9/11/01
Only 7.6 miles were left to hike to Katahdin's mighty summit this morning as we awoke early to begin the 4,200' climb. I was an emotional wreck as I packed my wet tent into my otherwise dry pack, then joined the other members of the Fab 5 and our special buddy, Greenlight, at the picnic table for breakfast. After breakfast, just minutes apart, we all began the 2.3 mile hike to the Katahdin Stream campground where we would empty our packs of everything but essentials for the climb to the summit. A roller coaster of emotions ran through my mind as Priceless and I covered the beautiful 2.3 mile stretch past ponds with beaver dams and short stretches through the northern Maine forest. At the Katahdin Stream campground we left our gear behind and waited until all six of us were ready to hike together. At 8:45 a.m. we began the climb. I was filled with a profound sense of joy, satisfaction, and sorrow as we climbed to the Katahdin Stream Falls where we stopped to filter water one last time. Then the climb became progressively more difficult as we hiked north. Soon my poles became useless as we worked our way over boulders and rocks that were nearly vertical in places. The hand and foot rock scramble continued above tree line for hundreds of feet. All morning the summit of Katahdin was enshrouded in clouds leftover from last night's frontal passage. As we climbed higher we were buffeted by strong winds which became colder as our elevation gained. Finally we reached the Gateway at 4,500' where the angle of the climb became more gentle for the next mile. The clouds were whistling by and there were occasional brief glimpses of the summit as we continued north.
We all reached Thoreau Spring, only a mile from the now visible Baxter Peak, when we met Grasshopper, who was quickly hiking toward us. Our joy and anticipation of this great day were immediately shattered as the visibly shaken fellow thru-hiker shared with us the incredulous news of the World Trade Center attacks while we stared at each other in disbelief. Grasshopper lives in Greenwich Village in NYC and he was fearful that his family might be injured or killed. What an unforgettable moment was etched in time forever in my mind. I tried to refocus on the end of the journey and the stunningly beautiful mountain, yet the next and final mile seemed to go on forever as my mind vacillated between horrific and confusing news to the joy and sense of accomplishment as I reached the summit with cherished friends. Greenlight, Phantom, Finn and Redneck all reached the sign at the top before Priceless and me. We both stopped and used our cell phones to call home so that Paula and Priceless's family could participate in our final steps. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you view the day, Paula wasn't at her desk, so I continued on to the summit while Priceless talked with his family. Creeper waited for us at the top. Once there, we somehow all managed to celebrate the successful end of the journey, though the celebration was certainly dampened. We shared Cuban cigars together, thanks to Priceless. Priceless waved his Cuban and American flags in the sunshine as the clouds around us lifted and we were able to see thousands of feet down to the wilderness valley below. Finn erected a huge Finland flag and displayed it proudly in the strong cold wind that was incessant and relentless. We took turns snapping photos of each other by the Katahdin summit sign. Then I took the little white piece of quartz that had traveled with me from Georgia and laid it on the rock pile at the peak. I spontaneously made the decision to give the rock to Creeper so that it can make the journey again in 2005 from Georgia to Maine.
After an hour and a half at the top of Baxter Peak on Mt. Katahdin, it was time to escape the cold winds and begin the difficult descent back to Katahdin Stream campground at the base of the mountain. The day was now filled with bright afternoon sunshine, and the mountain stood in brilliant beauty. What a contrast to the horror of the day! As we descended I thought of a country changed forever by the events of the day. As much as I wanted to go home, I would have rather walked in the woods back to Georgia than to see and hear the news on television that I inevitably had to face. We were all anxious to get down to retrieve our gear and read the final trail register. Creeper took his time getting down while we celebrated in the parking lot with Greenlight's parents and Cy's parents. Both families had brought plenty of food and libations for us to enjoy, and the entire crew (Leslie, Bad moon, Smitty, Cy, Long Shanks, Blur, Smile and Fiddlehead) arrived in the parking lot to share our time of joy. We partied until late afternoon and I was thankful to have so many close friends around to comfort and alleviate the shock as we learned more about the terrorist attacks in Washington and PA as well as NYC. Finally the Fab 5 and Greenlight piled into Creeper and Greenlight's parents' vehicles and drove the hour long ride to Millinocket, ME for the night. The rest of the evening was subdued, with dinner in a local diner, accompanied by television reports showing time and again the unthinkable acts of evil against innocent Americans and others from around the world. There was no late night celebration as we returned to our rooms at the Appalachian Lodge for the night. Today's stats: low 57, high 70. Cloudy to bright sunshine. Today's mileage: 7.6; final AT mileage: 2,168.1.
I will be writing some closing thoughts and comments about this journey of a lifetime in an upcoming journal entry.
