|
 |
Cathedral was quite a workout. We climbed more than hiked, using one or
both hands most of the time because the ascent was so steep. The boulders
were huge and sometimes we had very little to hold onto while we pulled
ourselves through crevices, over outcroppings and up the trail. It was hard
work, and as we climbed above treeline, our sources of shade were disappearing. |
 |
The climbing was kind of exhilarating- I liked using my whole body instead
of just my legs, and the routes required some forethought and problem solving.
Here Shana points to where we're headed. (unfortunately that was NOT the
top of the trail... just an outcropping that prevented me from seeing exactly
how much further we had to climb.) |
 |
By this time the heat was blazing- I'd brought way more water than I thought
I'd need, but it was disappearing quickly. Sweat dripped off my nose and
chin and the temperature probably got up around 90. Yet still I smiled!
(I didn't know how far we were from the top.) We crossed paths with a group
of hikers on their way down (Cathedral is officially "too steep to
recommend as a descent route," but apparently these guys thought it
preferable to Knife Edge). We talked about how tough this trail was and
one guy looked at me and said, "Yeah, especially with that house on
your back!!" I was only carrying snacks, water, first aid stuff, and
warmer clothes in case the temp dropped near the top, but it sure felt like
I was carrying a house. |
 |
The view to our left was pretty impressive. |
 |
We'd planned to climb the peak, cross a notoriously dangerous path called
Knife Edge to a smaller peak, and then decend Katahdin via a trail called
the Helon Taylor. Knife Edge was formed when two glaciers ground against
each other, creating an extremely narrow and sheer ridge between the two
peaks. At times the path is less than a yard wide with sheer drops on either
side. I'd really been looking forward to the experience of crossing it,
probably even more than reaching the peak itself. The description of the
Cathedral Trail didn't mention fatalities, as the Knife Edge description
did, but it was still an intense climb. Sometimes when I began to climb
or reach for a foothold, I'd realize it wasn't feasible. As I looked back
to find the last good foothold, I'd see my boot, the rock it needed to be
on, and behind the rock... the other side of the mountain. Losing traction
on the rock face or losing my balance would definitely have consequences. |
 |
We'd been climbing for a couple hours and I was drenched in sweat. I drank
water like it was going out of style, but I still felt exhausted and shakey.
I finally allowed myself to consider the possibility that maybe I couldn't
do Knife Edge today. I was having to rest every 15-20 steps and still couldn't
seem to catch my breath. I was frustrated with the heat, my dwindling water
supply, my slow pace, and what seemed like an endless trail ahead. At times
I just wanted to cry but I knew it would only dehydrate me more. Time also
became a factor- we needed to get back to the base of the mountain by dark,
and on these types of trails, hurrying wasn't really an option.
That's an interesting aspect of mountain climbing and backpacking as sports...
if you do decide to quit, you're really only halfway done. You still have
to get back to where you started. Knife Edge, which is the ridge over my
head in this picture, was waiting for me at the peak. I had to decide by
then which way to go. |
 |
Despite the relentless heat, we passed some snow patches on the way up.
Had I seen them sooner, I probably would have clambered over anything to
lay down in one, but my attention was focused only on the next step I had
to make. Shana noticed this patch after we'd both passed it. |
 |
Cathedral ended and met up with Saddle Trail, which led to the peak. The
last section was much smaller chunks of loose granite that moved and turned
and clinked together under each footstep. It was like walking up a huge
pile of bricks- not good for the ankles. But at last we made it- Baxter
Peak, the highest point on Katahdin, elevation 5,267 feet. |
 |
This was the extent of the celebration I could muster. My ankles ached from
hours of launching from and landing on unhealthy angles. Soaked with sweat,
I was alternately chilled when the wind picked up and overheated when we
were on the move. To the left was Knife Edge, which led to Helon Taylor
Trail, which went to the base of the mountain. This route was shorter in
miles but much more difficult. To the right was the Saddle Trail, which
was a longer but less intense, and would lead us back to Chimney Pond, where
we would take the Chimney Pond trail back to the base. |
 |
Speaking of Chimney Pond... there it is. From the summit, it hardly looks
like more than a puddle. |
 |
This is the beginning of Knife Edge. It's as much of it as I saw. While
Shana and I were packing and planning at home, a news show was examining
the benefits of music therapy for patients of brain trauma. The music therapy
wasn't that interesting, but the patients stuck with me... the 22-year-old
former football player who was learning to walk and speak again after a
head injury in a car accident. The father of three who couldn't raise his
arms to hug his wife because of a bad fall. Normal people whose lives and
bodies were devastated in an instant, because of bad luck or a bad decision.
If my legs had been feeling stronger, or if there was no time pressure,
I may have tried to cross Knife Edge. I probably could have made it even
as things were. But I decided it wasn't worth the risk, so we turned and
headed down the Saddle Trail. |
 |
The Saddle Trail wasn't exactly the easy walk we were hoping for- much of
it was the crumbling, shifting, unsteady granite chunks we'd walked on before,
which meant more ankle wrenching. |
 |
From the Saddle Trail we could see a nice profile view of the Cathedral
Trail. |
 |
Chimney Pond seemed even further away as we began the steep part of the
Saddle descent. Note the blood on Shana's arm- we experienced a variety
of mosquitos, black flies, and biting flies, especially these deer flies
that made you bleed before you even scratched the bite. I had an aura of
biting insects for most of the hike- for some reason they liked my blood
better than Shana's, although when we'd sit and rest together, some would
defect over and begin pestering her. |
 |
Saddle's descent is a rockslide of pink granite. We took turns walking first
to discover the wobbly, slippery, and loose rocks that crumbled and rolled
beneath our feet. By some miracle we made it back with no serious ankle
injuries. For the last few miles we trudged like zombies- all we could do
was put one foot in front of the other and know that sooner or later we'd
be finished. At times I wanted to be done so badly that I was stricken with
a desire to run, but my body simply could not comply. I told Shana that
I kind of wanted to try to sprint, just to see which parts of my lower
extremeties would break first. We arrived back at camp a little after 8:00,
nearly 12 hours after our departure. |
 |
At the end of the day the mountains still looked huge and impossible, even after we'd stood on the peak.
It was a tough day, but I'm glad we
did it. I regret not being able to cross Knife Edge, but I don't regret
my decision. Mountains don't exist to be conquered, and the idea of tiny
specks of humankind claiming dominance over one is laughable. It is nature's
temporary indifference that allows us to reach a summit, and if we celebrate
our ability to stand there and breath that air, the victory is not over
the ground beneath us, but the limitations within us. |
 |
Attention! Look out for three-legged moose in the road! |
|
