Essay #1

There it is when you drive to Millinocket, straight ahead in all its glory. It is big and majestic and it makes most people stop and take pictures. I am talking about Mt. Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak and the end of the Appalachian Trail (or start depending which way you go). I just love driving into town and seeing the Mountain, it takes my breath away. It was August of 2005 that I had my first climb up that beautiful mountain and I experienced several things that day… physical exhaustion to the point that it hurt just to get out of bed and go down a flight of stairs without wincing; being so in-tune with nature and the company that I was with, I didn’t want it to end; and an enormous amount of pride in accomplishing something I didn’t think I could do. It is because of these things that I have become addicted to climbing Mt. Katahdin.

One reason for my addiction is there is nothing comparable to what you body goes through when climbing Mt. Katahdin. Climbing and especially descending the mountain will make your body hurt in places you didn’t even know existed. Believe it or not, this feeling of pain is addicting to me. I love feeling that I have pushed my body to its greatest limits and for about a week after climbing, every step I take makes me wince but I know what caused the pain and it makes it all worth it.

Another reason for my addiction is the actual feeling you get from being outside in the middle of nowhere with people you truly enjoy. My first climb up was with my boyfriend Tony, his brother-in-law, Corey, and his niece, Courtney. Both Tony and Corey had climbed the mountain more times than they can remember, but it was mine and Courtney’s first time. It was wonderful being with someone that was experiencing the same things I was for the first time. The conversations, experiences and things you see are different every time. I have since climbed with my son, my mom and other friends and each time brings a unique bonding experience that can not be matched.

The last reason for my addiction is the sense of pride you feel when your climb is complete. I remember being on a jet ski in the middle of Smith Pond with Courtney two days after our climb and looking up at the mountain and both of us thinking we did that and as sore as we both were, we knew it was all worth it. We accomplished something that most people won’t even think of doing.

So, as spring nears, I am already thinking about my next climb up Mt. Katahdin this summer. I will be looking to feel that pain when I go down a flight of stairs, feeling that the real world is a million miles away and the sense of pride in climbing it all over again. Because no matter how many times I climb it, I always experience those same thrills I felt on that first climb in August of 2005 when my addiction to Mt. Katahdin started. And every time I drive into Millinocket and I see that mountain straight ahead, I think to myself, “I did that!”