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Quick Links: Journal Entries | Photos | Mail Notes | Mail Stops | Registry Status 9/09/2000:
Mt. Katahdin, ME Note from Rick (9/10/2000): Hi Trek followers: Yesterday, at 11 am, I finished my thru-hike of the AT, Georgia to Maine. It took me 5 months and 25 days and the last was fantastic. Couldn't ask for a better day to climb Katahdin and have my picture taken at the top. Southbound hikers on the AT have been congratulating us for 3 weeks about finishing eventho we had nearly 200 miles to go. I kept saying "Its not over till the fat lady sings" and kept praying that I didn't get hurt in the last legs of the trek. Toward the end, I was watching every foot fall and paying strick (sic) attention to the trail and kept saying to myself, "be careful, take it slow, you're almost there". At each rise we would get a look at Katahdin, 180 miles, 150 miles, 100 miles ..... it kept getting closer and closer and bigger and bigger. Got some great photos and look forward to showing them to you all. Climbed up with Copperhead and Glen Muir. I'd been hiking with Copperhead thru most of the 100 mile wilderness. Jim & I first met him once outside Front Royal in Virginia. I just met Glen Muir the night before but all three of us shared one thing, WE MADE IT, and high-fived at the top. The 50 or so day hikers already there all congratulated us and I even got to call Rosemary on some guy's cell phone. Her comment when I told her where I was, was "Get Out !". I'm still not sure its sunk in for me yet that I'm actually finished. Had a dream last nite that I had bought more trail food and was looking for the trail out of Millinocket, where I am now. Couldn't find the trail and was quite frustrated. But here I am sitting in a coffee shop that offers internet access and not out there hiking. It'll probably sink in in a few days or weeks as I reenter the real world. Or did I just leave the REAL WORLD. Thanks to all of you for your support and emails.
It surely meant a lot just knowing that you were there. Take care
and hope to see most of you soon. Reply to this email to hikkerrick_2000@yahoo.com.
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