LOCALadk Magazine

Winter 2020 LOCALadk Magazine 57 LOCALadk stack, the rain and wind intensified. At the high elevation, the temperatures dipped, and my gut wrenched. A bad situa- tion was forming, and it wasn't safe to push for the exposed summit of Haystack. "Let's tr y Snowbird," Katie suggested. I ran ahead to the highest campsite in the state, to find it flooded. I doubled back. " We have to go down. A lean-to is our only chance to stay in this." Katie looked at her feet, heartbroken. If we descended, waited out the storm, and picked up the following day, we'd lose our pace to break the record held by Michael Jaworski, Paul Fronhofer, and Dan Fronhofer of 6 days, 5 hours and 40 minutes. Wet and cold, she and I knew we couldn't move for- ward or stand still. We descended to Slant Rock Lean-to and splayed out our gear to dr y. We inventoried and rationed our food to account for time lost. In the corner of the lean-to, we sat with our backs to the wall and I rested my head on Katie's shoulder. We'd done all we could. The next morning was foggy and our damp clothes dried in the wind as we reascended to and climbed Haystack. Be- tween Saddleback and Gothics the sun broke and my spirits rose. We'd made it through the night, but temperatures were dipping, and we wanted to walk into camp with 100% dr y gear. We spent the day on the range and at ever y opportu- nity exploded our packs on exposed summits. By the time we left Upper Wolf Jaw, my pack was light, fully relieved of its water weight. Even my shoes and socks were dr y. I was a happy camper. The last two days of the Thru-Hike can be summarized with a Tom Petty lyric: "Something that's so close, and still so far out of reach." Day six began with Colvin and a major concern. "My quads really hurt," Katie reported. Up to this point Katie had never complained. I obser ved her and noticed a slight limp. She bit her lower lip and never spoke of quitting, but I was uneasy. I knew Katie was tough, but didn't want her to push herself to a permanent injur y. And this wasn't like limping across the finish line. We still had sixty miles with high elevation to cov- er. I descended to our packs, treated our water and braced myself for the end. Twenty minutes later, she arrived, and we had a somber moment. "I don't want you to hurt yourself." "I can do this," her voice trembled. We had strong cell ser- vice and extraction points for the rest of the hike. We con- tinued, even though Katie would most likely be in pain for the rest of the hike. Her perseverance humbled me and made each summit even more spectacular. By the time we complet- ed the Dix range and stood atop Grace, I felt we'd already ac- complished our mission. Tr y something impossible and never give up. "Ah!" A young woman screamed at us on the summit of Giant the following day. "It's them!" Her hiking party gath- ered around and snapped photos. Ever y day we sent out a text update to family and friends, who then posted it on social media. Katie shared the mission of 46 Climbs and en- couraged them to use the hashtag. We felt like backcountr y rock stars. The day was warm and sunny. We walked through Keene Valley and it felt strange to be in the hustle and bus- tle of a town. Relieved to get back on trail, owls sounded as we ascended over the Brothers to Big Slide. The night was warm and windy. I followed Katie's feet in a trance on the bushwhack from Big Slide to Porter. White moths fluttered around my headlamp. We had the windy summits of Porter and Cascade all to ourselves and descended. My legs ached and I was ready for rest. By 1 a.m. we found a flat section off trail to sleep under the stars. The alarm sounded three hours later, and I smiled. It was our last day. The road walk was peaceful and Katie's quad felt decent on the flat terrain. As we approached the summit of Whiteface, it was bizarre to think we'd be done in a few hours. At the junction for Esther, we ate the last of our food and set off to visit a meaningful summit. In moments of doubt and pain, we reminded each other it was important to finish the Th- ru-Hike for women. Representation matters. In a field where women have been previously excluded and left behind, we now sat next to Esther's plaque. We had climbed all 46 High Peaks unsupported. At the ASRC parking lot we were greet- ed by a crowd of well-wishers and the clock stopped: 7 days, 4 hours, and 50 minutes. Katie and I had completed a route I'd envisioned for years. Bread and baked goods were hand- ed to us and people cheered. I'd always wondered what the end would feel like. And now I knew. It was a culmination of ever y hike, ever y emotion, and ever y life experience I'd been through. It was spiritual. It was moving. It was a full circle. Beautiful and complete. For more information about the 46 Thru-Hike FKT, go to https://fastestknowntime.com/route/adirondack- 46-high- peaks-ny Katie and Bethany were the first women (and to date, the only women) to complete the route unsupported. They're al- ready planning their next adventure.

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