Mom and Two Bad. Katahdin is the peak you can see just above their heads.
On their way up Katahdin!
Thinking that Hansel and Gretel had already passed through the campground, I set up shop at one of the picknick tables and began constructing giant celebratory signs on pieces of poster board. I couldn't have been more than 15 minutes into it when Hansel and Gretel came trotting out of the woods. I quickly lept up from the picknick table, abandoning my signs, and started walking towards them as cool as can be. I made every attempt to draw them away from the picknick table I had left, but they were heading straight for it! They were looking for the ranger station to sign in, which happen to be just past my table.
"We'll just put our packs down with your stuff," Hansel said, indicating over at my abandoned picknick table.
"That's not mah stuff," I said quickly. But Hansel just kept walking towards it!
"Oh," he said and put his pack down right next to it, making sure to peak over at the poster board that the wind had blown off the table and was now laying on the ground with the words "Gretel, you did it!" written across it. Luckily, my tape dispenser had also blown off the table and landed on top of the R E and T part of "Gretel" so it wasn't completely obvious that the sign was for her... just mostly obvious. Fortunately Gretel is as gullible as I am so when I said "that's not mah stuff," she actually believed it wasn't mah stuff and didn't even bother looking at it.
The three of us walked over to the ranger station to register Hansel and Gretel as official finishers of the Appalachian Trail! Of course they still had to climb Katahdin, but the Guide Book says to sign in before going up.
Hansel and Gretel were the 374th and 375th hikers to begin the trail back in George, and the 41st and 42nd to finish up in Maine! That means that 333 either quit or Hansel and Gretel passed them on the trail!
Gretel's note for the log book at the ranger station
Registered Thru-hikers! Numbers 41 and 42!
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