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October 2, 2016     Day 90  Katahdin Stream CG  to Summit of Mt. Katahdin

8:00 – 6:25

17,470 steps    Total Steps 3,059,428

10.4 miles (up and back)    Mile Marker 2189.1

So here it is, the final day at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail!

Mom, Dad, Sarah and I met Ziploc at the Katahdin Inn and Suites in Millinocket, ME where tomorrow morning Dad, Ziploc and I would hike the last 5 miles of the trail.  We left the hotel at 6:15 AM since we had to get to our reserved parking spot by 7 AM and it was a 40 minute drive approximately.  Mom is driving us to the campground then heading back to the hotel once we start hiking.  We began at 7:30 once Ziploc went to the Ranger Station to register his thru-hike. The first couple miles were fairly easy hiking, nothing more than a constant gradual uphill with a few boulder climbs thrown in.  We all began the hike bundled u as the temps in northern Maine were colder than we’re accustomed, but the hats, gloves, and jackets were quickly taken off.  the forecast called for mostly cloudy and a chance of rain, but we had clear blue skies our whole way up to the summit. Around mile 3 up Katahdin, the climbing became much slower as we had a steep boulder jumble to navigate complete with a few spots where rebar climbing was required.  Ziploc and I were used to this type of trail from previous experience, however this was our dad’s first exposure to it.  We were going slower than we’d hoped, but I was glad to see that dad was making his way up with our guidance.  After ½ to 1 mile of this we made it to the table lands, a relatively flat 1 mile hike before the final climb to the summit.  We stopped at the Thoreau Springs plaque where dad read some Henry David Thoreau poetry.  From this point, we could clearly see a gathering of people on the summit about a mile away.  After a bit more of flat walking, we began our final ascent.  Up until this point, it felt like just another day of hiking on the AT.  I can’t speak for Ziploc, but I’m not sure it had even sunk in for him that his journey was about over.  Once we were nearing the summit I made sure to stay behind Ziploc several paces so he could have the moment of touching the sign all to himself.  I used to dream of both of us touching it together as we both finish our hike, but mine ended months ago, so this was hi moment of glory. After he touches it, he is standing in front looking at it.  I can’t tell if he was simply reading the words on the sign or if he was taking in the moment and reflecting on his accomplishment.  I like to think it was a little of both.  We all three eventually touched the sign and had our pictures taken together and separately.  After our photoshoot, we ate lunch on a pile of rocks near by.  We all 3 still had our rocks from Springer Mountain and each place it on the large cairn at the tip of the summit.  After enjoying this breather at the northern terminus, we began our descent. It took us 4 hours to climb up, so we’re expecting the same on the way down.  

Oh, I just quickly want to say that I was in Chicago 24 hours before being on the summit, but a day filled with travelling on planes, trains and automobiles landed me in Maine in time to hike the final climb with my brother. I’m very glad I was able to experience this with him.  Near the summit, I quoted Frodo from Lord of the Rings by saying “I’m glad to be with you, here at the end of all things.”  This is a quote I wanted to say for 2 years thinking about being on Katahdin’s summit with my brother.  So I’m glad I remembered to say it up there!

Anyway, the cloud cover held off for our hike up, but rolled in when we started down.  It became a little windier and chillier, but nothing to warrant bundling up more.  Dad’s legs were pretty fatigued on the way down which slowed him up a bit, especially during the 1 mile rock jumble.  I’m glad he got to experience a harder section of the AT than he has prior.  To Ziploc and I, this 5 mile up and 5 mile down didn’t really tire us out, but this was a good training run for dad’s eventual section hike.  Ziploc and I wanted to get down the mountain as fast as possible to avoid night hiking, but we didn’t want to push our dad to go faster than he was comfortable with, because that’s how injuries occur and we definitely didn’t want that.  So we just made sure to hang back with him at more difficult areas to make sure he was taking the easiest path that only experience will teach you to find. Despite the slower pace, we three made it to the campground while the sun was setting where Mom and Sarah were waiting for us.  So we put our gear in the car, then drove to our resort 1.5 hours away that offered a view of Katahdin in the distance. 

 All told, I think it was a special experience to hike the final leg of the AT as two brothers and their dad.  Not many thru-hikers get that, most are by themselves or their hiking group.  I’m definitely glad I was able to be there to watch Ziploc finish his hike.  I hiked about 1230 miles whereas he stepped foot on all 2,189.1 miles… that is quite an achievement!  I know for a fact he is glad to be done hiking.  Because although it’s a rewarding experience, it is also a tolling one where all you want to do after is sit on a couch and do nothing.  I think after 6 months of hiking, that isn’t too much to ask for.

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September 11, 2016     Day 89  Zeta Pass to Gorham, NH

9:00 – 5:00

37,928 steps    Total Steps 3,041,958

12.6 miles    Mile Marker 1890.8

We had an accelerated morning of getting ready this morning as we knew a storm was brewing.  The wind was already strong but the clouds were getting darker.  Sure enough, it started drizzling as we finished packing up. We both began in short sleeves and our ponchos, but soon realized this was a mistake.  As the rain picked up and we began to hiking to the upper elevations, the real feel temperature was probably below freezing… in September. So we stopped and quickly put on our rain jackets which helped immensely.  My head and hands were still freezing, but I’d stalled the risk of hypothermia.  The hike down North Carter was one of the most treacherous of the Whites, if not the worst.  The fact that all the rocks and roots were soaked didn’t help matters when trying to find any grip possible.  I ended up falling twice today and almost three more times.  Luckily none of them were at a dangerous part and I could fall with style safely.  At some point between Middle and North Carter peaks, we ran into a guy who was part of a group that places an American flag on top of all 48 4,000 foot peaks in New Hampshire on 9/11.  He told us that if we got to Mt. Moriah before 2 PM, we would get to see one flying high.  The creators of the website flagsonthe48.org have been organizing volunteers for the last 15 years to accomplish this grand task.  It is very cool that people do this year after year in all weather to honor those lost on 9/11.  We stopped halfway up Moriah for a time lapse of the magnificent weather patterns covering Madison, Jefferson, Clay and Washington across the valley.  It was nice just being able to relax and enjoy the view instead of rushing forward to get to our next campsite.  The wind was strong and cold up there, but it was still worth it.  this little pause did cause us to have to rush to see the flag on the summit however. We had 30 minutes to get there and we hadn’t even seen the summit yet.  About 10 minutes later, I climb over a rock and see it.  Old Glory flying high in the distance on Moriah’s summit. We still had a ways to go to actually get there, so I picked up the pace to try and make it before 2 PM when it was coming down.  I made it there with 4 minutes to spare, but there was a steep side trail to get to the summit.  I just took off running and monkey climbing up those rocks.  I didn’t even have time to take my pack off.  I got to the summit at 1:59 PM just as the volunteers were taking down the flag.  I snapped a few photos to commemorate the moment and one of them turned out to be one of my favorite pictures from the hike.  Ziploc made his way up a few minutes later.  We hiked back down to the AT where 2 of the volunteers were hanging out and they gave us a block of cheese, yogurt covered pretzels and cashews.  After asking more about the flags on the 48, we started our 6 mile downhill to Gorham.  The hike became easier the further down the mountain we got, so we were able to make it to the road crossing at a decent time.  Ziploc hailed a car for a hitch almost immediately.  I ran from the trail to the road so they knew they had 2 hikers to rearrange for.  All in all, the White Mountains are a great, unique experience that I’m glad I accomplished.  I don’t want to hike the whole range again, but I could do a mountain or two again at some point.  For those planning an attempt to hike the whole range, definitely have a good amount of backpacking experience heading out.  Also, you can expect to always get less miles than you originally planned for that day.  And this shouldn’t be a point of frustration.  The Whites are the toughest, slowest mountain range I have done so far and I was forced to slow down for safety.  I wouldn’t want to go any faster than I did, so just plan for that.  But, the Whites will award you with some of the most stunning views, especially along the Presidential Range.  The mountains out there look like mountains you see in movies, not just green hills that are far less intimidating that the rest of the AT looks like from afar.

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September 10, 2016     Day 88  Pinkham Notch to Zeta Pass

11:00 - 6:30

34,568 steps    Total Steps 3,004,030

8.5 miles    Mile Marker 1878.2

I woke up at 7:30 with every intention of heading out to the trail by 9, but leaving the comfort of a hotel room always takes longer.  We walked to the nearby gas station for some breakfast. A former section hiker, Chasing Cherry Coke, and his wife, Cherry Coke, offered us a ride back to Pinkham Notch. That was a very lucky hitch since it’s 11 miles away.  After using the Visitor Center restroom, we finally got on the trail at 11 AM.  The first mile was an easy jaunt to and along Lost Pond before we got on Wildcat Ridge Trail, a steep and very slow 2 mile climb.  It offered nice views of Mt. Washington, Jefferson and Madison on the way up at least. Washington was still cloaked in cloud, but I think it looks cooler when you can’t see the top and all the structures. Anyway, on the way down to Carter Notch Hut, we got hit with just enough rain to get us wet, then it stopped for the rest of the day fortunately.  This was fortunate because we needed to get up and over Carter Dome before dark and wet rocks would make it very dangerous.  The hut, by the way, was situated between two very cool looking lakes that would be a nice place to visit on a hot sunny day.  The climb up to the dome was already a bit difficult, but was made even more so by my left knee.  It was in pain every time I bent it, which on terrain like this is often. The Vitamin I didn’t kick in until near the top at Carter’s Dome.  The final 0.1 miles up to it and 0.2 miles after the dome was super easy hiker flat terrain.  Definitely not what I expected from a dome.  From there, we had a small down and up, before finally coming down a long, steep climb off Mt. Hight.  We made pretty good time since my knee was better and we were motivated to not hike at dark.  That descent definitely could have been more dangerous if it had rained more, so I’m glad we got down before the potential nighttime rain shower strikes.  The one designated campsite at Zeta Pass was already taken, so we set up shop in a couple abandoned campsites.  Technically we aren’t allowed, but it’s better than clearing a whole new area by hand.  I woke up at 1:30 AM to the sound of wind rushing through the area.  The gusts came through at 10 second intervals and can be heard in the trees a few seconds before hand.  When it finally reaches me, my hammock bounces all over the place like plane turbulence in a thunderstorm.  It took me an hour to get back to sleep as I had to get used to the high pitched screech of the wind through the pine needles, the constant roller coaster of my hammock, and the fear that the dead tree next to me would topple over in my sleep.  Fortunately the latter didn’t happen, but the wind is just as intense now at 8 AM as it was in early morning.  I’m estimating the gusts between 65 and 75 mph.  After getting out of my hammock and looking at the wind affecting the tree tops, it could easily be gusting more than 80 mph.  These are hurricane force winds!

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Wind in the White Mountains

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September 9, 2016     Day 87  Jewell Trail to Gorham, NH

8:30 – 7:00

45,553 steps    Total Steps 2,969,462

11.0 miles    Mile Marker 1869.7

We actually got started today about when we wanted to since we knew today would be a rough hike.  It took us 40 min. to climb back up the mile of side trail where we camped before we started back on the AT.  As we got higher up in elevation, the wind got stronger and stronger.  It was probably only 40 mph when we started but got up to 60 mph sustained with 70 mph gusts on some of the mountains.  It was cloudy and foggy most of the day, so views of the surrounding landscape were hard to come by.  It was a lot of fun hiking in this wind and fog though as sometimes we were basically able to lean into the wind and not fall over.  Until the wind stopped all of a sudden of course. Sometimes, I had to walk diagonally just to go straight on the trail.  There were definitely some slightly scary moments when the wind was gusting full and we were hiking near a cliff.  Using my poles to stay upright in these moments was a must.  Each step had to be carefully thought out so I wouldn’t stumble over.  This was our walk until we got to Madison Spring Hut where there was still leftover breakfast at 12:30.  We stayed for an hour before heading up Mt. Madison.  The rock scramble down the north side of Madison was possibly the most difficult of the Whites so far;  it was definitely the slowest with us only having a 0.67 mph pace for the 1st mile of the 2.4 mile descent.  On top of Madison, we stopped for a half hour so I could write “Happy Anniversary” in rocks for mine and Jenny’s 2nd anniversary today. We plan on celebrating when I get back to Chicago.  She fully supports me being out here with Ziploc through the Whites.  After the rock jumble of sharpness that lasted forever, the clouds lifted enough to where we could see most of Mt. Washington before going below treeline. The summit was still in clouds, but it was still neat to see, possibly more so.  Once at the base of Madison, the walk became much easier and we were able to keep up a 2 ½ to 3 mph pace to finish off the day.  We were able to hitch a ride 11 miles into Gorham from Riley, a kid that was at a campsite halfway between the town and trailhead.  It was very nice of him to go out of his way to take us into town. Once here, I did inventory and have enough food to make the next 20 miles to the other Gorham stop.  All I need is one more breakfast and I’m set. I had Pizza Hut for dinner and I can’t drink enough pop, it’s just the craving I have right now.

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September 8, 2016     Day 86  Mt. Jackson to Jewell Trail

9:45 – 6:50

35,992 steps    Total Steps 2,923,909

10.6 miles    Mile Marker 1858.7

We decided to sleep in a bit since we decided to only go 7 miles to Lake of the Clouds Hut at the southern base of Mt. Washington.  The hike began with some fairly steep rock climb-esque area up to and over the summit of Mt. Jackson.  We got to the Mizpah Hut around 11 AM and were lucky enough to score some free breakfast that included eggs, oatmeal with brown sugar and nuts, and some muffin cake stuff.  It was all cold of course, but we ate our share then went on our way up the trail. It was a bit steep hiking again, but eased off once we got to Mt. Eisenhower.  This was the real beginning of the ridge walk along the Presidential Range. For some reason, we skirted along the summits of Eisenhower and Monroe, even though there were other trails going to the top.  We didn’t begin seeing Mt. Washington again until Mt. Monroe.  My first thought was that I didn’t expect the entire summit to be covered with structures, even though I knew a weather station was up there. I guess I just thought it would be smaller.  As we worked our way around Mt. Monroe, the Lake of the Clouds Hut came into view! As soon as we arrived, we each got a bowl of spicy black bean soup with a  slice of bread, $3 each.  It was good, but I think I prefer the other soup we had 2 days ago.  I had a blueberry cake piece and chocolate cheesecake brownie for dessert, $2 each.  Ziploc just had the brownie.  That wasn’t a bad amount of food for $12.  We asked about work-for-stay but were told they don’t start allowing that until 4 PM and only for hikers who arrive after 4 PM.  Since we got there at 2:30 PM, we apparently weren’t allowed to just hang around and wait until the appropriate time.  What a dumb rule!  So, huts do in fact still turn hikers away, regardless of what we’ve heard.  So, we looked at a map to determine our options. Since we’re above tree line, we had to take a side trail no matter what to get down the mountain.  We had two options:  1) Take the side trail right next to the hut about ¼ mile to below tree line and hike Mt. Washington tomorrow.  2)  Hike up and over Mt. Washington today and take a side trail 1.4 miles past the summit, but at least ½ mile down to get below tree line.  While we were deciding, we also knew that a possible thunderstorm with 75 mph wind was predicted for the summit tonight.  Tomorrow was projected for partly cloudy and 35 mph winds. At about 3:15 PM, the sky and summit were pretty clear so we decided on option 2.  We had 1.6 miles to get to the summit and booked it so we could have as much time as possible at the Visitor Center that closed at 5:30 .  We made it up in 45 minutes despite fairly difficult rock jumble with constant loose rocks to navigate, steep slopes, and an increasingly thin oxygen supply.  That last part slowed me down near the summit as I was gasping for air  But, I still made it in great time.  By the time we summited, the clouds moved in, taking away all views around us.  We weren’t too bummed though as the entire range offers great views and being in the clouds on Mt. Washington was more authentic.  We got our picture at the summit, then went to the hiker lounge to charge our phones for a bit.  I got some chili, pop, a banana, and ice cream from the little snack shop.  All of that hit the spot just right!  Ziploc was only able to get nachos and ice cream because they closed the actual restaurant while he was pooping.  We stayed in the lounge until 5 PM, did a quick walkthrough of the museum, then were back on the trail by 5:15 PM.  We knew we couldn’t stay much longer as the clouds got denser and the wind picked up, warning signs that the storm was about to follow.  On our way down, the wind was probably below 20 mph, which is too bad because we both wanted to experience 60 mph + winds. It’s probably good we didn’t though because after we crossed the Cog Railroad, we had a ¼ mile hike right next to a cliff. The wind was blowing off the cliff and driving down steeply into the valley below.  It was taking fog with it, which created a unique showing of nature at its deadliest. If the winds were stronger, that walk would have been terrifying.  It was a little nerve-wracking as is, so we stayed as far away from the edge as possible. Even the now 20 mph winds were blowing us sideways a little bit.  We eventually made our way to Mt. Clay where the winds picked up another 5 – 10 mph. At least this time, it was blowing away from the cliff.  We finally got to the Jewell trailhead on Clay and began our descent.  This was a half thought out trail over unstable jagged rocks on a steep side of the mountain.  We estimate that we hiked down about a mile, but due to how slow we were forced to go, it felt like two.  As we dropped more and more below the clouds, we got to see the storm that was developing on the summits of the Presidential Range in all of its glory.  Ziploc described it as a tsunami overtaking the hills. This was an accurate description as there was a clear line between calm in the trees and hell in the clouds.  If we decided not to summit Washington today, we would not have seen this, so I think it was the correct decision.  As we continued on this side trail forever, we were lucky enough to find a clearing suitable for two hammocks almost immediately once we got below tree line.  We had to set up mostly in the dark, but we already had dinner and are most likely below the storm tonight, so I think all-in-all, we made out pretty good. Without even trying too hard, I can hear the strong gusts of wind on top of Mt. Washington despite being about 2 miles away.  Oh, that’s something else about the Whites worth mentioning.  There are hardly any animals out here.  At any given moment you can stop walking and hear nothing. It’s a bit soothing in an eerie kind of way.  Since coming out here, I can count all the birds, chipmunks and squirrels I’ve seen on two hands.  Even hiking today on the Presidential Range, I could clearly make out a conversation between two other hikers from ½ mile away.  They were just speaking at normal volume too, nothing outgoing.  The acoustics in these mountains are something I would like to understand better.

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September 7, 2016     Day 85  Whitewall Brook to Mt. Jackson

8:50 – 6:00

38,026 steps    Total Steps 2,887,917

12.8 miles    Mile Marker 1848.1

The day began with a bit of a steep-ish downhill to the Zealand Hut where we arrived a bit before 9:30 and scored some free breakfast!  It was cold oatmeal, cold pancakes, and cold eggs, but hey, you can’t beat free!  All I had to do in return was wash my dishes afterward, so no big deal.  After leaving the hut, we had some more downhill before beginning one of the easiest 5 ½ mile stretches I encountered on the AT so far. It started off as easy dirt walking followed by swampy boardwalk hiking with a few rocky patches thrown in to remind you where you actually are.  After this meander through the forest, we went down a long hill to Rt. 302 for water fill up at the river.  We ate lunch here and filtered the rusty tasting water before heading up the 3.2 mile mountain to begin our ascent into the Presidential Range.  We made good time for about ¾ of a mile, then were slowed by steepness for the next ½ mile.  We then had a good pace for the next mile or so until all momentum went out the window. First of all, it is super foggy today, so visibility is a few hundred feet at best.  This lead us to believe we were about to summit Webster about 5 different time.  It turns out they were all false summits.  On top of that, the last 2 summits were actual areas where you had to legitimately rock climb.  The cherry on top was all this fog or cloud we were walking through left all the rocks wet and slightly more slippery.  Some of these rock climbing areas were 30 – 40 feet high or next to more serious cliffs. This type of climbing wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’t also have 30 lb. packs and trekking poles in each hand. Despite the slow progress and obvious danger in those areas, I really enjoyed hiking those sections.  It was just a different unique experience you only get in the Whites.  Once we finally made it to the actual summit, we had PUD walking until we came across a small clearing that we’re making work for our campsite.  As I’m writing this, Ziploc and I keep hearing a military jet fly patterns overhead.  At times, it sounds like a NASA rocket launch.  This doesn’t bode well for sleeping, but it’s pretty neat to listen to. We’re at the beginning of the Presidential Range which means hammocking will be impossible since we’ll be above tree line.  So, as of now, our tentative plan is to reluctantly stay at the Lake in the Clouds Hut at the base of Mt. Washington.  We really didn’t want to stay in a hut at all through the Whites, but you gotta do what ya gotta do.

I woke up this morning looking at the stunted trees, lush moss and white fog all around and realized that we are basically camping in a terrarium.  The perfect ratio of boulder to fallen tree covered n green seems more manicured than naturally placed.  Maybe this is the Truman show and I’m just now waking up to reality.

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September 6, 2016     Day 84  Forest Campsite to Whitewall Brook

9:15 – 6:10

39,279 steps    Total Steps 2,849,891

10.7 miles    Mile Marker 1835.3

We again got fewer miles than we hoped, but the terrain today was very difficult again.  I think we could’ve had a slightly better pace if all the rocks and roots weren’t damp from the misting of the clouds we were walking through.  After our first big ascent, the following descent was in a creek.  This was especially dangerous because obviously everything is wet and it was a lot of rock climbing type of hiking.  I almost fell down a 10 foot drop once but was holding onto a large tree at the time which saved me.  I did fall once a bit later on a different hill and was able to catch myself, but I hurt my wrist in the process.  nothing major, just a bit bothersome.  Oh yeah, near the beginning of the day, we got some water from a pond.  Never do this!  Yeah sure, the water gets filtered, but it tastes like rust and pond scum.  I was out of water, so I had no choice but to get water, but Ziploc could’ve waited the mile if we had known we’d be drinking fish bile.  Anyway, about 4 ½ miles into our very slow hike, we stopped at Galehead Hut where we got some $2 beef and lintel soup.  It was a large serving of very hearty, good tasting soup with free bread. There was even a bit of lemonade to wash it all down.  I was full afterward.  While we were eating, a hiker neither of us had seen since the southern SNP names Lost played some guitar and sang a song he wrote while on the trail.  I wish I could remember the lyrics better because I actually really liked it!  After this hut, not much of note happened, just more steep ups and downs with a great view of the Whites at places.  My knee pain did come back in full force over the last mile or so of today’s hike.  I had gone all day pain and pill free, but was forced to take some Vitamin I  as this time the shots of pain were more severe.  I really hope my knee doesn’t slow us down in the days to come.