The Traveler Loop - BSP - 6/14/09

[chomp]

Grace and I headed up to Baxter State Park on a rainy Friday and check into our lean-to on South Branch Pond. Fortunately, the clouds parted and the sun came out as we were cooking dinner. While there was no rain on Saturday, things were not quite as nice as I had hoped. Still, we had very good weather for the 10.5 mile loop over the three peaks of The Traveler Loop. Sunday, the weather turns foul once again, so we headed out the southern gate of the park, but managed to get in a couple of hours kayaking in Touge Pond with Katahdin towering above us the entire time.

This was my second trip over the Traveler Loop, and it was just as beautiful and challenging as the first time. There are no 4000 foot peaks, but there is a 2000+ foot climb in 2.5 miles, and the trail is rugged and lightly used. Not the hardest hike ever, but harder than your average 10 miler.

Here are some photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/chompat99/Hiking2009BSP#

 

[Gris]

Eh...

The flies still there?

 

[psmart]

Nice trip. I've wanted to do it for years. Thanks for posting the pics. Like many places, 90% of the folks in BSP are on 10% of the trails, leaving the rest of the area pretty quiet.

 

[TDawg]

Wow, great pics chomp. Thanks for posting.

Now I really need to get up into the Matagamon Gate, South Branch looks like awesome place to stay a night. And that old volcano looks pretty cool, particularly Peak of the Ridges. I hear that rhyolite is slippery when wet!

 

[blaze]

beautiful shots! Thank you for sharing.

 

[WinterWarlock]

Really nice...some of your pics almost look like paintings.

 

[MichaelJ]

Wow - that's awesome!

(another one to add to the list, for sure)

 

[Tuco]

The flies still there?

Love to hear that answer! Going to be at South Branch next weekend.

Love the pix.....

 

[hikes-with-him]

AWESOME!!! Ok...so now I gotta put the traveler's loop on my list of to dos

We're heading to do the Kathadin thin Mon, Tue, and Wed...haven't done this yet (hurracaine Ike kicked us off the mt. last year)...

These pictures just make me want to get there sooner!! Ok...never mind. It's gonna rain until Monday, Tues, and Wed...guess I'll keep my plans for those days

 

[dr_wu002]

Traveler is wicked cool. Done it once and definitely needin' to get back. Too bad probably not this year. Nice pics!

-Dr. Wu

 

[peakbagger]

Looks like a great trip. It was on my list for a bushwhack before the completion of the loop trail and I never got to it due to the logisitics. This year I booked two nights at the pond in early September so that I have no excuses unless the weather is nasty.

 

[Jay H]

Awesome, I hope to have time and good weather to do the Travellers this July... We are going to be flexible and try for South Branch when we're there..

Jay

 

[mookie]

Nice one dude.
Never even been to Baxter

 

[darren]

OK, that puts the loop on the list.

- d

 

[vegematic]

I've got several days at South Branch in August specifically to do this loop. Those pictures have really whet my appetite! Looks like that ridge is much more of a boulder field than I was anticipating which will slow me down for sure. It's good to see that ahead of time.
-vegematic

 

[TDawg]

Looks like that ridge is much more of a boulder field than I was anticipating which will slow me down for sure. It's good to see that ahead of time.
-vegematic

From the looks of the pictures, it reminds me of the talus leading up to Mt. Abraham, ME coming from the AT. Small in size, lots of pieces, lots of shifting.