“When You Get That First View of Katahdin It’s Going To Be Closer Than You Want It To Be”

• Poet

Shaw’s Hiker Hostel does a brisk business in Monson, ME at the gateway of the 100 Mile Wilderness. The proprietors Poet and Hippie Chick are devoted to the trail and live in service of the people walking on it. The hostel is the last town stop for most northbound thru hikers and the first stop for SOBOs. Every morning they serve a breakfast like you wouldn’t believe and shuttle exhausted, excited, nervous NOBOs back to the trail to begin the final leg of their journey. If you’ve made it this far in a thru the significance of the moment needs a poet to describe it and Poet understands this. The morning I took off into the 100 mile he joked with us as we loaded up, shared some trail history during the short drive to the trailhead, and recited a haiku to send us on our way. And he told us he was proud of us. I needed to hear that. I was proud of us, too.

The Stats: 

Erwin, TN: 551.2km/344.5mi

Mt. Katahdin, ME: 3,517.6km/2,198.5mi

Total: 2,967.4km/1,854.0mi

Days: 104

Mileage per day: 28.5km/17.8mi

Zero mileage days: 11

Mileage per day, net of zeros: 31.9km/19.9mi

Max. daily mileage: 57.3km/35.8mi

Min. daily mileage: 7.7km/4.8mi

The Details:

August 20th – 3,089.8km/1,931.1mi Grafton Notch – 22.4km/14.0mi

August 21st – 3,117.9km/1,948.7mi Sawyer Notch Trail – 28.2km/17.6mi

August 22nd – 3,149.6km/1,968.5mi Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To – 31.7km/19.8mi

August 23rd – 3,181.8km/1,988.6mi Poplar Ridge Lean-to – 32.2km/20.1mi

August 24th – 3,216.2km/2,010.1mi Hostel of Maine – 34.4km/21.5mi

August 25th – 3,216.2km/2,010.1mi Hostel of Maine – 0.0km/0.0mi

August 26th – 3,247.4km/2,029.6mi Hostel of Maine – 31.2km/19.5mi

August 27th – 3,269.0km/2,043.1mi Pierce Pond Lean-to – 21.6km/13.5mi

August 28th – 3,305.4km/2,065.9mi Bald Mtn Pond Lean-to – 36.5km/22.8mi

August 29th – 3,334.1km/2,083.8mi Monson, ME – 28.6km/17.9mi

August 30th – 3,364.6km/2,102.9mi Cloud Pond Lean-to – 30.6km/19.1mi

August 31st – 3,403.4km/2,127.1mi Logan Brook Lean-to – 38.7km/24.2mi

September 1st – 3,440.3km/2,150.2mi Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to – 37.0km/23.1mi

September 2nd – 3,475.5km/2,172.2mi Rainbow Spring Campsite – 35.2km/22.0mi

September 3rd – 3,509.3km/2,193.3mi Foster Field Campground – 33.8km/21.1mi

September 4th – 3,517.6km/2,198.5mi Khatadin – 8.3km/5.2mi (BONUS Knife Edge/Helen Taylor Trail descent route: approx. 6.4km/4.0mi)