:-? I am thinking about hiking from Rangeley north to Katahdin in a few weeks but would like to have some contact available with my wife as see has a medical condition. Any luck in this area? I have AT & T but would consider getting a pre pay phone from another carrier if that would help. Thanks, Aquaman. :sun

i have at&t and just went through there the other week. every now and again on a mountain top you'll get service. at least once or twice a day.

You'll have service in the following areas from Rt 4 to Katahdin:

-On top of Saddleback all the way to Poplar Ridge Lean-to

-On top of Sugarloaf

-A low signal on North Crocker

-A low signal in Stratton, Maine

-You'll have a low signal at Horn's Pond Lean-to that gets better as you climb into the Bigelows

-If you go to Northern Outdoors in Caratunk, you'll have a low signal

-In Monson, your best signal is by the school

-In the 100 mile wilderness, you'll have a intermittant signal between Cloud Pond Lean-to and Chairback Gap Lean-too.....and then you'll have a signal on White Cap. After that you'll have a faint signal at Logan Brook Lean-to, but nothing until you get to Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to where the signal will be pretty good. After that......nothing till you get to the top of Katahdin.

Enjoy your hike!

i have at&t and just went through there the other week. every now and again on a mountain top you'll get service. at least once or twice a day.Me, too. A few years back I had great reception with ATT on the top of several mountains. That said, I bet just about every cell provider has a tower on top of Surgarloaf, so you can probably get good reception with any provider if you are on top of a mountain as Surgarloaf is centrally located (and very tall) in that section of the trail.

FWIW, here's my trip report (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5754)

Just a Hiker, what cell company are you using for this report?

Just a Hiker, what cell company are you using for this report?


I have Verizon......they bought Unicel here in Maine and they have done a great job of improving service. Poor cell service used to be a big issue up here, but it has gotten better the past couple of years.

I just re-read my trip report, I mentioned an "analog" signal, so I have to assume I must still have been on Sprint at the time, not ATT. So, Sprint has a great signal in the area...lol

I found Verizon had the best coverage along the entire AT. Ditto on Just a Hikers cell reception summary.

I had to call 911 at the Poplar Ridge Shelter for a female section hiker (Cold Feet) who jabbed a stick through her left leg coming down Saddleback Mountain Jr this year. It took the local SAR 3 hours to reach us then another 7 hours to get her off the mountain and to the hospital in Rangeley. Thank goodness there was coverage!

All the Best,

Spokes

During my 06 thru hike I was surprised to have cell phone signal at White House Landing. Also had coverage atop Whitecap Mtn and even at Logan Brook leanto, just north of Whitecap, while working trail crew this summer.

You'll have service in the following areas from Rt 4 to Katahdin:

-On top of Saddleback all the way to Poplar Ridge Lean-to

-On top of Sugarloaf

-A low signal on North Crocker

-A low signal in Stratton, Maine

-You'll have a low signal at Horn's Pond Lean-to that gets better as you climb into the Bigelows

-If you go to Northern Outdoors in Caratunk, you'll have a low signal

-In Monson, your best signal is by the school

-In the 100 mile wilderness, you'll have a intermittant signal between Cloud Pond Lean-to and Chairback Gap Lean-too.....and then you'll have a signal on White Cap. After that you'll have a faint signal at Logan Brook Lean-to, but nothing until you get to Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to where the signal will be pretty good. After that......nothing till you get to the top of Katahdin.

Enjoy your hike!

I hiked the Wilderness last year and it is as he says. I didn't carry a cell phone for any of the rest of Maine.

I am having trouble pulling the att coverage map - there isn't any service according to the map on the trail>>>>Period.

Having been in Maine all cell stuff is bad regardless of who you use.

So you DO have service atop Katadhin? I would love to be able to call my family as soon as I finish my journey. Iwonder if this service is good enough in some spots to be able to bring the iPhone. I think it might be a great tool along the trail. Is it for GPS,blogging, staying in touch with loved ones via email(maybe only once a week, Im doing this to get away from everything for awhile) and so many more useful apps.

I am having trouble pulling the att coverage map - there isn't any service according to the map on the trail>>>>Period.

Having been in Maine all cell stuff is bad regardless of who you use.

AT&T doesn't show any coverage because they don't own any cell towers in Maine. Verizon and U. S. Cellular own them all.

JaHiker, He mentioned att,

here is the other, very spotty

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scadalink.com/support/img/coverage-verizon-cdma-analog-roaming.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.scadalink.com/support/coverage_maps.html&usg=__k5YADTPC7QAmMuwi5J4ysMy8pRk=&h=420&w=710&sz=94&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=sZJh0AZ0yqMdlM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVerizon%2Bcoverage%2Bmap%26hl%3Den%26 safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1T4GGLG_enUS310US310%26sa%3DN%2 6um%3D1

JaHiker, He mentioned att,

here is the other, very spotty

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scadalink.com/support/img/coverage-verizon-cdma-analog-roaming.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.scadalink.com/support/coverage_maps.html&usg=__k5YADTPC7QAmMuwi5J4ysMy8pRk=&h=420&w=710&sz=94&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=sZJh0AZ0yqMdlM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVerizon%2Bcoverage%2Bmap%26hl%3Den%26 safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1T4GGLG_enUS310US310%26sa%3DN%2 6um%3D1

I wasn't trying to be a ****head........just explaining why you didn't find any coverage on AT&T's coverage map. Celluar phone coverage was a hot-button issue here in Maine for many years, but Verizon and U.S. Cellular came up here and saved the day. I take all my trail photos here in Maine with my camera phone, so I've been keeping track of exactly where one can get service on the trail. It's definately gotten better.

wHat? Jim its the internet, your fine. Still a hot issue in Maine, coverage is bad and not getting any better. Let me know when I can come visit aye?