26th & 27th at Baxter. Brothers and Katahdin.

[The Unstrung Harp]

My usual hiking buddy just turned himself into a worker bee, so I am auditioning new applicants. The reservations are made and I am going with only my jiu-jitsu for company.

I'd be delighted to trot along behind someone. Anyone interested in some hikage? I'm a quiet, steady-paced, dirt-nibbling freakizoid.

***edited to add***.... Thanks to those who replied! And, does anyone know how exposed the Brothers/Coe loop is? There is supposed to be like 40% chance of crappy weather. If it's not too unsafe, I still want to do it. Still hoping to convince some poor sod into coming along. Got room at my tentsite for non-axe-muderers/non-chainsaw-masochists.

 

[Jay H]

North Brother has a largish open and rocky summit, the last 500ft of the trail is exposed.

South Brother has a spur trail to a small exposed summit.

Coe, I think was fairly similar, but the trails connecting them all are generally woodsy...

If you do the loop, you could probably do North Brother first, your most exposed summit earlier in the day (less % of storms) then go to S. Brother and Coe if the weather permits.

My 2cents, anyway.

Jay

 

[Daniel Eagan]

I think most people would recommend against descending the Coe slide in bad weather. It is very slippery. My wife and I did it at the end of a long day, watching rain clouds approaching from the south. It was nerve-wracking.

Given poor conditions, I would probably ascend Coe first, or otherwise hike over and back from South Brother.

If you are compiling lists you will kick yourself later if you don't get Fort, so close from the top of North Brother.

 

[Papa Bear]

I think most people would recommend against descending the Coe slide in bad weather. It is very slippery. My wife and I did it at the end of a long day, watching rain clouds approaching from the south. It was nerve-wracking.

Given poor conditions, I would probably ascend Coe first, or otherwise hike over and back from South Brother.

If you are compiling lists you will kick yourself later if you don't get Fort, so close from the top of North Brother.

Here's an alternative we took a few years back. We did the loop: No. Bro. - So. Bro. - Coe, but the weather got windy and crappy, so at Coe, we turned back and took the same trail back to the car (minus the side trips to the Brothers). All safe and sheltered and it's probably shorter anyway.

 

[una_dogger]

Yeah, it was rainy and wet when me and my better half did it last year, we went up Marsten, got N Brother and Fort outta the way, then doubled back and got S Bro and Coe, then doubled back again and back down the Marsten. Not a terribly long day, and a great trail.
In terms of exposure, there's plenty of forest cover on that ridgeline, open on the summits, into the trees for the rest.

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

Belated thanks for replies. As you might have noticed in my trip report, I ended up going up Coe slide and then did the brothers. It was a great loop, a really good length, ie, it only started to rain when I was at the last summit, so the timing of it worked well in my case.

The Slide was pretty wet and slippery going up, but I loved it. Going down would probably be okay, (ie, it's not as bad as Flume Slide Trial or anything) but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much.

 

[Jay H]

Great, being wet changes thing and going up the slide is a wise decision. A bunch of us here did the Coe slide in winter so it was mostly snow and ice...

Jay

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

O_O Sounds awesome Jay. I am an impoverished musician and a n00b, so I am still in the process of scavenging for cheap/used winter gear.

Hopefully by the time the season happens, I'll score some.