Baxter Peak, Maine
Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Katahdin, 5268 feet

"I can't believe that we would lie in our graves, dreaming of things that we might have been..."

August 2000.
The next day, August 13th, I hiked to Daicey Pond Campground and registered with the park office as an official thru-hiker. From Daicey Pond it's only 7.6 miles to Katahdin, but we had to wait until the next day because according to park rules it was too late in the day to summit. My mom, dad, and niece Jessica had driven up from Pennsylvania and they found me at Daicey Pond which was good because my cell-phone wasn't working and there are no phones in the park. Dad and I arranged a time to meet the next day and I camped at Daicey that night. Crinkle and I took a canoe out on the pond in the afternoon and just totally enjoyed the incredible view we had of Katahdin.

The next day I got up at 5am and began hiking to meet Dad at Katahdin Stream Campground. We headed for the summit early. It was misty and rainy and not a great day but I didn't care. I was so happy to be close to the end. When we got to the top the other guys were all up there along with about twenty or so day-hikers. We took lots of pictures and Salty shared his can of Guinness with everyone. Being the "purist" that I was, I carried my full pack all the way to the top. After five months and nine days it was weird to imagine being done and to suddenly not have to look for the next white blaze. It took six weeks for the swelling in my feet to go away and to be able to wear my normal size shoe again. But it felt so great to know that I did it.

Journal Entry 8.14.00
"DONE at last!!"

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