Some pix from Baxter

darren · Sep 7, 2005

Everyone loves pix, so I'll keep the words short and just post some pix.

Dr_wu002, Spencer, Joanna, Seema, Brian, Chomp, VSA, Tramper Al, Carmel, and myself all got together at Baxter SP over the Labor Day weekend.

On Friday nite, Spencer, Joanna, Dr_wu002, Carmel and I assisted the park rangers with a rescue. A woman had broken her leg on North Brother and we helped carry her in a litter a little less than 1.5 miles down to the trailhead. We got her down at 11PM so it was a long but exciting nite.

After the long drive and late night litter carry, Carmel and I were tired on Saturday. So, we just hiked around the ponds on the West side of Tote Road. Here is a shot of Katahdin from Elbow Pond.

On Sunday, Chomp, VSA, Carmel and I went up Katahdin via the Abol Slide trail. From Baxter peak, we headed over to South peak to check out the Knife Edge. The Knife Edge was in and out of the clouds so we just went back to Baxter peak and down the AT.

Some pix:

The Abol Slide Trail is STEEP

Carmel climbing up a slab

Chomp and VSA taking a rest break on the slide

Carmel stretching to get up a boulder

Joining the AT in the Table Land

View from the summit

Hiking over to South Peak

A view of the Knife Edge

A closer view of the Knife Edge

Abol Slide is on the other side of this ridge

Heading South on the AT

The AT dropping off in a hurry

Looking over at the Owl, OJI, Coe, and the Brothers

On Monday, Spencer, Chomp, VSA, Carmel, and I hiked up Doubletop. It was a perfect day and the views were great.

View from the North peak of Doubletop

Chomp looking at the South peak

Standard boot shot

Spencer in Baxter. He is happy.

Of course, the best part of the trip was me getting to play with my new wide angle lens. The possibilities for new avatars is endless.

- darren

MichaelJ · Sep 7, 2005

Disturbing. Just how wide is that?

I'm reminded of a South Park episode, where the elementary student-run TV station has a program "Close-up Animals with a Wide-Angle Lens".

Nice pics and trip, though!

darren · Sep 7, 2005

MichaelJ said:
Disturbing. Just how wide is that?

I got the Canon 10-22mm lens. With the 1.6 magnification of the 20D, it is the equivalent of a 16-35mm in 35mm format.

I love the 20D, but with it my 24mm (which is my favorite lens) turns into a 38mm, which is just not wide at all. So I got the 10-22mm so I can use it around 15mm, which gets me back to 24mm. Using it effectively at the really wide end will take some practice.

- darren

Artex · Sep 7, 2005

Great shots. Looks like awesome weather, and the clouds looked neat in the pictures that had them.

poison ivy · Sep 7, 2005

Awesome pictures, Darren. You have tons of talent!

- Ivy

Bob Kittredge · Sep 7, 2005

Nice Pics!

I did the exact same two hikes back in early July.

That long scrambly mile down the Hunt felt way tougher than Mahoosuc Notch. My avatar was taken down in Katahdin Stream campground at the end of that descent. An hour or two in a coma, and I was right as rain.

Did you do Doubletop from the north or the south (or as a traverse). We went up and back from the south and enjoyed the scrambly bits. The summit reminded me a lot of Chocorua.

MichaelJ · Sep 7, 2005

darren said:
I got the Canon 10-22mm lens.

#$%^&*@!!!!!

That's the second lens on my desperate wish list.

(the first is the Sigma 30mm f/1.4)

bubba · Sep 7, 2005

Type of mtn

Nice pix Darren (although those Dolomites leave you breathless...)

Knife edge is on the To-Do list!

Tapping our educated resources... as layman as we can be here... I've noticed shots of Katadin seem so much different than most mtns that I've climbed (ADK, VT, WMNF). What's with the mtn's structure -- what kind of mtn is it vs. others?

darren · Sep 7, 2005

Bob - we went up and down via the North side. I was pretty tired after doing Katahdin, so we chose the less steep side. Although there is a fairly steep section on the North side too.

MJ - if you just want a fast lens, get the Canon 50mm f1.8. It is cheap (like $75) and tack sharp. I mean super sharp. I'll bring it to VT if you want to check it out. I realize that it puts you out to 80mm which might be more reach than you want. If so, then I would suggest that you get the Canon 28mm f1.8. I would always put Canon glass on a Canon body.

Bubba - Chomp and I talked about that same thing while we were hiking. It almost looks volcanic. But Chomp said he read that Traveler is the highest volcanic peak in Maine, so that rules out Katahdin as being volcanic. It is certainly different than other peaks in the Northeast (or the whole East coast for that matter). Spencer - you want to 'splain the peak???

- darren

MichaelJ · Sep 7, 2005

darren said:
MJ - if you just want a fast lens, get the Canon 50mm f1.8. It is cheap (like $75) and tack sharp. I mean super sharp. I'll bring it to VT if you want to check it out.

I was tempted by this lens early on, but remember that 1.6 crop factor? The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 becomes a 48mm equivalent, but the Canon 50mm lens ends up an 80mm equivalent and that's just too small an image for me.

Do bring it, though, I'd love to give it a try anyway.

darren · Sep 7, 2005

Oops, I was editing my post while you were replying. See above.

Another option I just thought of is to go with the Canon 24mm f2.8. It is half the price of the 28 and the 30. It is (was I guess) my favorite lens. It is also tack sharp and the colors are great. It will only get you to 38mm, but I usually find it more usefull than 50mm for landscapes anyway.

I'll bring 'em all to VT. 24mm f2.8, 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8 macro (awesome), cheap 28-80 and 75-300, and the new 10-22.

With all that glass we should be able to get a least a decent shot or two from sunset ridge (assuming the weather cooperates).

- darren

bigmoose · Sep 7, 2005

Got a little time at the end of the month to do some hikin'... Vacillating between Adk hundred highest masochism, NH hundred highest bushwhacks, or another trip to BSP, this time for the Traveler traverse and Doubletop. Darren, your lens is very persuasive! I'd almost forgotten what Views From the Top were! (Too much thrashing around scrubby viewless peaks looking for canisters!)
Your shot up the dirty slide with blue sky/cloud wisps on top is classic composition. Well done!
JT

Papa Bear · Sep 7, 2005

darren said:
Bubba - Chomp and I talked about that same thing while we were hiking. It almost looks volcanic. But Chomp said he read that Traveler is the highest volcanic peak in Maine, so that rules out Katahdin as being volcanic. It is certainly different than other peaks in the Northeast (or the whole East coast for that matter).
- darren

It's a "monadnock" or a pluton. Think of it as a volcano that didn't break the surface. The intruded rock congealed and became very hard granite over the eons and the surrounding terrain eroded away. Mount Monadnock in NH gives us the generic name for this type of mountain.

The top is flat from the continental glacier (Wisconsin Ice age). I've read it was covered by thousands of feet of ice. The cirques (basins) were formed by mountain glaciers (post Wisconsin), much like the ravines surrounding Washington.

It differs from the Whites in that it was further north and stands alone. But the basins on it's sides are very much like those on Washington. If it were further south it would probably be not unlike the original Monadnock - much pointier since the continental glacier would not have covered it to such a depth.

darren · Sep 7, 2005

bigmoose said:
this time for the Traveler traverse and Doubletop.JT

Glad you like the shots. Chomp and VSA did the new Traveler trail and they really raved about it. So......I think you should check it out.

- darren

Head · Sep 8, 2005

Nice shots Darren! It looks like ya'll had a beautiful day for a walk out there too. We're saving Baxter for our last trip to finish the 111...and from all the pix, it looks like it may have been a good choice. Tanks fer sharing!

MichaelJ · Sep 8, 2005

Cool - we can yak there about lenses. Good to see B&H as your source of choice.

sapblatt · Sep 8, 2005

Nice report and great pics...sorry I missed it.
The wide angle is very cool...looks like it has some real cool possibilities from your avatar shot...the angle to the clouds is very cool!

Mr. X · Sep 8, 2005

Dude, you could have made a rock video with the pictures you posted. Especially the one posted directly on the thread. Looks like it was a real blast you guy's had. Jealous...

spencer · Sep 8, 2005

Part of what makes it unique is the bedrock itself. It's a biotite granite with a distinct transition from gray at lower elevations to pink near the top.

Also unique is that the Laurentian ice sheet that formed much else in the northeast played less of a role on Katahdin. The accepted theory is that as the Laurentian ice sheet retreated, additional alpine glaciers were left behind to cover Katahdin for quite some time. So, the flanks of Katahdin and the Tablelands were scoured at a later time. The Basin Ponds are a direct result of this last deglaciation by the later alpine glaciers. It is thought that the Great Basin and North Basin were formed during the earlier part of deglaciation.

It's a fascinating place, no matter how you slice it! The Traveler is in fact a volcano with a rhyolite substrate.

By the way, a pluton is specifically an intrusive igneous mass of rock. Monadnock is a generic term for a flat or isolated mountain (the specific definition of the Abenaki word is not agreed upon). Mt. Monadnock was named b/c of its shape, not the other way around. It's also called Grand Monadnock since it's the biggest of such peaks in that region.

spencer

bubba · Sep 8, 2005

very interesting... especially the ice sheets hanging around for awhile. Great knowledge here!

So, is it tough hiking on this stuff. It looks like you need to pick foot placement as you travel. That has to be slow trodding.

Some pix from Baxter

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