Well we made it up and down Katahdin and through the 100 Mile Wilderness. I have had a shower now so I can admit that before my shower, I was hairier and greasier than I had ever been previosly in my life. If I positioned my hair in some shape, it would hold its shape. My shins were continuous hairy bruises. I still have a festering blister on one heel. I could go on about my general filth but anyway, I am clean now. So are my clothes.
Katahdin was HARD!!! That's what she said. But really, Connor and I had brought our trekking poles but we eventually strapped them to her pack because my day pack didn't have proper straps (you take a day pack up because it is so challenging) and the poles were no help on the mountain. It was almost all technical climbing. Hand over hand over foot. It was raining and cold on the way up ( it took us ten hours to go up and come down which I must note is less than average) and when we turned around to look down the dropoffs we had just climbed, we were nervous about coming back down the slipperiness.
We got to the top and the sky began to clear and it was amazing. But also very cold. We got pictures and sent Spot messages and headed down after spending only about ten minutes with the infamous northern terminus sign and a handful of other day hikers and south bounders. Luckily on the way down the rocks dried and that made the going less nerve wracking.
The next day we headed out to begin our real hiking with our real packs. It was Connor, her dad Bill, and I. Then for a bit it was just Connor and I. Then Bill met us for the last couple of days in the wilderness.
It was difficult at times. Hiking was particularly difficult because Maine is basically an obstacle course. If it is not a slippery rock outcrop it is a giant unbridged bog or patch after patch of slippery roots. And the BUGS! I have never before encountered so many different kinds of flies. Someone asked me recently if Id gotten my trail legs and
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