SWEET SUCCESS!

We apologize for the delay on this post but it’s been quite the journey once we last updated you. We left Shaw’s hostel with only 115 miles of our journey remaining which included the 100 miles of wilderness, the longest stretch of the trail that is largely wilderness with no access to towns.

Despite the warnings of eminent danger, we proceeded on. The first person we saw heading Southbound barely acknowledged us and had a “dead look” in his eyes. A sign of things to come? What made matters a little more concerning was the fact that a hurricane was brewing off the coast. It was challenging to receive any weather updates but we understood our first four days were going to be wet.

Wet trails also mean river crossings are exponentially more challenging! And there are quite a few that had to be forded. After days of hiking in the rain, we did most of these fords with shoes still on…besides, it was no a great way to clean the mud off of them. We were so grateful to have some of our trail mates help us to navigate one very problematic crossing which required either a chest deep ford or shimmying across a small, dead log laid over the crossing. We all chose the log shimmy but were only successful with help from others.

Rain also brings slippery board crossings and very wet bogs, who doesn’t need more challenges?

Despite the rain we continued on. Small things like a cup of hot chocolate at night or running into a fellow traveler who exuded positivity and spoke about the upcoming trail’s beauty we were about to encounter went a long way to lift our mood. Especially after four consecutive days of rain.

And of course hitting milestones like the 2100 mile marker and seeing Mt. Katahdin in the distance for the very first time were great confidence boosters and validation of our continued progress.

After four wet days we were afforded some better weather but also managed to camp in some incredibly amazing places!! The 100 miles goes through what is known as the lake region…lovely little ponds populate the region, many which offer some beaches, great swim spots and all that are home to loons. We were lucky to find three such ponds for our own private campsites on the last three nights in the wilderness. One was even complete with a picnic table and a camp chair!!! Now you KNOW you are livin’ large!!

After one week we were nearing completion of the 100 mile wilderness but Hurricane Ophelia was about to hit shore. Extremely high winds and rain were expected. Thankfully, that morning we hit Abol Bridge just outside of Baxter State Park and were able to grab a cabin at a local campground to wait out the storm.

We were ever thankful for the shelter, as there were innumerable downed trees the following morning. Grateful to not be squished, we finished the last ten miles to the base of Katahdin, we were so close!! We camped that night at Katahdin Stream Campground, where James (son and brother to the hiking gals) met us for the big summit the next day. He was a sight for sore eyes (and feet!) and we enjoyed a campfire that night to regale stories of the last few months.

Our summit day began at 5:30am, and we were out of camp before anyone else. There was a mix of feelings that hung in the air, but more than anything was the pure adrenaline and excitement knowing we were so close to the end. James scampered ahead to take photos and more than anything we had to focus on every step, due to the bouldering terrain.

We only had about 5 miles to the summit and they certainly made us work for each one! It was one of the most exhilarating parts of the trail, all emotions aside, due to the rocky traverse. We laughed and hooted, hollered and waddled our way to the top by way of swollen knees and grumpy muscles; but the last mile held a beautiful ridge line for us to walk across. We could see the finish line!!

Reaching the peak of Katahdin was a humbling achievement. After 2,198.4 miles, it was hard to believe the end was here! Through ever changing terrain, bad weather and bad moods, pains of any variety and every obstacle, we were finally here. We took in the vastness of the mountains around us, the best view to date, and shared in the joy that only the wilderness can provide. Mother Nature might dole out a harsh hand, but it was all worth it for the overwhelming sweetness of that day.

Many folks had told us of their emotional summit experience, but within our tiny tribe there were few tears and more than anything was the elation of reaching the peak. It didn’t feel real, having climbed so many peaks previously there was the feeling that this was just one more on a never ending journey. We shared poems that we had written in preparation for the end of trail, and each became misty eyed in turn hearing the poems of others in our small Tramily. We snapped our photos, and snapped some more, desperate to get the epic photos we had looked forward to for so long.

And just like that, we were done! We headed down the path again to see the other folks in our campsite making the final push to summit. It was lovely to have had our own summit moment, and we cheered on those that came next. A 5 mile jaunt lay between us and our celebratory bottle of champagne and despite our enthusiasm for snacks and bevvies, made slow and careful work of weaving our way back down the mountain.

There was hardly time to process the finality of our undertaking, given the rough terrain. We made jokes about how hard it would be to reintegrate into the real world, which James duly noted, “What do you mean? You’re leaving the real world..”

We made it back to camp and had one final night in our tents before we began our drive down to Portland. I think its safe to say that we were all ready for showers and hot food. We packed up the following morning and headed on our way, the dirt roads turning to paved, and every mile we headed further away from the bittersweet end of trail.

But that’s the beautiful thing about the trail, is that it never really ends. We did indeed summit the final peak of this long stretch, but the lessons and the challenges, the friends and the memories are keepsakes we get to take with us back into society. Where one trail ends another begins and on those romantic roads of Maine we pondered what that next path might be.

So from here, as we integrate back into our corners of the world, we say thanks. Thank you for the comments, the reads, the encouragement and advice. Thank you to everyone that laughed or cried with us, joined us on trail or cheered us on from afar. Thank you to all of the support big and small, especially the trail magic!! Thank you for joining us on this wild, wonderful journey. You made it all the better with your endless care and love. Adventure on.