katahdin at last!

(i know, i know, this has taken me a while — but with limited internet access and difficulty looking at a computer screen for an extended amount of time, it’s the best i can do. thanks for your patience!)

so, moving along….the big day finally arrived!!! we woke up around 4AM, stuffed some food in our mouths and chugged some cokes as we all piled into sailboat’s sister’s car. since we were outside of the park, we had to wait until the gates opened for the day, around 5AM, then wait in line to get through the gate and drive up to katahdin stream campground before we were really on our way. after quickly checking in at the ranger station, we were headed up the mountain by 6:20. already we could tell it was going to be a beautiful day and we were all happy we’d waited to summit when we originally planned. since it was a monday, we didn’t have to deal with the weekend crowds, but most importantly, the weather was perfect as the sun began to rise on a flawless blue sky. the burglar and i just flew over the first part of the climb — our emotions and energy were running high! the climb started out pretty easy, but we soon found ourselves climbing and crawling up and over boulders. one of my favorite parts was definitely the boulder field of the hunt spur. we were leaving tree line and every time we looked behind us, we were rewarded with a stunning view in the early morning sun. 

on the way up

it was definitely the most fun i’ve had on a climb. the boulders were tricky enough to provide a challenge, but having such wonderful conditions really allowed us to enjoy it. we hopped along the rocks with sailboat, finally catching a glimpse of sage behind us as he started out across the spur. we soon crested the tablelands, a flatter section from where we could see our goal — baxter peak.

boulder hopping fun

 

hammy on the tablelands

some clouds were starting to roll in and since the weather was calling for rain later in the day, we thought this was the beginning. so we hurried on up, wanting to snag some views from the summit before we were in the clouds. it was blowing like crazy when we got to the top and as soon as we took our summit photo, i quickly got into some warmer clothes and we found some rocks to shelter behind so we could be out of the wind as we waited for sage and sailboat. it seemed unreal that we really were at the top — this moment we’d been anticipating for months and months was finally here. but i don’t think it fully hit me until we got down to the bottom that we were really done. i think this had largely to do with our intended route down. most hikers take the AT back down the way they came up. however, on mouth’s recommendation, we’d decided to take the knife’s edge trail. though when we first saw it, both hammy and i were thinking “uh uh, no way!” perhaps you can see why:

the knife's edge

yes, that narrow, sharp ridge is actually a trail. and after our brief moment of hesitation, and some encouragement from sailboat, we decided to go for it. who knew if we’d ever get this chance again? it was definitely tough going and the burglar and i had very different experiences. perhaps he’ll log on and give his version, but for me, i was thrilled and absolutely awed by this climb. and yes, it really was a climb. our upper bodies finally got a work out from lifting and lowering ourselves on the rocks. the wind was incredible, but luckily the clouds that had looked so impressive from baxter peak had continued to blow right on past and we had beautiful sunshine the rest of the hike. and though it was slow going, we steadily made progress across the ridge. the views were some of the best of the whole trail. i won’t put all the pics up here, but i think the burglar has posted more on the flicker site so definitely check them out to get a better feel for the craziness of this trail. at times the wind was blowing so hard that it literally pushed me against the rocks i was climbing along! but since i could see the weather was fine, i knew we were in no real danger and we could just take our time and enjoy ourselves. or in hammy’s case, just take his time. the heights and the steep drop-offs on either side were not his friend, but he did wonderfully and was very relieved to get to the end of the ridge…

burglar just wants to sit!

so there you go, that’s it. well, at least my version of things. it’s now several weeks since we summited and i’m still amazed i’ve been out of the woods that long. i miss it terribly, but it has been wonderful to see family and friends again, and to let my aching body rest! it hits me more and more every day, how much we experienced out there and what we’ve accomplished. my mind is still reeling. it’s very strange being back in the hustle and bustle of the ‘real world’ and i long for the simplicity of the trail. i just hope that when things get a bit hectic, i can close my eyes and travel back to this incredible journey. i couldn’t have asked for a better hiking companion — pippi and the burg made a pretty good team out there! and i don’t know how we could ever thank everyone enough for all the support and encouragement along the way. it meant the world to us knowing there were so many people pulling for us and willing to help. thank you!!  and thanks also to everyone who followed us along on the blog, (even when weeks would go by without posting….sorry!!) – it was wonderful to be able to share our adventures with you.

and now, once more, just for good measure….

weeeeeeeee!!!!!!!