Coldfeet and Kids at Baxter 8/15

[coldfeet]

I'm going to paste pics first because I messed up and deleted my report by accident...

Drove 1100 miles
ate lousy frezze dried food
fogged in at Katahdin summit

....views above and below priceless!


If i did this right, just click on the Baxter trip...

http://community.webshots.com/photo/2287521970065582691fVrtVA

 

[coldfeet]

ok, it worked....3rd time to Maine in the last year...went to Acadia with my wife and kids and went to the winter gathering...I like Maine...

Took Taylor 10 and Jordan 14....drove 550 miles form long Island, took 2 days...hiked into Chimney pond 3.3 miles , 1500 ft elevation...taylors first backpack, Jordans 2nd and my 3rd in 2 years..i know it's not much but the weight adds up, especially the emergency clothing for just in case, which was needed...I also carried my video camera because i figured what's an extra 2 lbs...it was worth it...this report is much shorter than the first...i was proud of my kids and myself for taking our time and not complaining to muck getting to the lean to....we ate and stargazed...next morning we would hike katahdin...

Wake up and eat...9 am start..up Cathedral and down Saddle...no knife edge for us, i can't watch them and myself..Cathedral was tough..I think 1.7 miles 2400 vertical...small rocks...big rocks...very big boulders...then on top of the cathedral lots of broken red rocks...the clouds came bringing drizzle/fog.....the fleece and ponchos went on for the last 1/2 mile....we were fogged in at the summit with loads of people...we ate and left after 1/2 hour...i didn't want to wait for a view in case the weather got worse...the hike down saddle is rough for a while...i hiked in front of Taylor helping her down some drops, she's on the short side, I kept reminding her that if she was to fall that she should fall on her butt and not do a forward roll...later on the Saddle trail was beautiful with small trees growing on the sides....we made it down and I went for a short swim in a pond on the other side near the bunk houses...took Taylor with me..jordan didn't want to...we hiked out in the am and went site seeing near the cars...We spotted a mother moose and her baby and then another moose eating, it was cool!

Drove to Katahdin Stream for 2 nights...stargazed that night and hiked up the Owl trail the next day...3 miles, 2400 elevation..kids did belly ache but made it...beautiful views and met Paul and his son (7)...then i promised my kids to go swimming at Ledge falls...that was tthe best part of the trip for them...a natural rock slide into pools of water...it was great...that night no star gazing for them, but i did, i wanted to take in the Maine stars one more night....we drove back the next day app 500 miles, I broke up the ending of the trip by going on a car felly for app 1 hour..kids liked getting out of the car and me to...slept at moms place in Eastern Long Island then drove home Sunday...I wanted to drive to the gathering late Saturday but it would have added 150 more miles....unpacked the car and repacked it to go on a 5 day trip to the exact extreem..the Jersey shore!...that's another story, but i did go para sailing there!...big thx to Spencer for giving me the advise on where to stay in Baxter when I mailed out the reservations 5 months ago...also thx to everyone else who pm'ed me about Baxter..Thx VFTT, the city boy has enjoyed the last 3 years in the country, maybe not every weekend but as much as i can...be safe everyone!

 

[prino]

Hey David! Glad you had a good trip to Katahdin. It's got to be my favourite peak. I remember seeing that painted rock of " Keep Maine Beautiful" last time I was there back in 1983.
Some things never change.

Cheers
-Phil

 

[Klutz]

You took your kids up Cathedral???? Well I'm sure being young and energetic helped......Glad you had a great time! Baxter is so magical, wish there was more time for it. I love that place every time I go and enjoy reading other trip reports from others visits. Always a joy. I bet the kids will never forget that place, especially staying at Chimmney Pond! and seeing Momma moose and baby moose! Almost always happens there! Glad everyone was safe as well.

 

[coldfeet]

Hi Prino, nice to hear from you...the park was beautiful, I had a wonderful time....would love to see it in the fall and winter...

Klutz...the knife edge was not even an option and it's supposed to be easier to hike down Saddle than Cathedral so that's how we went....

crazy thing was that we each took 2 litters of water and my daughter only drank a little over 1/2 a litter!....That's the 2nd time I've gone out with her and she drank a little...She uses a hydration bladder and I can't moniter it without taking it out of her pack....I'm thinking that next time (probably next year) I'll have her use nalgenes so i can see what she's drinking....on the other hand someone told me that if she was thirsty then she'd drink more and not to worry...I was saving water incase they needed it..

 

[ROCKYSUMMIT]

Ah, there you are David! Wow, looks like a great trip. Glad your kids got the chance to see such a place. The past couple years I've been saying "I'm dragging my gang up there", just have a hard time planning far ahead I guess. Just gotta do it and hope the weather cooperates. Thanx for sharing the photos and TR, and glad you're back in N.Y.-Tony

 

[Gris]

way to go david. beautiful place, beautiful pics, beautiful family. take my advice & do as many camping/hiking trips w/ em as ya can, befo ya know it they'll be grown and gone. i camped/hiked all over w/ my daughter & those times were many of my fondest memories...sniff, sniff

 

[coldfeet]

Tony, it's good to be back home...

7 weeks of sleep away camp was real tough..then...6 day trip to Maine then 5 day trip to Jersey shore...to cap it all off...I have been a soccer flagman for 4 games this past weekend and possibly 1 more for todays 9am game....can't wait for school to start..

bad news...wife got laid off work after 25 years...my trips will be very limited now...

Gris...first of all your trip report is awesome....excuse me for being ignorant but is that Alaska you were at?...Also it was a love/hate relationship with the kids...they annoy each other and it drives me nuts...at home it's different but on the trail it's silly and dangerous...but each day does make them older and wiser..right? (Doesn't work for me)

Take care...still rainning here in Eastern Long Island...3rd day in a row!

 

[poison ivy]

Congrats on your first trip to Baxter, coldfeet! The pictures were great... looks like you and the kids had a fantastic time! So glad you got to see moose while you were up there.

- Ivy

 

[alpinista]

Great trip report and pix, Coldfeet. It seems like your kids had a great time and will have memories of it for years go come!

 

[spencer]

Way to go, David! Based on those pictures, your kids had as much as you did...

great report and pics.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Now we know why he's called ColdFeet!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/553327541/2398440190065582691MKwCtl

 

[coldfeet]

That's funny Tom!...The water was cold ....It was a dream trip for me and I can't wait to read more trip reports about other places...I'm interested in where Gris went..


I actually did slip into the water the next day trying to splash water on my face causing the water to fill up quickly in my boots...Laurie would be proud of me...I took out my extra dry socks and WALA, off I went..

I also took a chance bringing my kids...the cough medicine was used every night for my son....and my daughter had a slight fever the day before the trip....I'm going to the Dr to check out some of my pains...

 

[Mad Townie]

David, beautiful kids! You've done a wonderful thing for them by taking them to BSP. Oh, and you've done a wonderful thing for yourself, too! You were wise to take as many days as you did and to see different parts of the park. Now that your appetite is whetted, you'll have to come back for more. I'm willing to bet you've implanted the hiking bug firmly into their heads.

I'm amazed that you guys climbed the Cathedral Trail. That thing is challenging! Nice thing about kids, though, is they can't tell the difference, it all seems the same to them.

Sorry to hear about your wife's situation. I hope that gets remedied soon so that you can be back up in the north country.

 

[kmac]

Your pictures were all that was needed, it certainly looks like you all had a wonderful time!! Your children are cutie pies!
thanks for sharing.
kmac

 

[hitmann]

Nice work Dave. Looks like the kids had a blast! You lucky dog! Talk to ya soon. Tom

 

[mudhook51]

Coldfeet, good to hear you are still out there. Sounds like a great trip. Hope to hike with you again sometime.

 

[Jay H]

Hey David, looks like a great trip, headed up to Maine next week but will be paddling, not hiking.

Jay

 

[ajtiv]

Great trip and really beautiful pictures.
I am jealous.
Must have been wonderful spending time with the kids in such a beautiful place. It looks like you all had a lot of fun.
Glad you and the kids had such a good trip.
Al

 

[SherpaKroto]

David,
Nice trip! Always enjoy hearing from you. Next time we'll have to plan on you stopping by the cabin. Sorry to hear about the wife's job.