Just Us: The Katahdin Adventure

We survived! Sometimes I think it was survival by sheer luck, but we survived. Last night we got home around 5:30, exhausted, sore, dirty, and more of a team than we've ever been. Our trip was so fun and so hard all at the same time. Where to begin?

Thursday we took off in the morning after Eric and Kerri arrived from Boston to our house. After a yummy lunch at Dysart's and some grocery shopping, we ventured up to our campsite at Roaring Brook Campground. The campground is about 8 miles into the park, and our sites were walk-in sites, about one-tenth of a mile in the woods. Thursday night we just chilled out in front of the fire, and enjoyed a yummy breakfast of eggs and sausages on Friday morning, made by our grillmaster, Eric.

Josh and Kim joined us around 10, and after they got their campsite all set up the six of us

headed on a walk to Sandy Stream Pond to hopefully see some moose! The walk in was pretty easy, and when we got to the stream there were two moose in the pond! We hit a few different viewpoints and at one point we got pretty close to one of the moose. It was exciting! Attached to the Sandy Stream Trail is a trail that goes up a small mountain called South Turner Mountain. We decided to hike a little ways up, but when it got really steep, the girls decided to call it quits so that we wouldn't be sore the next day. The boys on the other hand had to be rock stars, and decided to hike the whole thing. They showed up at the campsite about 3 hours later. They claim they weren't sore, but us girls have a hunch that they may have regretted that decision just a bit the next day.

Saturday was Katahdin day! I was a little nervous but mostly excited. The hike starts with a 3.3

mile hike to Chimney Pond, at the base of the mountain. Let me tell you this....the Chimney Pond hike was about 10 million times easier when I was 10 years old. It was tough! I have to admit, that my fear of realizing I'm not the athletic chick I once was came true on this trip. But I pushed on, and I was not turning back! At Chimney we had decided to climb up Cathedral trail. I had heard Cathedral was steep and tough, but I had no clue what I was in for. The other four in our group were pretty fast climbers, so they sped up ahead of us, and Jim and I spent the next 5 hours rock climbing up an almost vertical path to the top. It was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life, both physicall

y and emotionally. Every time we hit a peak, we'd see three more. It was exhausting, but very exhilarating at times too. The view was incredible. The hardest part was feeling stuck, and at times hopeless. The trail was so difficult, that it would have been near impossible to go back down, so you just had to keep climbing. When we finally reached the top of the trail we were greeted by Eric and Kerri, and we were about 0.2 of a mile from Baxter Peak. I wish more than anything th

at I could have done it, but my legs were waaay past their breaking point, so Jim and Eric took a quick trip up and I hung out with Kerry. I only wish I could have shared the moment with Jim, but I don't feel like I failed or anything like that. It took everything I had to get up that mountain, and I did it. I have to give major major credit to Jim. He was amazing. Every time I thought I couldn't go on, he pushed me and pushed me and was so supportive. And I hope I did the same for him (although he stayed much stronger than I did)! I'm so glad I

got to do this with my best friend and my teammate.

We headed down the mountain on a trail called Saddle Slide. We were originally going to go across the Knife's Edge, but at that point we were so exhausted that we headed down Saddle. Its called a Slide for a reason. The first mile is an almost vertical drop of sliding rock. You have to pass most of it on your butt so you don't go flying down the mountain. It was tricky, but not nearly as hard as climbing Cathedral.

We arrived back at camp around 8pm...9 miles and 13 hours later. It was an exhausting day, but I am so proud of myself and everyone who came with us. I never realized what a feat it really is to hike Katahdin and I have so much respect for those who do. My previous assumption that it was just another hike has been thrown out the window. This was not for the weak of strength or mind. I'm glad I've done it. I'll probably never do it again, but at least I can say I've hiked Mt. Katahdin. :)

Here are some more pictures of our trip!

Jim and I at Sandy Stream