View Full Version : Steepest part of the AT
Hello Whiteblaze friends! Just got back from hiking the Presidential Range and Katahdin in early September. Fantastic weather all 6 days of my trip and awsome pictures. My question is this: I have hiked all the AT from Springer to Damascus and now from NH 302 at Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch as well as the AT trail up Katahdin. Does anyone know where the steepest part of the AT is? I thought it was the south side of Roan Mountain but am now thinking it must be either Katahdin itself, going up Webster Cliffs or coming off Mount Madison toward Pinkham. Are there any places steeper than those I have mentioned? Thanks, Jay B.
I haven't made it to N.E. yet, but I want to say that Katahdin is much steeper than Roan Mountain, though I could be wrong.
I remember a pretty nasty climb out of Stecoah gap though.
Beaverbrook Falls on Mt. Moosilauke gets my vote.
Blissful
10-09-2009, 22:28
A few of the stretches in southern ME - like Mahoosuc Arm and Speck Mtn.
Blissful
10-09-2009, 22:30
I remember a pretty nasty climb out of Stecoah gap though.
All right, a Stecoah fan! I've complained about that 30 miles from NOC to Fontana a lot. Really tough part of trail (esp mentally) when you are new at the game. But not the steepest.
Jim Adams
10-09-2009, 22:32
South Kinsman
geek
CrumbSnatcher
10-09-2009, 23:21
katahdin
webster cliff trail
lehigh gap
mahoosuc arm
beaver brook trail
the climb out of georgia into N.C. kicked my ass a few times
Ive heard they've built switchbacks, but Old Blue Mountain would get my vote from ten years ago.
CrumbSnatcher
10-09-2009, 23:46
Ive heard they've built switchbacks, but Old Blue Mountain would get my vote from ten years ago.
yeah thats a good choice. ten years yesterday for me 10-08-99 wow seems like yesterday.
The Solemates
10-09-2009, 23:51
i'm fairly certain that geek wins the prize...rise over run, I think statistically speaking south kinsman is truely the steepest.
here are some others that came to my mind:
katahdin
albert mtn
lehigh gap
speck mtn
I dont remember stecoah or beaver brook being that bad...
Ramble~On
10-10-2009, 00:31
South Kinsman, Mahoosuc Arm, Old Blue & parts of the climb down from Dragon's Tooth, Moody Mountain comes to mind too! I renamed that one...Mt. Kick My Ass.
The steepest climb on the trail though....my vote goes to the stairs at the Doyle! Especially 15 minutes after last call.
South Kinsman, Mahoosuc Arm, Old Blue & parts of the climb down from Dragon's Tooth....and climbing the steps at the Doyle! Moody Mountain comes to mind too! I renamed that one...Mt. Kick My Ass.
Yep. Moody Mt. (or Hall), I forgot which was the tough one. I hiked them about 8 years ago.
I haven't been on the Trail between NJ and Ga. yet, though, except a little bit of Pa.
Mahoosuc arm is a good climb, too, especially right after the notch (and the descent to it).
Descending Garfield on a rainy morning! Webster Cliff wasn't too steep (I didn't think) it just kept going on forever.
I agree with Jim Adams, Kinsman gets my vote.
I vote for the middle section of the climb up to Baxter Peak starting at Katahdin Stream Campground via the Hunt Trail / AT.
There are a half-dozen or so that rank near it but IMHO this 1.25 miles or so is the toughest and steepest climb on the entire AT. A lot of hand-over-hand stuff. A few places where you can see the next white blaze but scratch your head and ask, "Now what were they thinking?" The fact that there is often really dicey weather here makes it all the more challenging.
NOBOs could consider it their Final Exam. It's all do-able though, and the prize is well worth the effort.
Kerosene
10-10-2009, 11:50
I haven't done Maine or North Carolina, but South Kinsman gets my vote.
I reached Eliza Brook Shelter at 3 pm on a mid-September day, amazed at how long it took me to get there from Kinsman Notch. My plans had me stopping at Kinsman Pond for the night, but the guidebook made it clear that the next 3 miles were "not to be underestimated". Feeling a little tired (it was only my second day out), I did the smart thing and stayed put. The two miles up South Kinsman is clearly the hardest ascent I've done, and it was at the beginning of my hiking day!
Stecoah Gap, for sheer surprise. Short but calf-busting. The climb up Webster Cliffs is brutal. Funny, I don't remember any part of Katahdin being steep at all. This is northbound, of course.
Just a Hiker
10-10-2009, 12:38
Ive heard they've built switchbacks, but Old Blue Mountain would get my vote from ten years ago.
Old Blue is one of those Mountains that doesn't get talked about alot, but it's definately a hard one whether you are climbing it or going down it. It's a steep climb going NOBO, and if you're coming down it SOBO, your knees are shot by the time you get down to South Arm Rd.......then you have to cross the road and climb Moody Mt. Definately a tough little stretch of trail that I always dread.
Kerosene
10-10-2009, 16:34
The climb up Webster Cliffs is brutal.That one didn't bother me at all. Hikerhead and I were restarting after a zero. I dropped him off at the trailhead at 6:10 am, then parked the car back up the Notch at the AMC lodge to wait for the shuttle at 8 am. I started the climb at 8:10 under overcast skies on a cool day.
Perhaps it was the pursuit, or perhaps because I was rested and well-fed, but I powered up the Cliffs, catching Hikerhead (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13120) about two-thirds of the way up at 10:10. It was a magical climb with all the clouds moving about.
I also took two of my favorite PC wallpaper shots on this climb:
Looking east across Crawford Notch to fog in adjacent Bear Notch (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13116)
Blaze atop Webster Cliffs (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13119)
Big Dawg
10-10-2009, 16:40
north of Stecoah Gap, & part of the climb up Katahdin get my vote,,,,, so far.
modiyooch
10-10-2009, 20:28
The NOBO climb out of Franconian Notch seemed to go straight up and forever. I think the climbs in NH are absurd including S. Kinsman.
Hi, Jay. Glad to hear your Katahdin hike went well. My son and I stopped at Pinkham Notch and will continue next year most likely.
ridgerunninrat81
10-11-2009, 01:51
Because I was not in as good hiker shape when I climbed Katahdin as I was during the longest part of my hike in 1981, Due to the fact that time flattens out the trail lol I vote for Katahdin.
heyoka87
10-11-2009, 02:06
I agree with Bearpaw I went down SOBO on Old Blue in the dark ( not intentionally , ran out of daylight cause of stupidness ) Took a zero next day and caught brook trout in that stream at the bottom and then got murdered again on Moody. It's funny cause I used to work with this guy who went off the deep end and attacked an in law with a crossbow no less . He was a section hiker on the AT and I asked him before I went out in ME. what to watch out for and he said Old Blue and Moody I was hoping it was his psychosis but no it wasnt- he was indeed lucid when he warned me about those bad boys !
Chaco Taco
10-12-2009, 11:55
Old Blue is one of those Mountains that doesn't get talked about alot, but it's definately a hard one whether you are climbing it or going down it. It's a steep climb going NOBO, and if you're coming down it SOBO, your knees are shot by the time you get down to South Arm Rd.......then you have to cross the road and climb Moody Mt. Definately a tough little stretch of trail that I always dread.
We went up Moody as they were doing maintenance. The trail was severely eroded and rope was tied to help us climb it.
Nothing in the south compares to anything up north. Stecoah just stunk because we didnt have trail legs yet.
Old Blue was a killer. The climb out of Mahoussac Notch was crazy hard, plus I was really friggin tired. Damn i wanna thru hike again
As one who has thru hiked I can say that there are many candidates for this.
Coming out of Secoha gap is for sure a challenge. Plenty of steep stretches in NC. But in my book, the trail doesn't really get serious until New Hampshire and nothing compares to Maine. The climb up Katahdin is as steep as it gets, short of needing ropes! The Mahoosics are a bit less steep but still very challenging. Then there is the carter range where you lower or raise yourself over short vertical stretches. The Mahoosics are also very rugged.
david
I've only section hiked from Amicalola through Catawba, VA, and maybe it's because it came at the end of a 15-mile day or maybe it's because I had been low on water all day or maybe it's because I'm a leftie commie lib, but the NOBO climb up Roan Mt was a near-death experience for me. I thought it would never end. It totally kicked my butt.
If I'm ever lucky enough to make it to New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine, I'll probably hire a sherpa.
Wildcat E up from Pinkham Notch has its moments as well.
What you remember as the "steepest" often depends on the time of day you hiked it. Was it your last mile as you ended the day or your first mile in the morning?
There is a section in NC, just north of Nantahhala, it goes straight up for almost a mile with hardly a switchback. In NH just north of the Galehead Hut the trail climbs straight up .8 miles to the summit of South Twin MT.
Here is a proifile view of that ridge as seen from North Twin:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1071575196045831896nqEABH
The AT goes up it without a turn over some large granite.
I Maine how about the "Arm" of Old Spec up from Mahoosuc Notch?
Kerosene
10-13-2009, 11:37
In NH just north of the Galehead Hut the trail climbs straight up .8 miles to the summit of South Twin MT.We tackled that climb the first thing on a cool mid-September morning after a big breakfast at the Hut. I just powered to the top without a stop!
nitewalker
10-13-2009, 11:51
i remember going up wildcat and going down it with some choice words for both directions. it was worse coming all the way from gorahm and ending with that knee busting decent into pinkham.
Kerosene
10-13-2009, 14:49
i remember going up wildcat and going down it with some choice words for both directions. it was worse coming all the way from gorahm and ending with that knee busting decent into pinkham.I get to start my next New England section hike from Pinkham Notch, probably after sitting on a plane and shuttle all day. Should be interesting.
Northern New England (the Whites, the Mahoosucs, northern LT) still has the most physically challenging grades of any of the trails I've hiked. Egads...
Morning Glory
10-13-2009, 15:27
I've only section hiked about 400 or so miles...most of them south of Damascus, and about 30 miles in the HMW. I hiked Roan SOBO, so I didn't have to deal with the steep climb like NOBOs do. Here are a few of the worse climbs I can remember:
Pond Mountain.....for some reason, that thing just kicked my tail.
Swim Bald.....the climb up out of NOC didn't seem to bad until we reached the "jump up". However, the book said it was only .7 mile from their to the top of Swim Bald. There's no way that could be accurate....it had had to be more than 1.5 miles....and maybe I was just tired, but it just about killed me.
The climb after Stecoah Gap I was dreading...and yeah it was steep...but I think had heard how terrible it was so I was somewhat mentally prepared for it so it didn't seem too bad.
Now, up in Maine, Barren Mountain kicked me. Probably because I was stupid and didn't fill up with water at the bottom, and I got fairly dehydrated. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see the top of any other mountain.
Jack Tarlin
10-13-2009, 17:14
In no particular order, in the North, South Kinsman, Wildcat, and Webster-Jackson. Also, Mahoosuc Arm isn't exactly a lark, especially if it's wet. And of course, Moosilauke in either direction is a bit of work.
In the South, it's the climb out of Stecoah, hands down. I think I've done that one 14 times in 15 years and I swear every time I'll never do it again.
Then, come March.....
DuctTape
10-13-2009, 17:48
Mahoosuc Arm
Cookerhiker
10-13-2009, 21:06
I suppose the answer lies in how you define "part." I agree with Skyline that the middle part of Katahdin - the mile or so, I guess it's less - right up to the Tableland is the steepest. But if the question is which mountain is the steepest overall throughout the whole ascent, then I'd echo some of the other choices - Old Blue and Moody (which I just did again last August), Webster Cliffs, Moosilauke hiking SOBO, the ascent out of Stekoah Gap, S. Kinsman, Lehigh Gap. Hiking SOBO in the Smokies (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=84123), I found Thunderhead and Brier Knob very steep. Also hiking SOBO, St. John's Ledges in CT is short but very steep, rather reminiscent of those steep knobs in NY west of the Hudson.
As we all know, Maine has lots of tough climbs particularly in the SW portion. But foot-for-foot, I found Pleasant Pond Mountain as steep as anywhere else. In fact, I strained a rib cage muscle simply from lifting my leg up one of the many high rocks on my '05 hike (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=115467).
modiyooch
10-13-2009, 21:32
I came down the diamond slope of Sugarloaf to end a day hike. Now, that was steep. I climbed that same slope to get back on the trail the next day.
mahoosic arm, moody mtn, saddle back, south madison
from shelter to water and back at peter's mountain shelter
I get to start my next New England section hike from Pinkham Notch, probably after sitting on a plane and shuttle all day. Should be interesting.
I was looking forward to that section this year after a long car ride myself. Plans changed, so it will wait for next year.
Read several stories about Kinsman's being difficult, but thought they were cake. Northbound over Moosilauke in May two years ago was icy going up and slippery wet with 2-3 feet of snow melt going down in a driving rain. Again, fun stuff. Interestingly enough, we ran into quite a few people day-hiking and overnighting in those conditions.
On a week-long trip last year, the northbound climb out of Crawford Notch ran me a bit ragged for a few moments on one hot August day after just finishing Franconia to Crawford on the way to Pinkham. Again, just part of the fun.
Remember folks, it's just walking. Take your time and it ain't all that bad.
Jim Adams
10-14-2009, 03:13
from shelter to water and back at peter's mountain shelter
Good call! That was quite the hassle just for water.
Something that I did notice was that none of those climbs seemed as bad the second thru as it seemed the first time.
Each year everyone seems to ponder whether to hike the approach trail at Springer or go USFS 42 because the climb on the approach trail is sooooo bad, but after N.H. and Maine, the approach trail ain't s**t! :D
geek
El Toro '94
10-14-2009, 03:56
The climb down into or up out of Carter Notch and the Beaver Brook section were just plain nasty, but for me, climbing down a ladder that had the first and last rungs missing on the north side of Baldpate in a driving rain has to rank as the most difficult for me. South side of Moody and north side of Hall are a close second. Don't remember S. Kinsman being all the bad, thought it was kinda fun-first time I got to use my hands since Albert in NC.
Sweetwater gap in the Stecoahs was the only time I ever puked though.
earlyriser26
10-14-2009, 07:39
My "favorites"
Kathdin, Mahoosuc Arm (made the notch look easy), Albert mt., Pinkham, and Pond mt. (maybe because it was such a PUD). I actually thought Stecoah was not bad at all.
nitewalker
10-14-2009, 08:01
The climb down into or up out of Carter Notch and the Beaver Brook section were just plain nasty, but for me, climbing down a ladder that had the first and last rungs missing on the north side of Baldpate in a driving rain has to rank as the most difficult for me. South side of Moody and north side of Hall are a close second. Don't remember S. Kinsman being all the bad, thought it was kinda fun-first time I got to use my hands since Albert in NC.
Sweetwater gap in the Stecoahs was the only time I ever puked though.
clmb out of carter notch was definitly a workout but well worth it once up on the ridge until the decent off wildcat...:eek:
I think it's plain that the time of day matters here a lot. My kids and I camped at the NOBO "exit" of Mahoosuc Notch and fairly strolled up it -- me complaining on how they'd once again "smoothed" the trail compared to my long-ago throughhike. Moody Mtn we did laugh about -- it kicked our butts, mostly with surprise. Katahdin we fairly *ran* up -- fresh from the car. (We were flooded out and unable to climb the prior year.)
But for "steepest"?
NOBO: South Kinsman -- Geek nailed this.
SOBO: Beaver Brook -- ice or no, this will take it out of you if you're not (mentally) prepared.
But for what makes it "tough"? I think the expectation that you can get to the top of a mountain without much work (or *minimal* work), and then being disappointed, is what turns something from "steep" to "tough". At the beginning of the day, we all are somewhat humbled (and fresh legged). Towards lunchie time, we start thinking that we've earned something. Dang mountain don't care.
OFF TOPIC:
BTW, Geek did a fanTAStic job at the Gathering Sunday night. He rolled along like a stand-up comedian, throwing out little facts and (hiker) one-liners like a pro. The audience (us) were entirely up on the subject matter, of course, and the laughter (which I got a big kick out of) was quick and loud -- made me feel like I was at a hiker presentation actually attended by knowledgeable hikers (something I don't get much of in Indianapolis....) Good times, y'all.
sixhusbands
10-14-2009, 08:48
South Twin from Galehead hut up is vote for the most intense half mile climb. We just finished the Pemi Loop in one day and that short climb was by far the toughest!
nitewalker
10-14-2009, 09:24
South Twin from Galehead hut up is vote for the most intense half mile climb. We just finished the Pemi Loop in one day and that short climb was by far the toughest!
i need to ask. was it the large loop or the half loop using the trail that goes by 13 falls? if the whole loop thats impressive....great hike no mater what way you do that area....the whole loop up the bond cliffs over garfield to franconia ridge , up over flume and down the osseo trail will kick your butt....almost 30 miles
modiyooch
10-14-2009, 09:29
South Twin from Galehead hut up is vote for the most intense half mile climb. We just finished the Pemi Loop in one day and that short climb was by far the toughest!
I didn't have a problem with this one. maybe because it was not endless like the others.
I wasn't able to see the mts before starting out of crawford notch. I arrived in the dark, and started in overcast conditions. It was an amazing sight once the clouds cleared and I am almost thankful that I didn't see what I had to climb prior to starting. I got to see it this summer when I connected the dots.
Hill Hiker
10-14-2009, 23:41
Back in the day, those switchbacks on the top part of the climb out of the gap weren't there. At the point the switchbacks start, in 1994 the old trail could still be made out continuing straight up.
El Toro '94
10-15-2009, 08:03
According to the info in the data book/companion, the NOBO climb out of Carter notch has an elevation change of 1350 feet in .7 miles. That's the steepest part of the AT I could find. South side of Moody was second with an elevation change of 1335 ft. in .9 miles. In case anyone is really interested.
According to the info in the data book/companion, the NOBO climb out of Carter notch has an elevation change of 1350 feet in .7 miles. That's the steepest part of the AT I could find. South side of Moody was second with an elevation change of 1335 ft. in .9 miles. In case anyone is really interested.
That's interesting. I remember Moody as being an unexpected, unrewarding, irritating climb. I figured it was just because I was tired and cranky.
sixhusbands
10-15-2009, 10:11
My friend and I left the parking lot at Lincoln Woods at 2:30 AM in 22 degree weather carrying a day pack with food, 3 liter water bag, emergency blanket, extra wind clothes for the high peaks and extra batteries.
We hiked the 31.5 mile route clock wise and reached Galehead hut at 11:15 AM. Then the climb up South Twin was the last major up and then on to the Bonds then the long walk down and the 5 mile finsh on the Wilderness trail to the car. We reached the parking lot at 7:45 PM dead tired, having avereged 2 mile an hour over 8 high peaks (over 4000 foot).
For the crazies out there, the record hike time is 7 hours 5 minutes!
Cookerhiker
10-15-2009, 10:58
According to the info in the data book/companion, the NOBO climb out of Carter notch has an elevation change of 1350 feet in .7 miles. That's the steepest part of the AT I could find. South side of Moody was second with an elevation change of 1335 ft. in .9 miles. In case anyone is really interested.
Wow, I don't remember much about the steepness of the hike out of Carter Notch - it was 21 years ago and the early Fall snowfall probably kept my mind off the strenuousness of the ascent. I had stayed at Carter Hut the night before when the snow began. Atop Carter Dome, it was snowing like crazy - all the evergreens were covered. Not having winter gear and concerned about a 2 foot accumulation, I bailed out at one of the side trails further along the ridge.
Six Husbands..what is the vert gain on this loop?
Sounds like insane fun. :)
(I did something similar a few years back, the "Ringing the Bells" loop (http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php/Backpacking-and-Hiking-documents/Favorite-Colorado-Hikes.html#maroon-bells-loop) here in CO as a dayhike. It was a mixed ability level group of people I was shepherding alas. It is also why I screen my more aggressive hikes much more vigorously now..but that is another story! :) )
Is the loop this one here?
http://home.comcast.net/~pbakwin/fkt/pemi.html
About a half dozen places in Maine.:-? Going south they seem to mellow.:p
sixhusbands
10-15-2009, 15:47
The vertical gain is about 9000 ft. There are different schools of thought on which way to go. We chose clockwise because the tougher climbs up Flume,Liberty,Lincoln,Lafayette and Garfield are all in the first half. But the last five miles on the Wilderness trail was in the dark and you were tripping over the railroad ties with dead leggs.
The other way you can run the first five miles and have a short 2 mile walk out on the Wilderness trail at the end. This way would give you several bailout options if you hit bad weather or if you were running late.
Either route you choose is going to be a long days work. Backpacker Magazine rated the Pemi Loop as the #2 hardest one day hike ... I would hate to see # 1 !
You can find the Pemi Loop info on line. Make sure you keep an eye on the weather to do that one day loop in bad weather would really be insane!
You can find the Pemi Loop info on line. Make sure you keep an eye on the weather to do that one day loop in bad weather would really be insane!
I did the Pemi Loop as a backpack many moons ago. The Bond Cliffs are definitely up there in terms of scenic sights in the Whites. I looked at the map and thought "this looks cool". This was pre-long distance hiking. Part of the reason why I tend to have a corridor approach to long distance hiking is that I (and my hiking buddies) were making up routes long before I knew of designated routes to hike. :)
As for the toughest loop.. the "Ringing the Bells" may be up there: 30 miles/10k vertical. 4 alpines passes and at elevation for the whole day....
But, that is on-trail. See above about looking at a map and making your own routes. ;)
And, of course, there are other things I would not want to attempt..I'll leave those to others. :D
absolute hardest: climbing into my truck to go home after a glorious week of hiking
Many Walks
10-15-2009, 19:02
The folks around CT/MA would know better, but I recall a really steep part that was basically a straight up slab of slippery wet rock, not real high, but definitely steep. There is a blue blaze around it, but we went straight up. I'm thinking it was Sages Ravine, but not sure. I remember just being thankful we were going up and not down.
nitewalker
10-15-2009, 19:47
My friend and I left the parking lot at Lincoln Woods at 2:30 AM in 22 degree weather carrying a day pack with food, 3 liter water bag, emergency blanket, extra wind clothes for the high peaks and extra batteries.
We hiked the 31.5 mile route clock wise and reached Galehead hut at 11:15 AM. Then the climb up South Twin was the last major up and then on to the Bonds then the long walk down and the 5 mile finsh on the Wilderness trail to the car. We reached the parking lot at 7:45 PM dead tired, having avereged 2 mile an hour over 8 high peaks (over 4000 foot).
For the crazies out there, the record hike time is 7 hours 5 minutes!
now thats a day hike:eek:!!! very impresive .. i did the loop in the same direction but stayed one nite at garfied and then hiked out the following day. i thiught that was a kicker. maybe my mistake was the 25lbs in the pack for 3 nites stay. :-?hmmm.. peace
Big Dawg
10-15-2009, 20:42
absolute hardest: climbing into my truck to go home after a glorious week of hiking
ding ding ding ding ding ding..... folks, we have a winner. Rignt on!:D
The folks around CT/MA would know better, but I recall a really steep part that was basically a straight up slab of slippery wet rock, not real high, but definitely steep. There is a blue blaze around it, but we went straight up. I'm thinking it was Sages Ravine, but not sure. I remember just being thankful we were going up and not down.
Not ringing any bells here. After doing the whites, I would say NY, CT, MA and southern VT are fairly flat with very few tedious spots. And the whites are pretty easy, just a tad more tedious. :)
Now if you want steepest, try the upper Madison Gulf Trail blue blaze... that is some serious steep, like Beaver Brook without the built-in supports.
Montana AT05
10-16-2009, 12:11
So many steep parts. I remember standing at the base of some gosh-aweful cliff and looking for the white blazes, only to realize they were directly ABOVE me. <groan>
But if memory serves me, I'd vote for Old Blue or Mt, Moody in Maine. I can't recall the name...but it didn't look like much in the guidebook, yet it had iron rebar in the rocks and you had to pull yourself up hand over hand.
The Whites were no problem, steep yes, but the combination of better views and being in better shape by the time I hit them nullified their impact. I expected hard climbs so that helped. Old Blue hit me out of nowhere on a rainy day when I was pretty tired of the hike in general.
Many Walks, are you thinking of St. John's Ledges? That's steep, but not in the same ballpark as Beaver Brook and South Kinsman. Not even close.
Looking up or down a steep part, I turn to my hiking partner and say, "oh boy, we are having fun now." :)
sheepdog
10-16-2009, 13:40
The steepest part is always at the end of the day and you are just about out of water.
paintplongo
10-19-2009, 13:35
Moody Mountain with the reroute in Maine is the steepest climb of the entire trail. If you haven't hiked with the rerouted blue route, don't argue, it's horrible.
Really the steepest? Not the gnarliest, as per the thread, but I can recall a couple of pieces like this:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=37181&c=528
veggie steve
10-20-2009, 20:02
The Wildcats were the worst both in terms of steepness and magnitude. especially when you get to the top and discover the chair lift!!!!
The first three miles out of Harper's Ferry going NOBO are a real bitch. Now, I haven't yet made it to Katahdin, but I am thinking it couldn't be that much worse than those three miles....
:banana
MedicineMan
10-21-2009, 00:07
where does the Abol Slide fit into this? I went up the Abol and down the Hunt thinking the Hunt was the official route????
dzierzak
10-21-2009, 11:23
Yeah, the almost 1000 ft up out of Harpers (over 2 miles) is tiring. But, I didn't find it to be that bad and you had the view from Weverton Cliff at the top!
Kerosene
10-21-2009, 11:53
My rule of thumb is that anything below 500'/mile ascent is quite reasonable. I start to puff just a bit on steeper climbs longer than a mile, and beyond 1200'/mile I've been known to mutter under my breath...when I can catch my breath.
LIhikers
10-21-2009, 12:21
The folks around CT/MA would know better, but I recall a really steep part that was basically a straight up slab of slippery wet rock, not real high, but definitely steep. There is a blue blaze around it, but we went straight up. I'm thinking it was Sages Ravine, but not sure. I remember just being thankful we were going up and not down.
I'm going to guess that what you're remembering above is in NY.
Once you come out of The Lemon Squeezer going NOBO there are some steep rocks, that don't go high. And they do have a blue blaze around them.
I was talking about the part along the canal....
Many Walks
10-21-2009, 15:38
I'm going to guess that what you're remembering above is in NY.
Once you come out of The Lemon Squeezer going NOBO there are some steep rocks, that don't go high. And they do have a blue blaze around them.
That may have been it, just can't remember for sure now. I thought it was Sages Ravine, but maybe not. It wasn't real high or of great length, but it was straight up (steep). There are a lot like that, but this particular one was just extreme hand over hand climbing. Much better going up than down, IMO. Suspect the blue blaze gets a lot of traffic.
Hello Whiteblaze friends! Just got back from hiking the Presidential Range and Katahdin in early September. Fantastic weather all 6 days of my trip and awsome pictures. My question is this: I have hiked all the AT from Springer to Damascus and now from NH 302 at Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch as well as the AT trail up Katahdin. Does anyone know where the steepest part of the AT is? I thought it was the south side of Roan Mountain but am now thinking it must be either Katahdin itself, going up Webster Cliffs or coming off Mount Madison toward Pinkham. Are there any places steeper than those I have mentioned? Thanks, Jay B.
Beaverbrook Falls on Mt. Moosilauke gets my vote.
I thought coming down off Madison (towards Pinkham) was very steep and long. 2.7 to the tent platforms?
I have been up and down Beaverbrook Trail and it is a steep one too.
those are my tow picks from the places on the AT I have hiked. I thought they were both harder than going up Roan. Stecoah Gap is legendary. Looking forward to that in March!!