Saturday, August 4, 2012

Guess Where I Am?

Yes, I am ready to hike to the top of Katahdin (Elevation 5268 ft.) tomorrow to complete the AT!  Got to Baxter State Park today and then hitchhiked to Millinocket and am staying at an Inn here. Getting ready for the big hike to the top tomorrow morning with Muldoon.  It will take us most of the day to hike up and back.  Hoping to get some good pictures. Then I'll make my final register entry on the ranger station's front porch. I also applied for my 2000 miler certificate.

Katahdin is an Indian word which translates to "greatest mountain." From the Katahdin stream campground it is 10.4 miles to the summit and back.  There is an elevation gain of 4,000 feet in 5 miles so it won't be a "cake walk". We are hoping to get started around 7 in the morning.

I spent the past 5 days hiking 13-15 miles each day so that I would be able to hike tomorrow with Muldoon.  I feel like I'm in pretty good shape so I hopefully won't hold them back.  I'm very psyched, ready to finish and anxious to get home again.

I ended up giving some of my food away as I had more than I could eat/carry.  Tomorrow I will eat a muffin and drink cold milk in the  morning and just take lots of water and snacks in a daypack for the trip up and back.  Tomorrow night I'm hoping to have a celebratory dinner with my hiker friends.  Woohoo!

"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
-Sir Edmund Hillary

Here are some photos of my journey over the past four weeks.  Enjoy!

 Torch and Muldoon at the AT trailhead in Gorham, New Hampshire (7-6-12)

 At the top of Mount Hayes, New Hampshire

 With Muldoon at Mt. Success, New Hampshire

 At the New Hampshire/Maine line

 Grouse on the trail
 Getting ready to resume my hike at Mahoosoc Notch Trail

 Ready to head off

 Speck Pond, Maine


 At the top of Baldplate Mountain (East Peak)

 With my hiker buddy, Flash

 Overlooking "Mooselookmeguntic Lake"

 North Crocker Mountain

 View from Avery Peak

 Another view from Avery Peak

 At the summit of Avery Peak

 At the 2000 mile mark!  It's actually located 10 miles to the south in the woods

View from Pleasant Pond Mountain

9 comments:

  1. Hi Mr. Dave,

    I heard about your awesome journey from Amy and Kate's facebook pages. Just wanted to say congratulations on almost being finished this amazing hike! Very impressive.

    Take care,

    Molly (Hoban) Baron
    (*Amy's friend from the Fullerton neighborhood:))

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  2. Very impressive indeed!

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  3. Congrats Dave, you are an inspiration! Bravo for such an awesome achievement.

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  4. Hey Dave, You did real good. Love, Lynn & Bob.

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  5. Yay, Dave! Just got word (and a picture) that you reached Katahdin! Congratulations on finishing the trail.

    P.S. Loved the photos too!

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  6. Way to go! Great to see you finished it.

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  7. So, we thought--what an amazing, interesting post-retirement challenge you chose. Then, as we continued to read your Blog, Dave, we realized you were serious and you were headed for Katahdin. This was not just another, "Walk in the Woods"--it was the real deal here and you meant to finish it and you did! Wait until Sam is old enough to realize what his grandfather did. Amazing! Congratulations, Darla & Bob & Rob

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  8. Uncle Dave,
    Thank you for letting us share in your journey, every step of the way. You surely have helped to motivate us to stay the course and work to accomplish even the smallest of goals that we have in our daily lives! I can here you saying "It wasn't really that big of a deal." but once again you have amazed us by accomplishing a feat that so few could have achieved.
    De Oppresso Liber.
    Congratulations, Joe & Cathy, Joey, Jimmy

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