July 30, 2025 5 min to read

AT Blog: Day 138 and 139

The End of the 100 Mile Wilderness and the End in Sight

Day 138:

Wake up at Pontaywadjo Shelter. I say goodbye to my mice friends, and say a silent goodbye to the sleeping section hikers.

There isn’t much to write about this section other than the stillness it brings to my heart. The section is rather flat with only a minor bump from Nesuntabunt Mountain. I plan to meet with my parents again at Pollywog stream, with a logging road. Communication is tough as usually my parents have good signal. Once they drive into the forest they lose signal so planning occurs hours ahead when they are at the hotel.

There are constant loon calls, the long haunting ones. I even see a few fly overhead occasionally. This section gives me time to think. 22 miles for today, 26.3 miles after that. If I wanted to I could finish tomorrow, but I won’t. I need to build up to it, I need to savor the moment.

I remember strange details from the hike. I notice how washed out the trail is, as its almost pure roots from the trees. It seems like this whole area floods from the river often. I remember the occasional hiker I say hello to.

I spot Katahdin in the distance.

This far north, the terrain is mostly flat with just a few mountains spattering the landscape. There are several mountains in Baxter State Park where Katahdin is, but it dominates the view. I can see it across from Nahmakanta Lake.

It’s almost pure stone at the top, you can literally see where the green ends. At 5,269 feet this far north, not much can survive at the top. I note that the weather forecast for the day after tomorrow is not great, but still a 50/50 chance of rain.

At Pollywog stream I wait a bit till my parents show up. We sit in the car and just relax. I know I can finish this trail, but my mind and body are almost done with it. I can tell with my hunger, camping food has almost no grip on my hunger anymore. But a subway sandwich makes me feel like I haven’t eaten in months.

We chat, the three of us about plans to head home, about how our dog Belle misses me and more. My parents have been hugely supportive, both when we were together on trail and apart. My dad has a physical copy of my guide that he has been annotating this whole time. We also meet Salty and another Yardsale (I met a different yardsale back in Virginia). They are older gentlemen who are also about to finish.

Eventually I depart, with plans to meet up again tomorrow. I’ll be outside of the 100 mile wilderness then.

I pass by Rainbow Stream Lean-to and keep on going to Rainbow Stream Campsite. There are three other NOBO hikers that I talk with. They had started back in early February. There is also a middle school group out here… and they are the funniest group ever. I chat with their leader and the four of us answer the kids questions. The four of us do double check with their councilor that they will get to bed around dark and they assure us they will quiet down.

I didn’t realize it but tonight will be my last night sleeping on trail.

Day 139:

Start at Rainbow Springs camp at 7 AM. The kids hiking group are all still asleep, the other 3 NOBO hikers got a head start.

Leave and head out, trail follows Rainbow Pond - a pretty pond

Go up Rainbow Ledges, the last real hill of the AT at 1500 feet before Katahdin. Several day hikers in the area enjoying the views. One of them asks to shake my hand as I am about to finish the trail, that won’t go straight to my head.

Keep hiking, there’s a few turnoffs but I keep moving forward. Down down down I go.

Exit the 100 Mile Wilderness! Meet mom and dad at Abol Road. There’s a little shop/resupply we look at. We also run into Salty and Yardsale again along with those other NOBO hikers. They are going separate ways but plan to take a nero tomorrow before Katahdin. I am too antsy to wait plus I get to eat a quarter pounder from McDonald’s and a McFlurry and we drive around down Abol Stream.

Decide instead of going to Birches, a campsite open to thruhikers in Baxter State Park, to hike 7.5 more miles to Daicey Pond to get picked up and stay at a motel with my parents. Which meant that last night was the last night on trail.

Meet Donald Duck the ranger who’s at the entrance to Baxter, get advice and move on. There is a blue blaze trail in case of high water, but I keep to the main trail, with not much difficulties.

The fords are back to normal and a lot of Baxter is flat following the stream upriver.

Take a look at Big Niagara Falls. Reflect on the end being so close. I get to the parking lot early and talk to Andy, a section hiker who’s done a lot of Baxter State Park. There is a lot more to see here that the AT barely touches.

Go to hotel, too tired for a proper meal so I get McDonald’s again and wash up for the night. I stink, this motel is okay and tomorrow I finish the hike of a lifetime. I don’t know how I feel.