Our last day in the. Hundred-Mile Wilderness, we spent the evening on Rainbow Ledges enjoying the hemlock-framed view of Katahdin. We were joined by fellow thru-hikers Spider-Man, Blink, and. Bear Juice. The short day afforded plenty of time for lounging, swimming and berry picking. The kids stained their mouths blue with the juice of the abundant wild blueberries and huckleberries growing along the ledges.

They had berries to share having picked a quart of each. We all enjoyed dinner with a view as our final mountain loomed up in front of us. As the sliver of the moon’s waxing crescent hovered over the western horizon, we rolled out our sleeping bags to enjoy a night under the stars; foregoing even the thin sil-nylon shelter our tent provides.

Once the moon set, the night brought a stunning sky with little light pollution. The milky cloud of our galaxy was clearly visible, the twinkling stars punctuated by meteors streaking across upper atmosphere.