The Professional Student Traveler & Hiker: Getting Cheesy on Cabot, it was kinda easy.

Do I really have time to check my moose?

So, I finished my 48. No fanfare, no balloons, no booze, no tiara. Just me, a cheesehead, and the mountain. Honestly, the way it should be. Sometimes, you need to go up 4120ft to see the real world. I had grand plans for this trip back in July. Yeah, that worked. So much has gone on in the last two years, I was beginning to worry that I might not be able to finish. But I did. I may have a polish a few of the trophies, you know the ones I spent so much time cursing on, I never found the markers, or I just trudged right past them. As much as I wanted on a few, I never kicked any over. OH, it was tempting. One mountain in particular. I know I am not alone in wanting to lets the gods know what I thought of it.

Finally got a picture of the sign

It has been a journey. There was frostbite, a few burns, tears, lots of DNA left on the trail, bone bruises, plain old bruises, all sorts of insect bites, a strange blister, purple toes, camping, hutting, faile summits, untold gallons of gas, 2 cars, some tires, the early wake ups, tired drives home. Yup, it takes a lot to hike the 48s. I would say Lysol and Febreze are some good tools to have. Especially in the car, which right now is a bit ripe.

Somewhere there is another picture, but this will do.

Notice where the arrow points

Finishing my 48 does not make me an expert hiker or some master. I am just Karen from MA. I teach, work at REI, and sleep in between. I may know a lot of stuff and some awesome people, but I am not some special hiker. I am just Karen. Several of my friends have finished their 48s within the last few weeks and one brilliantly expressed what I never could. In the end, the 48 is just a list. There are many lists and many trails and mountains that are not on those lists. Finishing the 48 does not mean an end. It is more a gateway to the mountains. It is a gateway to beauty, adventure, challenges. So many long distance hikers suffer from severe depression when they finish their hikes. I am lucky, I have a playground a few hours away. On my way home, I stopped by the Mountain Wanderer and got some ideas for a new adventure. If you are lucky, Steve Smith remembers you. If you have pleased the universe, he introduces you to amazing people. I met two awesome ladies, BeccaHiker and Nordic Gal, who just fueled my desire to spend lots of time in the Pemi. Thanks ladies. :) You might have given me an idea for a dissertation, you know, in case I decide to get one.

Pretty

OH, is there a story to this

So Cabot. Really a nice mountain with some great trails. BUT, the main way to get there involves accessing the Berlin Fish Hatchery. Hours 8-4. YUP. 8-4. So unless you can do book time or plan to camp, you risk having the gate closed before you finish. So if you are day hiking, you are on the clock. If you are a slow hiker like me, you can’t take the time to enjoy it all. Plus it is up to 4 hours from Boston. See why many do not choose it for their 48. Plus it does not have those fancy views OH, it has some awesome views, just not many from the summit. People will say that you need a view for your 48, that that will make it more worth it. Horse pucky. Finishing makes it worth it. Yes, even on Owl’s Head. But if you survive the slide, that kinda does make it worth it. And the blowdowns, and the mess of herdpaths, and the two summits. I preferred Cabot.

Because in case you are so delighted, you may need it. Or you had the vegan chili.

The red tapes kinda kills the buzz, but Cabot is a nice mountain with some beautiful trails, especially in Fall. There are plenty of views. Not Franconia Notch views, but nice ones. It can be kinda close in some areas, and you need to pay attention in others, but they are not bad. When I first tried it, we were in a drought and people wondered how I slipped on dry dirt. Now I know why they wondered. Lots of water on Bunnell Notch, but once past there, not much to speak of. If you are staying at the Cabin, you will need to fill up before a big climb. The Killkenny Ridge Trail is nice. But the PUDs are not appreciated on the way out. The upper part of the Mt. Cabot Trail is steep, but nothing terrible. It is a bit ledgy and strewn large rocky, but not bad with some nice views. I missed the viewpoint on the way out. It seemed nice. Of course, when you are rushing up, it seems like it sucks. Then I finally get to the hut, sit for the first time in 3 hours, fix my hat, leave my pack just because. Then I ran up to the summit. Yeah, I kinda ran with a cheesehead on my head. I looked and there it was. It was over. I was done.

It's a cabin, I think I would find a place to tent instead

This must be the place

I take the obligatory pictures, jog back down, take some more pictures, grab my pack and run. Well my version of running. I had less than 3 hours to get back down and beyond the gate. I took just over two. When I realized why I was in so much pain (“running” + rocks = ouch), I slowed down and took some pictures. Since I was all by myself, I had some music to hike out to. I choose Achilles Last Stand, which I thought was quite appropriate. Epic, classic, and well, Zeppelin. OK, maybe The Ocean, but Achilles was perfect. I could have done Dazed and Confused, but that is more of a Presi or Pemi Traverse or, gah, Owl’s Head trailhead song. Since I had so much time, I took the obligatory foliage pictures. I will spare you the leaf peeper rant. The Kanc on a bluebird Columbus Day weekend is a cluster and that is the understatement of civilization. Good thing, I left my poles and the rangers caught me before I left. So off to home, with a side trip to Lincoln for some stickers, my passport, and a handshake from Steve Smith. I could not think of a better way to celebrate.

Selfie

Any questions?

Yeah, I suck at selfies

Awesome view

Another awesome view

View from cabin

All you need to do is look

Aflac approved.

OHHHHHHHHH

AHHHHHHHH

So that is all she wrote. Done. Time to go back to teaching, learning how to fit backpacks, and sharing my sleep with a space hog, opinionated Snowshoe Siamese and needy Maine Coon. My story is not over by any stretch. I often say hiking saved my life. It has at least kept me out of prison and the mental ward. So I guess I better keep doing it.