Maine is pretty much a green wasteland.
Jjohn colter said the same thing about Yellowstone.Originally Posted by swjohnsey
I'm mostly a Western hiker, and as such was not daunted by a 100 mile food carry. I was surprised to see some graded road crossings. There's a different definition of "wilderness" back East. I made several other 100 mile food carries on the AT (to avoid hitchhiking and leaving the trail for resupply) and this was just one more. The only challenge for me going NOBO was the first 40 miles or so of slick rocks and roots, but the rest of the AT in there was prime hiking--dry, level tread, as I recall. Very nice hiking overall.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
If your schedule is open, keep in mind that Baxter State Park (I assume you want to climb Katahdin) gets 100% booked in the last week of August first week of September. Unless you want to join the hardy souls (hopefully including me) waiting in the parking lot at 6 AM int he first week of January to book a spot, you will need to use the rolling reservation system (go to the BSP website for details) , you can normally get a spot somewhere during the week but on the weekends in late August and early September the place is booked solid. I always like to go up the second week in September as all the camp groups are off the trail and the park has quieted down. I don't recommend pushing it much past the second week in September as the weather can sometimes get cold. Then again Hurricane Irene came through the week before labor day. Ideally I would set it up so that you time it to end up a few days after Labor day in the park.
If at all possible try to get a cabin at Daicey Pond or if you cant get one there, Kidney Pond when you enter the park. They are both a few extra miles compared to staying at Katahdin Stream. They are real popular deservedly so do a search for either on on google and you will see why. Forget Firday and Saturday nights but you sometimes can sneak in a reservation during the week. Whatever you do plan on at least two nights in the park just in case you have a bad weather day.
what a informative post!!! okaaaaaayyyyy....so we have to make reservations to climb katahdin?!? i have never heard of that...ever....i will def check out the website! we will have to plan on summiting during the week
i had NO IDEA about the cabins ....i googled them and WHAT VIEWS!!!!!! and very good advice about planning on 2 nights in case mother nature isn't being co-opertive.... it is info like this that help tremendously in planning!!! thanks so much!!!
You do not officially have to reserve a space to hike up Katahdin but you either need to have reservations to camp in the three campgrounds where the trailheads are located (Roaring Brook, Katahdin Stream or Abol) or you need to have a day use parking pass to park at the three trailheads if you are do not have camping reservations. The net result is the same, you need either reservation or a parking pass. There are limited parking spaces at each campsite for day use parking pass holders so on weekends they sell out in advance. If you stay at the Birches campsite, in theory you are a thru hiker and can walk across the street to Katahdin Stream campground and wont need a place to park. Daicey Pond is about a 2 mile walk to Kathadin stream mostly through flat woods. Kidney Pond is a bit farther.
By the way, you cant leave a car in the park for long term parking while you are hiking, therefore you need to arrange a shuttle to give you a ride out to Millinocket, have someone meet you or hitch. There is long term parking at Abol Bridge (not to be confused with Abol campsite) but that is a half a day hike to get to the trailheads inside the park. Hitching isnt that hard as 99% of the traffic heading out of the park is heading to Millinocket and tends to be hikers who will usually give rides to backpackers. Some folks can hike from Abol Bridge to the summit and back out of the park, but its a real long day for most.
Do they have thimbleberries?
No thimbleberries, plenty of raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries, crowberries, arctic blueberries, low bush blue berries and arctic cranberries. Unfortunately many of the lower elevation berries are past season for late August hiking but the alpine berries are usually good until early september.
For comparison, the AT thru the smokies could be called the 70 mile wilderness, if you dont get off at NFgap.
Its just a name.
You write this for the hiking column in the Portland Press?
Since I did the HMW as all day hikes the most challenging part was getting the car to some of the trailheads, particularly IIRC White Cap that then required a unbridged stream crossing in a 'non trail hardened' SUV and some very long car shuttles.
The hikes themselves were amazing.
I hit the "wilderness" after a pretty full year of section hikes and was in good shape. That was in 2008. I did not find any of the trip to be terribly difficult. My frameless pack, usually good for up to 25 lbs. was carrying nearly 10 lbs. over that, so the first few days I felt a little top heavy (my food bag actually stuck about a foot out the top of my Golite Dawn over the draw cord). I went a bit light on the clothing and was a little chilly on top of Katahdin and the next morning when it was in the high 40s.
Ok - I admit that the Katahdin climb was a bit difficult, since I was underpowered, calorie-wise, despite taking a zero at the "honor system" (drop money in a heavy steel box for collection by rangers later) shelters across from the store at Abol Bridge, and making many trips across the road to gorge on junk food.
Fwiw: I carried approx. 18 lbs. of food (including a repackaged - from glass to plastic jar of ghee - clarified butter, lots of beef jerkey, candy, bagels, and Lipton dinners). The "wilderness" took me 8-1/2 days, including a "nero" at the White House Landing sporting camp to wait out the remnants of a tropical storm.[/URL]
I missed getting crushed by a rotten birch tree by just a few seconds after going to the bunk room. I heard it fall.
Last edited by Tinker; 11-08-2012 at 12:00.
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
Mudhead, I did not right this for the PPH. However I did have an article published in the Gripe Line back in 1995. I am a born and raised Mainer that has traveled the world. Never found another place like Maine in all my travels and hikes. The woods are still deep and dark where no man has walked. Absolutely amazing to sit and look over all creation and know that there is not a soul for miles.
I'm surprised - I thought that the Maine woods, like nearly all of the Appalachians - was 2nd generation forest or later. The "men that walked" would have been the loggers.
Romanticizing (new word, maybe??
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
hey, watch it... i have been called many things and even my wife knows better than to say i am a romantic an i know not of romanticizing, unless it involves that hooker and the bottle of whiskey from years ago. Cookerhiker, clearly you have never been to Maine, off the trail in the real woods, and experienced what Gaia has given us. There is much that has not been logged.
The hardest thing about the 100 mile wilderness is being wet all the time day and night it's not challenging it's just wet wet and wet.
You are correct, most of the 100 mile wilderness was clearcut. 'Bout the biggest tree you see is foot in diameter because most of the soil washed away after the clearcut.
You can break up the trek by stopping at White House Landing.
The Chairback Barren range, for sure! I've tried it both north and south a total of three times. Hated it all three. I am just not meant for those big rock climbs up or down.
Although, I should say that the trail has gotten better with stairsteps in many places instead of awkward, stumbling, tumbling rocks. Thank you trailworkers!!!!!
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