I’ve been hesitant to write this post. Not because I didn’t want to relive the experience—but because I’m not sure I fully recovered from it.
Climbing Mount Katahdin took more out of me—physically and emotionally—than any hike I had done up to that point. And yet, it gave me more in return.
The contrast alone was striking. Just days earlier, I had stood on Jerimoth Hill in Rhode Island, a gentle walk to a high point barely rising above the surrounding trees. Now I was staring up at Katahdin—the “Great Mountain”—rising to 5,268 feet above sea level, ranked #22 among U.S. state high points, and marking my 10th high point overall.
Katahdin didn’t just challenge me.
It exposed me.
And I loved it.