Mt. Katahdin, Hamlin Peak (4,756 ft) 10-4-14

Distance: 10.9 mi.
Elevation: 3,229 ft (overall) 3,884 ft (total)
Time: 2:02 (Chimney Pond) 4:14 (Hamlin Peak) 7:23 (Total)
Trails: Chimney Pond Trail, Saddle Trail, Northwest Basin Trail, Hamlin Ridge Trail, North Basin Trail, North Basin Cutoff

This hike was still needed because I wasn't able to get both Baxter Peak and Hamlin Peak in the same hike earlier in the summer. So this meant a second trip to Baxter State Park. This time I stayed at the Abol Campground and hiked up the mountain starting at Roaring Brook. Any early morning drive got me a good parking spot and also helped me get an earlier finish too.

The trail starting out from Roaring Brook is gentle and easy to follow. No hard obstacles or rough terrain. After a couple bridges and following the river a ways, the trail does get more rocky, but it's still pretty easy going. After a little more, you will see a short side path that leads over to Basin Pond. This is a small pond that has very clear water. Today, there was also a beaver swimming around nearby.

Chimney Pond Trail

Basin Pond

After leaving the pond, you'll come to a nice long boardwalk that has been built over a wet area along the trail. After this, you will also be going past the lower end of Dry Pond. Which right now is just a field of large boulders. I can see this being in the drainage area in the spring and having plenty of snow built up in it, but I don't see it becoming much of a pond. Beyond this, you will come to the Chimney Pond campground area. I made a quick stop her at an outhouse and then headed straight to the pond. Like Basin Pond, the water here is super clear. And even though the ridge and summits were in the clouds, being in front of the pond at the bottom of the basin was impressive. Definitely a cool spot to visit. I can see why many people camp here.

Chimney Pond

Upon leaving the pond, I headed up the Saddle Trail. Things started off being a bit steeper and rockier, but not much. After climbing up through the woods some, the trail levels out a bit and you can see the path you need to take up ahead of you. It looks pretty steep. The trail goes a bit further and then you start the climb. While still at least partly in the trees, there are some large rocks to go over and around. Being damp today, they were a bit trickier than normal I suspect. Soon though, you start to come up out of the trees. While steep, this does mean smaller rocks. Footing can can a bit loose in places, but you just need to look ahead. I found staying to the right helped. Shortly before the top, you'll come to a spot that has a large rock face to climb over. If you follow the blazes pretty closely, you'll have a good route.

Coming into the saddle

Climbing up the saddle

The hike from here to the summit is pretty easy. It doesn't get very steep and just follows along the ridge line. There are a couple larger rocks to go over though. One or two spots required paying attention to my footing, by mainly due to the damp conditions. It seems many people consider the summit of Hamlin Peak to be where the sign is, but to me it looked like a cairn just past it was on slightly higher ground. I took a few pictures in the wind and clouds and measured the temperature and wind speeds. 50 degrees and wind gusting to 23 mph. Then it was down the Hamlin Ridge Trail I went.

Hamlin Peak summit

Hamlin Ridge was interesting to come down. I didn't have any views into the North Basin due to the weather and the wind coming in from my right was blowing the clouds right at me and trying to send me towards the steep descent into the basin. This would be a nice trail to come up when I visit again. With the damp conditions and exposure to the wind, this route was tricky in a couple places. There were a couple short and steep descents and walking near edges with good drop offs. With taking care though, everything went well. With being in the clouds, I couldn't see overly far down the trail and it did seem like I was above treeline longer than I would have thought. Maybe this was just because of the careful pace I was taking.

Along Hamlin Ridge

More of Hamlin Ridge

Once back into the woods, it was a pretty quick descent back down to the car. It didn't take long to the get to the North Basin Cutoff, which I was taking because it looked a bit shorter than going back towards Chimney Pond and also because I figured there would be less people. After coming close to Basin Pond again, you'll pop out back onto the Chimney Pond Trail. From here on down it was pretty quick hiking. Near the end I didn't care much about getting wet anymore, even though the rain had mostly stopped. I also knew the conditions would be good all the way back down.

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

North Brother (4,151 ft) 9-9-14

Distance: 8.88 mi.
Elevation: 3,088 ft (overall) 3,307 ft (total)
Time: 3:46 (summit) 6:43 (total)
Trails: Marston Trail

For my second full day in Baxter State Park this weekend, my plan was to hike North Brother. I had thought about hiking Mt. Coe, South Brother, and Fort Mtn. as well today, but figured I would play it safe and just enjoy North Brother (the only 4K of the group) after how tiring yesterday was.

The trail head has a nice view looking up Doubletop Mtn on the other side of the river. And as you head out onto the trail, it's pretty easy to start. There is one small stream crossing, but it is very shallow. The trail gradually gets a bit steeper for a while, but not hard. It then levels back out some before hitting the junction with the Mt. Coe Trail.

Early bit of trail

Steep section of trail

From here, the trail works gradually up to a small pond. After going around the pond, the trail then turns to head straight up onto the ridge next to the pond. This was the steepest part of the hike, but there is also a trail reroute in the works here, so that might change. While coming up this section, I saw something dark in the trees ahead of me. I thought it was just a root ball or some other kind of debris in the trees, but then it started to come towards me. It was a small black bear (probably 125-150 lbs). He wasn't running at me, but it was faster than a casual "what's that over there" stroll. I made him aware of my presence and told him he didn't want to come any further down the trail (well I didn't want him to). After a couple pauses and steps closer, he finally went off to the side of the trail and down over the ridge. Normally I'd want to grab a photo of a bear, but when even a small one is about 25 feet away, that isn't your first thought.

I continued up onto the ridge where the trail levels back out again before coming to the upper junction with the Mt. Coe Trail. I turned left and headed up the rest of the Marsten Trail to North Brother. Soon the summit could be seen through the trees. As the trail goes along, it gets steeper and narrower. It could use a good brush trimming, but it is also getting very eroded. From talking with a park ranger, they are looking into the best option about this.

The trail coming up out of the trees

Before too long you start to come up out of the trees though. As you do, there are some large rocks to get up and over or require a hop from one to another, but not many. The trail soon brings you up to the summit. While taking in the beautiful views, I thought about making the bushwhack over to Fort Mtn, but stuck with my initial plan of just one peak today. I'll come back soon and grab all four peaks here to get the three on the New England 100 Highest list as well.

After a nice long time at the summit, it was time to head back down the same route I came up. The hike went well with no bear encounters and soon I was back at my car. The day was nice enough and I had enough time that I explored some of the Tote Road and nearby locations while on the way back to my campsite.

View northeast from the summit

Katahdin from the summit

View of Coe, South Brother, and Doubletop

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

Mt. Katahdin, Baxter Peak (5,267 ft) 9-8-14

Distance: 10.105 mi.
Elevation: 4,161 ft (overall) 4,376 ft (total)
Time: 5:47 (Baxter Peak) 9:25 (total)
Trails: Hunt Trail, Baxter Peak Cutoff, Saddle Trail

My plan for hiking the four thousand footers in Baxter State Park was to do one long weekend in the park. Being 6.5 hours from home, this would cut down on driving substantially. I was going to stay at Katahdin Stream Campground in the park. On day one my plan was to would hike Mt. Katahdin hitting both Hamlin Peak and Baxter Peak. Well, that WAS the plan.

Bridge

Katahdin Stream Falls

Starting from the campground on the Hunt Trail (the northern end of the AT), it was a gentle warm up. The trail is pretty smooth and gradually gains a bit of elevation. Before long you pass the trail to The Owl and then cross over the stream on a bridge. There is an outhouse here as well giving you one last sheltered bathroom break spot. From here, the trail starts the real climbing. It's not difficult to start, but it does mark the last of the easy stuff. Soon you pass the impressive Katahdin Stream Falls where are right next to the trail. And a short distance after that, you are rewarded with your first views of the day.

After this, things get more challenging. Sections of trail get steeper at times, and large rocks become more frequent. Sometimes you can go around, but in many place you must go over. As you come out of the trees, you come to even more boulders. In a few places there are metal rungs or handholds to help you up and over. Not as many as I expected though from past descriptions. It can seem daunting, but I didn't find anything through here to be dangerous nerve wracking. I even skipped a bypass that I didn't even notice while taking the more direct route.

View above treeline

Climb up the Gateway to the Table Lands

Next you come up to a level section just before the climb up through the Gateway. This is a great spot for views and a break. It does show you just how much steep rocky climbing you have left though. Coming up the Gateway is tricky at times. While rock climbing experience isn't needed, it wouldn't hurt. It's helpful to be able to pick out a route ahead of time and know how to pull yourself up. This was probably the hardest and slowest part of the climb, but it was still fun. Once at the top it was time for another well deserved break.

Hamlin Peak from Saddle Trail

From here to the top, just going over the Tablelands would be an easy finish to the summit with gradual terrain. My plan was to head over the Baxter Peak Cutoff though and head towards Hamlin Peak first. On the way over this trail, I was starting to feel tired from the steep climbs so far. It also felt a bit warm in the exposed sun. The trail itself though was pretty easy with only a few places where you need to hop between rocks. Once at the Saddle Trail, I sat down in the shade of a large rock there. Feeling the effects of the hike so far, I spent nearly 20 minutes resting and debating if I wanted to do the hike over to Hamlin and back. I finally decided that if I was taking this long to make up my mind, I shouldn't do it and should just save my energy for the tricky descent.

On the way up to Baxter Peak, I ran through different scenarios that could get me up Hamlin Peak without needing another trip to Baxter State Park, but non of them were going to work if I still wanted to get North Brother tomorrow. So after settling on the fact that I would another trip up here, I enjoyed the view from the summit and rested for a while. The Knife Edge certainly looks impressive from here and I feel I'll be back some time to hike it.

Baxter Peak summit

Knife Edge

Coming down through the boulders

Taking my time and picking my route carefully, the descent down the mountain went smoothly. I passed one northbound thru-hiker who was about to finish his trip from GA, but didn't know it until I saw him back down in the campground. Once back to my campsite it was nice to cook up some supper and rest in front of the fire. It was good not needing to drive anywhere after the hike, but a shower would have been nice too.

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE