Well, I’m officially a day hiker, as opposed to a thru-hiker. We used to chuckle at them as they passed by on the trail, amidst a cloud of perfume.

Although I do not think I smelled like a day hiker, I went out for the day just for a few miles. It was nice to be hiking again. I had an odd feeling come over me. The path was flat. Not Virginia-flat, which is not very flat, but a literal flat. 0.0% grade.

Although I plan to hike now and then, it is no longer my life and every reason for my being. Perhaps I will change my blog to reflect that. Form follows function. What is my function in life?

Well, my hike of the Appalachian Trail is officially over. I have arrived back in Traverse City, Michigan, and I am spending most of my time dealing with the fact that it is over.

I spent a few days in Maine after the trail, living a low-expense life and saying goodbye to other hikers as they left town. It was an odd experience. Usually, we say something like “see you down the trail” with quite a bit of confidence. And I usually did see them again soon after. This time was different. Sure, I know I will see some hikers again, especially those I became close with, but others I might not. It happened quickly.

I spent the rest of my time watching Water World in the hotel, walking around town, and looking at various blogs on the internet. One blog talked about minimalism and ways to live without many possessions. I liked this idea, since I had about twelve possessions when I read it. The blog made me want to continue my own blog, and also to think about how my life will be back home. I get to start fresh. Who knows? I may get rid of all my clothing, all my furniture. It is something I will figure out.

I wanted to spend the last bit of time eating, as it was such an important part of the trail, so we did the local ice cream challenge:

14 scoops of ice cream, banana, donut, snickers bar, and a few other various toppings. Not bad for a final hiker meal.

And since we were in Maine, we had to get lobster. It was great to see my sister and mother after so long and also great to be home bound.

What next? I don’t know yet, but I will figure I out, and I’ll let you know when I do.

Here are some more pictures from our climb of Katahdin:

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!