all-in-all, it was a perfect day. as the remnants of the hurricane stopped thru-hikers for a few days summitting, a bottleneck of us decided to climb on the same day. and what a day it was. there were low lying clouds for the first couple of miles as we started a steady climb along side Katahdin stream and waterfall. but once we hit the boulders and scrambling, we broke through the cloud to see another set of broken clouds above us, with the highest mountain peaks breaking through the fog below. outstanding. once we got up to the flat heath called Table Land, the fog rolled in and out with our last couple of miles on the trail.
as we got to in sight of the sign our pace quickened to the cheers of the other hikers already up (since 5 in the morning for Borders, Gonzo, Wurm and Just Mike!) we got to the famous Katahdin sign and got our summit picture just as more hikers followed us up. we stayed up with the band of 35 or so hikers to summit for a couple of hours or so. the best part was cheering everybody else in. you can see how much it means for some people who completed the trail. some tears were shed (especially by our good buddy Blaze), but it was a celebratory and humorous occasion with beers and wine passed around as the views peaked in and out of the mist.
even though we were done, we weren't done...we still had the 5+ miles to get back down the mountain - a good day hike i guess you could say. we went back to Millinocket for a celebratory meal and drinks. and as simple as that, its over.
but stay tuned as we now have time to add a few more things to the blog, like what our plan is now(not much here yet), a day in the life of a thru-hiker and why our walk north should affect you?! check out one of our most memorable days:
we won the A.T.
...and so did mr. winky?!
and so they say - the journey is not over.....
it has just begun....
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