Knife the Mist, Spoon the Rice

Photo by Jenny Venturo

I look above me--mist. I look to my right--mist. To my left? More mist. Looking down at my feet is my only reminder that I am on rock, not suspended in a cloud.

I take a step, careful not to slip on the wet stone. The mist swirls below where I stand. I look around at my family.

Photo by Paul Venturo

We are on the Katahdin Knife Edge.

We had been planning this for weeks. Booking our site in Maine; packing our bags; and finally, making it to the trailhead at 6 in the morning. The climb had been straightforward 'til now.

We are on the Katahdin Knife Edge.

I continue to pick my way up the narrow ridge. Excitement builds as I climb over each rock. I can see that everyone else is excited, too. This is real mountain climbing.

Photo by Paul Venturo

All too soon, the misty ridge begins to widen. The solid rock gives way to chunks of talus. The Knife Edge is behind us. We walk the last few feet to the summit of Mt. Katahdin. We have made it.

As we eat our lunch on the summit, all of us can't help but feel a little sad. This is our last mountain before the flat east coast. The gray mist swirls in front of us.

But there is one more exciting thing on this hike. We begin to hurry down to the lake. Pizza rice awaits!

By the time we make it to the lake, the mist has cleared. We hurry to get out our stoves and pots and set up on a big rock. As the sun sets behind Mt. Katahdin, we cook our dinner.

Photo by Jenny Venturo

In case you don't know what "pizza rice" is, it's a bag of rice cooked in a small pot, to which pizza sauce and pepperoni is added. We dig in to our steaming pots.

When we are finished eating, it is almost dark. We need our headlamps for the way back to the car. But to us, this is a perfect end to a great day!

Photo by Paul Venturo

In many ways, the ascent of "the Chimney" was more difficult than the Knife Edge itself.

Photo by Jenny Venturo

Descending Hamlin Peak on Mount Katahdin. A mountain consisting of several peaks is known as a "massif."

Photo by Jenny Venturo

Views from Pamola Peak were spectacular.

Photo by Jenny Venturo