Fat Tuesday
New member
Penobscot West Branch at Abol Bridge: 15.1 miles
So states the Baxter Peak summit sign. I'd known my friend Sarah for a year before it came up that she grew up spending summers at her grandfather's hunting camp at Abol bridge, in view of Abol Falls and Katahdin. After that revelation we suddenly became good friends.
When she invited me up for Labor Day weekend I wasted no time in accepting. Of the 20 guests she had that weekend, none of them wanted to hike "the mountain" as they call it. So fortunately I was able to connect with Jason and Gillian to hike Baxter and Hamlin with them on Friday. We met at 7:00 to make sure I got a day use spot. When I arrived at the gate roaring brook wasn't even half full. Grateful thanks to J and G for getting up so early though they didn't need to! Due to our early start we enjoyed a leisurely climb and took in the fantastic weather. There were a reasonable number of people about but it didn't feel crowded. my favorite hiking outfit that I saw was a young guy in leather loafers, a plaid bookbag and a painter's cap. stylin. A thru-hiker finished while we were up there and I was more excited than he was. That was awkward. He put on a shirt that said "love u mom" and I took a picture for him. Very sweet indeed.
Hoodlums on Hamlin:
That evening I rejoined my friends at Abol Falls. Along with the killer view from the cabin porch, Sarah's dirt road boasts a beautiful river beach and some great Maine bureau of land riverside campsites. We spent the day exploring the area along the Golden Road, driving to various river put-ins and rapids ("falls"). Others hiked to see some ice caves. We had lunch at the Cribworks and watched tons of kayakers and rafting groups go by. Nesowadnehunk Falls presented cool opportunities for surfing the rapids and we watched locals go down on air mattresses. It was cool to return to the cabin later on and see those same groups float by while we were having dinner. I apologized to them for ruining their wilderness experience by being one of the few blights on the pristine landscape (there are very few camps along the Penobscot in that region, from what I was told). in the early evening four of us ladies decided to paddle out from our dock to just below the rapids and then down the river a ways. We had a leisurely trip down and a distressfully difficult trip back up river as we fought the current and ultimately hugged the shore, squeezing between rocks to avoid getting swept back downriver and then paddled into the outlay of our Falls and then across to our dock. Yikes!
On Sunday Sarah and I heeded the advice of the BSP rangers and got up at 5:00 to try to be at the gate by 6:00 or so. In order to hike North Brother (!) We think there may be a way to cut through dirt roads around Abol Bridge and into the park, but we drove east and cut through to the state road. We got to the gate at 6:10 and waited about 40 minutes to get through. I asked the Ranger what time the Katahdin lots had closed, and she said Roaring Brook had closed at 4:30 and Abol and Katahdin Stream around 5:30. We underestimated the length of the drive around to the Marston Trail as I had never been to that side of the Park, but had a great day with best-ever views.
I loved getting exposed to true northern Maine culture at Sarah's cabin this weekend by talking with her family members, friends and neighbors. The beauty of the Penobscot and the woods cannot be overstated. I would be curious to hear from others who have explored the area.
View from cabin:
Rafters in the Cribworks:
So states the Baxter Peak summit sign. I'd known my friend Sarah for a year before it came up that she grew up spending summers at her grandfather's hunting camp at Abol bridge, in view of Abol Falls and Katahdin. After that revelation we suddenly became good friends.
When she invited me up for Labor Day weekend I wasted no time in accepting. Of the 20 guests she had that weekend, none of them wanted to hike "the mountain" as they call it. So fortunately I was able to connect with Jason and Gillian to hike Baxter and Hamlin with them on Friday. We met at 7:00 to make sure I got a day use spot. When I arrived at the gate roaring brook wasn't even half full. Grateful thanks to J and G for getting up so early though they didn't need to! Due to our early start we enjoyed a leisurely climb and took in the fantastic weather. There were a reasonable number of people about but it didn't feel crowded. my favorite hiking outfit that I saw was a young guy in leather loafers, a plaid bookbag and a painter's cap. stylin. A thru-hiker finished while we were up there and I was more excited than he was. That was awkward. He put on a shirt that said "love u mom" and I took a picture for him. Very sweet indeed.Hoodlums on Hamlin:
That evening I rejoined my friends at Abol Falls. Along with the killer view from the cabin porch, Sarah's dirt road boasts a beautiful river beach and some great Maine bureau of land riverside campsites. We spent the day exploring the area along the Golden Road, driving to various river put-ins and rapids ("falls"). Others hiked to see some ice caves. We had lunch at the Cribworks and watched tons of kayakers and rafting groups go by. Nesowadnehunk Falls presented cool opportunities for surfing the rapids and we watched locals go down on air mattresses. It was cool to return to the cabin later on and see those same groups float by while we were having dinner. I apologized to them for ruining their wilderness experience by being one of the few blights on the pristine landscape (there are very few camps along the Penobscot in that region, from what I was told). in the early evening four of us ladies decided to paddle out from our dock to just below the rapids and then down the river a ways. We had a leisurely trip down and a distressfully difficult trip back up river as we fought the current and ultimately hugged the shore, squeezing between rocks to avoid getting swept back downriver and then paddled into the outlay of our Falls and then across to our dock. Yikes!
On Sunday Sarah and I heeded the advice of the BSP rangers and got up at 5:00 to try to be at the gate by 6:00 or so. In order to hike North Brother (!) We think there may be a way to cut through dirt roads around Abol Bridge and into the park, but we drove east and cut through to the state road. We got to the gate at 6:10 and waited about 40 minutes to get through. I asked the Ranger what time the Katahdin lots had closed, and she said Roaring Brook had closed at 4:30 and Abol and Katahdin Stream around 5:30. We underestimated the length of the drive around to the Marston Trail as I had never been to that side of the Park, but had a great day with best-ever views.
I loved getting exposed to true northern Maine culture at Sarah's cabin this weekend by talking with her family members, friends and neighbors. The beauty of the Penobscot and the woods cannot be overstated. I would be curious to hear from others who have explored the area.
View from cabin:
Rafters in the Cribworks:
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