Summit Anniversary #2!!!!!

I decided that the acknowledgement of my 2nd Summit Anniversary needed it's own post. That's a day I won't easily forget. It was a Wednesday. I had gotten to Katahdin Steam Campground the Friday before and would normally have summited on Saturday with my "croo" but because my partner, Dennis, and my daughter, Dana, were coming up to summit with me, I decided to meet them in town on Friday night, hang low on Saturday, camp out at the campground Saturday night, and summit on Sunday. Good plan. Didn't happen. It rained Saturday night in the lowlands and snowed and iced on Katahdin. Class IV. Mountain closed.

Monday, still Class IV, can't climb. And now the campground is closing and we have to move to Millinocket, the closest town. Get a room at the motel.

Tuesday, Mtn closed. It was a beautiful sunny warm day so we go for a hike. By now the town is filling up with hikers. More coming in every day. All waiting to summit. Some I knew, most I didn't...because they were behind me. They knew of me. Had read my entries in the shelter registers. We start hassling the rangers that we need to finish. There's been no place else on the whole trail that they've said whether or not we could hike it, why here? We're going on Wednesday whether they officially open the mountain or not. By this time, 25 hikers have collected and are chomping at the bit. We ready! We've hiked 2,170 miles to get here and we want to finish.

Wednesday dawns...no that's right, we're up before dawn. We have to get to the gate to Baxter State Park by 6 a.m. so that we can get into the park. They only

let a limited number of cars in and we don't want to be shut out. Nutella, Sir Privy Winks, and Luna are getting a ride out with us. These are hikers I met during my hike and I'm excited to be summiting with them. Bluebearee, a ridge runner, and the ranger are there at the campground to

greet us. And off we go!

The first mile or so are a slow climb in the woods, past a waterfall, over some boulders. Then the boulders become more prominent and larger. And larger! And pretty soon we're having to really scramble our way up, sometimes grabbing metal bars in the rock to hoist ourselves up...and

up...and up.

All along a rocky ridge line. And then we hit the tableland which flattens out. The ice is covering most everything. It's beautiful! It's winter again. I started in the winter in Georgia and I'm finishing in the winter in Maine.

INCREDIBLE!

And up and up and up. A hard climb for Dana and Dennis, as I can only imagine. (I had had 7 months of conditioning.) And then I see the "sign". The thing I walked 2,175 miles to touch. Dana was hiking in front of me. Dennis was behind trying to video and hike...(not an easy thing to do). And Dana stepped aside and said, "The moment is yours, Bag Lady!"

And on I pushed, up and up.

And then I was there!

At that old, faded maroon saw-horse shaped sign that has printed in washed-out white letters, " Katahdin, Northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, a mountain footpath extending from Georgia to Maine."

And the emotions are unlike anything I've ever known. Intense happiness, joy, tears, sobbing, disbelief, wonderment, undefined.

I did it! I said I would!

Step Lightly,

Bag Lady

What am I up to?

What am I up to? Are you ever going to keep up your blog? Ok! Ok! I get the message. Somebody is really reading this and cares to know what I'm doing. Where do I begin? Guess I should go back and see where I left off...................

Ah, yes, just home from the AT adventure. I remember. Well, I went to the Work Weekend at Shalom Mountain over Labor Day and had a blast. Like a family reunion! And since my family doesn't have reunions, this was quite a treat! I love having lots of people around and Shalomers are the best: people who love to hug and listen and care. And while I was t

here, it became evident to me what the next thing I had to do was: volunteer...at the Mountain...and live there for a few months. Can I do this? Just up and move here? They need me. The office assistant was leaving the end of September and the person who was going to pick up the responsibilities was sick, and I have the smarts and the skills and the time and the desire, so what the hey. Ok. I'll come. Besides, it will be a chance to experience living in an intentional community, something that I've wanted to try. And I love this place. And I love the people. So I told them I'd go home and pack and be back in a week.

But I have appts back home. Ailments. Old age? I don't know. Ever since June I've had this ache in my shoulder, chest, and neck. Started out slight, changing, moving, glowing kind of pain. Had it massaged at Shalom and again when I got home. Nothing. Forget about it. Nope...not going away. Better see my man, Brett...the Muscle Maintenance guru. He can fix anything. And that's who my appt was with. So I moved to Shalom September 14th and drove back to Rochester for one night the following week.

And I also have plans to fly to San Diego to visit my # 1 daughter and her hubby, and attend the sister-in-law's wedding. That was the the first 2 weeks of October. Can we work around appts and trips? I'll just learn the workings of the office in September, then take off for 3 weeks in October. Am I crazy? Well, yes I am, but what's that got to do with anything?

So that's what I did: moved to Shalom Sept 14, home for a quick visit Sept 22, home again Sept 29, flew to SD Oct 1, flew home Oct 13...and I'm heading back to Shalom next Monday the 19th. Whew...even I'm exhausting myself!!!

And add to all that, I've had a boarder staying at my house for the last month. A young guy from Shalom, Govinda, moved in while he was investigating living in Rochester. I loved having him here taking care of the place (and what a fine job he did!), but he's decided to move back home and leaves today. Sob...sob...I'll miss him.

Also a dear friend from Florida, Kim, up visiting her daughter, stayed here. It's getting to be like a hostel. She arrived before I got home from SD and is leaving after I go back to Shalom. I love all the activity here. Maybe I can open as a hostel for people passing through Rochester. But I guess I need to be home more to do that.

So back to Shalom for a couple of months, although I do have some weekends planned to be back here. Can't stay away forever, I miss the place. And besides, now with Govinda going I don't really have anyone to collect the mail and water the plants. I've over used my friends, I think, so I'll just see if they (the plants) can go for a stretch until I can get back here. It will be cold so they shouldn't dry out as much, right?

Step Lightly,

Bag Lady

p.s. the pigs are at Shalom...one is ours but we call them all Kevin...