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Michael "Shorts" Alowitz
City: Des Moines
State: IA
Begins: Mar 20, 2010
Direction: Northbound
Daily Summary
Date: Tue, Aug 24th, 2010
Start: KSC / the Birches mi 2173.9
End: Katahdin Summit mi 2179.1
Daily Distance: 5.2
Trip Distance: 2,167.5
Hours Hiked: 3.3
Journal Stats
Entry Visits: 2,650
Journal Visits: 35,390
Guestbook Views: 3,938
Guestbook Entrys: 131
Day 158 Katahdin
Katahdin complete. 2010 Appalachian Trail Thru hike complete. Headed up at about 0740 on a Class 1 day. Class one basically means great weather and likely great views. There have been several this year, but they are typically rare.
Creepy and I hiked most of the way up together while Nobody danced ahead. At times, it was a challenging climb requiring upper body as well as legs to get up and over rock formations. In a couple of spots, steel rungs and hand/footholds were in use. No falls, slips, or injuries for the team. Hit the summit a bit after 1100.
It was very exciting and I bounded up the final part, once I was close to the sign. I slapped it. I did several poses and had Nobody and Creepy take many photos. I took photos of them. We got photos together. The views were fantastic. Our friends who summitted yesterday had no views and had to deal w/cold rain/fog. The guys had ice in their beards. I never put on another layer of clothing, hat, or gloves. It was simply gorgeous.
I'm getting a ride back to NY w/Nobody's parents Ken and Judy. We're going w/Creepy and dropping her off in Portland. Then Nobody's family will continue on to near Rochester. I'm glad to have it done and I'm proud to have done it.. Ill have some pictures up by the end of the weekend if not by Friiiday evening. I made a note on my phone about where I stashed some stuff at home. Unfortunately, I never said where I left my keys.
There will be at least 1 post-hike entry, but the big show is over. Thanks to everyone who has helped out, offered to help, encouraged or followed along on the blog or Facebook. This list cannot be complete but here is a try: Dad, Mom, Elizabeth, Gwen, Tom, Tater, Karin, The entire Hagen family, Aaron and Courtney, Scott and Ter, SunRay and Kristie, Riele and Jason, Amy and John, Miss Janet, Mala, Baltimore Jack, Fat Chap, Drew and Michelle, Frank (wallet rescue), Tim (amazing hitch), my office (especially Clint, Angel, Janet, Rob, Marisa (even if she couldn't find a way to overnight packages to the Boonies :)), Brian, Kevin, Jen and Scott for covering a lot of work), Christine, Maryanne, Theresa, Angela, Sarah S, Basel, Cousin Michael, Wayne, Jody, Courtney and Kyra; Gary, Andrea, Devin, Jacob and Darcie, Schoenes, Hoover and Lauren, Dan/Doctor Who, Jamie, Dari, Laurie, Castle, Bill C, Cassy, Maria
I made a lot of hiker friends too and that group has been great fun and support too (especially in VA when I was ready to go home). Unfortunately this list cannot be complete either as my brain is certainly loosing data, but here goes: My first gang - The Woods Hole Gang - Buckaroo, Yvonne and Sircko (WolfPak), Radar, and especially Silverbak; my hiking folks near the end especially too - Mimi, Darwin, Robo Baggins, Nobody, Creepy, Smokestack, Zen and Devo, LabRat, Popeye, and AppleJuice. Also a huge number of people in between including: Jim and Elaine (Which Way) From Maine, Ron Morris, Naptime, TicToc and Cookie, WeeNail, Long Shanks, Menno and Mexico, Jack the Shark, Achillies the Red, Erika, Ginger, Tup, Ink, NateDog, Inferno, Bulldawg and Hitchcock, Moose, Tetherball, Red Lobstah, BooBoo, Rock n Roll, T-Funk, Strider, Powah Nap, Klarity, Tattoo, LobsterMan and Joey, SnowWhite (Iowan w/whom I didn'tactually hike), Trog, Whisper, Listener, Hopi, Just Blue Skies, WebWalker, Mine Own, Bumper, Breeze, Fredo, Veggie, Josey Wales, Hobbot, Hopi, Little Foot, Skipper, Michigan, Kricket, Pacer, Rocksteady, And a big thanks to all the purveyors of trail magic in its many forms. Ill have a few poost hike posts, but the real show is over. Thanks for following, folks! Weather: great. Perfect. Warm. Sleeping: doesn't matter, I'm done
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