going to baxtah! beta welcomed

[ctsparrow]

Hi all, still alive and kicking, been far too busy in life, but my son and i are headed for baxter the end of august. btw did the bigelows late june, spectacular except for the swarming B-52 sized wasps at and near the summits. Didn't stick around long enough to discern if they were mudders or stingers! BTW if successful on brothers and baxter my son and myself will be finishing our NE 4 K's...yahoo.

Have reserved a lean to at Big Moose for four nights but may also double book into park sites - am looking at my mail in form as i type.

Just wondering how vftt'ers feel about various in park campsites, specifically abol vs katahdin stream, and chimney pond(this would be the only 'backpacking' we would do into CP).

I find as i get older my tolerance for really disgusting pit toilets is crashing and burning, nausea rapidly sets in.

I may have a shot at only the bunkhouse in CP, would love personal experience beta. I have been in it once while dodgeing hurricane type rains, a few years ago.

We will be hiking the brothers/fort/coe route may break into two days - advice on this helpfull also, and we will be doing hamlin/baxter thus the hope to stay in CP one night.

Thanks in advance, have combed the BSP website, very good, but looking for personal info.

 

[ctsparrow]

oh yeah....anyone in the group sites bet. 8/28 & 9/1 with open slots? that could work too

 

[Sadie]

I was recently at Roaring Brook and it was really nice-- pit toilets cleaner than expected! Staying in the park I felt made everything so much easier, the line into the park and then the long drives through the park just added alot of time. I recently did the Brothers/Coe loop (I did not do Fort), it was a 6.5 h RT for me with the Marston/Coe loop (I was hauling on the way down to try to get home earlier) and really not too bad terrain wise. Have fun!

 

[ctsparrow]

Hi Sadie, i was reading your posts as a matter of fact.
I may do a night or two in the park, but still enjoy a shower!

I guess roaring brook will be an option if i don't get into CP.

btw i think you hike faster than me!, i am hitting the gym like a maniac to be ready, the bigelow were tough for me, but i had been sick just prior and it was very humid.

Thanks.!

 

[Raymond]

I’ll bet that Katahdin Stream will have a lot of Appalachian Trail through-hikers coming in at the end of August, so I’d say that Abol will be a better bet.

Expect mice to find their way into your car. They’re quick. Two mornings in a row there was one standing on the cooler when I opened up my car’s trunk. I remember too that some M&M’s migrated from the trunk into the back seat, or vice versa. We ended up emptying the car at the Hotel Terrace and putting four mouse traps around the car, but didn’t catch anything.

I’ve climbed Katahdin twice, both times ascending the Abol Trail. The first time, it began raining after we’d settled down on top to eat, so we hustled down and descended the Hunt/Appalachian Trail and walked back to our cars along the road. I think it’s two miles between Katahdin Stream and Abol.

My ladyfriend, Susan, and I climbed Coe and South Brother back in 1997, but I didn’t know then I would be climbing the 4000-footers, so we skipped North Brother. We went back in 2003 and climbed Hamlin from Roaring Brook one day and North Brother from the Marston Trail head the next, but conditions weren’t good to tackle Fort, so I returned by myself in 2006 for that one. I felt as though I could have completed the loop that day if I’d wanted to, but didn’t bother trying. Didn’t seem to be any point in wearing myself out for no real reason.

Be sure to take a look at the logbook on the porch of the rangers’ cabin at Katahdin Stream. It’s for the through-hikers, and it’s interesting reading.

Congratulations to you and your son! He must be a teenager by now. Glad to know he’s still hiking with Mom.

 

[MichaelJ]

If you want to hike out of Roaring Brook or Katahdin Stream, then stay at Roaring Brook or Katahdin Stream, respectively. Getting parking there when you're staying elsewhere requires the whole day reservation business on busy (weekend) days. The Marston trailhead, while a long drive from RB, is never a problem for parking, so you'll have flexibility in what you choose to do without having to plan.

The outhouses do get serviced every day. That doesn't mean you won't see some flies, but we saw the ranger daily sweeping them out and disinfecting/cleaning.

 

[daxs]

2 yrs ago (mid sept) the pit toilets at Katahdin Stream were in great shape. In fact, I was surprised at how nice the toilets were; concrete floors, spacious, great ventilation. Most of the sites at the campground were filled bit it was really quiet. Did not run into too many people on the trail up Katahdin. Did run into PapaBear from VFTT 2x in the park though. Small world.

 

[peakbagger]

A night at Abol, Roaring Brook or Katahdin Stream, are pleasant enough but tend to be crowded. Chimney Pond is in another class by itself as it is superior, the shelters are well seperated. I think there is a new bunkhouse. On clear night sitting on the beach at the pond watching the stars with rock walls framing the view on about 300 degrees of view is something special that is hard to duplicate. The temps can be a bit cooler.

Unless there have been major improvements to the privys at Chimney Pond, they are decidedly more primative.

 

[Woody]

The new bunkhouse at Chimney Pond is really nice, especially in the winter with the woodstove blazing!
This time of year I would grab a shelter at CP as well if available.
Have fun!

 

[Bolivia]

Chimney Pond

Had been to Chimney Pond a few years back for two nights - one at the cabin and one at a lean to. Absolutely beautiful! First weekend in June with much snow around edge of smaller pond and MANY black flies.

Great place. Hard not to like.

From another Nutmegger further down Rt I91.

 

[audrey]

Don't rush the Brothers if the weather's good. I never get enough time on Fort or Coe, which in my opinion rank right up there with West Bond. Last time I was sitting on that Coe "balcony", I watched a moose down in a Klondike marsh.

 

[ctsparrow]

thanks all for the info...great news..i got into CP..bunkhouse no other sites open..so will do the hamlin baxter route..i am doin the weather dance as maine has cursed me more than once! other info needed...do they have a bear box at CP or is it sack and rope time? ...also if i cant do the full brother fort coe loop..has anyone done coe via oji from the field parking area?...thks ctsparrow...look for me and my growing short stride 28th thru 1st

 

[MichaelJ]

Pretty sure I saw an installed cable there (few weeks ago) for everyone to hang off.

 

[peakbagger]

There definitely is a bear cable at Chimney Pond, it require some upper arm strength to place a heavy food bag and some knot tying technique to ensure that you can get it down. I expect in the bunk house it may be optional but I would bring mouse protection for the food if it was left in the bunkhouse.

The loop up Baxter Peak via the Cathedrals is spectacular and the route down Hamlin Ridge trail is also spectacular. It has similiar views in spots as the Knifes Edge but less exposed. Generally its best to hike the mountain early in the day as afternoon clouds like to form on the summit in the afternoon.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

..has anyone done coe via oji from the field parking area

Back in July one of the guys in my group did that. The leg from OJI over to Coe was easy enough, but he said the OJI slide was wicked steep.

I checked it out the next day and only got a little ways up the slide before losing my nerve and bailing (and I like scrambles).

 

[MichaelJ]

has anyone done coe via oji from the field parking area

A few weeks ago, we went up OJI from the South Slide trail (next to Foster Field), then took the OJI Link over to where it hits the Coe Slide, then we went down to the Marston Trail and out to the Slide Dam / Marston trailhead. A few years ago I did the Coe/Brothers/Fort loop by going up the Coe slide. Combine them and I can say I did Coe via OJI. Sort of.

The OJI slide is steep, careful footing is needed and it's not fast going, but it's beautiful and a ton of fun. The lower part is loose sand and gravel, the upper is slab. There are plenty of cracks and edges upon which to go if you don't like the bare rock, as well as the trees at the edges. At the top of the slide you go back into the trees, then come to a junction. The summit is this spur trail, past an open viewpoint and back into the trees. There is a summit sign. Come back to the junction and you're on the OJI Link.

The OJI Link comes out on the Coe Slide, far enough up that I don't think it's a big deal to then go up to the summit of Coe. There's plenty of slide involved, but my recollection is that it's again straightforward, walk the cracks, go back and forth as necessary. There's one caution: there's a dark lichen or moss that lives on the rock where it's wet. It is slippery as teflon. It's even slippery where you think it's dry, as it holds moisture. Just don't step on the dark patches. Use the cracks, the tufts of grass, the erratics.

Once up top of Coe, South Brother is an easy spur on the way over to Marston Trail. The views from these peaks in all directions are simply unbeatable.

Looking up the OJI south slide


Looking up the Coe slide from the OJI Link junction


Back down the Coe slide from above


The view of Katahdin from up there

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

Wow, so much great info here! I need to go back to Baxter, stat. So what if I was just there two days ago.

Is the OJI slide more intense than Coe?

 

[peakbagger]

The Marston Slide is supposed to be another great slide in the area. The Marston trail used to be the Marston Slide trail but was reouted awy from the slide 20 years ago due to injuries. The turn off at the top near South Brother is obvious, but I havent located the trail at the bottom.

 

[MichaelJ]

I've done both slides, though Coe was 5 years ago. I think I found Coe more intense because it was much wider and more open. The OJI slide, being narrower and with full-height trees on the sides, doesn't have that exposure feeling. OJI also doesn't have the wet/slippery issues.

The old Marston Slide trail up to South Brother is still shown on the USGS topo maps, as well as a northern approach to OJI (still from Foster Field) which I think is what's covered over in my OJI summit sign photos, and a trail that branches off the OJI link at the OJI/Coe col and heads directly down the other branch of the big ravine before rejoining the Coe Slide Trail.

 

[MikePS]

Definately need to hang food at Chimney, even in the bunkhouse.Pick up a waterproof bag, or use an internal trash bag. I use a large carbiner to hang, it makes it easier to catch the hook on the bear line. Have fun, Chimney is a great place, just spent 3 nites in July, and was happy to catch the Knife. If you have time for a short hike, don't neglect Blueberry Knoll, 1 mi from CP, great short walk with incredible views. Good luck and Have Fun!