Baxter Questions – The Laundry List

[Doc McPeak]

Well...

A couple of days ago my friend decided he wanted to upgrade our yearly September backpacking trip from the Rangely area I had planned out – for a Baxter week instead…

I've haven't been up to Baxter yet, but have done a fair amount of research in addition to reading a lot of the trip reports posted here. Obviously we have no reservations, but hope to gather up some over the new 10-day "Tele-serve". We'll commute in if need be. We're flexible and low stress so it's all good...

Tentative plans are to hike Katahdin, some or all of the Brothers and Friends, and the Traveler loop. Rest days will be canoeing or mild exploring. My hiking partner is list-free and a seldom hiker, but has fun at my listee ways expense and is a trooper on the trails.

The following Laundry List of questions is fairly specific, though a few general items may slip in along the way. Feel free to answer or comment at will.

1. What's the usual traffic patterns like mid-week for the week(s) after Labor Day week? Katahdin from either side? The Brothers? The Traveler?

2. Is K the only real problem mountain with the hiker limits?

3. Anyone tried the new Tele-serve? Or gotten last minute sites during this time period?

4. Campgrounds to recommend near either South or North entrance?

5. Any nice free MFS sites up that way?

6. Best route from South to North Entrance? Time I should allow?

7. A place to drop one of our two cars outside the park? Can be within 75 miles along 95 if need be.

8. Suggestions for driving from Grafton SP. (Doing the Arm and Old Speck the day before my drive up) Head to 95, or a backroads diagonal?

9. Suggestion for returning and driving to the Gathering in Upper VT? Thru Kanada?

10. How tough is the Traveler? Compared to a NH or ADK hike? (I can't kill my friend)

11. Coe/SoBro or NoBro/Fort comparison? Which is tougher? (My friend probably won't be psyched for all four, and since he's agreed to do the B&H loop on K I'll let him dictate that one.)

12. Best canoe routes? Fairly easy to moderate if any portages. (We need rentals.)

13 Any other gems to consider?

14 Any Mainers who want to help us out for good drink and vittles?

15 And if anyone will be up that way drop a note and we can try to meet up for something? Perhaps someone will have a "non-listed and sane" friend along that we can pair up with my friend, allowing us to shoot over to NoBro and Fort. Yes, I am devious … yet thoughtful …

Well, that's the first draft of my List. Again, fire at will.

Many thanks in advance!
-Sean

 

[Jean]

Just got back from a week in BSP so I'll try to answer some of your questions:

2) Yes K is the only peak with hiker limit.
4) South Branch Pond campground. Beautiful setting. Right next to the Travelers loop.
6) Best route from South to North entrance is the one inside the park. Allow 2 hours from one end to the other.
10) The Travelers loop is 10.6miles with abook time of 8-10 hours. We did it counter clockwise (Peak of the Ridges - Traveler - North Traveler) in 7hr 15min with 1 hour for breaks and eating a gazillion bluberries along the way. It is a strenuous hike but no tougher than doing Baxter via Cathedral-Knife Edge-Helon Taylor)
11) North Brother-Fort is tougher because of the bushwack but in bad weather it would be South Brother-Coe becuase the slide down Coe is very hazardous when wet.
13) Other gems: Doubletop (7.4mi Roundtrip), The Owl (7.2mi RT) and a short one South Turner (4mi. RT). All summits have 360 degrees VFTT with some srambling and steep sections.

 

[king tut]

8. The easiest route would be to take rte 2 to 95 and get off in millinocket.

9. You can drive thru canada, but it'll probably take you longer. Easiest way to VT would be via rte 2 thru bethel and gorham. then pick up 89 over to stowe area.

to go thru canada, take rte 11 from millinocket to rte 16 to kingfield, up 27 to coburn gore, across 212 thru canada, and down rte 143 to rte 55 which turns into 91 at the border. In the newport area pick up rte 100 to stowe. This rte thru canada and vt is a lot more scenic than going via rte 2 but it'll probably take you longer. I took this rte a lot coming home from college. lots of farmland and lakes in canada and vt.

13. If you have any other days, check out gulf hagas in katahdin iron works, about 40 minutes? south of millinocket in brownville junction.

14. Food? I like the AT cafe in downtown millinocket. There's also a House of pizza joint that is located in the mall complex in millinocket.

 

[buckyball1]

Sean

1) The Brothers from the Marston Trail should be no problem; ditto the Traveler-Katahdin will probably be Ok if you get to the trailhead "early"--the Roaring Brook approach (Helon Taylor/Knife Edge/Katahdin/Saddle/Chiney Pond) will probably be "fuller" than the Katahdin Stream (Hunt) or ABOL side--if you want to do it up the Helon Taylor and are camped inside the park, but not at Roaring Brook, ask the interior rangers, but you may need to drive to Roaring Brook early (before 5) and sit/sleep in car until daylight; they ofter close the 'spur" road to Roaring Brook soon after the gate opens for the morning

2) no problem except K

3)have used this twice this August midweek for South Branch--not sure if any hope getting into Roaring Brook and probably not Chimney Pond--Chimney Pond is a super spot if you are prepared to backpack your stuff in

4) South Branch in the north edge; my favorite campsite-leantos on the water (#2,4,5,6,7,8,9) are super spots; also rent canoes for $1/hr for two fairly large lakes; Roaring Brook Campground to hike K/Knife Edge by Helon Taylor; Chimney Pond to spend a night at base of K--only easy way to do Knife edge from there is to utilize Dudley Trail either up or down--Dudley and Cathedral are great, but very steep rock piles--Saddle is 'easiest' trail up K; from the other side of K, suggest Katahdin Stream Campground---of all these, south Branch is by far the nicest place to "be"

5) sorry, live too close to look for these

6) suggest perimeter road in Park, which is dirt/gravel, but has been in good shape this year--speed limit is 20mph and doubt you'll get over 30 due to sightlines, etc

8) Rt 2 to 95 in either Waterville (drop down at Norridgewock on 139) or at Newport--take 95 to Exit 144 for S gate (stock up on "stuff" in Millenocket) and 164 for N gate (stock up in Patten)

10) i found the Traveler Loop fairly challenging--no bad exposure or "problems", just a fairly long, pretty open hike with lots of up and down and rockpiles--i think i was at least as tired after Loop as when i did the Castle trail to J earlier this year--less tired than when i did the Great Gulf up W

11) both are nice hikes--IMHO, Coe/S Brother easier; as suggested, the Coe Slide should probably be avoided if wet--iffiest section right at top

12) don't do much canoeing, but nice lazy lake trip right from South Branch--short "get out and float it through" between 2 lakes--watch the wind a bit

13) if you don't do the T loop, make sure you do the N Travler, super hike, "reatively" easy; perhaps The Barrel Ridge from near S Branch--"small", fairly easy, seldom done, different from all the better know/big stuff; The Owl; S Turner

14) the Coe/S/N Brother/Fort loop is a long day--K, Traveler Loop, and Brothers are a pretty ambitious schedule-------sorry, will be gone that week

have fun-----jim

 

[buckyball1]

oh and
14) maybe Dysart's Truck Stop on the way up Rt 95 at exit 180 for big, "hearty" breakfast

 

[spencer]

1. You should have no problem mid-week after Labor Day - you should be able to take any route you want, as long as you don't show up at noon.

2. The limits are on parking spaces which indirectly limit hiker numbers. the Marston Trailhead has a limit, as does, the OJI trailhead, but I haven't seen either of them fill up. Although, I'm sure the Marston trailhead does on occasion.

3. I haven't tried the new "Tele-serve" but 90% of my visits are last minute without reservations. If you are flexible and don't mind seeing beautiful things beyond Katahadin, you won't be disappointed.

4. Right outside the Matagamon gate is Matagamon Wilderness Camps. They are wonderful and Joe and Sue will take great care of you. Give them a call at 207.446.4635 - tell them Spencer sent you.

5. There are some MFS sites outside the park on the western side in Telos country. You can walk into the park at Nesowadnehunk via the old West Gate, but you won't then have transportation between trailheads. It's too far to camp there and then drive around to Togue Pond. There is one MFS site along the State Rd. (entrance to Togue) on the left just before the semi-defunct old road to the left (this was used before the southern part of the park became part of the park). Near Matagamon gate, there are several sites along the East Branch. Some of them used to be accessible via a road along the western shore, but Roxanne owns that land now (and has for a couple of years) and may have gated the road. I haven't been in there in a long time.

6. I've figured that if I'm in the north and want to get to Togue Pond, it's better to drive out and around via Patten. However, the "inflection" point is about Burnt Mtn., me thinks. So, if you are at Burnt Mtn. and want to get to Togue or Abol, I think it's okay to drive the Tote Rd. If you are further north along the road, drive out and around.

7. There's an empty lot just to the right of the first Irving when you get off the Medway exit (254). There is a small tourist info booth which isn't usually manned and has tons of brochures. You'll be fine leaving a car there. There are many places along the Golden Rd. where you could leave a car for several days. Break-ins have occured so take the usual precautions. Back down by exit 200, there is a park and ride/rest area/weigh station.

8. use 95

9. Yup, come back down to Newport and take Rt. 2 west - way west. All the way to St. J. It's long but fun on a pretty day.

10. The Traveler loop is wonderful! It's not an easy loop, but as Jean said, certainly nothing more than a day on Katahdin.

11. Hmmm - a toss-up! I agree with Jean. In really wet weather, avoid the Coe slide. The Fort bushwhack is hardly a bushwhack. The only trick, I think, is to pay attention to where you come out of the woods just before the open rocks on Fort. It's a bit hard to find the right spot to start for the return trip. I think the loop of 4 is a very enjoyable dayhike. While it isn't short, it would still be a rest day compared to B and H...

12. Paddle in Kidney and Daicey Ponds. Most ponds in the park have rentals (even some remote sites - $1 per hour). There are some fun places in Nesowadnehunk to paddle, including above and below the bridge to Kidney (although there probably isn't enough water now). Paddling between the S. Branch Ponds is really nice, too. You'll have to drag between them for a short distance, but that's not a big deal. Make sure to visit the cliffs on the west side of Upper S. Branch Pond.

13. S. Turner and The Owl are both spectacular peaks with really cool, unique views of K.

14. When are you coming through? I'll cook you a meal and drink you some beer.

spencer

 

[Rik]

You'll have fun no matter what you hike. Just be ready for the long drive up there!

 

[twigeater]

5) Scraggly Lake (Public Lands) in the north is free camping.

11) ditto what Spencer said about Coe - the only hike I've done in BSP that a ranger commented was not the best for me to have done alone.

 

[spencer]

How could I forget Scraggly! It's one of my favorite camping spots in Maine... Joanna and I spend her birthday there each year, eating lobsters, swimming and paddling...

spencer

 

[grog]

Russell Pond

A nice loop is Russell Pond for 2 days and check out Wassataquoik lake where you can rent a canoe, then take NW basin trail and stay 1 nite at Davis Pond, the nicest place I ever stayed. Then hike out over Hamlin peak.

grog

 

[Doc McPeak]

As usual, the VftT community comes through with flying colors! Gotta dish out some greenies now.

Thanks for the answers and giving me a better sense of things. Great details, Spencer and Jim! Original plans were for me to start my pilgrimage next Friday, hitting BSP area on 9/11. That may still happen but my partner in crime is still waiting to close on his house out in Montauk so things hinge around that date...

I'll post my dates when we nail them down. And I'll have some special "Bushwhacker's Ale" for you Spencer ...

Can't wait!!!
-Sean