June 27, 2006
This begins my last section of the Appalachian Trail. It will be a 620 mile long section from Katahdin in Maine to
Dalton Massachusetts. I am planning on 90 days to do this mileage so I can take it easy and enjoy all there is to
offer on this glorious trail.
This begins my last section of the Appalachian Trail. It will be a 620 mile long section from Katahdin in Maine to
Dalton Massachusetts. I am planning on 90 days to do this mileage so I can take it easy and enjoy all there is to
offer on this glorious trail.
Baxter State Park Entrance
Belt Buckle returns to Katahdin
Katahdin Stream Campground
Home
June 28, 2006 - Katahdin Stream Campground
It is 7:30 pm and I am at the Shelter assigned to me at Katahdin Stream Campground. A lot has happened in the
passed few days and I will try to catch up on this log as I rest my tired sore muscles. I left Florida where I live with my
neighbor Carol and drove to Binghamton New York. We left Florida on Sunday 25th. There was lots of rain coming
up north and at times the rains were torrential through the Shenandoah Valley area in Virginia. There were many
wrecks on the road and I feel we are lucky to get here in one piece. We took our time and took it easy. We got to
Binghamton N. Y. at 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning Carol dropped me off at the Greyhound Bus terminal. I caught
the bus there and it took me until Monday night at 8:30 p.m. to get to Bangor Maine. I camped and slept for the first
time in a city park in Bangor. I left early on Tuesday Morning for Baxter State Park. I was all day Tuesday getting to
Millinocket Maine where I spent the night at the Appalachian Trail Lodge. This is a hiker friendly Hotel in an old
house and the owners, Don and Joan were very nice and helpful to me. I slept well in a soft bed but was already
very sore from having to walk on the road this day approximately 10 miles with my full heavy pack. I walked to a local
grocery store where I tweaked my pack with food because it would be 120 miles till I could resupply again. I had to
add even more food weight to my pack. I got up very early on Wednesday morning and after a quick breakfast I
hiked out of town toward Baxter State Park which was still 20 miles on a dirt road away. I got a ride at the edge of
town with the local paper delivery man and he took me to the entrance to Baxter State Park. Soon after arriving
there I was given a permit to stay in the park tonight and a trail crew boss gave me a ride to Katahdin stream
Campground. I then had to sign in at the ranger station and I then repacked some food and water in a loaner day
pack to take to the summit of Katahdin. I left my big pack at the ranger station. It was 8:45 a.m. when I finally got
going up to the big mountain. It would be 4000 foot climb over 5 miles and it would be a very hard climb but a most
beautiful and rewarding one. I took over 50 pictures on this day which started out very clear but cool. I thought I was
making good time but I finally made it to the summit at 2:00 p.m. I was very tired at this point and I had to go back
down through the gauntlet I had just come up. I had been on Katahdin 25 years before without much of a view so
going up in clear weather was a treat I had been waiting for several years. As I got to the top I met a man from
Florida like me and we took each others picture on the summit. It was already clouding up and getting windy and
trying to rain. I carried a brass belt buckle up on the summit several years ago after completing my south to north
through hike. I had bought the belt buckle form the Appalachian Trail Conference as I hiked through Harper’s Ferry
in June and I had them send it to me in Monson Maine when I got there. There was a note that said “Hold for
Appalachian Trail North Bound Hiker, 2000 miler, ALMOST!!! Monson was the last mail drop before Mount
Katahdin. I carried the belt buckle through the wilderness and then up to the last mountain. On this day I had carried
this buckle back up to Katahdin for one more go at it. I took a picture of it 25 years after the first summit and it was
here again. I am symbolic like this and I felt it would be neat to carry the buckle back through the wilderness area
which I did and I sent it back through the Monson Post office where I had received it 25 years before. I was very
nervous until I heard from my wife that the belt buckle made it back home safe. I showed the belt buckle which
means more to me than any other worldly possession to many north bound and south bound hikers as I hiked south
to Monson. All seemed to think it was neat to have done this trip twice with the old belt buckle. Many wanted to buy
one of these but I think it is no longer available.
The way back down the mountain got a bit dangerous. I called it my survival hike. Winds came up along with hard
rain and I had to descend 4000 feet. I put on all of my rain gear to stay warm, but I still had to keep moving. I got so
tired but I kept moving. I would stumble and fall. I got up and kept moving. It took me till 7:45 p.m. to get back to the
ranger station where there was a note instructing me where to go to camp. There are many shelters here and you
have to stay in assigned ones. I went to the shelter after signing back off the mountain and put on some dry clothes
and drank lots of hot liquids and ate. I was more tired than I had ever been in my life. I was not sure I would make it,
but I just kept moving. Remember if you get in a tight spot which requires your utmost attention and skill, stop and
think, come up with a plan, and keep moving. It could have
saved my life on this day. I proved to myself today that I still have the right stuff!! I slept well worn clear out. Morning
came too quickly.
June 29, 2006 - Katahdin Stream Campground to camp site near Pine Point
I was up early after a steady rain fell all night. I am sore as hell all over. I took some Ibuprofen for my sore muscles
and ate some breakfast and drank some coffee. I was in no hurry to get out of here. I should have taken another
day here but I wanted to get going today. I packed up slow and left my tennis shoes at the shelter for someone else
to use them going home from the park. I had to wear them on the bus up and could not carry them now. At 9:30 a.m.
I left park and immediately knew I would not make the 10 mile to Abol Bridge today. It is not allowed to camp any
where between here and Abol bridge but the ranger said you got to do what you got to do! My legs were so sore
that I had much pain walking. It was better as I walked but I had no energy all day. I stopped at 3:30 p.m. by a nice
little river area with a spot to camp. I washed up and dried up some clothes and felt better in an hour and decided to
move on for another hour. It was getting dark so I pitched my tent near the trail at dark. The mosquitoes were
carrying me off so I grabbed some food and water and got into my tent for the night. Sleep came quick and I got
some good rest. I survived the first 2 days and I am still alive. That is good enough for me.
It is 7:30 pm and I am at the Shelter assigned to me at Katahdin Stream Campground. A lot has happened in the
passed few days and I will try to catch up on this log as I rest my tired sore muscles. I left Florida where I live with my
neighbor Carol and drove to Binghamton New York. We left Florida on Sunday 25th. There was lots of rain coming
up north and at times the rains were torrential through the Shenandoah Valley area in Virginia. There were many
wrecks on the road and I feel we are lucky to get here in one piece. We took our time and took it easy. We got to
Binghamton N. Y. at 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning Carol dropped me off at the Greyhound Bus terminal. I caught
the bus there and it took me until Monday night at 8:30 p.m. to get to Bangor Maine. I camped and slept for the first
time in a city park in Bangor. I left early on Tuesday Morning for Baxter State Park. I was all day Tuesday getting to
Millinocket Maine where I spent the night at the Appalachian Trail Lodge. This is a hiker friendly Hotel in an old
house and the owners, Don and Joan were very nice and helpful to me. I slept well in a soft bed but was already
very sore from having to walk on the road this day approximately 10 miles with my full heavy pack. I walked to a local
grocery store where I tweaked my pack with food because it would be 120 miles till I could resupply again. I had to
add even more food weight to my pack. I got up very early on Wednesday morning and after a quick breakfast I
hiked out of town toward Baxter State Park which was still 20 miles on a dirt road away. I got a ride at the edge of
town with the local paper delivery man and he took me to the entrance to Baxter State Park. Soon after arriving
there I was given a permit to stay in the park tonight and a trail crew boss gave me a ride to Katahdin stream
Campground. I then had to sign in at the ranger station and I then repacked some food and water in a loaner day
pack to take to the summit of Katahdin. I left my big pack at the ranger station. It was 8:45 a.m. when I finally got
going up to the big mountain. It would be 4000 foot climb over 5 miles and it would be a very hard climb but a most
beautiful and rewarding one. I took over 50 pictures on this day which started out very clear but cool. I thought I was
making good time but I finally made it to the summit at 2:00 p.m. I was very tired at this point and I had to go back
down through the gauntlet I had just come up. I had been on Katahdin 25 years before without much of a view so
going up in clear weather was a treat I had been waiting for several years. As I got to the top I met a man from
Florida like me and we took each others picture on the summit. It was already clouding up and getting windy and
trying to rain. I carried a brass belt buckle up on the summit several years ago after completing my south to north
through hike. I had bought the belt buckle form the Appalachian Trail Conference as I hiked through Harper’s Ferry
in June and I had them send it to me in Monson Maine when I got there. There was a note that said “Hold for
Appalachian Trail North Bound Hiker, 2000 miler, ALMOST!!! Monson was the last mail drop before Mount
Katahdin. I carried the belt buckle through the wilderness and then up to the last mountain. On this day I had carried
this buckle back up to Katahdin for one more go at it. I took a picture of it 25 years after the first summit and it was
here again. I am symbolic like this and I felt it would be neat to carry the buckle back through the wilderness area
which I did and I sent it back through the Monson Post office where I had received it 25 years before. I was very
nervous until I heard from my wife that the belt buckle made it back home safe. I showed the belt buckle which
means more to me than any other worldly possession to many north bound and south bound hikers as I hiked south
to Monson. All seemed to think it was neat to have done this trip twice with the old belt buckle. Many wanted to buy
one of these but I think it is no longer available.
The way back down the mountain got a bit dangerous. I called it my survival hike. Winds came up along with hard
rain and I had to descend 4000 feet. I put on all of my rain gear to stay warm, but I still had to keep moving. I got so
tired but I kept moving. I would stumble and fall. I got up and kept moving. It took me till 7:45 p.m. to get back to the
ranger station where there was a note instructing me where to go to camp. There are many shelters here and you
have to stay in assigned ones. I went to the shelter after signing back off the mountain and put on some dry clothes
and drank lots of hot liquids and ate. I was more tired than I had ever been in my life. I was not sure I would make it,
but I just kept moving. Remember if you get in a tight spot which requires your utmost attention and skill, stop and
think, come up with a plan, and keep moving. It could have
saved my life on this day. I proved to myself today that I still have the right stuff!! I slept well worn clear out. Morning
came too quickly.
June 29, 2006 - Katahdin Stream Campground to camp site near Pine Point
I was up early after a steady rain fell all night. I am sore as hell all over. I took some Ibuprofen for my sore muscles
and ate some breakfast and drank some coffee. I was in no hurry to get out of here. I should have taken another
day here but I wanted to get going today. I packed up slow and left my tennis shoes at the shelter for someone else
to use them going home from the park. I had to wear them on the bus up and could not carry them now. At 9:30 a.m.
I left park and immediately knew I would not make the 10 mile to Abol Bridge today. It is not allowed to camp any
where between here and Abol bridge but the ranger said you got to do what you got to do! My legs were so sore
that I had much pain walking. It was better as I walked but I had no energy all day. I stopped at 3:30 p.m. by a nice
little river area with a spot to camp. I washed up and dried up some clothes and felt better in an hour and decided to
move on for another hour. It was getting dark so I pitched my tent near the trail at dark. The mosquitoes were
carrying me off so I grabbed some food and water and got into my tent for the night. Sleep came quick and I got
some good rest. I survived the first 2 days and I am still alive. That is good enough for me.
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