This is the tableland, the awesome flat section of Mt. Katahdin that leads up to the final short climb. I thought of leaving my pack here and then picking it up on the way down, just for the feeling of sheer freedom, but since it was just a day pack anyway, I didn't think it was worth the bother. Next year we'll be doing the Mahoosuc Notch, where you actually have to carry your pack over your head while you shimmy through the boulders. They say it's either great fun or a royal pain in the rear, depending on your perspective. Sounds like life itself, right mate?