roadtripper
Well-known member
Two friends & I got the opportunity to climb Mt. Katahdin over Labor Day weekend. It was their first time up the mountain.
Route:
Parking Area > Chimney Pond Trail > Helon Taylor Trail > Knife Edge Trail > Saddle Trail > Chimney Pond Trail > Parking Area.
Report
There isn't much too exciting to note here, but I thought i'd share a few notes from our trip.
~ I found the Helon Taylor Trail to be a fun & scenic trail (like all trails up Katahdin), but I enjoyed the Dudley Trail more the last time I climbed Katahdin. It has more hand-over-hand scrambling and a great photo op at Pamola's Finger. It also gives you an opportunity to spot a moose at Chimney Pond in the early morning hours.
~ We arrived at the main south gate at Baxter on Saturday at 4:45am. To our surprise, we were the 32nd car in line! I asked the ranger on duty as we were going through how many more cars were left before they would cutoff access to Roaring Brook, and they said 5 or 6. Definately a close call today!
~ We made the decision to climb Katahdin based on Friday's forecast. Just like last year, the Katahdin Shadows Campground in Medway, Maine (45min away from the south gate) had several tent sites available last minute. I find this incredible considering this was Labor Day weekend.
~ We were on the main summit when two thru-hikers approached and finished the A.T. It was pretty inspiring.
~ I still can't believe how many people climb the Knife Edge as their first real hike. There were many people up there that appeared well out of their comfort zone, and there were a lot of hikers being very aggressive in pushing their friends to continue along the ridge (as opposed to coming back down the way they went up).
~ Chimney Pond has turned into one of my favorite spots in New England. Its appeal just keeps growing on me. I think it's about time to make a reservation there and stay a night or two.
~ Next time I'll give the Cathedral Trail a shot, and maybe include Hamlin on the descent. Any thoughts on the difficulty of the Northwest Basin trail after a long day along the Knife Edge?
pictures!
- Greg
Route:
Parking Area > Chimney Pond Trail > Helon Taylor Trail > Knife Edge Trail > Saddle Trail > Chimney Pond Trail > Parking Area.
Report
There isn't much too exciting to note here, but I thought i'd share a few notes from our trip.
~ I found the Helon Taylor Trail to be a fun & scenic trail (like all trails up Katahdin), but I enjoyed the Dudley Trail more the last time I climbed Katahdin. It has more hand-over-hand scrambling and a great photo op at Pamola's Finger. It also gives you an opportunity to spot a moose at Chimney Pond in the early morning hours.
~ We arrived at the main south gate at Baxter on Saturday at 4:45am. To our surprise, we were the 32nd car in line! I asked the ranger on duty as we were going through how many more cars were left before they would cutoff access to Roaring Brook, and they said 5 or 6. Definately a close call today!
~ We made the decision to climb Katahdin based on Friday's forecast. Just like last year, the Katahdin Shadows Campground in Medway, Maine (45min away from the south gate) had several tent sites available last minute. I find this incredible considering this was Labor Day weekend.
~ We were on the main summit when two thru-hikers approached and finished the A.T. It was pretty inspiring.
~ I still can't believe how many people climb the Knife Edge as their first real hike. There were many people up there that appeared well out of their comfort zone, and there were a lot of hikers being very aggressive in pushing their friends to continue along the ridge (as opposed to coming back down the way they went up).
~ Chimney Pond has turned into one of my favorite spots in New England. Its appeal just keeps growing on me. I think it's about time to make a reservation there and stay a night or two.
~ Next time I'll give the Cathedral Trail a shot, and maybe include Hamlin on the descent. Any thoughts on the difficulty of the Northwest Basin trail after a long day along the Knife Edge?
pictures!
- Greg
