I started the day bright and early at 5:00 a.m. (this is something that I'm going to have to get used to, as the "hiker midnight" is 8:00 p.m. and most rise at 5- at least during this time of year). I stuffed my belly yet again at breakfast, cleaned up, and had a very enjoyable ride to Baxter State Park with the guys. The ride took about an hour from Millinocket and was so beautiful-especially so early in the morning when everything is still waking up. It was really amazing to see Katahdin off in the distance and think "oh wow, I'm going to climb that massive mountain today". The ride alone made me fall in love with the majestic wildness of Maine. I was dropped off at the ranger's station in Baxter State Park, where I picked up my day pack, signed in as a thru-hiker, and set off into the wild unknown.
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| My first white blaze! |
The entire hike up and down the mountain (on Hunt Trail) is roughly 10 miles. The 1st mile up I was practically bounding up the mountain with excitement. The trail was perfect- not too steep and not too many roots- and I got to see so many beautiful sights in that mile alone. The 2nd mile was like climbing up huge stairs- a little more difficult. The 3rd mile involves a pretty hefty ascent and some light rock scrambling- okay, still not too bad. The 4th mile was absolutely ridiculous. I looked up and I was standing at the foot of huge boulders just stacked on one another in a very steep ascent.
Now, remember that I haven't really ever hiked before and the trails that I have been on were just beautiful, wide, relatively flat trails. I have certainly never rock climbed or done anything remotely similar! I stood there just staring at it for a few seconds, then I took a deep breath, exhaled, and started to climb while thinking "oh boy, here we go". It got rough- there were even metal bars stuck in the boulders in order to help you climb- that's how crazy this was. There was a moment when I was just scared to death and had to ask my dad to stay with me. I just kept having to take a breath and then climb. Through the clouds, I could see that I was getting close to the top of the boulders. Oh my goodness, I was so excited when I was just about to climb up over the top. When I got there I was expecting to see the sign marking the northern terminus of the trail, but nope! Haha instead I saw a family and they pointed way up to another peak and told me it was over a mile away. I wish I could've seen my face in that moment! So, I took another deep breath and headed through the last mile, the tablelands, up to the peak. Getting to the peak was unbelievably exhilarating. I actually started to chuckle a little bit while walking up to the sign.- such an amazing feeling! I hung out for a minute to get a picture with the sign, kiss the sign, and appreciate the breath-taking views. I could see for miles at every angle and it was so beautiful to just see mountains, bodies of water, and the vast amounts of flora. It was such a rewarding experience that I am honored to have had.
I'm not sure whether the hike up or down was more challenging for me. The way up was intense, but the way down was painful. My knees weren't used to such a pounding,and my arches weren't enjoying the fact that my shoes didn't have much arch support. Once I made it to the bottom I found a nice pool of freezing cold water and plunged right in. I iced my aching arches in the water for a bit and the jolt of the cold mixed with the awesomeness of the day was incredibly invigorating. The rest of the evening was filled with good company, with Justin, Will, Bill, and Biff, guitar playing, and hanging out in my lean-to by Katahdin stream. I slept so well beside the flowing water :)
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