Almost the Mile High Club 

If you have been following my posts you might recall that Maine has millions of acres. Approximately 600,000 of these acres are designated to “Public Reserved Lands” run by the state. One of Maine’s most notable locations has to be Mount Katahdin also known as the end of the Appalachian Trail. The summit stands 13 feet short of a mile and resides in Baxter State Park in Millinocket. It is a mountain that has a challenge for every level of hiker. 

My first trip to the mountain was in my youth. I don’t recall my age but it was around the middle school era. My grandfather – the same one I had shot my turkey with, would be my guide on all of my journeys to Baxter State Park. My first attempt at hiking was to Chimney Pond. It got my feet wet and while I wasn’t immediately hooked I wanted to face the challenge of making it to the summit. My grandfather assured me that we would make it to the summit on the next attempt if I believed in myself. It wasn’t easy and I probably complained the whole time but I made it to the summit just like he said.  It must have been 100 percent visibility that day, because my grandfather said “If you look over there you can see the White Mountains, they are all the way in New Hampshire”. As a kid I didn’t believe him, I thought he was messing with me. I didn’t have a smart phone back then but when I returned home a quick google search proved he wasn’t lying to me. The summit of Katahdin can offer some of the longest unbroken lines of sight in the United States. 

The moment of reaching that summit was unforgettable, the view alone was breathtaking, and I would encourage anyone to try to summit Mount Katahdin if you are able, because it will leave you captivated. You can stand on a mountain top by the power of your own two feet, by the power of your will. I would go on to summit four more times with one of those times including Knife’s Edge. 

Knife’s Edge is a trail that is appropriately named as it features the hikers walking the small length of rock where the mountain tops reach their peak. The trail width is hardly a shoulder length apart and is only recommended for experienced hikers. It’s like walking a plank. One misstep could be the last mistake you ever make. Making it to the summit is great but climbing Knife’s Edge, that’s a new level of excitement. If you are afraid of heights to a debilitating level, I wouldn’t recommend this trail.

Even though I have summited the mountain many times, my favorite one, apart from Knife’s Edge, has to be my last trip. It was a large group trip, but there were two things that made it very special to me. It was my first time summiting with my wife and most likely my grandfather’s last journey to the summit. Not because his will power isn’t there, but because his body isn’t as young as his mind. I watched a strong, proud, military veteran come to the realization that he may never see the White Mountains from the peak again. That’s a hard thing to watch, but there was almost beauty in it. We had an amazing experience that day. I might be in tears the next time I summit, because it will be the first time in my entire life I will have to do it without my grandfather. Climbing a mountain can be an emotional journey and I think there must be some magic at the pinnacle. I have seen people propose and people cry but the experience has never been anything other than impactful.