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Katahdin: The Northern Terminus

7/27/2014

15 Comments

 

Yesterday, on the 26th day of July, I completed hiking the final miles of the Appalachian Trail. Joined by both my father and my incredibly good friend Santa, we climbed 4,100 vertical feet over 5 miles of terrain in order to reach the summit of Maine's legendary Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the A.T., a mountain well deserving of that title. The climb was grueling at points, technical, and involving hand-over-hand bouldering as it ascended into the sky. I know I owe you all a week of blog entries (I'm working on them- sickness, physical, and mental exhaustion proved too challenging to then write in detail at the end of every day) and I assure you they'll be posted as soon as possible, but I wanted to at least get a photo up of my summit. 

The climb wasn't easy, I was weak with a still-present water-born illness, and took many breaks. There were times where my enthusiasm level was non-existent and I wondered to myself if I'd even care upon reaching the famed sign atop the peak. Luckily, turning a corner in a rock field high above the world below, I saw the finish line and immediately became ecstatic, doubling my pace and rushing off towards the end. Embracing and quite literally kissing the weathered and storied wooden sign, a physical object that has been the main character in many of my dreams over the past year, I cracked open a still-cold Sam Adams Lager that I had carried up, and poured it into my favorite 'Mt. Katahdin' pilsner glass which you'll see in the photo. As we three hung out with a few more section hikers, luckily having arrived late enough in the day that none of the hundreds of day-hikers were present atop the peak,  I played some favorite Zac Brown Band songs (America the Beautiful, Chicken Fried, etc) on my portable speaker and drank my beer.  We headed back down in half the time it took us to ascend, and were met by my mom, lifetime family friend Dana, and Santa's mom Sue at the base of the mountain. 

I've done it. Yesterday, I did it. I have officially completed a thru-hike of the 2,185.3 mile Appalachian Trail in just 114 days. Your support has been inspirational and motivating, and I promise there will be more posts, including a detailed post about the Katahdin summit, coming this week. Please bare with me as I work through getting some real-world things done (like a doctor's appointment and attempting to fix my malnourishment) and I'll do my best to get you a few more days of decent blog reading. For now, back to Boston. 

Onwards and upwards at some point in the near future... Today, I don't have to hike. 

Ryan 'Texaco' McKee

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15 Comments
Tim C
7/27/2014 04:47:24

It's about time you posted!
JK-congrats!! I've read every post and you have allowed me to virtually make the hike. Thanks for taking the time to keep us homebodies informed and I can't wait to see the pics from your DSLR.

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Tim C
7/27/2014 04:48:17

Great job young man!

Reply
Ruth & Rich
7/27/2014 05:11:09

Ryan,

Congrats on a job well done. We never doubted you would not complete your journey and are glad you got a chance to smell the roses along the way.

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Todd
7/27/2014 06:18:51

Thank you for sharing your Adventure with all of us readers!

Congrats!!!

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Colin Kuntz
7/27/2014 06:22:30

Congratulations on completing your journey!

Certainly I'm sure we all look forward to seeing some more pics of the sights you've seen during your adventure.
But first take care of yourself, get some deserved rest, and enjoy the conviniences of civilization while mentally getting back to life off of The Trail.

I hope our paths in life cross again one day.

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Kim
7/27/2014 06:51:45

We are so proud of you! Congratulations to you...what a wonderful accomplishment. We are going to go through blog withdrawal once you stop writing.

Cheers!

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Debbie
7/27/2014 06:57:30

so thrilled for you, relieved you made it in almost one piece :), and very, very proud. way to go and an incredible accomplishment that is one of the many soon to come. i sure hope you take a nice vacation now and come visit your family in pougkeepsie! trail magic awaits you there too :) love and hugs, deb

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Rich
7/27/2014 08:39:51

Congratulations! It's been a lot of fun following your journry. Great writing, great photos.
Please let us know how it goes, now that it's over, back to civilization, etc. Grest job!

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Caren
7/27/2014 10:28:04

Congratulations!!! Such an accomplishment. I'm glad that you made so many great friends along the way. When you have the energy I would love to see a post about when your friends finish.

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ken hodges
7/27/2014 13:18:36

Congrats Ryan
Excellent job and fantastic timing

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Gail Baker (XC Crow's mom)
7/27/2014 14:15:08

Congratulations on finishing your hike, I enjoyed reading your blog!

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Michael Blair
7/27/2014 16:08:21

We've never met but have hiked with your dad. Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement. Your dad's very proud of you.

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Sanderson
7/28/2014 04:37:10

Ryan, I enjoyed sharing in your AT experience vicariously through this wonderful blog. Very inspirational and informative to a prospective 2015 thru hiker such as myself. Thank you very much and godspeed on your next adventure!

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Slim Jim
7/28/2014 09:59:19

Congrats buddy. Seems like just the other day you were with us at Fingerboard Shelter in NY. Welcome back to the real world!

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JD Justice link
7/28/2014 10:08:39

Ryan,
Thanks for taking me along for your adventure. Have read every post you have made along the way, most times in a Garage during a makeover...really broke up the work of the day at times. Your writing is engaging and the pictures were great. Think it's great you were able to do this...would love to do it myself someday when I retire. All the best to you on your transition back into the world. If your ever down Dallas way give me a shout out, love to buy ya a beer!
JD

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    Hey there! I'm Ryan McKee, a free spirited adventurer, photographer, and digital media creator who calls North Carolina home. I travel incessantly, carry a camera with me everywhere, and am always dreaming of my next big trip.

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