After hiking through 14 states, all the way from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail has finally come to an end. I reached the Northern Terminus on September 15th, 175 days after I started walking north in GA. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words what an experience this has been. A combination of the highest of highs, lowest of lows, and a whole bunch of dirt. My favorite
Of course the day was memorable - I had just completed a 6 month journey but what made it really special was who I got to end the end with. My 'trail family' & I all summited Mt. Katahdin on the same day - some of who were my first friends on trail way back in Georgia. We'd been hiking on and off together for the better part of 2,000miles and sharing the summit with the group was incredible!
But the cherry on top of it all was the fact that my parents both made the hike up to the top to share the occasion!!! This was not a walk in the park either - they took the 'easiest' trail which is anything but. It was 10 miles of nearly vertical rock climbing to get to the top. They made it up 5 minutes before our agreed upon turn around time - I most definitely cried when I saw them pop over the horizon.