Expensive night! (But good)

[Sweeper]

Just ordered a Yeti, MacCat Deluxe, and two sets of Whoopie slings...seems as how I am getting roped into going back to climb Katahdin again in August and pick up some sections I missed back in '06....love the hikes, but the drive up and back is the killer! Wonder what we'll do for a topper this time? In '08, we rented a float plane and had him drop us in the middle of the 100 Mile Wilderness where we had left off in '06. I need to get that video posted on Youtube sometime.

Oh, well, that just means lots of weekenders here in N GA this spring in preparation.

[optimator]

Gotta love that new gear smell

[Kukri]

Getting new gear is great, it's like spreading Christmas all throughout the year!

[Mrprez]

I feel your pain. Having to climb Katahdin again....oh the misery! :-) Congrats on the new gear though. I'd like to see that video. I'll bet that was quite the experience.

[Sweeper]

Yeah, in '06 we left from Shaw's in Monson and made it to around Gulf Hagas before one of the four had to pull off due to a bad knee. I went with him, and then we met back up with the other two a couple of days later and continued until some where over near Jo-Mary road. Thus ended the '06 effort. We picked back up in 08, can't remember exactly the lake he dropped us off on, but it was really long and narrow, and had a great view of Katahdin from the mountain to the south. We had to bushwhack to find the AT once he had dropped us off, then we continued to the end. The climb to the top of Katahdin was unlike anything I had ever seen, but I suspect it was more like the Rockies than anything else. One of our group was in the process of finishing an 8 year AT section hike, but he kind of did it in reverse for us and let us summit (since he's retired) and then go back S of Monson to hike SB to pick up his last sections. Interestingly enough, one of our guys drove up to pick him up, and then went back and climbed Katahdin again that summer. I should note that during the time from 06-08, there were one replaced knee and one fused neck in the mixed for us. A third just had his neck fused this past November, so we are really the Corps of the Crippled and Infirmed. Anyway, at 50 I am the youngest member of the Corps, so we plan to continue hiking until such time that we all can't do it any more.

[Mrprez]

I haven't made it that far yet, but hope to continue to work my way north. Sounds like you guys had a good time up there. What time of year did you normally go?

[Sweeper]

We normally go in early August, as the blackflies are gone by then and you get some cool nights....actually, we had one night up there that was down in the 30's, and I froze my behind off as I wasn't prepared! Hence getting a Yeti to take this time. I had my Speer up there in 08, but this time it will be with my BB & Yeti. Maine is a neat place to visit, but wow I couldn't live up there full time. We lived in Methuen, MA for 3 years back in the late 90's and I couldn't stand going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark for 2 or 3 months....and my wife cried every time she got an edition of Southern Living! We were never happier to head down I-95 that last time headed South for good!

I haven't made it that far yet, but hope to continue to work my way north. Sounds like you guys had a good time up there. What time of year did you normally go?