Wow! What an incredibly bizarre thought. I am still sort of in shock and probably will be for a little while, but that’s it! It’s done!

We had all agreed to summit on the 26th, which was the best weather day on Mt. Katahdin all month. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and we had plenty of time to enjoy the rigorous climb up. The last climb is no joke. It is a mile high climb, and many of the sections are rocky and challenging, even for the seasoned hikers.

When we finally reached the top, there were over fifty people, many of them other thru-hikers. I was excited to summit on this day, as so many of my favorite hikers were also planning to summit. I was close with many of them. As we got close, we ran straight for the sign, the one announcing that our 2,185 mile journey had ended.

Lots of emotions were running high. I was so excited to be there. This was the place!

We spent a good deal of the afternoon up on the mountain. The weather was so nice, not even windy, and we were all just in tshirts.

After a while, we decided to hike down the other side, a trail called “Knife’s Edge.” It is a pretty popular trail, and I did not want to miss it while we were here. It was an intimidating trail with tough climbs and amazing views.

Those last few miles to the parking lot were the strangest. Will I ever hike again? I’m sure I will, but it won’t be the same. It will be a different adventure. How amazing to be an official thru-hiker and finished with the hike.

With only five miles to go, I really am almost done with the entire journey. I feel that I have been thinking that for a while, but it is only now sinking in. Every hiker is getting emotional, especially those who have already summited Katahdin. I have already teared up a little while hiking the final section of the Appalachian Trail.

Fret not! As many of you have surmised or hoped, this will not be the end of my adventures! Whether sailing around the world or simply exploring Maine for a few days before I return to the Mitten, I plan to continue my exploration. It is, for me, the only way to live!

My phone died in the recent stretch, the longest stretch of trail without towns. Now that I have it nice and charged, I hope to take some amazing pictures. The weather is supposed to be supreme tomorrow, when I hike the final five miles. This is it!

Today officially makes my hike a four season hike! It’s hard to believe I have been out in the mountains for as long as I have. People keep asking me, “Are you ready to be home?” I don’t know if I am. Sure, I am looking forward to my family and friends, and the luxuries of couches and blankets and elaborate breakfasts, but I do love it out here.

My phone is nearly dead, and there is not much reception here in the “wilderness.” I did want to post a short note, especially as Katahdin, the final climb, is so close. I have about 60 miles left. Only 60.

Hello! My long-lasting journey is drawing to a close. All that remains is the 100-mile wilderness, and a few miles after until Katahdin, the final mountain. I recently entered the 100-mile wilderness.

Most of us figured we could handle ourselves in the woods pretty well. Still, 100 miles means a lot of food, so I stocked up right beforehand. With a heavy pack, I set out into the wild.

Maine has been my favorite state so far. It is beautiful with friendly people and reminds me of home. I have been trying to fit in by drinking Moxie and spending all my time outside.

Thanks for the encouragements! I’m almost done!

We finally climbed all of the intimidating mountain ranges on the trail. All that remains now are beautiful stretches of hilly land, rivers, and hopefully nice weather.

This morning, I woke up late. In hiking four miles in an hour, I still was late to the Kennebec River. They have a canoe to shuttle hikers across the river. Unfortunately, the shuttles stopped at 11:00, and I arrived at 11:01. I waited around until 2:00, when the shuttles began again, and we paddled across to the town of Caratunk.

Yes, I took longer than expected to get here, but Maine has been my favorite state so far on the journey. Everyone is friendly here. The land is beautiful, and I am often reminded of Michigan. One of the disadvantages is weak reception, so posts have been fewer, but I will do my best to keep you all updated.

We were also recently hosted by an incredibly generous local, Tom Dickey. He was so kind to hikers, and it really made my hike that much better.

150 miles to go!

Maine is certainly beautiful. My phone tends to rarely have reception, and the battery drains quicker, but the experience has been great.

I feel like I am in Georgia once again. We have slowed our pace a bit, (which helps reduce any hiking pains from the terrain), spending more time talking to other hikers and enjoying nature and campfires.

We saw two lakes in one day. One had a sandy bottom and was perfect for a swim (which I did). The second was smaller with a public canoe! It was great to enjoy both lakes. We are at the 45th parallel, between the North Pole and equator, and I have been reminded of home.

Presently, I am loading up on junk food. I can’t seem to eat enough!

We made it to Rangeley, and have about 220 miles left.

I made it to Maine!

Unfortunately, it has been extremely humid, with fog and occasional bouts of rain. With limited clothing, this can make for an uncomfortable time. I am looking forward to being dry once again.

As Firewalker, it seems the extra humidity and moisture is my weakness. Nonetheless, there is a mounting excitement as we hikers approach the end of the trail.

With less than 300 miles in my journey, I am headed into the state of Maine. It is the last state on the trail, and many say it is the most beautiful. Weather has been cooperating, so I look forward to seeing some picturesque sights.

It has also been a blast hanging out with the hikers around us. They are great people, and we have also been catching up to hikers that we have not seen in 1,000 miles.

As a greeting to the north, I saw my first moose! She was grabbing branches with her mouth and stripping them off in one swipe. When the branches were empty, she actually walked onto the trail! Barely giving us a glance, she continued grazing, not ten feet away! She was like the largest horse I had seen. Of course, my phone has been dead for the past few days. Of all the pictures I have taken, that one would have been a favorite. I suppose I will have to find another moose!

We enter a new land – where the climbs are challenging and the views are spectacular… The White Mountains!

Yes, people have been telling us for a while that this stretch was difficult and that we could not sustain our planned rapid pace. Naturally, we did not believe them, but it certainly has been some challenging terrain.

What is so spectacular about this stretch of hiking for me? Well, for one, the views. We are above tree line for long stretches and have nearly constant views for some sections. It is also finally fairly far from towns, so some views are only mountains in all directions! Also, it is a return to high elevations of 5000 and 6000 foot tall mountains. There is a lot of traffic here but for good reason.

Today, we climbed Mt. Washington. It is known to have crazy weather, and until recently held the record for highest recorded wind speed, well above 200 mph. We are camping near the mountain but far enough off to be safe while still enjoying the sunset.

We have been fortunate to have spectacular weather. Through here, rather than the usual white blaze to mark the trail, they use piles of stones. Because it is often foggy or rainy, this helps the visibility. Follow the stones!