Day 192
Start: Abol Pines
End: The Birches
Miles Hiked: 9.7
Miles on AT: 2192.1
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My day started before sunrise. I had a mission to complete: be at the Birches sign up kiosk before 7 am so that I could secure one of the 12 camp spots. Based on how many people I had seen on trail the past few days, I didn’t think I had too much competition, but I still wanted to get there before 7 am just in case.
Unicorn and I got up and ready around the same time and walked to the kiosk together. Watchman had left last night, but said he was going to be back in the morning so that we could have one last hearty breakfast. He wasn’t at his usual spot yet, so we would have to swing by after signing up for our campsite. At the kiosk, we weren’t the first people to arrive. There were two couples already there, including Mud, who I hadn’t seen since NH. Her husband came along with her for the last stretch, so they were going to summit together.
Today’s sky was full of heavy clouds. Sustained rain and strong winds were in the forecast, and that’s pretty much what we got when the clock struck 7 am. With all of us hikers huddled under a tarp strung across the kiosk, Ranger Donald Duck gave us a briefing on weather conditions, what to expect at the Birches, and instructions on how to get registered for our Katahdin summit.
The energy among us was contagious. Everyone was antsy and eager to make this final push. We didn’t know what to expect or whether the weather would cooperate with us tomorrow (because today didn’t look too good), but we were all determined to make it to the top.
Once we had signed up for our spots (I was #5!), Unicorn and I made our way back in the rain to get our breakfast from the Watchman. One thing about me is that I absolutely hate getting wet in the rain. I especially hate being wet and cold. So, I wasn’t too happy about having to walk back to the Watchman and eat a rain-soaked breakfast sandwich while standing outside getting even more soaked. But, at the same time, I had to be grateful for the meal.
Once I finished my sandwich, I said goodbye to Unicorn, who was still working on his thick block of ham and cheese, gave Ranger Don a high-five as I passed the kiosk, and started off for the Birches. As soon as I started hiking, the rain trickled to a halt, raising my spirits immensely. The trail to the Birches and Katahdin Stream Campground was nice and flat. There was one trick water crossing that I had to spend a few minutes figuring out. After trying 3 different routes, I finally just had to go for it and get my feet wet. After that, it was smooth sailing all the way to the campground.
But, as I got closer, the wind picked up and the temperature fell. Trees swayed dangerously and broken limbs littered the trail. I even saw one limb fall about 20 feet in front of me. With how fierce the winds were down here, I couldn’t imagine what they would be like on Katahdin. Just as I was coming to the campground, I passed a SOBOer who, as usual, asked if I was thru-hiking and planning to summit. Uh, yeah!
“Well, the weather looks pretty bad today. I think they had to close the mountain. You might not be able to make it up there because they could keep it closed.”
Internally, I rolled my eyes, but out loud I said, “Well, the forecast for tomorrow looks good and that’s my day to summit.” With that, I said goodbye and kept hiking.
Even on my second to last day on trail I had someone telling me I wouldn’t make it. I had to laugh at the irony. No matter how close you are to achieving your goal, there are always naysayers about. A large part of me was so annoyed. I had to deal with so many negative voices on the trail and I was absolutely sick of it. People’s need to give their unsolicited opinions on my plans and abilities remained a source of frustration, but I knew what I was capable of and what I would achieve. Another part of me understood that people were projecting their own fears and apprehensions or truly didn’t see the situation as I saw it, which absolutely wasn’t their fault. Still, the annoyance strengthened my resolve to obliterate others’ expectations and live my life according to my own terms.
Once at the Katahdin Stream Ranger Station, I registered for my summit, paid my Birches fee, and got my official Katahdin hang tag. It was happening! Still, the wind continued to howl, whipping through all of my layers and chilling me to the bone. At the Birches, I quickly set up my tent and crawled in. Mud and her husband were already there, but a lot of people still hadn’t shown up.
For the next few hours, I did my best to stay warm bundled in my quilt and my tent. More people started to stream in and soon it was a party. A ranger came to congratulate us about our accomplishments so far and gave us information about what to expect on Katahdin. Apparently rime ice had already formed above treeline and the wind was going to be strong, but he was confident that we would have a great summit day. Hearing about the ice made me nervous, but I figured it couldn’t be too bad if the rangers were going to let us summit.
Wanting to keep the AT party going for the last night, I got a campfire started with the help of a borrowed lighter. Nearly everyone I had seen for the past few days was there: Mace, the Canadian hiker, Unicorn, Halfpint, Mud, and more. Unicorn gathered enough thick tree limbs and branches to keep the fire going for a few hours. Halfpint showed me a picture of someone who had summited the day before, and all I could see behind the hiker was a thick layer of clouds. Apparently, he had wanted to bail (which a lot of people did that day), but he pushed and made his way to the top. I just hoped tomorrow wasn’t that bad. We ate dinner around the fire and tried to stay warm in the wintery wind. It was a wonderful way to end the trail.
A lot of people wanted to get an early start in the morning, myself included, so we let the fire die out and doused it with water before heading to bed. Back in my tent, I tried to quell my buzzing nerves. I had no idea what to expect for tomorrow. Would it be hard? Would the wind blow me off the mountain? Would I even be able to make it to the top? Only time could tell.
And that’s day 192.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.