bigelow mountain range. We were in the clouds when we hit the first summit and didnt have any visibility. Thankfully, the clouds cleared for the second and third summit. The views were really beautiful and we decided to have lunch at the top of Avery Peak (the third summit).
After lunch we were focused on getting to the trail magic with plenty of time to spare before we were getting picked up. Luckily, we made it to the road about 45 minutes early. The trail magic was run by a group of former thru hikers from Maine. They have been doing trail magic on the Wed-Sun after labor day for the last 14 years. They had the most elaborate set up we have seen yet. We were also excited to see some familiar faces who were hanging out at the trail magic as well.
Day 151 (9/4)
Starting: Flagstaff Rd 2013.8
Ending: Pierce Pond Lean-to 2030.1
Total: 16.3
After spending another great night at the B&B we got dropped off back at the trail head around 7:30. Luckily we made it just in time to catch a second breakfast from the trail magic. We kept hearing from other hikers about how flat and easy the next section of the trail was going to be. Because of that, we decided to hang around the trail magic for a few hours and didn't end up getting on the trail until around 10am.
We ended up hiking the rest of the day in a huge group of other hikers who left the trail magic around the same time we did. During our first rest stop of the day we found more trail magic at the lean-to! There were two rubbermaid containers filled with baked goods from a family that lived close to the trail. They actually brought the food over by canoe since the lean-to was close to a pond.
We ended the day at another lean-to that was very close to a pond and went for a swim that evening.The weather was perfect and the water felt amazing at the end of the day. Mike didn't feel like getting all the way in the water and decided to just soak his feet at the shore. That night while we were getting ready for bed, Mike found two leeches on his feet! He is definitely a tick and now a leech magnet.
Day 152 (9/5)
Starting: Pierce Pond Lean-to 2030.1
Ending: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to 2052.9
Total: 22.8
Today was a very long day. We decided to push some extra miles to make our hike into Monson shorter. We heard it was supposed to storm the next day so we wanted to get in our extra miles while we still had good weather.
Three miles from the Pierce Pond shelter was the Kennebec river. This is the only water crossing on the AT where the official route is a canoe. Most other water crossings in Maine you either have to ford or rock hop. The Kennebec river is too wide and deep to try to ford (although some people do since there is a "ferry schedule" and if you don't make it you could be stuck waiting on the river bank for a while). We knew there was going to be a big crowd waiting for the canoe so we decided to get up extra early to make it to the bank with plenty of time (during this time of year the canoe runs from 9-11am and 2-4pm). When we got to the bank we were surprised to find there were already 5 people ahead of us. We had about 1 hour to wait before the canoe got there and by the time it was 9am there were around 20 people waiting to cross!
The rest of the day was pretty good. We had relatively easy hiking and good terrain (for Maine standards that is). We got to our intended shelter around 5 and decided to push 4 more miles to make our hike into Monson the next day only 18 miles. The last four miles were over Moxie Bald mountain. Thankfully the mountain was pretty easy and we made it to the lean to just before 7pm. We found a really pretty campsite right by Bald Mountain pond and had dinner by the amazing views. We were exhausted by the end of the day but really excited to be getting into Monson the next day!
Day 153 (9/6)
Starting: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to 2052.9
Ending: Monson, ME 2070.8
Total: 17.9
We were pretty happy to wake up to a dry tent since we had expected it to start raining during the night. We decided to get an early start and try to get to town before the rain started. The profile on the map had basically a straight line into Monson. We were excited to not have any hills to climb but also knew that could also mean lots of rocks and roots. Unfortunately, thats exactly what the terrain was. Most of the day was pretty slow going because we were either climbing over roots, rock hopping, or steering clear of huge mud puddles. In my experience, Maine by far has the most rugged terrain of all the AT. I even commented to Mike the other day when looking at old pictures "remember when we thought this was bad terrain"
With about 3 miles left to go to get into town it started pouring rain. We picked up the pace but were definitely soaking wet by the time we made it to the trail head. We got picked up by the hostel where we were staying around 3pm. There was a hiker feed scheduled for that night at a nearby school. After taking a shower and changing into dry clothes we walked over to the hiker feed. We were surprised to see so many familiar faces at the feed. We saw some people that we thought were days ahead of us on the trail. Apparently, the promise of free food can make people stick around for a few extra days. Everyone started talking about their summit plans, it seems like we are going to have a pretty good group of people to summit with on the 14th!
Day 154 (9/7)
Zero in Monson
We spent most of the day doing our usual hiker chores while in town. We went to a few different places to resupply for our next stretch on the trail. Once we leave Monson we will enter the 100 mile wilderness. Its a stretch where the trail crosses no main roads and is pretty remote in comparison. The local hostels in Monson offer a food cache service for a fee ranging from $25-$100. They will give you a 10 gallon bucket to fill with food and they will either place it in a predetermined location on the trail or hand deliver the food to you. We decided to try to push it and make it through the 100 mile wilderness in 5 days (most people plan for 6) and pack all our food and not use the cache system.
We also had dinner that night with Cowboy and Trippy who got into town earlier that day. They are planning on summitting on the 15th so we most likely wont see them again during the trip. It was great to see them again and catch up.
Day 155 (9/8)
Starting: Monson, ME 2070.8
Ending: Long Pond Stream Lean-to 2085.9
Total: 14.9
We got dropped off back at the trail head around 9 and were excited to start the 100 mile wilderness. Our packs were definitely heavier than we were used to but the trail was pretty flat today. We had a few deep fords to cross today, including one that came up over my knees! We also crossed the 2085.3 mark meaning we have less than 100 miles to Katahdin!!
We are certainly not carrying the recommended 10 days worth of food!
River fording
Day 156 (9/9)
Starting: Long Pond Stream Lean-to 2085.9
Ending: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to 2106.9
Total: 20.8
The trail consisted of a lot of ups and downs. We didn't climb anything over 2500 ft but it seemed like we were either climbing or descending all day. Right before we entered a boggy area of the trail we ran into two SOBO hikers. They told us to be on the lookout for the pitcher plant because this was the only area on the trail where they grew. The pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant that catches its prey by filling with liquid and trapping them inside. Once we got to the bog we saw pitcher plants everywhere. I was glad she gave us a heads up because I probably wouldn't have noticed them at all.
We also went through a pretty long stretch without water. This was the first time since PA that we have had any issues with water. The shelter where we were planning on lunch had an "unreliable" water source but we figured since it had rained a few days ago we wouldn't have any issues. We were wrong. The spring was pretty dried up and muddy. We had to conserve our remaining water for another 5 miles. Luckily, it was a cool day and we didn't get too thirsty.
We had to ford another river about 5 miles before we got to the shelter for the night. Once we got to the river we met a woman named Ruth who was doing trail magic. She had coolers full of soda, chips, pretzels, and other treats. She was out there specifically waiting for two other hikers, a married couple named Aquaman and Tricks. We had been flip flopping with them for the past two days and knew they were close behind. Aquaman and Tricks attempted to thru hike in 2012 and hiked with Ruth's son during that time. She was out there planning to surprise them with trail magic since she lived in a nearby town. Ruth also hiked the trail herself a few years earlier. She was extremely nice to talk to and we were thankful for the unexpected treat in the middle of the 100 mile wilderness!
Day 157 (9/10)
Starting: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to 2106.9
Ending: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to 2125.6
Total: 18.9
We had our last big climb before Katahdin today. We got an early start on the trail because we knew we had big mileage planned. We started climbing almost immediately. We had four peaks to do within the first 7 miles of the day. The last peak, White Cap Mountain, promised our first view of Katahdin. The climbing was actually pretty nice. The weather was cool and the ups and downs were not too steep. We got to the peak of the last mountain around 11 and saw our first views of Katahdin. It was amazing and overwhelming. She was definitely a lot bigger than I was picturing in my head.
Thats one big lady!
The last 60 miles of the 100 mile wilderness are supposed to be a lot easier than the rest of Maine. Coming down from White Cap marked the beginning of the "easy" stretch of the trail. I think I was a little disappointed because I was picturing a flat crushed stoned trail that I could enjoy all the way to the base of Katahdin. While the trail wasn't that, there were some places that could be viewed as easier in comparison. We were able to make pretty good time the rest of the day and got to camp by 5:30 and in bed by 7!
Day 158 (9/11)
Starting: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to 2125.6
Ending: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to 2147.1
Total: 21.5
We left camp early today and were pleased to find the terrain was considerably easier. We made great time and did our first 8 miles in under 3 hours. We haven't gone this fast since PA! We also got trail magic from Hydro, another thru hiker, at JoMary road. JoMary road is the spot where many hikers plan their food cache. It turns out, he had too much food so we were able to get some granola, and peanut butter crackers. We were very thankful since we were running a little low on snacks.
A few miles before we reached our shelter for the night we got more trail magic. We passed a two guys who were car camping by a pond. They were out for a few days fishing and had tons of extra food. One of the guys was a former thru hiker and brought out extra food for the specific purpose of feeding thru hikers. He gave us baked goods that his wife had made and gave us a dinner of homemade bread, spaghetti noodles, sauce, and pepperonis. I was glad we only had 2 miles to go before camp because the food was heavy! We made the spaghetti as soon as we got into camp and quickly decided it was the best meal we have had on the trail by far.
The shelter was packed with section hikers so we had to go a little up the trail to find a spot to camp. We also ran into a few other thru hikers who we knew were planning on summiting on the 14th as well. We were all talking about how crazy it was that we only had 3 more nights until we summit. It is definitely starting to feel real!!
Day 159 (9/12)
Starting: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to 2147.1
Ending: Abol Bridge Campground 2169.9
Total: 22.8
Our theme of getting our of camp continued today. We would be getting out of the 100 mile wilderness at the end of the day and having dinner at the campground restaurant. We were excited to get moving!! We had relatively flat terrain and were making good time. Actually, I think this was the fastest we have hiked all trail. I think Mike was really motivated to get to the restaurant. With about 6 miles to go before we got to the campground we came across another great view of Katahdin. We decided to take a break and enjoy the view. There were a few other thru hikers taking a break there as well so we were able to get a picture with both of us in it!!
We made it out of the 100 mile wilderness shortly after and had less than 1 mile to get to the campground. When we crossed Abol bridge right before the camp we had the most amazing view of Katahdin yet! It was pretty emotional to reflect on all that we had gone through to get to this point. We sat at the bridge for a few minutes and enjoyed the amazing view.
Katahdin from Abol bridge
We had a great dinner at the camp restaurant and ate lots of junk food from the camp store. We know our days of eating anything we want are soon coming to an end so we took advantage of our opportunity!
Day 160 (9/13)
Starting: Abol Bridge Campground: 2169.9
Ending: The Birches Lean-to: 2180.1
Total: 10.2
Today we had an easy 10 miles to the base of Katahdin. We took our time getting up and getting ready as we knew we only had about 3 hours of hiking to do today. Once we packed up camp we went back to the camp store to buy food for our last two days. It was pretty crazy only buying snack foods and not having to plan a big resupply. We hung out outside of the camp store talking with the other thru hikers that were also planning on summiting on the 14th. In total, there would be over 20 people summiting on that day!
The hike from Abol bridge to the shelter was awesome! The terrain was great and the profile was mostly flat. We spent most of the time talking about some of our most memorable moments from the trail and also really enjoying the terrain.
Once we got to the campground just before the shelter we found more trail magic!! A woman whose daughter thru hiked in 2011 had a huge table full of food set up. We hung out there for a few hours enjoying the food and company of other hikers.
Tricks carried a collapsable hula hoop with her the entire trail, she was showing some of her skills!
The trail magic was set up very close to the spot where people come back from after summiting Katahdin. We ran into a few thru hikers who had just finished summiting and we were anxious to hear about their experience. Most people were still in a state of shock and had a hard time believing it was over.
After enjoying the trail magic we made our way to the ranger station to officially register for our Katahdin summit tomorrow! We were thru hikers #478 and #479 of 2014!
We got to the shelter early evening and spent the rest of the night hanging out by the fire with everyone else who was summiting tomorrow. The Birches shelter is specifically for long distance hikers. You can only stay there if you have hiked at least the 100 mile wilderness. The night we stayed there it was only filled with thru hikers. It was nice to be surrounded with people who have had the same experience and share the same excitement as you do. One of the thru hikers mom's also bought pizza for everyone. Overall, it was an amazing day and I couldn't have asked for a better summit eve!
Pizza Delivery!
Hobos by a trashcan fire?? Nope just a bunch of soon to be official thru hikers!
Day 161 (9/14)
Starting: The Birches Lean-to 2180.1
Ending: Katahdin Summit 2185.3
Total 5.2
We woke up anxious to get going. The weather forecast was calling for morning showers so we were thankful that it wasnt raining and the sun was even coming out! We left camp around 8:30 and made a quick stop by the ranger station to drop of the majority of our stuff.
We ran into Aquaman, Tricks, Torta-lean-y, and just Paul right before the base of Katahdin. Ruth (the woman who did trail magic in the 100 mile wilderness) and her son were there as well. They were planning on hiking a bit of the climb with Aquaman and Tricks. She also had an extra bottle of champange that she gave to us so we could celebrate at the top! We checked in with the ranger at the base of the mountain and started our climb around 9am.
The first few miles were pretty easy climbing. There were a lot of day hikers out as well and we kept getting bunched up with them. Once we left the tree line it was a totally different story. Visibility dropped to about 20 feet and the wind was gusting well over 50 mph!
Climbing to the top
We actually saw a lot of day hikers turn around at this point. A few even warned Tricks that she should turn around as it was "pretty windy" up there. Once you get through tree line there is about a mile worth of rock scrambling before reaching the tableland. The climbing was much more difficult than I anticipated.
Torta-lean-y reaching the tableland
I think a lot of that had to do with the cold windy weather. The last 2 miles to the summit are relatively flat. We still didnt have great visibility so it was hard to judge the distance. It wasnt until we were about 10 yards away from the summit that we could actually see the sign and other people celebrating at the top. We were both immediately overcome with emotions and were hugging and crying. We reached the top and started celebrating with the other hikers who were already up there. Also, the sun came out and we had an amazing view of the cloud cover below us. Here are a few of our favorite shots from the summit:
We did it!!!!
So happy!
Had to throw up the "L"
View from the top
Some of the amazing people we summited with!
It was extremely cold at the top so we didn't spend as much time as I would have liked. After taking pictures and hanging out for a bit we decided to make our way down. It was extremely slow going and I spent most of the time going down on my butt. I didn't to risk an injury after we had finished. We got to the bottom around 12 and were both pretty stunned that it was over.
We got a ride into a nearby trail town from Ruth. We went to the AT cafe in town and hung out there for a bit. We got to talk to a lot of other hikers that had finished recently. We also got to sign a ceiling tile since we were officially AT Thru Hikers!!
She dropped us off at our hotel and we both collapsed into bed. I think we had been running on adrenaline for the past 12 hours and we were finally realizing how exhausted we were.
We planned on spending a few days in Bar Harbor on the coast of Maine before catching our plane back to Louisville on the 17th. Here are a few pictures from our time on the coast:
Bar Harbor
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our journey. We couldn't have finished without the support of our family and friends. We will be updating the blog in a few days with our final thoughts/reflections. We hope you enjoyed following along!
Happy Trails,
Gia & Z
Congratulations #478 and #479! I can't wait to hear all about it in person!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed meeting you guys, and thanks for helping with the mosquito massacre in Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
Fitty Shrimp