I started this trail in the rain and I finished it in sleet and hail. Two days ago on October 2nd, Jogle and I made it up to the summit of Mt. Katahdin. The 5.2 mile, 4100+ foot climb was tough with a couple of miles of rock scrambles. We started in the rain and less than a quarter of a mile from the top freezing rain, sleet and hail started. It seems this trail just wasn't going to let us finish easily. We made it just the same ... and safely. Luckily for us mom and dad were waiting at the bottom with warm coffee and a car to get us to town and into hot showers.
It still just feels like I'm on a day off. Our bodies feel broken and Jogle is starting the process of trying to put back some of the 30 pounds he lost along the way. We came over to the Maine coast for a day and then we're off to Niagara Falls for a few days of rest before Jogle heads back to England.
It's been a fabulous adventure ... one that I'll never forget. We're now Appalachian Trail thru-hikers and we're through. It's a great accomplishment for both of us and now we're just looking forward to a little rest and down time before we start the next process of re-entry into that other world from which we all came before we started hiking the AT. Thank you to everyone who has given support, sent messages, and told me to keep going ... I'm not sure I could have made it without all of the support I received from friends, family, and especially from Jogle, my hiking partner I met in the woods along this journey.
Sorry no pictures, but this computer blocks all software except the internet. I'll put up our summit photos as soon as I can.
