Friday, August 2, 2013

Lost in Translation

Somewhere along the way from the South to the North, people begin mispronouncing the world Appalachian. They start saying App-uh-LAY-shun, and I always feel bad for them, so I make sure to correct the error. It's App-uh-LATCH-in. We go on to raise evidences against the validity of each regional dialect, and (in my mind) I always win (because we say it correctly where I come from). Despite the inability to reach a concise pronunciation translation, there is no disagreement concerning the splendor of the most famous bearer of the name: The Appalachian Trail. For that, there are no words upon which to disagree; it speaks for itself. I thus don't have enough words to articulate the magnificence of my recent Katahdin summit, aka The Greatest Mountain, aka the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Converting experience to written language leaves much lost in translation.

Weather conditions were not promising as we drove toward Baxter State Park, but we pressed on. The camping trip had been planned for months!

Looking ominous


Entering the park!
Wild, winding gravel road inside the park
This campsite was home for two evenings

Fancy camping food
The plan for the trip was to arrive Friday evening, camp two nights at Abol campsite, summit Katahdin on Saturday, do a little backpacking into a lean-to site at Katahdin Lake on Sunday, and leave Monday. The weather was not cooperative for Katahdin on Saturday, so we post-poned it and did a 6 mile hike on Saturday instead. The trail was soggy and buggy but still nice.
In the distance





SO MUCH MOSS

At the summit

Wild blueberries at the summit of a small mountain (of course I ate one)
We were pretty tired after the hike. We found a library/main house for the cabin camping site at the foot of the trail to stop for lunch. We went back to our camp site and loafed around a bit before exploring our area. I walked down to Stump Pond to learn that I had JUST missed a bull moose standing in the pond and chomping on lily pads. I went down again later to see if any would come out at dusk; no moose, but a soul-stirring sunset.
Stump Pond
Purple Mountains Majesty
Neon water
Nearly-full moon trying to steal a glimpse of the sun
Sunday was a spectacularly beautiful day to hike Katahdin, so we were all elated that we waited. Sunny, clear skies, high of 70, around 50 at the summit; glory. This was quite the physically challenging trail, and it was often perilous. As we were hiking, we encountered a 75 year old man climbing for his 496th summit. WHAT. He made me feel terrible about myself.
Starting early - 7am.

Taking a break on Abol Slide, a seemingly endless boulder scramble to the top.

Admiring the view from Abol Slide

Too many Donkey from Shrek jokes about boulders; can't bring myself to do it.
After Abol Slide, we reached this surreal almost bald filled with boulders. The wind was whipping and it was so cold that I had to put on my fleece and windbreaker, aka my North Carolina winter coat, the good ole North Face 3-in-1.




 

 

The Summit: Speechless.

 

 

 

So proud of myself!

Coming at you, Springer Mountain!


Knife Edge to my right, leading all the way to Pamola Peak to my left
Hiking part of Knife Edge! Terrifying and humbling!

Being on top of this mountain, knowing that I could fall off and plummet to my death, made me think of Grace. It's a miracle to be, to live and breathe and have the capacity to love people and feel deeply. I am so cosmically small and vulnerable and powerless to forces outside my control. Along with those forces that could crush me, I believe in Grace as an elemental force that permeates every molecule of reality; each atomic ring reverberating and joyfully trembling with the miracle that they should be spaced and arranged as such to create everything under, above, around, within, and coexisting with the sun. Grace is like wind and rain and boulders, moose, grumpy people, and paper cups. A truth tangible, strange, unnerving, and marvelous, anchoring us to our bodies, kissing the bottoms of our feet upon each and every footstep.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
Living and breathing, loving and feeling,

JB

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