Today the 30th of September, 2013
We reached the Northern Terminus of the AT.
We started up the mountain in the crisp cool darkness around 5:30am. With our headlamps on we began the last 5.1 miles of our 6 1/2 month journey.
As the sun began to rise the glow in the sky set the mood for a terrific day.
As our eyes began adjusting to the light of dawn we switched off our lamps and silently hiked on. We could see the fog surround only the lakes below.
The first 3 miles were a steady climb with some bouldering but as we approached the last 2 miles it turned into a jungle gym of boulders.
The last mile flattened out and by then the sun was shining bright and we were overwhelmed with the scenery before us.
The red, yellow and orange leaves painted an autumn backdrop against the mountains and lakes of Maine.
Peace and Excitement flooded our tired bodies and minds. Was this REALLY it?!
8:45am: we saw a few other thru-hiker friends from a distance reach the summit. Yells and whistles resounded.
The weather was absolutely marvelous! Blue sky, 65 degrees with a slight breeze.
100 yds. out, we walked together hand in hand and reached our destination.
Celebration pictures were taken and music was played! We wrote our trail names on the sign and let out our sighs. We made it. Smiles all around as we reflected on our journey.
We cheered as each thru-hiker approached the sign. Some had tears of joys, others walked slowly,quietly making their way closer to the end and others proudly reached out to touch the long awaited finish line. 10 thru-hikers in total made the last of September a memorable day.
Our friend "Clinker" reaching the top.
We sat around for about 2 hours enjoying the views and then decided it was time to head back down.
When we reached the bottom it was still surreal. How long will it take for this to sink in - we asked each other. Tomorrow will we wake up ready to hike and discover a new place to call home for the evening? Or will we be happy to just rest?
We were greeted with "trail magic" a wonderful picnic put on by G-ma, another thru-hiker she had finished on Saturday and wanted to share her excitement with all of us who summited today.
What a day! What a day!
More blogs to come.
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Location:Mt. Katahdin - Baxter State Park, ME
