BSP Questions

[sapblatt]

Cold, snowy winter day - stuck in the house - planning a late summer BSP trip - a couple of questions for the folks that have been there...

Have any of you, or does anyone backpack up and over Kathadin or is this a fool's folly? Do most just dayhike it with much lighter packs?

We are thinking of going up the Hunt Trail then doing the Knife's Edge and then descending Dudley to Chimney Pond? Will this cause us to lose the will to live (assuming the conditions are good?) Will it give me for fodder for a terrific death march trip report?

Alternatively, could we go up Hunt and down Saddle Trail to Chimney Pond?

We are basically looking at starting a multi-day backpack trip in this direction - this will be the hardest day of the trip with a lot of lower level moderate hiking to follow.

Thanks for any input, advice, or saving me from wishing I had done something else!

 

[Steve-o]

That sounds like a killer day with a full pack.
However, I've never done it before.
I would try and get a couple nights at chimney pond from roaring brook, and day hike the loop.

 

[Papa Bear]

Cold, snowy winter day - stuck in the house - planning a late summer BSP trip - a couple of questions for the folks that have been there...

Have any of you, or does anyone backpack up and over Kathadin or is this a fool's folly? Do most just dayhike it with much lighter packs?

We are thinking of going up the Hunt Trail then doing the Knife's Edge and then descending Dudley to Chimney Pond? Will this cause us to lose the will to live (assuming the conditions are good?) Will it give me for fodder for a terrific death march trip report?

Alternatively, could we go up Hunt and down Saddle Trail to Chimney Pond?

We are basically looking at starting a multi-day backpack trip in this direction - this will be the hardest day of the trip with a lot of lower level moderate hiking to follow.

Thanks for any input, advice, or saving me from wishing I had done something else!

Some folks have gone north from an AT ascent (Hunt trail) to one of the more northern campgrounds if they are doing a traverse of BSP (e.g. stealth IAT hikers).

Any number of Thru-hikers have hiked with their packs up and back since there is an ethic among a subset of thru-hikers that says you must hike with your pack the whole way (call them the anti-slackpackers). When we finished the AT, one of these sorts was up there with us.

As for us, we actually did (almost) the traverse as you mentioned up the Hunt, over the KE and down the Keep Ridge (Helon Taylor) to Roaring Brook, but hitched back to get our car (and packs - see this report).

It would be easy for you to spot your overnight packs at RB (stash them at the rangers Cabin) and do this, although that's a long slow drive for the spot.

And lastly, I'm sure someone has done what you are asking. There's nothing left that hasn't been done. .

 

[poison ivy]

This summer, I was with a group that basically traversed Baxter State Park. We stayed at Roaring Brook the first night. On the second night we stayed at Chimney Pond, dumped our overnight gear and headed up Katahdin via the Cathedral Trail. I went solo across the Knife Edge and down the Dudley Trail. The Dudley Trail was really, really rough to descend and I only had day hiking gear with me. I wouldn't want to do it with a full pack, but I'm sure others will chime in that have.

On day three, we went back up via the Saddle Trail with our full packs and continued on to Davis Pond (...and the rest of the trip.)

Anyway, the point of my rambling is... you might consider reversing the route of your trip so you can head into Chimney Pond and tackle Katahdin as a day hike especially if you want to add in Knife Edge.

- Ivy

 

[Mad Townie]

Sapblatt, you could certainly do either of the options you mention. You could also go up the Hunt and down to Davis Pond shelter, then the next day go around to Russell Pond, etc. Thirdly, you could go up the Hunt, across the Knife Edge and then down the Helon Taylor trail (as the sign will tell you, it's pronounced "Hee' lon." )

Remember that you'll need reservations at any of the campgrounds/shelters, and Chimney Pond is in high demand during the great summer hiking months. That means you'll have to get your request in as soon as they'll take it (4 months before the planned date) and have a backup plan or two, especially since you're "from away." Maine residents get some degree of priority.

Remember the bottom line: there is no bad place to stay in Baxter Park.

 

[audrey]

I wouldn't want to do the Knife Edge or Dudley with a big pack either. They are too intense for having to deal with that feeling of someone trying to push you into the abyss!

 

[SherpaKroto]

Townie nailed it, though I'd much rather tackle the Northwest Basin going up (and have) then down.

For the trip that you guys are looking at, You'd do yourself well to start from the north, heading south.
1) Drop car(s) off at Roaring Brook and head to South Branch Pond. (If you can get someone to shuttle your car back to Roaring Brook, or drop you off at Souith Branch, you gain 3-4 hours at the end of the trip)
2) Day-Hike the Traveler loop and again stay at South Branch
3&4) Backpack to Russell Pond for a couple of nights, exploring the area
5) Backpack to Davis Pond
6) Backpack up the Northwest Plateau and head to Caribou Spring. Drop pack, do a quick romp up to Baxter Peak and back, and then up and over Hamlin Peak, down Hamlin Ridge. Continue to Chimney Pond or Roaring Brook.

Heading DOWN from Northwest Plateau is very steep IMHO.

 

[marty]

Sherpa Kroto, he is wise . If you can work out the tricky logistics, SK's suggestion would be a killer trip. One suggestion to make it even sweeter: when at South Branch Pond, consider reserving the Upper South Branch Pond lean-to. It is the only site on the pond and the views are fantastic and it has a pretty nice beach to boot.

If you do stay at the S. Branch Ponds and want to fish, let me know. I know a "secret spot".

Regards,
Marty

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I wouldn't want to do the Knife Edge or Dudley with a big pack either. They are too intense for having to deal with that feeling of someone trying to push you into the abyss!

Listen to the woman! Much of the Dudley is a steep jumble of refrigerator-sized boulders. A very challenging scramble (though fun) even with a day pack. The two steep scrambles on the Knife Edge aren't for sissies either.

 

[roadtripper]

I just wanted to be like the 8th person to say that carrying a full pack over the Knife's Edge wouldn't be all that much fun

 

[spencer]

Hold on, hold on.

Since when do we decide where we want to go and which beautiful sites we want to see based on how hard it is? Of course it's going to be a bit uncomfortable to carry a loaded, multi-day pack down Dudley or off the edge of the Northwest Plateau into the abyss, but if that's what it takes, why not? Like most people, I imagine you'll be a sweaty mess on the way up, too, but you wouldn't choose Gilligan reruns b/c of it, would you?

I've carried loaded packs over most of the terrain mentioned and some is certainly easier than others but at the end of the day, you still have to get up from the bottom and down from the top. I carried two loaded packs down Dudley this past summer (don't ask!) and never once wished I had changed my route to accommodate (just my partner!).

Dudley is indeed a big boulder scramble, the Saddle is a slippery mess of loose granite and rock dust, Abol is a steep, loose mess of the same, Hunt is another knee-busting boulder hop, Northwest Basin is a tree-grasping, rough-footed, skin-puncturing down-climb, Hamlin Ridge is another knee-buster boulder dance, and Cathedral would just be dumb with a full pack (given other options). Perhaps Helon-Taylor is the only route down that is "easy" and that route just feels long and doesn't put you where you want to go... I don't think it matters which route you take.

As Ivy said, if your goal is to traverse the park, then I concur that heading "southbound" will makes for a better trip only b/c it is way more dramatic. I was with Ivy on the trip she mentioned and we all decided it was a bit anticlimactic to go the way we did.

SK's itinerary would make you a very happy man, but don't underestimate how awful that car spot is, especially when you crash into Roaring Brook, tired and hungry and still have several hours of mucking around to do.

Have fun!
spencer

 

[Papa Bear]

Hold on, hold on.

Since when do we decide where we want to go and which beautiful sites we want to see based on how hard it is? Of course it's going to be a bit uncomfortable to carry a loaded, multi-day pack down Dudley or off the edge of the Northwest Plateau into the abyss, but if that's what it takes, why not? Like most people, I imagine you'll be a sweaty mess on the way up, too, but you wouldn't choose Gilligan reruns b/c of it, would you?

Have fun!
spencer

I agree with Spencer. I haven't done the northern approaches, but I would say the Knife Edge is only scary if you are scared of a little exposure, and has nothing to do with carrying a pack. Keep Ridge or Hamlin Ridge - pieces of cake! Dudley - yeah that would be "interesting", but going down over those boulders you could mostly butt slide. Same with Saddle - just slide down - why do you think they call it a slide? Cathedral is the one I would save for a sunny day - day pack - ascent. Hey, this is not technical mountaineering!.

Just do it!

And for that matter, Gilligan reruns can be fun - once you get back home

 

[bikehikeskifish]

You could find a COUGH sucker COUGH to go the opposite way on the traverse so neither of you needs to spot a car.

Tim

 

[sapblatt]

Thanks for all the input - actually, we are planning a west to east to south traverse...please do not make me remember all of the 30 letter trail names while I am at work! Our car spot would not be that bad - we are planning on starting with Doubletop from the north approach and camping at that campground - then backpack towards the east towards Russell Pond and then south to Chimney Pond - of course, this is all hoping we get the reservations that we want! Still have four months until we can book and four months after that until we hike.
I am sure a lot of this will be no worse than some of the other death marches I have created - up Zeacliff with a 40 pound pack, up Madison Gulf and down Howker Ridge on a July day with snow and freezing rain (what a way to kill 16 hours!) Even Bobby land LarryD lost their sense of humor on that day!
Thanks for all the info and advice and keep it coming!

 

[Tuco]

I haven't done the northern approaches, but I would say the Knife Edge is only scary if you are scared of a little exposure, and has nothing to do with carrying a pack.

Uh OH Maybe the nuisance of the extra pack weight will keep me from focusing on my fear of exposure.........

 

[sapblatt]

Uh OH Maybe the nuisance of the extra pack weight will keep me from focusing on my fear of exposure.........

Just a theory, but if you are going to fall, wouldn't having a heavy pack just help you get where you are going faster? I'll be behind you the entire way!

 

[cbcbd]

If you feel up to it I don't see why not do it.

If its a fool's folly then call me a fool!

On a weeklong backpacking loop of the park a few years ago I headed up the Hunt, over Baxter, Knife's edge, and down the Helon Taylor to Roaring Brook for the night. The weather wasn't great, it was wet and foggy, and I remember the scramble down to the chimney was pretty "exciting"

 

[Papa Bear]

Just a theory, but if you are going to fall, wouldn't having a heavy pack just help you get where you are going faster? I'll be behind you the entire way!

Please recall the experiment done by Galileo from the leaning Tower of Piza! You do remember High School science class, no?

For a brush up, see Wikipedia (scroll down to "History").

 

[Steve-o]

Im no BSP expert but, with the reservation thing...
You have to take what you get, rain or shine. It may be difficult to change your itinerary, especially in summer, in that area.
So be prepared.
I have'nt had a bad time at BSP yet.
Still 0-3 when I have been in knife edge striking distance.
Stayed at Wassataquoik island lean-to for 2 nights back in September.
Hiked and canoed for 2 days and saw no one. Excellent!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Yikes, I have hiked the Knife Edge many times, including during rainstorms and in winter, but I cannot imagine downclimbing Chimney Peak to the notch with a large pack.