Day 93: The miracle of the Katahdhin Stream camp arrives

• Zero to zero near Hanover, NH (1756.1)
• 0 feet rise, 0 feet of descent

In Tuedsay, on November 11, 1975, I stopped at the border of the Baxter State Park, near the Abol bridge and looked at Mist knowing that Katahdin was close. They were exactly 6 months until the day I started walking along the path of the Apalaches. This was my end point. It was an intensely emotional moment. I put my hand on my chest and promised to climb that mountain until I completed the rest of the path of the Appalaches. Part of me knew it was a vote based on the process. Do not finish until you are ready. The emotional part of my younger self felt that Katahdin did not deserve to climb because he had failed to walk the entire path of the Apalaches.

I kept that vote, even when I lived close enough to have risen to Katahdin. Now, just miles to complete all but Katahdin, I’m afraid I can’t do it. I’m afraid I am too old. I’m afraid it will be too difficult. I failed in my original walk. I’m afraid I’m not worthy.

Am I worthy?

I was quite young when I made my original walking attempt. In my first year of university, I reached an agreement with my mother of what my arts associate title would end before I left. I guess that gave him a year to hold on to me before screwing me. I worked and waited and finished my AA. I was mature for my age, but it is still quite innocent for the world to have lived most of my life, either in a tent, taking care of the family or studying.

Walking on the path of the Apalaches is difficult now. Walking on the trail of the Apalaches in 1975 was more difficult. There were no ferry, nor shelters, nor angels of trails, and above all, for me, almost no other people. 1975 was the first year in which the total number of hikers exceeded 100, partly due to The 19 19 Warren Group through hikers.

I mainly walked alone. Sometimes for days. I made a walk with Warren’s group for a few days. They had a support truck and I was carrying my things. After several more than 20 miles, I made a day of 34.6 miles to keep them up to date. I was painfully alone.

That night, I arrived at the camp after dusk. All the others had eaten and were in bed. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even lift my store. I knew I was going to rain, so I shot the footprint of my feet and put the tent’s fly on her and dragged myself. A few hours later I woke up and felt around my sleeping bag. The footprint of my store had a binding around him, which made him snuggle. I was sleeping in a water bath. I was so tired that I only put my hands in my bag and went back to sleep. Everyone had gone when I got up.

In my mind, it was not worthy. I could not keep up with the other hikers.

The worthy value is not really the question

My current self looks back to my teenage self and feel compassion. Being for so long would make anyone a bit Batty. My feet never cured continuous blisters caused by heavy and bad mountain boots. I walked 6 months on the road with less than $ 400, so my food supplies were scarce even with the occasional package that the historian and my mother sent. I never told them that I was hungry, I was too embarrassed because I thought my money should have gone further. Sometimes I wonder how I got as far as I did. The valuable was not the question. Exhaustion, pain, loneliness and malnutrition were.

I have spent time in psychotherapy over the years and I have never presented this belief to examine it. Now, closer to Katahdin, I’ve been thinking about it. I have also talked about that.

Although I felt shame when I did not finish, I have lived beyond that. Each hiker who does not reach expectations must do that. It is not something simple because it is you who failed you. His feet, his aerobic condition, his judgment that led him to the path, and it is you who carries it.

I love that the walk includes stories of those of us who «fall short» of a complete walk. Although we establish a complete walk as a «normal objective», it is really not normal at all. Even being part of a great walk is an incredible achievement.

Last year, during a stay in the aspect of Glass Hostel, we visited a series of continental divide through hikers at the end of his trip. Most were triple corwners. I confessed my concern to have «failed» in my walk and a person who said I was selling me. They pointed out that what I did was a remarkable achievement.

I knew it was remarkable and listened to it my achievement. However, that young man who was standing at the Katahdin base still has a place in my oldest self. I see her with kindness and understanding, but she is still there.

Katahdin Stream camp reservations

One of my fears for both my youngest self and for my current self is that I will not be able to obtain the right permits to ascend to Katahdin. Those are realistic fears!

After talking to the useful people in the hostel and outfitters of Apalachian Trail, he had the renewal of the hope that it would be possible to obtain permission. They explained that if I could not find a reserve, they could almost always help people get another person’s permission.

The permissions system is quite simple. Only a few people can climb on any day. You can only spend the night at Baxter Park with a permission and then only in designated places. He obtains a permit by having the appropriate camp reserve, or walking from the 100 mile desert (presumably as a hiker) and being one of the first 12 people to register on the selected day.

We originally planned to enter from the 100 mile desert. He had done it, but wanted to share it with the historian, so he was going to walk again. About a month ago, with all the heat, we decided that we simply did not have to do it to do it.

Consequently, we would have to have KATAHDIN STREAM camp reservations or we would have to stay in Millinocket, emerge very early, take a 45 -minute transport service, go up and down at 4 pm so that transport returns to Millinocket. I knew we couldn’t finish at 4 pm.

The miracle occurs

This Sunday morning, I checked once again to see if there was an open camp in Katahdin Stream Campground. Two consecutive nights were open, although in different places. It was before what we planned to be there, but a quick calculation said we could achieve it if we hurried. The people of the Baxter Park reservation office helped link the two nights together. The kind lady said she couldn’t believe there were open places.

Not fully understanding how we were «arriving» to climb Katahdin, she warned me that Katahdin was difficult. I told him that I understood that. We had a long discussion about my trip from 1975 to today, which included many challenges. At the end of our conversation, she was encouraging me and we both had mourning eyes. I promised that it would happen after finishing to have a cup of tea with it.

The dice is molten

We have reservations to climb Katahdin. It’s just a week away. I must hurry to get there because I want to keep the reasonable part of my vote. I still don’t want to climb Katahdin before having completed the rest of the path. I don’t question my worth. The mountain has invited me and I will answer.

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