Mighty Mt. Katahdin Part 3

Tink and I sat in silence in the sunshine and listened to the breeze as it huffed through the boulders all around us. It was about 13:00.

Tink looked depressed as she shuffled the mountain rubble at her feet. I asked her, “What do you want to do? Do you want to head down now or wait for Gig and Off to come back? I don’t know how long it will take them to reach the summit and get back to us.”

She looked up at me with her “Daddy Please” eyes and said, “I just didn’t want to come all this way and stop…”

 “Do you really want to keep going?” I asked as my fatherly determination began to overcome my fear of falling off of the mountain.

“Well, yeah.” She replied and perked up in anticipation.

“Okay then.” I said confidently. “We’ll crawl out onto the cliff and I’ll help you reach the bar. If you can pull yourself up, then we will keep going. Okay?”

She said, “Okay.”

We stood together and walked to the beginning of the cliff. Then I began to crawl out onto it with her following. I crawled out passed the bar and turned around to help her when she was ready. Hugging the wall as close as I could, I stood; very slowly. Tink stood under the bar.

I looked her in the eye and asked, “You sure you can do this?”

“I think so.” She replied smiling to reassure me.

“Okay then.” I said as I moved behind her to boost her up to the bar. She reached up and I helped lift her till her hands grasped the rusted metal. I held her as she placed her right foot horizontally on the rock-face and hefted herself up, over, and out of my hands and sight.

I waited for a second or so looking up. Then her head appeared from the top looking down at me. It was my turn. I reached up, grabbed the bar, and pulled myself up with my eyes closed and then rolled away from the edge when I felt flat ground.

I stood and looked around. It was a trail again.

“Okay, follow me.” I said to Tink and headed off down the trail; heart pounding and head praying.

As I walked forward I could see the spot where the daughter from ealier had been scared by the way. But now I was determined to make it or die trying; I wasn’t go to let Tink down. I told myself, “You trust your brain and body to walk for you and to keep you from falling all day everyday, you can trust it here. Just don’t think about it!” And that’s exactly what I did boulder after boulder — crawl after crawl — climb after climb.

(If you get a chance reader, look up “GoPro Hunt Trail Mt. Katahdin” on YouTube to see some of what we climbed. It’s not rock climbing with ropes or anything, but hey, it was hell to me.)

For almost two hours we kept going and going; till we could finally see the summit of Mt. Katahdin in the distance. We then saw Gig and Off making their way down.

They ran to us when they recognized us coming up to them. “Wow, you made it!” Gig exclaimed as he reached us. I could tell he was extatic and very pleased that Tink and I had kept going.

“I didn’t think you were going do it.” Said Off.

“Hey, there’s more to me then you realize.” I barked looking up to glare into his sunglassed eyes. He stood returning my gaze for a moment, then smirked and nodded approvingly.

Then we all turned and headed to the summit. Gig and Off took the lead and guided us up, over, and through the boulders. Till at last we reached the sign.

The Sign!

We did it right?

Not quite…

I was still a father with a father’s mindset. I read in a book by Laurence Gonzalez that most climbing accidents happen on the way down! The climbers think the hard part is over and that they have made it. As a result, they get complacent and careless, and that’s when accidents happen. Yes, we had successfully ascended the mountain. But now, we had to descend Mighty Mt. Katahdin!

To be Concluded!

Mighty Mt. Katahdin Part 2

From the Ranger Station we hiked through Katahdin Stream Campground, where we had reserved a shelter for two nights, to the beginning of the Hunt trail. The people who were finding a route for the AT’s northern terminus chose the Hunt trail for the hike up Katahdin. It is named after the man who first found and hiked that particular trail up the mountain.

Where the campground ends and the woods begin there is a plaque with a quote from the man who donated the land of Baxter State Park to the State of Maine embedded into a boulder:

Boulder Plaque

And so, we passed the boulder and stepped onto the trail and into the woods.

We hiked for a few hundred yards and came to this warning sign.

Warning Sign!

Okay then… On we go…

The trail was pretty easy going compared to what we had hiked in the past. As a result, we all relaxed and enjoyed the hike. We took our time. We took breaks often. We smiled at the other hikers rushing passed us. We let morning turn to afternoon as we neared the treeline. Which is the part of the mountain where trees stop growing and the mountain turns into a giant boulder pile. But we couldn’t see that yet, we had gotten complacent.

Took this pic just before we hit the treeline:

Before the Treeline

Just after this view the trail began to get more and more difficult. It got to the point that our trekking poles only hindered us from climbing up and over the trail boulders. Then we got above the treeline.

Now if you didn’t know, I am afraid of heights. Yes it’s true that I used jump out of airplanes. But I did that to get over my fear of heights. It didn’t work. They say that true courage is not lack of fear, true courage is the ability to keep going even though you are afraid. But one doesn’t feel very courageous when when all you feel is your heart pounding out of your throat and all you hear is your pitiful mental screams begging God to not let you die.

This trail above the treeline was taking me to the edge of my limits. In a plane you get to jump out of the high place, suffer in the sky for a minute or so and then happily slam into the saftey of the ground. But you don’t get to jump off the mountain… It is just one torturous step up after another with no relief. The worst thing for me was that Gig, Tink, and Off seemed unphased by it all. 

Then we came to a switch-back and the trail turned left onto a four foot ledge that hugged a rock-face. I stepped onto the ledge just as a gust of wind hit the mountainside and pushed me off balance; I knew this was beyond my ability. I stopped and bravely exclaimed, “Break! Let’s take a break.” I led everyone back to the corner of the switch-back and sat down for a smoke. I did not know what I was going to do.

As we breaked on slim-jims and cigarettes, I thought about all that I had done in my life and compared it to the situation I was in now. I had been in fist-fights and car wrecks, jumped out of airplanes and unsafely handled explosives, and lived through bullets and bombs; and a four foot cliff on a mountain was going to beat me? Not in this lifetime… “All right I’ll go forward and check the trail ahead; you guys wait here.” I said.

I got up and confidently walked out of their sight, and I stood at the edge of the cliff. Then as bravely as I could, my heart pounding and my head praying, I crawled on my hands and knees out onto the cliff. I crawled along the cliff for a few feet and then it ended at a drop off.

What the? Where are we supposed to go? I backed up and looked all around me, but there was nowhere to go. Then I looked up and I saw it. There was a u shaped metal bar bolted to the rock-face. Who came up with this? We had to use the bar to climb up off the cliff.  So, I crawled back off of the cliff, then stood up and walked back to the group.

I stated, “Alright, one more smoke and then we’ll hit it. I found the way and it ain’t too bad. We won’t need the trekking poles so stash them in that cave over there. We will get them on the way back down.”

So I sat down and lit a smoke. While smoking a father and his daughter came up the trail. We smiled and waved at each other and they turned the corner. Then we heard their conversation…

Dad: How do we get up there?

Daughter: I don’t know.

Dad: You hiked this on a school trip when you were younger. You should know the way. 

Daughter: I know, but we didn’t take this trail, we went up the other side of the mountain. It’s easier over there.

Dad: Wait, there’s a bar there, I think we go up that.

Daughter: I can’t do that, I can’t reach it.

Dad: Yes you can, I’ll help you.

Daughter: Okay . . . aghhh…. Eeeeeehhh… Don’t let go.

Dad: I won’t, keep going, you can do it. Don’t look down.

Daughter: I’m scared. I can’t do this.

Dad: Yes you can, your almost there.

Daughter: Yayyyyyyy…. I did it….

We sat and listened to this as it went on. Then there was silence. But after the pause we heard them hit the next leg. It sounded much worse. We  listened to this woman and her Dad go through it again. As I listened my confidence in all that I had done in my life and the adrenaline that had built up in my blood drained out of me. I was defeated. That woman’s primal whinnings awakened in me a fear that went down to my core in way I can not explain. I knew then I could not go on.

“Look,” I said, “I can’t do this. Gig and Off, I don’t want you to stop. I know you guys can do it. So you guys go on ahead and we’ll be here waiting for you. Tink stay with me till they get back, I don’t want to worry about you up there. Okay?”

They all understood. Gig and Off got up and headed off. Tink came over and sat beside me to help me feel better. I angrily lit up a smoke.

To be continued…

Mighty Mt. Katahdin!

Mt. Katahdin

   We woke up to a crisp, clear, and beautiful Maine morning. We double checked all of our gear and got ready for the ride to Baxter State Park.

   While waiting for our ride we decided to weigh our packs.

Tink:   35 lbs.

Off:    55 lbs.

T.P.:   65 lbs.

Gig:   67lbs.

  I know it’s a lot, but we were carrying ten days worth of food for four hungry hikers hiking through the 100 Mile Wilderness.

   The 100 Mile Wilderness is a section of the AT  that is 100 Miles long and has no way, on the way, to get resupplied. So one must carry all the food needed to hike the whole way; and we didn’t want to be too hungry.

   The shuttle driver loaded our packs on the roof the van.

Loading The Packs

    The drive to Baxter State Park was amazing. The whole forest on both side of the van sparkled in the morning sun.

   As we drove down the long road the driver pointed out a moose crossing the road and heading into a river we were passing. We could not see it since we were in the rear seats of the van. But we managed to get a glimpse of his head as he began climbing the opposite bank of the river.

There is a moose in there!

Well I thought, at least we got a glimpse, we’re not here to see the animals anyway.

   During the forty-five minute drive to Baxter State Park the driver gave us a very informative safety briefing. One thing he suggested was taking a blue blazed high water trail when leaving Baxter. I remember him saying, “The rain has been heavy lately and the water crossing may be dangerous. Your best bet is to take the high water trail.”

   The Appalachian Trail is well marked with what are called blazes. A blaze is a 6 by 2 inch strip of white paint on a tree about 5 or 6 feet off of the ground. Any trail that branches off of the AT — such as trails to shelters, water, roads, or shortcuts — are marked with blue blazes. Many people believe that to truly hike the entire AT you have pass each and every white blaze. Taking a blue blazed high water trail, what is called “blue blazing”, will cause us to miss some of the actual trail. That didn’t sit well with me. So I decided to make the decision when we got to that point.

   The shuttle brought us to the Baxter Ranger Station. There the park rangers locked up our packs and provided us with day packs for the hike up Katahdin. The rangers discourage hiking with a full pack due to the mountain’s difficulty. It was about 07:30.

Baxter Ranger Station

And so, at 07:30 on June 17, 2015 we started our 5.2 mile hike up to the peak of Mt. Katahdin.

To be continued…

The Maine Adventure Begins!

   Gig, Tink, Off, and I got up early and got ready to head to Maine.

   While Tink and Off organized our gear, Gig and I began a two mile walk to Roslindale Square to pick up the rental car we reserved for the first leg of our trip to Maine.  It was a beautiful Massachusetts morning complete with fog and a drenching drizzle.

   Thankfully, the car was there and ready for us.  All I had to do was sign a few papers, complete the car inspection, and soggily climb into the driver’s seat.  I knew the cars vented clothes dryer would dry me out in a few hours or so.

   Gig and I drove to the house and all of us crammed our gear into the trunk and back seat. Then we started off on the 5 hour drive to Bangor, ME.

   It took us only 6 hours to get to Bangor.  A record considering how many times we had to stop to enjoy the sights and aromas that can only be experienced at gas station rest rooms.

   In Bangor we needed to drop off the car and don our packs for a three mile walk to Bangor’s Greyhound bus station. There we would hop on a local country bus to Medway, ME. At Medway the lodge we had reserved for the night would pick us up and drive us to Millinocket, ME.

  While unpacking the car the attendant who was conducting the return inspection asked if we needed a ride anywhere. I told him we were planning on hiking to the Greyhound station on “so and so” Street. He informed me that the Greyhound station had recently moved across town and obviously had not updated their website. The bus station was now over ten miles away.

   Needless to say, we accepted the ride. If that man had not offered us a ride (which he did not have to) we would still be loitering at an abandoned bus station waiting for a bus that would never come . . .

   We managed to make it to the new bus station in time to catch our bus to Medway. That bus ride took a little over an hour and the lodges driver was at the Medway bus station with the van running. She would be driving us to the AT Lodge in Millinocket, Me. We introduced ourselves and thanked her for meeting us and taking us to a comfortable bed after a long day of travel.

   The lodge was great.

Appalachian Trail Lodge

The next days weather forecast for our walk up Mt. Katahdin looked great.

Mt. Katahdin Sign Replica

 We were drained. We went to sleep.

So, on the 8th, Gig, Tinkerbell, Off, and myself hopped on a Megabus in Knoxville, TN and headed to Boston, MA. The ride was a long one with a stop in Washington D.C.

We got to Boston on the 9th and got to my Mother’s house at about 22:00. Ma of course stuffed us, and gave us a place to sleep. And there we stayed. Counting the days and watching the weather on Katahdin. It was a great time seeing the family who was able to come see us. But missing my Tipawa. Missing Repunzel too. It is going to be very hard hitting the trail without them… But, obedience is better than sacrifice. . .

Operation: Appalachian Snail!

In the morning we hiked 6.7 miles down a dirt forest service road to the highway on which my Dad would pick us up. It was a nice walk. Even though I still did not understand why we were heading home, I try not to argue with God, we hiked to the pick up point.

We made it just as my Dad turned onto the road. To me that is confirmation from God, the timing involved, in an uncountable number of circumstances, that must line up perfectly, to produce a meeting of this magnitude; its incomprehensible. Two separate things, one a group of hikers hiking for hours, the other a lone driver driving for hours, both getting to the same point on the earth at the same time… Only God can produce these occurrences.

And so, we packed up the car and left the trail in North Carolina, clueless as to what God had in store for us next…

We got home and determined to let God reveal His own will. Determined not to act until God revealed as much of His plan as we needed to make the next move. Thus, we waited.

And waited…

Till, at last, God moved…

We found out that that the woman who lives with us was starting another round of Chemotherapy. Also we found out that my brother was taking a trip to Boston. He was going to pick up my mother and take her to Tennessee… She would be in TN just at the time we all planned to visit her. Finally, thanks to two gracious donors on our gofundme.com/johnnyandviki site, we had just the right amount of money for four of us to take a trip to Boston and then Maine to continue the trail Southbound!

Tipawa and Repunzel decided to stay in TN to care for Betty while she goes through this round of Chemo. They are going to meet us in a month or two in the North at some point on the trail. Gig, Tinkerbell, Off and myself reserved bus tickets to Boston via Megabus, that was to leave on the 8th. We would stay in Boston till the 16th, rent a car and drive it to Bangor, catch another bus to Medway, where a hostel shuttle will take us to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park. And so the plan was set in motion. Everything possible was reserved and paid for, and prayers of thanks sent up to the Lord for His guidance and provision.

Again, God loves obedience more than sacrifice!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and HE will direct your path!