So this is a bit delayed in the writing but I just haven't been all that motivated to write. I don't remember exactly what day it was but I drove up to Katahdin and met UV at the base of the mountain. Once there, I got a lean-to at the Katahdin Stream Campground since I didn't know if the park would like it if I stayed at the campsite that thru hikers use since I came in a vehicle. This actually worked out rather well since the lean-to was right on the trail and the thru hiker spot was a 1/4 mile away. It was odd camping out of my car instead of my backpack. I had just tossed a bunch of things into the car so I had quite a bit more stuff than I needed, so strange.
The next day we slept in late since it was a rather cold day. After finally working up the drive to crawl out from the blankets, we started up the mountain. The day was just about perfect for this time of year. I was able to hike the whole mountain in a t-shirt and just my kilt. Once we hit the summit and I stopped moving, I had to put on a windbreaker but there aren't that many days late in the year where such clothing would be sufficient. While at the top the view was great, as it usually is. I was able to test out taking panorama photos with my phone a bit.
So the journey for this year is over. I am completely happy with the whole experience. I feel like I was able to have the feeling of being a thru hiker even though technically I am not one. I haven't even calculated how many miles I actually did; it just doesn't matter to me. This is an unusual mental outlook to take for people that consider themselves thru hikers but it fits me perfectly. My goal for the summer was to go out into the woods, experience what it is like to live in those woods for an extended period of time, and have fun. It was a resounding success on all counts.
It did surprise me a bit that so much of the trail experience had nothing to do with the trail itself, though. The community and people you meet on the trail is what makes the AT what it is. To get in the same mental space as the people you meet, you have to have spent some time in the woods but the trail itself seems to almost take a backseat to the people. This is something that would be interesting to compare with the other long distance trails in the country since the they are more sparsely populated. Many people have told me that I should do the PCT next or even the CDT. I don't know what journey I will be undertaking next in my life but I envision some sort of long distance hike to happen again. I would like to start at Springer Mt again at some point but I don't know if that would be the next journey or after something else. Whatever it is, this summer has infused me with a love of backpacking that hopefully stays with me forever.
