manofaltitude
08-10-2011, 07:02 PM
Moose on the Loose!
Have you ever been on a hike that was so awesome that it blew up your awesomeness meter? Well I have and that hike took place in Baxter State Park, Maine. This was not a place that I’d ever been before. After all, it’s a five hundred mile drive from my house. Based on the photos I saw online of Katahdin and the famous Knife Edge, I knew it would be a worthwhile trip.
Prior to my trip, I had to reserve parking at the Roaring Brook trailhead. Baxter State Park has a reservation system for day use users called the DUPR. Maine residents can make reservations far in advance, but if you’re not from Maine, you must make those reservations within two weeks of your arrival date. A number of campsites are available, but I was unable to reserve one in my desired location. Fortunately for me, a spot was available at the day use parking area at Roaring Brook on August 6, so I gladly took it.
Katahdin
I arrived at Baxter State Park just after 5:30 AM. I read that if you don’t get there by 7:05 AM, they will cancel your reservation and give your spot to someone else.
While checking in at the south gate, the rangers inquired about pets and firewood. They told me to keep my printed parking permit on the car’s dashboard so the rangers could see it. Otherwise, they would put a boot on my car! These folks are pretty serious about enforcing rules and regulations.
The Roaring Brook parking area was an eight-mile drive down a dirt road. The speed limit within the park was 20 MPH so it took a good while to get there. When I arrived, parking was no problem at all. Once I parked, I spent a lot of time making sure I had all the proper gear and food packed and I ate a very meager breakfast.
At 6:20 AM, I signed in at the ranger station. While signing in, I overheard the ranger talking to a few other hikers. They were asking about the wildlife in the area and the ranger told them that there were plenty of animals out there, but they were seldom ever seen on the trail. Based on my experiences later that day, I would have to say that I was pretty lucky.
I headed toward the Helon Taylor trail and began my ascent. The hike itself would involve about 4,000’ of ascent, if you count the ups and downs after Pamola while going over the Knife Edge.
Once on the Helon Taylor trail, the terrain started to rise at a steady pace and became considerably steeper as I approached the tree line. Tree line was at just a little over 3,300’ according to my altimeter. It was here that I got my first views of the day.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_above_treeline1.jpg
The views kept getting better and better from this point forward. At 7:57 AM, I stopped briefly to take a panoramic photo that includes the ridge going up to the summit of Pamola.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_pamola_pano1.jpg
I continued climbing the steep and rocky ridge until I reached the top of Pamola (elevation 4,902’) at 8:32 AM.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_pamola_summit_sign1.jpg
The panoramic view from this point is absolutely breathtaking. Katahdin is truly a sight to behold and here I was lucky enough to see it on a crystal clear day.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_pamola_summit_pano1.jpg
I took a moment to also record a brief video of the panoramic view from Pamola.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfMVnam9M_M
The sign indicated that there was only a further 1.1 miles to go via the Knife Edge trail to reach the summit. I took a few moments to admire the incredible sight of Katahdin before continuing.
First I had to make a steep descent before climbing back up onto the Knife Edge. There was a bit of tricky scrambling to get down. Afterwards, the scrambling continued as the trail rose sharply toward the narrow ridgeline.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_knife_edge_scramble1.jpg
This is definitely not a place that you would want to be if you are afraid of heights or not confident in your scrambling ability. I proceeded with caution and made sure I had good footing throughout my climb. Once on top of the first pinnacle, the view of the Knife Edge was awesome.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_knife_edge1.jpg
The trail does not always follow the highest and narrowest part of the ridge. At one point, there is a very narrow ledge that must be traversed. There is a rock wall on the left that you can rely on if you are feeling a bit sketched out.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_knife_edge_narrow_ledge1.jpg
A few other hikers were descending the Knife Edge as I made my climb toward the summit. Passing them, I continued along the very rocky, rugged ridge all the way to the top where there was already a crowd of people. I reached the summit (elevation 5,267’) at 9:51 AM.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_summit_photo1.jpg
Although I did not see any thru hikers while I was up there, this is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It is absolutely incredible to think about the emotions that the above sign must create when a thru hiker completes the hike of over 2,000 miles.
I spent a good while on the summit enjoying the outstanding views and talking to some of the other folks up there. Looking to the east I could see Pamola and the Knife Edge.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_summit_pano2.jpg
A glance to the north revealed my next objective: Hamlin Peak.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_summit_pano1.jpg
Looking down into the valley below, I couldn’t help but think that this view is second only to views found in Yosemite.
Hamlin Peak
After spending about a half hour on the summit of Katahdin, I proceeded down the Saddle trail toward Hamlin Peak. This trail was also very rocky, although the rocks were smaller and different than those found on the way up the other side. I turned around and got a photo looking up toward the summit.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_saddle_trail_rocks1.jpg
It was pretty much like this for most of the day. This didn’t seem to matter much because I was surrounded by some of the most awesome views in the entire northeast.
I ran into a few groups of hikers while going up toward the summit of Hamlin. Before making the final ascent, I got a photo of the view toward the west.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_hamlin_pano1.jpg
From this view, I could see the North Brother, which I would be climbing on Sunday.
The rockiness continued as I climbed toward the top, arriving on the summit (elevation 4,756’) at 11:45 AM. I stopped to admire the views, eat a few snacks and take some photos, like this panoramic picture showing Pamola, the peaks that make up the Knife Edge, Katahdin itself and the Saddle trail.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_hamlin_summit_pano1.jpg
I also got a nice photo showing the northern view, as shown below.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_hamlin_summit_pano2.jpg
Have you ever been on a hike that was so awesome that it blew up your awesomeness meter? Well I have and that hike took place in Baxter State Park, Maine. This was not a place that I’d ever been before. After all, it’s a five hundred mile drive from my house. Based on the photos I saw online of Katahdin and the famous Knife Edge, I knew it would be a worthwhile trip.
Prior to my trip, I had to reserve parking at the Roaring Brook trailhead. Baxter State Park has a reservation system for day use users called the DUPR. Maine residents can make reservations far in advance, but if you’re not from Maine, you must make those reservations within two weeks of your arrival date. A number of campsites are available, but I was unable to reserve one in my desired location. Fortunately for me, a spot was available at the day use parking area at Roaring Brook on August 6, so I gladly took it.
Katahdin
I arrived at Baxter State Park just after 5:30 AM. I read that if you don’t get there by 7:05 AM, they will cancel your reservation and give your spot to someone else.
While checking in at the south gate, the rangers inquired about pets and firewood. They told me to keep my printed parking permit on the car’s dashboard so the rangers could see it. Otherwise, they would put a boot on my car! These folks are pretty serious about enforcing rules and regulations.
The Roaring Brook parking area was an eight-mile drive down a dirt road. The speed limit within the park was 20 MPH so it took a good while to get there. When I arrived, parking was no problem at all. Once I parked, I spent a lot of time making sure I had all the proper gear and food packed and I ate a very meager breakfast.
At 6:20 AM, I signed in at the ranger station. While signing in, I overheard the ranger talking to a few other hikers. They were asking about the wildlife in the area and the ranger told them that there were plenty of animals out there, but they were seldom ever seen on the trail. Based on my experiences later that day, I would have to say that I was pretty lucky.
I headed toward the Helon Taylor trail and began my ascent. The hike itself would involve about 4,000’ of ascent, if you count the ups and downs after Pamola while going over the Knife Edge.
Once on the Helon Taylor trail, the terrain started to rise at a steady pace and became considerably steeper as I approached the tree line. Tree line was at just a little over 3,300’ according to my altimeter. It was here that I got my first views of the day.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_above_treeline1.jpg
The views kept getting better and better from this point forward. At 7:57 AM, I stopped briefly to take a panoramic photo that includes the ridge going up to the summit of Pamola.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_pamola_pano1.jpg
I continued climbing the steep and rocky ridge until I reached the top of Pamola (elevation 4,902’) at 8:32 AM.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_pamola_summit_sign1.jpg
The panoramic view from this point is absolutely breathtaking. Katahdin is truly a sight to behold and here I was lucky enough to see it on a crystal clear day.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_pamola_summit_pano1.jpg
I took a moment to also record a brief video of the panoramic view from Pamola.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfMVnam9M_M
The sign indicated that there was only a further 1.1 miles to go via the Knife Edge trail to reach the summit. I took a few moments to admire the incredible sight of Katahdin before continuing.
First I had to make a steep descent before climbing back up onto the Knife Edge. There was a bit of tricky scrambling to get down. Afterwards, the scrambling continued as the trail rose sharply toward the narrow ridgeline.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_knife_edge_scramble1.jpg
This is definitely not a place that you would want to be if you are afraid of heights or not confident in your scrambling ability. I proceeded with caution and made sure I had good footing throughout my climb. Once on top of the first pinnacle, the view of the Knife Edge was awesome.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_knife_edge1.jpg
The trail does not always follow the highest and narrowest part of the ridge. At one point, there is a very narrow ledge that must be traversed. There is a rock wall on the left that you can rely on if you are feeling a bit sketched out.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_knife_edge_narrow_ledge1.jpg
A few other hikers were descending the Knife Edge as I made my climb toward the summit. Passing them, I continued along the very rocky, rugged ridge all the way to the top where there was already a crowd of people. I reached the summit (elevation 5,267’) at 9:51 AM.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_summit_photo1.jpg
Although I did not see any thru hikers while I was up there, this is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It is absolutely incredible to think about the emotions that the above sign must create when a thru hiker completes the hike of over 2,000 miles.
I spent a good while on the summit enjoying the outstanding views and talking to some of the other folks up there. Looking to the east I could see Pamola and the Knife Edge.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_summit_pano2.jpg
A glance to the north revealed my next objective: Hamlin Peak.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_summit_pano1.jpg
Looking down into the valley below, I couldn’t help but think that this view is second only to views found in Yosemite.
Hamlin Peak
After spending about a half hour on the summit of Katahdin, I proceeded down the Saddle trail toward Hamlin Peak. This trail was also very rocky, although the rocks were smaller and different than those found on the way up the other side. I turned around and got a photo looking up toward the summit.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_katahdin_saddle_trail_rocks1.jpg
It was pretty much like this for most of the day. This didn’t seem to matter much because I was surrounded by some of the most awesome views in the entire northeast.
I ran into a few groups of hikers while going up toward the summit of Hamlin. Before making the final ascent, I got a photo of the view toward the west.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_hamlin_pano1.jpg
From this view, I could see the North Brother, which I would be climbing on Sunday.
The rockiness continued as I climbed toward the top, arriving on the summit (elevation 4,756’) at 11:45 AM. I stopped to admire the views, eat a few snacks and take some photos, like this panoramic picture showing Pamola, the peaks that make up the Knife Edge, Katahdin itself and the Saddle trail.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_hamlin_summit_pano1.jpg
I also got a nice photo showing the northern view, as shown below.
http://www.manofaltitude.com/maine_pics/me_hamlin_summit_pano2.jpg