Katahdin day hike

[Kernel]

Hello there,

I was looking at hiking Katahdin (Baxter peak) via the Hunt trail next summer, departing at Katahdin Stream Campground. I am trying to compare with other trails that I have done to give me an idea of hiking time and difficulty. I have done a few peaks, such as Mt Washington via Tuckerman Ravine (8mi, 4300 ft climb in about 7 hrs) and Lafayette, (Old Bridle path). As I am not sure about the altitude gain, and knowing the trail is 5.1mi: how much time should I plan, and are my previous hikes comparable in difficulty ?

Thanks,

Kernel

[Blissful]

You could go up Abol Slide and down the Hunt trail for a circuit hike, though I think there's an an even easier way up the back side of it.
Anyway its tough. Took us 10 hours. But we had nasty weather too

[Kernel]

Blissfull: wow, 10 hours ? That makes a long day ! I guess one would have to remain overnight in Millinocket !

[Tinker]

I didn't time my climb, but it was much less than 10 hrs. We left Katahdin Stream campground at first light and got back down with a couple of hours of daylight left on 9/11/08. I think the sun sets around 5:30 or so then?
Anyhow, the first 1/4 of the climb is a breeze, the middle is tough, and the last mile is a breeze again.

[weary]

The first time i climbed Katahdin in 1964 it took me seven hours. Lately, I plan on 10-12 hours, though last summer i turned back before summitting. I'm thinking of trying again in July. The elevation gain is around 4,500 feet.

[brian039]

It took me 5.5 hours in rain, sleet, snow, and wind. This was at the end of a thru-hike though and I was probably in the best shape of my life. On a day with good views and better weather it would probably take longer because I would be stopping to take in the views. I was just ready to be done with it because I was a little under-prepared for the conditions. Sad, I have to go back now.

[brian039]

Oh, and it's pretty comparable to the climbs in the Whites on the AT; just a tad bit longer.

[rdljr]

I would put it as about the same as going up bridle path and doing the aughs part twice but with a nicer view at the end. It was 4 hours up and about 1 hour at the top and 5 hours down on my trip but it could have been a lot longer at the top as weather perfect.
RDL

[jcazz]

Up Hunt Trail across Knife Edge and down Helon Taylor into Roaring Brook and back to Katahdin Stream CG. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/9871640

[TJ aka Teej]

I have done a few peaks, such as Mt Washington via Tuckerman Ravine (8mi, 4300 ft climb in about 7 hrs) and Lafayette, (Old Bridle path). As I am not sure about the altitude gain, and knowing the trail is 5.1mi: how much time should I plan, and are my previous hikes comparable in difficult?

A there and back again to Baxter Peak via the Hunt Trail is more difficult, longer, and has more elevation gain/loss than those two hikes. But you'll be fine. Book a lean-to for the nights before and after your climb. Start as early as possible, first light if you can. Breakfast above Katahdin Stream Falls, lunch at Baxter Peak, and a campfire after you get down - best 10.2 miles of hiking in Maine.

[weary]

A there and back again to Baxter Peak via the Hunt Trail is more difficult, longer, and has more elevation gain/loss than those two hikes. But you'll be fine. Book a lean-to for the nights before and after your climb. Start as early as possible, first light if you can. Breakfast above Katahdin Stream Falls, lunch at Baxter Peak, and a campfire after you get down - best 10.2 miles of hiking in Maine.

Very true. But also the best 10.2 miles east of the Mississippi. The amazing thing about Maine is that there are a half dozen equally spectacular walks, that approach the experience of summitting Katahdin.

[fredmugs]

The day before we summited Katahdin we gave this guy a ride and he told us it took him 3:30 to get to the summit but it would take us 4 hours. We felt pretty insulted at that. We went slow up the first half and then when one of our party didn't want to go any further we went up at our own pace and the strongest hiker in our group got there in exactly 3 hours and I was at 3:15. I imagine it took less time coming back down.

Mt Washington is a lot harder in my opinion.

[peakbagger]

I took a friend up in July of 2010 that had issue with heights so it was slow going and we did in 10 hours. We had stayed in Millinocket the night before and drove back to the whites after the hike.

There is more boulder scrambling on Katahdin than most of the whites. Eleven year olds do it all the time, so its not necessarilly harder than the whites, just different. The weather is a bit more of an issue at Katahdin as in the summer it can be a clear day and within a couple of hours it can be thundering.

I stongly suggest booking a site the night before and heading out early. If you do decide to do it as a day hike, be aware that you should reserve a parking space at the trailheads on popular weekends (most of August and early September). If you dont book a parking space, you can be delayed at the gate for a couple of hours and may not be able to climb the route you were planning. The parking spaces usually arent fully reserved during the week so you can take your chances. There is also a "road" fee for the park of $14 except for Maine residents

[Kernel]

Thanks to all for your great input, I can't wait for the snow to melt !

Kernel

[Grampie]

Kernel, Make sure you have a reservation in Baxter. During my 2001 thru I flipped and was given a ride to Baxter to climb Katahdin. I was told that I couldn't enter Katahdin Springs campground because it was full. If you are not a thru-hiker hiking into the park, the rules are different.

[ShelterLeopard]

It took me a while, because I flipped up to Katahdin to hike down through Maine (hiked GA-PA, then had to spend a month healing my ankle) and was somehow naive enough to think that I could hop up off the couch a just skip up Katahdin. So I started at the bottom (Katahdin Stream) at around 6:30 am, and got to the top, then back down by about 5:30 pm. But I was out of shape and slow. It's a different type of hiking from any other area on the AT. There are iron posts nailed into some of the boulders, to use as footholds or handholds, and there are a few slightly dicy areas. I loved it, you just have to know that there's a little climbing involved.