DONE! My AT thru-hike is complete. Red, Gary and I reached Katahdin Summit at 11:00 AM today after a challenging, three-hour climb. I wanted to run up to the the sign when it first came into view but was too tired and the terrain too rocky. But I made it there anyway. What a moment of relief and joy: to know that this six-month odyssey is complete! Of course, it wasn't entirely over on the summit; we still had to climb back down the way we came up which was not easy. About a mile or so below the summit was a mile or so of boulder hopping and scrambling down a very precipitous slope. It was hard enough coming up but even trickier going down. Even after we were below that section, the trail was steep, rocky, and rooty almost all the way to the campground. So our last day on the AT was as challenging as any. But it was still fun, especially on the summit. Now or Never, Dharma, Kali-Frodo, Polish Ninja and Cap'n were already there. We took photos, and congratulated each other on completing the hike. I had not known the last four well but simply being together on Katahdin Summit made them special to me.
So now it's all over. I have fulfilled one of my life ambitions. Now what? Time to fulfill the other ambitions: to write, to paint, to explore. I have asked the spirits for the courage to dream and the confidence to make those dreams come true. Now I will begin to use those gifts.
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