Finishing Maine and The Flop

Goodbye to Maine

As of yesterday, I am finished with Maine! Maine is beautiful, rugged and wild. The streams/brooks are a challenge to cross. The rocks and boulders are difficult to navigate.  The tree root systems are frustrating.  Overall Maine is not easy to hike. We all entered southern Maine slowly and gradually built up the skills necessary to move faster. Somehow climbing has become easier and I have a system for walking over roots. The streams are still scary due to slippery rocks and sometimes rushing waters but I’m better at just walking in and getting it over with.  

Kate aka Hershey and her friend Kathleen came up and hiked a couple days with me! I warned Kate…..its really hard up here but nope she arrived and the three of us hiked the Saddlebacks together! So much fun and so happy to see Kate and hike with her again.  It was hard but they stuck with it despite the rain and chilly nights. They went home exhausted but accomplished! 

Maine threw so many challenges at me! Tropical Storm Debby came through right after I left The Maine Roadhouse, great place to stay, and I weathered two nights in my tent in heavy rains and winds.  As I hiked north I started to meet more and more SOBOs and the NOBOs started passing me daily. My sense of urgency to finish Maine and climb Mt Katahdin increased daily! I also felt a need to hike faster. My daily miles increased and I was routinely doing 15 miles which a month ago seemed impossible due to terrain! At first I thought that maybe the trail got easier but that wasn’t happening!! I actually got better at hiking this crappy section! 

The 100 Mile Wilderness 

I hiked this section in 2018. It was difficult and remote and the warning sign is quite ominous on approach. I stayed at Shaw’s, a great hostel, and met up with people I haven’t seen in weeks. I packed just about 6 days of food for the 100 miles. I set off hiking on and off with Hippie Bus whom I met in the White’s.

The first three days were difficult with at least four water crossings and some pretty good climbs. Three days in I realized that I needed to get moving! I had about 3 more days of food, and I had not arranged a food drop. So a goal had just been set….3 days and 60+ miles split however I could do this! Hang on folks, cause somehow I did that shit! It rained pretty much every day or overnight. I was wet and muddy but still moving quickly! Hell, I think I was enjoying this more than I expected! I did an 21, 18, and a 26! The goal was to get to Abol Campgrounds before the store closed on the last day. Mission accomplished!! I flew in there at 630pm with 30 minutes to spare! Camped, ate and relaxed for the night. Katahdin was the only hurdle left here in Maine! Wow, I still can’t believe I did that! 

Mt Katahdin We see the mountain in the distance from various areas of the wilderness. Lol, we are supposed to see it! Cloud cover hid that damn mountain for my entire trip! I did get a sneak peak finally while I hiked into the park!! 

I was dreading the climb because as usual I had heard all about it either through comments on FarOut or from my husband, he climbed that shit twice! I knew that it was an all freaking day hike especially for my slow ass and that it involved climbing and metal rungs. Wow, how’s that for misery on a mountain!! I hiked into Baxter State Park to The Birches campsite which is set aside for thru hikers. There were 8 of us that night and we ate, relaxed and enjoyed a campfire until yet another rain storm forced us into our tents. Next morning it was pack up and drop off most our gear so we could climb lightweight. The start of the climb was easy until nerves hit and I ducked behind some trees/rocks to relieve myself! Lol, not No Shit on Katahdin! As the trees disappeared to boulders I met Neal, a day hiker, who helped me figure out which handholds and footholds were best so as not to fall to my death. Ok, maybe not die but it felt like it at times! We took hours to finally get up to the summit area.  I’m a flip flopper folks, remember??!! I didn’t expect to get emotional when I saw that sign because I’m currently on a bus southbound to Hanover New Hampshire to continue hiking.  I cried when I saw it. Knowing the effort it took me and all of the others before and after me really hits you.  That sign is iconic and means so much to so many that honestly you should be in awe standing there! No photos of it yet since it is not my finish line. I still have just under 800 miles to go before I am finished but wow, I feel accomplished! Next up Vermont southbound! Fasten your seatbelts folks, I’m in a hurry to finish and want to fly through the rest!