| Marjo Johnson, Chris Miller, Steve Robinson, and Mike Rowlands AKA ‘ GO FOR IT’ |
September 11, 1981 -Daisy Pond to Millinocket Maine-
THE LAST DAY!!!!!!!!!! It is very foggy here. We don't know if it is safe to walk up to Katahdin or not. We will have
to hike into Katahdin stream campground which is two miles away. There is s ranger station here and they will have
the weather report here. We had planned to stay here last night but there was no room here. We instead stayed at
Daicey Pond Campground contrary to what the entry said for 10th of September. We made it to Katahdin Stream
Campground at 7:45 a.m. and at 8:00 a.m. the weather report came out and said mostly sunny. That is all we
needed to head up the hill. We left our packs at the bottom since we would have to come back here tonight anyway.
This next five miles would be the roughest five miles of walking on the entire trail. I do not believe I could have
hiked up it on the A.T. with a pack on my back. Almost to the top there is a boulder field which takes much skill and
effort to climb over. It lasts for about one mile and is about 1500 feet change in elevation. Marjo, Steve, Chris and I
climbed up together and we separated on purpose and walked the final miles by ourselves. It gave us time to think
of the past and the end all in the same minute. Marjo and I met one mile from the summit and chilled a large bottle
of Paul Masson wine in Thoreau spring. I then let her go ahead of me for our final mile after 2118 miles and 5½
months of the best time of my life. 100 yards from the top I was in tears and could not bear the thought of the end
just yet. I just stopped and turned around and looked back toward Georgia and immediately sat down as my last 5½
months passed before me. I sat there for only a minutes and the others already at the top told me to get the heck
up here so we can celebrate. I just looked up at them and with my usual hummer I shouted. " we will drink no wine
before it is time". I then ran to the summit and we all congratulated each other. The weather as usual did not
co-operate with us. It was very cloudy with no visible means of the valley below but it did not matter anymore for we
had succeeded in what we started out to do and at this point I had become a finisher of the Appalachian Trail,
something I had wanted to do since 1972. I came, I saw, I went for it, and I got it!
THE LAST DAY!!!!!!!!!! It is very foggy here. We don't know if it is safe to walk up to Katahdin or not. We will have
to hike into Katahdin stream campground which is two miles away. There is s ranger station here and they will have
the weather report here. We had planned to stay here last night but there was no room here. We instead stayed at
Daicey Pond Campground contrary to what the entry said for 10th of September. We made it to Katahdin Stream
Campground at 7:45 a.m. and at 8:00 a.m. the weather report came out and said mostly sunny. That is all we
needed to head up the hill. We left our packs at the bottom since we would have to come back here tonight anyway.
This next five miles would be the roughest five miles of walking on the entire trail. I do not believe I could have
hiked up it on the A.T. with a pack on my back. Almost to the top there is a boulder field which takes much skill and
effort to climb over. It lasts for about one mile and is about 1500 feet change in elevation. Marjo, Steve, Chris and I
climbed up together and we separated on purpose and walked the final miles by ourselves. It gave us time to think
of the past and the end all in the same minute. Marjo and I met one mile from the summit and chilled a large bottle
of Paul Masson wine in Thoreau spring. I then let her go ahead of me for our final mile after 2118 miles and 5½
months of the best time of my life. 100 yards from the top I was in tears and could not bear the thought of the end
just yet. I just stopped and turned around and looked back toward Georgia and immediately sat down as my last 5½
months passed before me. I sat there for only a minutes and the others already at the top told me to get the heck
up here so we can celebrate. I just looked up at them and with my usual hummer I shouted. " we will drink no wine
before it is time". I then ran to the summit and we all congratulated each other. The weather as usual did not
co-operate with us. It was very cloudy with no visible means of the valley below but it did not matter anymore for we
had succeeded in what we started out to do and at this point I had become a finisher of the Appalachian Trail,
something I had wanted to do since 1972. I came, I saw, I went for it, and I got it!
| Marjo carried up this bottle of wine to the Summit of Katahdin |
| 166 days on the trail 2119 miles of walking 1981 mileage a life time of memories a life time of friends the greatest experience of my life. |
1981 Buckle
45