Instead of spending time at beaches and theme parks this summer, one New Brunswick family climbed the tallest mountain in Maine.
On Monday, a group of 10, ranging in age from eight to 75, hiked Mount Katahdin in Maine’s Baxter State Park, which is about a two-hour drive from the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Houlton.
At 5,269 feet or 1,606 metres, Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine and stands taller than the highest point in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island.
While the climb itself was challenging, organizer Michael Doiron said the real goal wasn’t reaching the summit.
“It was about having a good time with family,” he said.
Eight-year-old David Doiron says having his grandfather make the climb made the experience even more memorable.
“It was really nice to have my grandfather and my family there,” he said.
Not every moment came easily. Eleven-year-old Kirk Carsenauld admitted he was relieved once the hardest part was over.
“I was excited to get to the top, but I knew we had to go back down,” he said.
David also had his own memorable finish to the hike.
“When I got to the bottom, I threw up twice,” he recalled.
Peter Arsenault, 75, said joining the trip wasn’t originally part of the plan, but he’s glad he got the invite to go.
“One of my sons kind of shadowed me on the way up. Another son shadowed me on the way down, so I felt really comfortable that way,” he said.
Peter said the experience reminded him how much can be accomplished when a family works together.
“Teamwork alone as a family, particularly in a place like Baxter Park in Maine, which is very rustic. There’s no electricity, there’s no running water, there’s no heat, no garbage cans. You’ve got to take everything out, so it’s a real throwback to a former time. There’s no cell service,” he said.
Without phones or modern distractions, Peter said the family was able to focus on what mattered most — spending uninterrupted time together.
While reaching the summit was an accomplishment, Michael says it’s the memories they made along the way that he’ll treasure most.
“It was really neat to have a look and see him (David) and then look back and see my father-in-law also climbing over these big boulders. They made me think at one point that it would be cool at some point to be able to do this for my son and hopefully his kids,” he said.
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