Silverfox
New member
Last week I took a group of Over the Hill Hikers up to Baxter to finish the NE4k's...67/67. Grumpy Gran, Native Lady, and I were in position to finish with Silent Sam and Ginette needing Vermont....Native Lady did the leg work on this one and booked us into Big Moose Inn which is just outside the park..nice spotless cabin great HOT showers..slept 10 so the 5 of us had room to spare..this worked out very well and though it led to a couple of longer hikes and some driving the cabin certainly fit the personality of the group..we did not take advantage of the excellent restaurant there but did use the celebration lounge...
Monday morning dawned clear and cool..wind was in the forecast so we had the layers going..It was a little tight in my tacoma bouncing down the tote road but after some unforgettable experiences in a Subaru last year on CVR and the Abraham approach we opted for the high clearance truck and this worked out fine. Our goal today was North Brother and Fort..while I have an interest in the NEHH the others really don't though they humored me for awhile.. Taking the Marston Trail from the base of SPECTACULAR Doubletop mountain we set off on a fine footbed..a little mud here and there but nothing bad..The trail goes through some excellent hardwood forests..there were still plenty of flowers around including a big patch of Turtlehead..Soon the climb steepened and we gained elevation rapidly passing a small pond which had some troublesome mud around the outlet stream but offered some fine views of the ridge..We climbed a steep rough and rocky stretch from there soon emerging into the col where there was a long flat stretch to a trail junction..Taking the left turn there we started off easily enough but the trail soon became rough and eroded at times with 6 foot high bankings on both sides..it reminded me of the Kinsman Ridge Trail coming up from the parking lot..a couple of small rock hop scrambles got us above treeline where the views were extraordinary with the cloud shrouded Baxter and Hamlin looming to the side and mountains and lakes stretching out far to the south and east..wow.we summited in fairly high wind and ducked around to the lee side for lunch..I looked longingly down at Fort knowing this was the time to do it but lingering calf soreness of mine and the general reluctance of the others led me to decide to focus on the group goal, which was the 67/67 and abandon that trip for another day..Like I need an excuse to get back to baxter!!!! Our trip down was smooth and uneventfull..we lingered over the excellent views towards South Brother and Coe which was to be our planned wednsday hike... Fortunately for me Grumpy Gran is a retired PT and she worked my calf muscle and decided I had a slight tear..a little heat..a little ice..a little vitamin I..this would prove a nagging injury but did not disuade me from our goal..I was glad her husband, Dr. Tom was not in residence as he may have opted for surgery!!
It rained a bit monday night and while it may have cleared someplace during the morning it drizzled on and off and was quite muggy all day and we decided to postpone the peaks and do an excersize hike on South Turner instead..fairly steep and generally uphill trail and some struggled a bit in the heavy air..my calf twinged now and again..at around 2500 feet as we ascended deeper into the clouds we bailed out..had a nice fast paced walk around the pond at the base ..and called it a day..quite muddy in spots around the pond but it felt good to be out there just the same except for a missed trail junction that was soon corrected....signs..? you are supposed to stop at the signs?...Ginette had to head back to work in disappointment on not making the peaks.. After a bit more of therapy, the heat, the massage, the ice, the vitamin I, the Red wine..we packed up for tomorrows hike...Katahdin!! The forecast was for temps in the 30's/40's with similar winds..I suggested packing for Washington on a windy day and that proved a good call..
We needed to be at the Park Gate around 5:00am so we rose early and shuffled through morning routines, including coffee for the driver...me...We arrived at Roaring Brook at around 545 and were on the trail by 6:00..weather at the cabin had it listed as a Class 2 day with WINDY mentioned several times.. My plan was to use Chimney Pond Trail to Basin Trail..up the Hamlin Ridge then over the Tablelands to Saddle Trail..then down Saddle..No one in the group expressed an interest..myself included..in the Knife Edge..on a calm day maybe, but not with this wind...Chimney Pond trail a nice access..well graded in spots..some really excellent wide wooden bridges. As the ridges popped into view the roaring of the wind and the fast moving clouds led me to alter route and ascend Saddle Trail where hopefully we would be somewhat sheltered.. Signing in at Chimney Pond.the reports again emphasized wind and caution but the sun was out and we were game..The Saddle Trail starts off easily enough..through the trees you can see the red slash of the slide up above that takes you the final leg to the tableland..The slide, while quite steep, offered lots of rock for climbing, was dry, and was sheltered from the wind.. I do know that I was much more comfortable ascending this route rather than our original plan of descending here as this does drop off quickly..All of a sudden you reach the plateau..incredible rockline area stretching in several directions..wow..the wind was quite gusty and we put on a layer and, shells, gloves and hats as it was quite brisk..The clouds were lifting though and the views to the Knife Edge and beyond were spectacular..I see why people talk about this place with such reverence. The climb to the peak along the Saddle was not steep but the wind made it interesting as we were blown around many times...I usually have Grumpy Gran lead..she sets the best group pace..it just works out ..but a few hundred yards from the summit they all hung back and asked me to lead the final leg.. It was pretty awesome coming over the top to the sign..yes.. THE SIGN..that we have all seen..There were several folks at the summit including 5 thru hikers, a couple of whom vowed they were for sure through hiking!! Pictures and high fives all around..they were impressed with our groups average age of 64..I am the baby and the fact that we had almost completed this 67/67 list in 2 years of basically summer and fall hiking..a dedicated group... After lingering a bit we headed over to finish the thing on Hamlin..an unbelievable ridge walk through a surreal moonscape..while I took pictures they don't do it justice.. The trail takes a long roundabout to get to Hamlin and for a bit we questioned Silent Sam as to whether a turn had been missed but soon the signpost came into view and we started up the final push...Again they put me in the lead and a great moment in Mountaineering history happened at 12:02 , 8/20/08 where the three of us finished the 67/67.. High winds forced us down off the flat peak quickly but ducking down was the right thing where the North Basin came into view..we ate in awe looking at this magnificent glacial cirque..smooth sides and bottem..like a giant had used a wide blade scoop through soft ice cream.
Heading down the excellent Hamlin Ridge trail we thankfully had the gusty winds at our back and while we were blown around a bit on the exposed hike I have to think it was much better than climbing into it.. Spectacular views on this section though pretty rough going in places with some edgy spots.
Finally we dropped down to the Basin trail which, while rough, rooty, and rocky, did offer the possiblity of stretching out the legs a bit and we moved pretty quickly. The descent down the Chimney Pond trail was uneventful and pretty good going..we lingered a few times but Silent Sam is our down hill leader and there is no fooling around...
Back at the camp I opened a Tuckerman"s brought up from NH and savored every drop thinking back to our day.. AFter nice HOT showers we headed to the lounge where..our 5 AT buddies were and we all enjoyed some laughs and libation.. While I was on vacation the rest of the week the others were ready to head out so i decided to take the scenic route home... After stopping at the excellent Appalachian Trail Cafe for breakfast where we met our buddies again we headed off in our different directions... Next time I will know to set aside more time at the Gulf Hagas ..I spent a couple of hours in there..very very special place...My goal was to make it over to Eustis where my brother has a camp and see what was up..maybe do the Horns the next day. After a brief scouting trip of CVR which was overall no worse than last year to the steel bridge..the bridge after that was a bit dicey so I parked and hiked up to AT to spread a little trail magic and check out the water levels on the river..which was fine..Arrived at camp to find it shut down? for winter and I didn't want that hanging over my head so I moved on...after a brief swim at the beach near Cathedral Pines I plotted my next move and decided to just head on home which I did seeing several moose along the way..
A rewarding and fun trip with Grumpy Gran, (Mary), native Lady, (Ellen), Silent Sam, (Claude) and Ginette, (Ginette).. Our goals were clear..we achieved them..hiking on Maine's highest peak was a suitable and spectacular finish...While the others gazed at the incredible vistas thinking they would probably not be back.. This is a place I will return to soon..well..for the next list or 2 of course....
a few pictures at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/silverfox777/sets/721576068848819441
Monday morning dawned clear and cool..wind was in the forecast so we had the layers going..It was a little tight in my tacoma bouncing down the tote road but after some unforgettable experiences in a Subaru last year on CVR and the Abraham approach we opted for the high clearance truck and this worked out fine. Our goal today was North Brother and Fort..while I have an interest in the NEHH the others really don't though they humored me for awhile.. Taking the Marston Trail from the base of SPECTACULAR Doubletop mountain we set off on a fine footbed..a little mud here and there but nothing bad..The trail goes through some excellent hardwood forests..there were still plenty of flowers around including a big patch of Turtlehead..Soon the climb steepened and we gained elevation rapidly passing a small pond which had some troublesome mud around the outlet stream but offered some fine views of the ridge..We climbed a steep rough and rocky stretch from there soon emerging into the col where there was a long flat stretch to a trail junction..Taking the left turn there we started off easily enough but the trail soon became rough and eroded at times with 6 foot high bankings on both sides..it reminded me of the Kinsman Ridge Trail coming up from the parking lot..a couple of small rock hop scrambles got us above treeline where the views were extraordinary with the cloud shrouded Baxter and Hamlin looming to the side and mountains and lakes stretching out far to the south and east..wow.we summited in fairly high wind and ducked around to the lee side for lunch..I looked longingly down at Fort knowing this was the time to do it but lingering calf soreness of mine and the general reluctance of the others led me to decide to focus on the group goal, which was the 67/67 and abandon that trip for another day..Like I need an excuse to get back to baxter!!!! Our trip down was smooth and uneventfull..we lingered over the excellent views towards South Brother and Coe which was to be our planned wednsday hike... Fortunately for me Grumpy Gran is a retired PT and she worked my calf muscle and decided I had a slight tear..a little heat..a little ice..a little vitamin I..this would prove a nagging injury but did not disuade me from our goal..I was glad her husband, Dr. Tom was not in residence as he may have opted for surgery!!
It rained a bit monday night and while it may have cleared someplace during the morning it drizzled on and off and was quite muggy all day and we decided to postpone the peaks and do an excersize hike on South Turner instead..fairly steep and generally uphill trail and some struggled a bit in the heavy air..my calf twinged now and again..at around 2500 feet as we ascended deeper into the clouds we bailed out..had a nice fast paced walk around the pond at the base ..and called it a day..quite muddy in spots around the pond but it felt good to be out there just the same except for a missed trail junction that was soon corrected....signs..? you are supposed to stop at the signs?...Ginette had to head back to work in disappointment on not making the peaks.. After a bit more of therapy, the heat, the massage, the ice, the vitamin I, the Red wine..we packed up for tomorrows hike...Katahdin!! The forecast was for temps in the 30's/40's with similar winds..I suggested packing for Washington on a windy day and that proved a good call..
We needed to be at the Park Gate around 5:00am so we rose early and shuffled through morning routines, including coffee for the driver...me...We arrived at Roaring Brook at around 545 and were on the trail by 6:00..weather at the cabin had it listed as a Class 2 day with WINDY mentioned several times.. My plan was to use Chimney Pond Trail to Basin Trail..up the Hamlin Ridge then over the Tablelands to Saddle Trail..then down Saddle..No one in the group expressed an interest..myself included..in the Knife Edge..on a calm day maybe, but not with this wind...Chimney Pond trail a nice access..well graded in spots..some really excellent wide wooden bridges. As the ridges popped into view the roaring of the wind and the fast moving clouds led me to alter route and ascend Saddle Trail where hopefully we would be somewhat sheltered.. Signing in at Chimney Pond.the reports again emphasized wind and caution but the sun was out and we were game..The Saddle Trail starts off easily enough..through the trees you can see the red slash of the slide up above that takes you the final leg to the tableland..The slide, while quite steep, offered lots of rock for climbing, was dry, and was sheltered from the wind.. I do know that I was much more comfortable ascending this route rather than our original plan of descending here as this does drop off quickly..All of a sudden you reach the plateau..incredible rockline area stretching in several directions..wow..the wind was quite gusty and we put on a layer and, shells, gloves and hats as it was quite brisk..The clouds were lifting though and the views to the Knife Edge and beyond were spectacular..I see why people talk about this place with such reverence. The climb to the peak along the Saddle was not steep but the wind made it interesting as we were blown around many times...I usually have Grumpy Gran lead..she sets the best group pace..it just works out ..but a few hundred yards from the summit they all hung back and asked me to lead the final leg.. It was pretty awesome coming over the top to the sign..yes.. THE SIGN..that we have all seen..There were several folks at the summit including 5 thru hikers, a couple of whom vowed they were for sure through hiking!! Pictures and high fives all around..they were impressed with our groups average age of 64..I am the baby and the fact that we had almost completed this 67/67 list in 2 years of basically summer and fall hiking..a dedicated group... After lingering a bit we headed over to finish the thing on Hamlin..an unbelievable ridge walk through a surreal moonscape..while I took pictures they don't do it justice.. The trail takes a long roundabout to get to Hamlin and for a bit we questioned Silent Sam as to whether a turn had been missed but soon the signpost came into view and we started up the final push...Again they put me in the lead and a great moment in Mountaineering history happened at 12:02 , 8/20/08 where the three of us finished the 67/67.. High winds forced us down off the flat peak quickly but ducking down was the right thing where the North Basin came into view..we ate in awe looking at this magnificent glacial cirque..smooth sides and bottem..like a giant had used a wide blade scoop through soft ice cream.
Heading down the excellent Hamlin Ridge trail we thankfully had the gusty winds at our back and while we were blown around a bit on the exposed hike I have to think it was much better than climbing into it.. Spectacular views on this section though pretty rough going in places with some edgy spots.
Finally we dropped down to the Basin trail which, while rough, rooty, and rocky, did offer the possiblity of stretching out the legs a bit and we moved pretty quickly. The descent down the Chimney Pond trail was uneventful and pretty good going..we lingered a few times but Silent Sam is our down hill leader and there is no fooling around...
Back at the camp I opened a Tuckerman"s brought up from NH and savored every drop thinking back to our day.. AFter nice HOT showers we headed to the lounge where..our 5 AT buddies were and we all enjoyed some laughs and libation.. While I was on vacation the rest of the week the others were ready to head out so i decided to take the scenic route home... After stopping at the excellent Appalachian Trail Cafe for breakfast where we met our buddies again we headed off in our different directions... Next time I will know to set aside more time at the Gulf Hagas ..I spent a couple of hours in there..very very special place...My goal was to make it over to Eustis where my brother has a camp and see what was up..maybe do the Horns the next day. After a brief scouting trip of CVR which was overall no worse than last year to the steel bridge..the bridge after that was a bit dicey so I parked and hiked up to AT to spread a little trail magic and check out the water levels on the river..which was fine..Arrived at camp to find it shut down? for winter and I didn't want that hanging over my head so I moved on...after a brief swim at the beach near Cathedral Pines I plotted my next move and decided to just head on home which I did seeing several moose along the way..
A rewarding and fun trip with Grumpy Gran, (Mary), native Lady, (Ellen), Silent Sam, (Claude) and Ginette, (Ginette).. Our goals were clear..we achieved them..hiking on Maine's highest peak was a suitable and spectacular finish...While the others gazed at the incredible vistas thinking they would probably not be back.. This is a place I will return to soon..well..for the next list or 2 of course....
a few pictures at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/silverfox777/sets/721576068848819441
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