Katahdin Stream Campground, ME to The End of the Line: Daily miles 5.2, Total miles 2176.8
The end. I could barely sleep all night. I felt like I was 6 years old waiting for Christmas. I got out of my sleeping bag at 5:30 waking up don Juan, who wanted to sleep more. I packed up gear for the last time and together we headed up the trail. We separated quickly and walked with our own thoughts. It was hard not to reflect on the 106 days and nearly 2200 miles that created this moment. All of the effort, the sweat, the planning and the pain. The climb was amazing. If it weren’t for the excitement it would be the toughest climb of all, but I barely noticed. It was beautiful. Not like the whole trail was beautiful, but something different, better. There were many spots where it was hand over hand climbing on the rebar pounded into the rock. The long scramble up to the table lands was amazing. I rested at Thoreau Springs and my thoughts moved to Thoreau’s writings and there impact on me and this trip. But that didn’t last too long and I moved on. After another mile I heard the most triumphant scream of my life. Don Juan had finished. I knew I was close. Then it happened. I came over a rise and there, sitting amongst the rocks was the sign. The goal. I couldn’t help myself. I cried. I had put so much into and it was worth every bit of effort. I had never been prouder, happier, more alive. Don Juan had hid behind a rock pile to give me the summit alone for a few minutes. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. We congratulated each other. Stared at the sign we had both longed for for so long. We took some photos and I cracked open my Pabst Blue Ribbon to celebrate. Some tourist came and went but we reveled in that mountaintop in a way they couldn’t understand. After and an hour or so we decided we should move on. We headed down the Knife’s Edge, a razor thin ridge of boulders that leads away from the summit. It was hard going but beautiful and one of the coolest sections of trail I have ever seen. When we got to the bottom of the mountain we needed to get a ride to the park entrance where we were supposed to meet Crazy Legs. I asked the first person I saw and they agreed to give us a ride out. At the gate there was a note for us saying to meet Crazy Legs in town so they agreed to take us further. On the ride I found out they were going right past the airport in Bangor and they offered me a ride. I couldn’t turn it down. I bid farewell to don Juan and told him to congratulate Crazy Legs for me. I was done.
