I’m excited to tell you that I have completed the entire Appalachian Trail! It was 2,189.9 beautiful miles, 169 amazing days, so many incredible friendships, and a lifetime’s worth of laughter and beauty.
The last time you heard from me I was getting ready to head out into the 100 Mile Wilderness. Just as its name implies, it is a 100 mile section of the trail where there are no public roads and hence, no towns. I was very excited for the wilderness, because I expected that there would be fewer hikers and more wildlife; and I was correct. I was also pleasantly surprised by the weather, which remained unseasonably warm.
The most challenging part of preparing for and hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness was the amount of food I would need to carry. I planned on getting through the Wilderness (plus Baxter State Park) in six days. Let me assure you that six days of food is heavy. And at this point on the trail my hiker appetite was at it’s all time high, so I needed a lot of food! I feel confident in saying that it was the heaviest my pack has ever been, weighing in at 37lbs (with water)! The first couple days were tough with all that weight on my back. I took every opportunity I could to take a snack break. Anything to lighten my pack! Haha!
The 100 Mile Wilderness was beautiful, just as all of Maine had been so far. On my first day, the trail followed a river for some time and eventually turned into a thundering waterfall. The power of the water pouring down the rocks was intense! In Maine fashion, just down stream, we had the chance to soak our feet in the refreshingly cold water as we forded the river.
The trail in Maine was muddy and this section was no different. There were long stretches of trail that were nothing but mud. In places it was shin deep! Going around the mud was not always an option, so I tried everything I could to keep from submerging my feet. I rock hopped and log hopped and stepped on anything I could to keep my feet dry. Of course after some time, all my efforts were wasted and eventually there was no way around it- my feet got soaked and muddy.
On my third day in the Wilderness, I climbed White Cap Mountain where for the first time I could see Mt. Katahdin! It was an exciting and emotional moment. I’d spent so much time and so much energy into getting there and now there it was in my sight! It was still far off in the distance, but boy did it look big! From the other side of White Cap Mountain I could see where I’d come from. I spent a long afternoon up there, enjoying the views of the mountains I’d just hiked and the excitement of where I was headed. This felt like a very special day, but was a bold reminder that the end was near.
The next day was like a dream! The trail “flattened” out and the weather was still perfect! It was just me and the trail. The sun was beaming through the trees all day and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. In the late afternoon I came to a sign that read, “Hikers stop by camp for hotdogs and a cold drink,” with an arrow pointing towards a blue blazed trail. My hiker appetite gave me no choice and led me down the side trail. An amazing women named Gwen and her husband sat in front of Jo-Mary Lake cooking hotdogs for all the passing hikers! They’d come by boat and were camping for the night across the lake. There is nothing like a hot meal on the trail that doesn’t involve ramen or cooking it myself. Gwen told us that she had survived leukemia and this was the first time she felt well enough to leave her house. She chose to take the opportunity to do something nice for other people since “so many people had taken care of her.” Her son had thru-hiked in the past and she remembered how thankful he had always been for Trail Magic. As Gwen told us her story I fought back tears which stemmed from so many emotions. I was overjoyed to know what she had overcome. I was reminded of my Mom who has twice survived breast cancer and my Dad who lost his battle to pancreatic cancer just a couple years ago. I spent a lot of time on the trail thinking about my Dad, even talking to him. Meeting Gwen and hearing her story was a really great moment for me. She is just one of the many inspiring people I met along my journey, but one that I really felt connected to. I was so grateful for her enormous act of kindness.
On my last night in the Wilderness, I read through the shelter log. This was the last AT shelter that I would be staying at. Hikers wrote long entries, saying goodbye to the trail, sharing their favorite moments, and what they had gotten from their hikes. I found an entry from Samwise, a member of my trail family who had hiked on ahead and had already finished. He listed us each and said he was proud of us for making it so far. My heart was full. I had made friends for life on this trail as I was so happy to have them in my life. (I love you guys!)
I spent six days hiking through the 100 Mile Wilderness, everyday getting closer and closer to my goal. Each time I got a view of Katahdin it was immensely larger. Reaching the end was beginning to feel real in a way I hadn’t felt earlier on the trail. I arrived at Katahdin Stream Campground on September 21 where I checked in at the ranger station as thru-hiker number 691. The next morning I would climb Mt. Katahdin.
I woke with three hiker friends before sunrise. We got ready with our headlamps and dropped our packs off at the ranger station where they would stay while we summited. We wouldn’t need our full packs today, because for the first time on the trail we would be returning to where we started. I felt oddly calm as I left the ranger station and headed toward the trail. This was it. The day had come.
It was 5.2 miles to the summit. The hike was beautiful. The air was cool but the sun was shining. So many climbs on the trail felt never-ending, like I would never reach the top. It was like the mountains were growing as I was hiking. But this climb was different. I wanted to get to the summit, but I didn’t want it to end. It was hard to think about any one thing and my mind felt scattered as the past five and a half months rolled through it, thoughts about my future crept in, and the always welcomed, “It’s so beautiful!” phrase that left my lips hundreds of times a day continued on this last day.
There were short sections of Katahdin that were technical, requiring climbing up and pulling myself up with my arms, and although they were, they didn’t feel especially difficult this time. It was all enjoyable. Every single step. There were several “false summits” and I kept looking up, waiting to see the sign. When I finally saw it in the distance I couldn’t keep my words or tears in. “There it is!” I said to no one but myself. I was overjoyed and overwhelmed by so many emotions. Luckily my legs were programmed to keep walking without any thought, otherwise I may have froze at the sight of it all. As I approached the summit sign, I had tears in my eyes. I had done it! I had actually made it to Katahdin! I touched the sign and smiled and I couldn’t stop. Two hiker friends, Big Brother and Pink Panther, came up the trail behind me. They were also overcome with tears of joy. We hugged and high-fived and celebrated with…SNACKS!
There are no words for the feeling of being up there and standing on the Katahdin Summit sign. There is no way to describe to anyone how it feels. It isn’t just that moment that you are experiencing, it’s every single step you took to get there, it’s every single day whether sunny or raining, hot or cold, it’s every ounce of pain, it’s every second you spent laughing with friends, it’s every time a view took your breath away, it’s every moment when you were just hiking and there was no where else in the entire world that you would rather be. All of these moments are with you at the top of Katahdin. I spent 169 days working really hard to make it from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin. And I succeeded! I did it! It was 2,189.2 miles that I will never forget, filled with so much beauty and life. I met the most amazing and inspiring people along the way. I am overjoyed to have these people as my friends.
I’m walking away from this experience with a full heart – and sore feet haha! I got more than I ever could have hoped for out of this journey. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for it and for all of the support my friends and family and even complete strangers have given me along the way. The kindness and generosity of people will never be forgotten.
Thank you all so much for following my journey.
Although no one carried me or my pack up and down those mountains, despite my wishes, I greatly appreciate all of the support you gave me!
Thank you, Mom! You may have been the only one who truly believed I’d make it all the way! And not JUST because you’re my mom, but because, as you said, “You’ve done everything else you said you were going to do.” Thank you for all of the support, for always answering the phone, and for always believing in me.
Thank you, Eric! You’re the best friend anyone could ask for. I appreciate you taking time out of your super busy schedule to help me out. You are the most generous person I’ve ever met!
Thank you, Susquehannock Wildlife Society! You’ve been so supportive since I shared my plans with all of you! Thank you for allowing me to share my journey. You are the most hardworking and dedicated people I’ve ever met in my life. I cannot wait to see the Wildlife Center. Thank you for all of the support! And thank you for all of the hard work you do for our wildlife!
Thank you to all of my “Tramily” and Trail friends! You made my experience what it was. I loved every moment we shared from Georgia to Maine. You were there to pick me up on my rough days, to smile with during the good times, to laugh at me when I fell, to laugh with me for hours and hours, to talk with for hours and hours, to zero with, to survive freezing cold rains and sweltering hot days, to get hitches with, to eat with, to just be with. Thank you, Dirty Peanut, for so much that I don’t know where to start; but, definitely for the laughter, the talks, the friendship, the company, the nights you read to me, and probably most importantly, for being the other founding member of the TCA. Thank you, Forrest, Blue, and Bullet, for the endless fun, love, and for showing me that there are good hearted, amazing people in this world! Thank you, Samwise, for all the honest wit and entertainment! Thank you, Medkit and Genghis Khan, for hiking with my that awful day I had shin splints and for always making me laugh. Thank you MacDaddy, Hollywood, Soggy Dirt, and Pocket Spider for being my extended trail family! I love you guys! You are an amazing and hysterical bunch! Thank you, Haulin Oats, for hiking with my through the Whites! Your company was so great and our shenanigans will never be forgotten. Thank you, Blister Babe, Queen Bee, and Dirt Face for hiking with me through the toughest parts of the trail! Your company was great and the music was awesome. Every time is see a splashing, but not giggling moose, I will think of you! I’ve never laughed harder than the times I’ve laughed with all of you. I’ve never had a more amazing experience than the one that we shared. You all made my journey what it was. I love you!
Thank you, Mike, for coming all the way across the country to hike with me in Virginia, for being the reason for my trail name, and for coming all the way to Maine when I finished to road trip home with me! I was so glad to have your company as I left the trail.
Thank you to each and every person who donated to my Go Fund Me fundraiser! Every dollar made my journey so much better. You helped me to replace worn and broken gear, to get supplies, and to fund mail drops. My feet especially thank you, as they were so grateful for the much needed new pair of trail runners, which got me to Maine! Your generosity will be remembered forever.
Thank you to my family and friends, both near and far, for following my journey and cheering me on! All the texts, the FB and Instagram comments, the phone calls, and the thoughts helped me more than you can know.
Happy Trails,
Nicole
