The ranger I had met the other day had told me that the thru hiker spots at Katahdin were filling up quick. Each morning they open 12 spots for thru hikers and, he said, by 5:30 they were usually full. So with that in mind, I set my alarm for 4:30 last night. 

I showed up to the sign in area (which doesn’t officially open til 7) at 5, ready to see how long the line was. No one was there. I was the first one to show up. 

I felt better when 15 minutes later Tax Man and Marbles rolled in. Followed by a trickle of others. But by 7 when we were allowed to officially sign in, there were only 8 of us waiting. We had all been fooled by the ranger. Exhausted, we headed back to our camp sites to get a bit more sleep. 

Waking up again around 9:30 it was time to get going. I grabbed an ice cream cone from the shop and started the 10 mile walk to the camp below Katahdin. It was flat and smooth and exactly the way hiking should be. I stopped a few times to enjoy it. I sat by a water fall and then in front of a lake with a view of the mountain. 

But even with the shorter day, I was exhausted getting into camp. The last few days catching up to me. But when I walk in the energy was back. There were boxes of pizza and coolers of soda! 

Chili P had shown up just before I did and had once again supplied us with magic! It was the best penultimate night I could’ve asked for. 

Key stats:

Miles: 10

Elevation gained: 1000 ft

Mile marker: 2193

Time the last hiker got a spot at the campsite: 4pm