Monson to Mount Katahdin

It’s been 3 days since we finished the trail, and we’ve made our way back to Shaw’s Hiker Hostel at Monson. We really enjoyed our last rest day here 9 days ago, so it seemed like a good place to come back to, to hang out and muster up some energy to enjoy our last 2 weeks in America, before our journey back to the UK on the 21st. It’s a strange limbo period, like those we experienced at the end of the PCT and the CDT – we’re glad to be done, enjoying a real sense of achievement, but at the same time feeling intensely sad that there’s no more trail to hike, and our hiking friends have all gone home; after all the good and bad times we shared, it’s sad to accept that we might never see them again.

Last time we were here, we were nervous about heading into the Hundred Mile Wilderness – how long it would take, how much food to carry, whether we would need a resupply part way. We settled on carrying out five days of food plus a few extra cereal bars; our friends Dingo and Walkie Talkie (back on trail after skipping most of New Hampshire) took six days of food. The morning we departed, the clouds were down to valley level, and overnight downpours had given way to a steady drizzle. The forecast for the following three days was for more rain and thunderstorms. We enjoyed a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, fried potatoes and blueberry pancakes like it was our last meal, then hostel staff shuttled us and about 20 other hikers back to the trail at the start of the Hundred Mile Wilderness.

By the time we started hiking, the rain had stopped but the trail was wet and muddy, the rocks were slippery (just about everyone we went back to trail with fell over in the first couple of hours), the vegetation overhanging the trail was wet, and humidity was sky high. So in no time at all we were wet too, from a combination of sweat and dripping rainwater; and the bugs were biting, so we added in some oily insect repellent too. For the next five days our clothes were constantly wet, as the humidity never dropped sufficiently for them to dry out.

The first day took us past ponds and waterfalls, and we also had three rivers to cross – one we managed to cross on rocks and keep our feet dry, but the other two we had to wade across. Some people went barefoot, some wore Crocs, but with slippery rocks underfoot and heavy packs, Neil and I decided to remove our socks and insoles, and wade across in our shoes as they gave the best grip. Everyone got across safely, but it was a time consuming business.

After a stiff climb up and over Barren Mountain in thick fog, we were glad to get to Cloud Pond Shelter after hiking 19 miles. We squeezed our tent into a tiny space amongst pine trees, while a few metres away, Happy Hour and Grasshopper managed to squeeze both their tents into an equally small space. We went to the shelter to cook dinner and chat to the other hikers – by the time we finished, night had fallen, and the darkness, thick fog and closely spaced trees made it quite a challenge to find our tents again!

The next morning was only slightly less foggy, as we climbed steeply up and steeply down over the several summits of Chairback Mountain. The trail was busy with young people on summer camp, out for two weeks of hiking and all in impressively good spirits, considering the weather. The afternoon brought an absolute cloudburst, with rain hammering down and thunder rolling through the mountains. But it was so warm and humid, and our clothes were already so wet, that we didn’t bother with putting on waterproof jackets – we just hiked on, and the rain was actually quite refreshing. We bagged 17 miles before reaching Carl Newhall shelter, where we decided to join Walkie Talkie and Longlegs in the shelter rather than pitch our soggy tent. We were glad we’d made that decision, as a heavy rainstorm passed through during the night – but it was very noisy with the rain drumming on the metal roof.

The last of the high mountains on this stretch came the next day, with big climbs over Hay and White Cap mountains in thick fog. Our navigation app told us there were fine views to be had from here, of the rest of the Hundred Mile Wilderness and the trail’s end at Mount Katahdin, but all we saw was thick white fog. It was just our luck, as we came down off White Cap Mountain the weather cleared, and by the time we got to Cooper Brook Falls shelter, the sun was out. It felt like a different world, with dozens of people – thru hikers, weekend campers and yet more summer camp participants – enjoying the evening sun and swimming in the pool below the waterfalls.

Unfortunately, this lovely camping spot had us stopping a bit short of our intended mileage. So for the next day, we got an early start so that we could achieve our goal of 26.7 miles, our longest day in the whole trail. It went well, with good weather and some easy miles to Jo Mary Road (where some thru-hikers had arranged a food-drop by Shaw’s Hiker Hostel), and following brooks and ponds to Pemadumcook Lake. Here we found a tiny beach just next to a spring feeding into the lake. We could see Katahdin. Dingo and Walkie Talkie joined us; it was way too pleasant sitting there chatting, eating snacks and enjoying the view. With great effort we finally shouldered our packs to do some more miles! One more snack break at a shelter, and we were down to our final 6 miles of the day – a proper sting in the tail, with a brutally steep climb followed by a few miles of rocks and roots past scenic ponds. It was getting dark by the time we got to our intended campsite at Pollywog Stream. Dingo and Walkie Talkie had lagged behind, as Walkie Talkie was suffering with bad blisters, and night fell with no sign of them. We worried about whether they were ok; half a mile into the next day’s hiking, we caught up with them on a dirt road, which they’d used as a shortcut the previous evening and avoided all the rocks and roots. Dingo was particularly pleased with herself for finding that shortcut!

For our last day in the Hundred Mile Wilderness, we had just 17 miles to go. It was an easy day, with good weather and flattish trail past lakes, and we got to the campground at Abol Bridge by 3pm. Mount Katahdin loomed above, a big charismatic presence with a cap of cloud. It was great to have a hot shower, do our laundry (dry clothes!!!) and eat different food, even if it was just a sandwich and ice cream. All the hikers clustered together in one area of the campground, and we had a great evening sitting together at a picnic table, drinking beer, chatting and enjoying the sunset.

Early the next morning we needed to sign up for the Birches campsite in Baxter State Park, where most thru-hikers stay before going up Mount Katahdin. Places are limited there, so we were all anxious to make sure we got in.

Once signed up we went back to the campground store for breakfast, before heading up to the Birches. It was a gorgeous section of trail alongside the Penobscot River, and up to Grassy Pond where we enjoyed dramatic views of Doubletop Mountain as thunderclouds gathered. We got to the Birches and managed to get our tent up just before the heavens opened. Within an hour the rain had slackened off enough for us to go over to the ranger station at Katahdin Stream Campground, to get our permits for the summit. So much bureaucracy!

The forecast for the next day was a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, so everyone agreed an early start would be required, to get to the summit and back below treeline before the storms arrived. So after an early dinner and a lecture to all of us from the ranger about behaviour at the summit (Mount Katahdin is sacred to the Penobscot Native Americans), we got an early night.

At 4am we heard the first hiker getting up and moving about, by 4.30am everyone was up, and by 5.15am, just as it was getting light, the campsite was empty. Most hikers left their camping gear at the ranger station, just taking daypacks to the summit and back, but Neil and I had planned to go over the mountain and down the other side, so we took everything with us.

At first the trail was a straightforward pitched path, but quickly steepened and got rougher and rougher. Dingo shot past us early on, and we passed Walkie Talkie about half an hour in. The trees got shorter as we went higher, and the trail became less of a rocky path, and more like a series of scrambles. With some steep smooth slabs to climb up, requiring use of both hands and careful placement of feet, it was surprisingly technical. It would have been great fun with a daypack and some grippy approach shoes – with a fully loaded pack and well-worn trail shoes with wide toe-boxes, it was quite hard!

As we climbed, clouds were down on the tops of the mountains, occasionally closing in around us, and the wind was chilly. It looked like it would be touch-and-go whether we would get a view from the summit. But as the trail flattened out above the treeline, the clouds started to lift and we got a superb view all the way to the summit. The geology of the Appalachians is closely related to that of northern Scotland, and here for the first time we could really tell the similarities. It looked very much like a Scottish peak, it was just a lot higher at 5267 feet!

The going got easier, and with sunshine and the cold wind it was really pleasant hiking. As we climbed onto the summit ridge we could see the wooden summit sign ahead of us, and a few hikers milling around. Arriving at the sign, we exchanged congratulations with Dingo, Spare Change, Mystery Man and Puffy, and admired the stunning view as the clouds blew in and out, revealing all the ridges leading off the mountain. We were happy to be there, but to be honest it wasn’t a moment of massive elation. Once we were through the Hundred Mile Wilderness, we knew we’d finish the trail. Mount Katahdin was the best finish to any trail we’ve done – better than a trail monument in the middle of nowhere, and better even than a lighthouse. Feelings of satisfaction at a job well done, and a certain amount of pride, would come later, but at that moment I was just happy to be there – and a bit concerned about Walkie Talkie, who was still nowhere in sight. She’s a strong hiker, but suffered even more falls on trail than me! So when she finally arrived about an hour after us, we were all relieved.

So after more photos, we went our separate ways – Dingo and Walkie Talkie back down the AT, and Neil and I down the Saddle Trail to Roaring Brook Campground. It was long, steep and rocky, and seemed to go on forever, but provided some good views of the east side of the mountain. Down at Roaring Brook, we found Spare Change and Mystery Man with their thumbs out, trying to get a ride. They soon got one, and before long we got one too, for the long ride out of Baxter State Park and out to the quiet little town of Millinocket, where we met the other four at the hiker’s hostel.

That evening we had a little celebration in the local bar, but our thoughts were with our other hiker friends who were due to finish the following day. Walkie Talkie and Mystery Man had to leave in the morning, but the rest of us stayed on another night to celebrate with Happy Hour, Grasshopper, Longlegs, Yard Sail, Bear Taco, Beetleweed and Mountain Toad. It was a good celebration, and a good way to end a long and hard but rewarding trail.