View Full Version : Best/Easiest way to Abol Bridge after Katahdin Summit
Todd Heyn
07-31-2009, 21:16
My wife and I will be hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness at the end of August. We will be starting with a seaplane ride from Millinocket to Monson and hiking back north. We have the opportunity to leave our car either at the Sea Plane base in Millinocket or we can leave our car at Abol Bridge and Katahdin Air will shuttle us to the sea plane base. By using the latter method, our car will be waiting for us when we are done hiking.
My question is this, what is the best/easiest way to get back to Abol Bridge after summiting Katahdin? Our last day will start at Katahdin Stream campground and proceed to the summit and then proceed to Abol Bridge. It is 10.4 miles from Katahdin Stream Campsite to the summit and back. I would have another 10 miles back via the AT to Abol Bridge. On the map there is the Blueberry Ledges Trail which seems shorter and a relatively easy walk.
Just let me know what you would do if you were in our shoes. This is the last piece of the puzzle I have to put together to make this complete. Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Lone Wolf
07-31-2009, 21:48
i would hitch hike or just plain ask for a ride out of the park to abol. it's easy. i've done it many times
Park your car at Millinocket. You'll have better than a day to find a ride once in BSP and many hikers you meet will be headed there when you are ready to go. You might even find a ride before reaching Abol Bridge.
Blueberry Ledges is very easy but may be boggy in spots when it's very wet. I used that trail out last year after climbing Katahdin. My son met me with his car before I climbed, hiked with me to summit and back to the car for the ride home afterward. He parked right by the store (to the right of the store there is room for hiker parking). By the way, there's camping at Abol bridge (2 shelters and a few tentsites across the road from the store). There's an "honor system" locked metal container for shelter and site use. Katahdin Stream campground is much nicer than the Birches.
Todd Heyn
08-01-2009, 18:42
Thanks for the responses. We have decided that we will just ask for - hitch a ride after we have summited Kitahdin. That seems to be the easiest and most practical way to do this.
ShelterLeopard
08-01-2009, 18:50
Blueberry Ledges is very easy but may be boggy in spots when it's very wet. I used that trail out last year after climbing Katahdin. My son met me with his car before I climbed, hiked with me to summit and back to the car for the ride home afterward. He parked right by the store (to the right of the store there is room for hiker parking). By the way, there's camping at Abol bridge (2 shelters and a few tentsites across the road from the store). There's an "honor system" locked metal container for shelter and site use. Katahdin Stream campground is much nicer than the Birches.
But isn't the Birches shelter area AT Katahdin Stream? (Just when I thought I had it figured out...)
Nope, it's on the way to the Blueberry Ledges Trail, not on the AT, which Katahdin Stream Campground is on.
ShelterLeopard
08-02-2009, 00:52
Nope, it's on the way to the Blueberry Ledges Trail, not on the AT, which Katahdin Stream Campground is on.
Okay, so I was right about the location of Katahdin Stream (where I had stayed once, but wasn't quite sure of the name), I just thought that all those lean-tos they had along the stream were the Birches. Thanks!
This is a DON'T MISS I highly recommend that when you finish the AT on Katahdin and it does not matter where you come down. ...and for maybe an extra mile of walking, rather than retrace steps, descend the most exhilarating hiking trail east of the Mississippi: The Knife's Edge and then continue on the Helon Taylor Trail to Roaring Brook Campground. Of course, only attempt this spectacular trail in good weather. If you liked Franconia ridge or the Presidential traverse, they pale in comparison to this one mile of open rock and exposure. Then you can have an equally as distant ride (maybe even a mile shorter) from the east side of the mountain to the Baxter gate or Millinocket, so you lose nothing in adding these few extra steps VS retracing the Hunt Trail.
Park at Abol. Hike to the Birches Shelter (Katad. Stream). Next day summit K. If good weather cross over the Knife's Edge. Hitch from Roaring Brook back toward the Birches, but get off at the short-cut trail back to Abol. Look at a map of Baxter. If weather makes you go back down the AT, (Hunt Trail) hitch out to the junction mentioned above. It will be on the road out of the Park from K. Stream. It is an easy hike back to Abol. When you first come out of the Wilderness camp at Abol.
If you have the time, try to get a multi-day permit to stay in the Park. There are many other peaks and hikes in the Park. September is a beautiful month to be there.
ShelterLeopard
08-04-2009, 01:14
Park at Abol. Hike to the Birches Shelter (Katad. Stream). Next day summit K. If good weather cross over the Knife's Edge. Hitch from Roaring Brook back toward the Birches, but get off at the short-cut trail back to Abol. Look at a map of Baxter. If weather makes you go back down the AT, (Hunt Trail) hitch out to the junction mentioned above. It will be on the road out of the Park from K. Stream. It is an easy hike back to Abol. When you first come out of the Wilderness camp at Abol.
If you have the time, try to get a multi-day permit to stay in the Park. There are many other peaks and hikes in the Park. September is a beautiful month to be there.
Whoa, wait, wait, wait. I thought the birches were NOT at Katahdin Stream. I am so confused now.
ShelterLeopard
08-04-2009, 01:17
Okay, so The Birches is not at Katahdin Stream, like Tinker said. Checked it out on the Baxter State Park page.
Trail Mileages
Hurd Pond–Abol Bridge (West Branch of Penobscot): 3.5 Miles
Abol Bridge–"The Birches" (A.T.): 9.8 Miles
Abol Bridge–"The Birches" (Blueberry Ledge): 4.4 Miles
Katahdin Stream Campground–Baxter State Park (A.T.): 5.2 Miles
Abol Campground–Thoreau Spring Junction with A.T.: 2.8 Miles
Thoreau Spring–Baxter Peak: 1 mile
The Birches lean-tos for thru-hikers entering the park from Abol Bridge and Hundred Mile Wilderness from the south is located on the Perimeter Road about 0.3 mile southeast of Katahdin Stream Campground. If coming from the main gate along the Perimeter Road (also known as Nesowadnehunk Road), you first come to the Birches on your left and then Katahdin Stream on your right. The Blueberry Ledge Trail starts at Birches and eventually intersects the AT a little short of Abol Bridge. The Blueberry Ledge Trail is a short cut to get from Perimeter Road and the AT at the Birches to outside the park on the AT. The AT route is far more scenic going along the banks of the Nesowadnehunk Stream with numerous pools, cascades and falls to entertain you along the way and then along the Penobscot River. If the blueberries are ripe the Ledge Trail could whet your appetite.
Note: The Biches are not on the AT. The AT runs along the Perimeter Road from the north for 0.4 mile and makes a left turn into Katahdin Stream Campground and then starts its climb of Katahdin. The Birches are to the south of Katahdin Stream Campground. Hope that clears things up.
This link (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9422) will take you to my trip report for ME AT I. Here you will see a day hike with times and elevations for a circle hike from Abol Bridge up the Blueberry Ledge Trail and then returning with the AT from Katahdin Stream Campground. You might want to take a look at the charts from this hike to get a better feel of the data for this area.
boarstone
08-04-2009, 09:00
Leave your vehicle at the seaplane base. Easier to get ride out of park and dropped off there. Or leave the keys w/seaplane base so they can use your vehicle to come get you. Vehicle will be safer over the length of time you'll be gone if left there. The road to Abol and the Park run parallel to each other. To hitch out of the park your going to end up at the Seaplane base anyway, as you'll then have to go on the Golden Road, BACK to Abol. Kind of senseless. Leave car at your flight base.
Although Mr. Heyn's intentions are not likely to be clear to readers of this thread, he has indicated elsewhere (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=875317&postcount=6) he's reached a decision on where he will park.