View Full Version : Knife's Edge
Hey everyone! My friend and I are hopefully summiting Katahdin next week and we are interested in hiking the Knife's Edge (if the weather is alright) and then descending. Then we will need to get the parking area or whatever, where we might be able to get a ride out of the park. It seems like this might require an overnight after summiting...Does anyone know anything about this? I'm having a hard time finding trail maps, etc...on the internet. Thanks a ton!!
sasquatch2014
09-05-2008, 18:54
You know your both nut cases right? Well your a Peanut he's just a nut. sounds like a great way to wrap it up different.
:P~ I'm tellllinnnnnn....
I know where you camp!
- Wrongway_08
:)
Slo-go'en
09-05-2008, 19:30
I would plan to stay at Chimney pond, going up to the summit, crossing the knife edge and down back to Chimney pond (or the other way around). I think thats really about the only way to do it, unless you want to cross it twice!
The one and only time I did the knife edge was in August and we did the loop from Chimney pond. It was an all day hike and my knees where shaking at the other side of the knife edge. It is really scarry in places. A 1000 or 1500 foot cliff on both sides of a 4 foot wide path in places!
All the other times I've been to Chimney pond, it was in mid October and conditions were never right to do the knife edge again. Most of the time the rangers were reluctant to even let us climp up, class 2 days or some nonsense like that! Last time we were up there, there was 6" of snow on the summit, the time before that, it was covered with rime ice.
1. Dudley Trail to Chimney Pond Campground to Roaring Brook
2. Helon Taylor Trail to Roaring Brook Campground
See BSP Camping and Reservations (http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/camping/index.html) for more information. Call ahead from Monson to see if you can secure a reservation.
Odds of obtaining a ride from RBC to Millinocket should be good. Stand where everyone leaving the campground by car can see you and your sign with Millinocket written on it.
It's tough, I think, to do it as a day hike (in and out of the park in one day.) Chimney Pond campground/shelters is the best access point. From Chimney Pond, it's a day hike. From the park gates, maybe not.
chiefdaddy
09-05-2008, 20:03
on the 22nd I ended at the summit and took the knife's edge down, I then got a ride into town and was eating a burger by 3pm. No problem at all the knife's edge is tough and there is some climbing involved. It's not that big of a deal that I would plan to spend an extra night. I did stay at K. Stream camp ground the night before.
chiefdaddy
09-05-2008, 20:04
We are talking about a Thru Hiker at the end of a Thru hike of course!
cd, did you take Taylor or Dudley beyond Pamola? I haven't looked, but I think it might be longer and farther via Chimney Pond, but I'd still go that way whether staying in the park or not.
A reservation at CP might be harder to obtain than RBC. My preference would be to remain at BSP unless it would interfere with transportation arrangements already made.
Maps requested in 1st post on BSP site.
Thanks everyone!! Very helpful....love it!!! peace, Peanut:)
No need to overnight if you start early. Hit the trail at pre-dawn, summit, hang out, go over the knife edge, Pamola and down Helon-Taylor. Its a looooong way down that trail. :) You end up at Roaring Brook where you can most likely find a hitch out of the park, especially if you do this on a Sunday.Otherwise, get down to Roaring Brook and ask the ranger if there is a place for you to camp. Most likely, if its a busy day you will find a ride, and if its not a busy day, you'll find a campsite. Knife Edge - totally worth the extra effort, BTW. I've done it three times now and I can't wait to do it again.
Pedaling Fool
09-06-2008, 11:34
I wish I had kept a journal back in '81. We hiked from, I believe, Roaring Brook Campground to Knife Edge via the Helon Taylor Trail, then summited Katahdin, then made our way to Katahdin Stream Campground. That was a perfect way to start off our SOBO hike of Maine. If I were to do a SOBO, that's how I'd start it.
I don't remember where, but I remember an area, prior to Knife Edge, that required some of the most technical rock scrambling ever, with a backpack on, even more so than the descent down to Katahdin Stream Campground.
That reminds me, we did all this with our normal packs, proof that god does protect fools:)
That reminds me, we did all this with our normal packs, proof that god does protect fools:)
I've climbed Katahdin three times so far, twice via the Knife Edge. I can't imagine doing the Knife Edge with a full pack. I think that almost-technical piece that you describe might be "The Chimney".
chiefdaddy
09-06-2008, 11:56
cd, did you take Taylor or Dudley beyond Pamola? I haven't looked, but I think it might be longer and farther via Chimney Pond, but I'd still go that way whether staying in the park or not.
A reservation at CP might be harder to obtain than RBC. My preference would be to remain at BSP unless it would interfere with transportation arrangements already made.
Maps requested in 1st post on BSP site.
We took the AT/hunt trail up pre dawn, then the helon taylor trail. I believe it was 9 miles total from Katahdin stream campground. I carried my full pack with very little food. The Chimney was hard for sure, I did see Women, Children and elderly people do it though. I dropped my pack down at one point just to be safe on the down climb. Roaring Brook campground is not a bad place to catch a ride most of the time, I just started walking down the road until in my case friends picked me up(Jesse and his Girl friend). I am afraid of heights and I lived through it.
I can't imagine doing the Knife Edge with a full pack.
I did just that in 1980, can't recommend it, but doing otherwise requires somehow getting one's pack over to RBC or backtracking to retrieve it.
My pack was heavy by today's standards even with little food remaining. It was not so much the weight that caused issues, however. The extension bar on the top of my frame pack interfered with my ascent on a number of occasions. I manged work-arounds.
A non-external framed pack without items fastened to the top would be less problematic.
I hiked from outside the park boundary to Chimney Pond arriving before nightfall. Most through hikers would not want to finish as I did, but I was highly motivated to summit on a clear day. The next morning I hiked in the rain to RBC where I was met by family.
The park suggests going up Knife's Edge and going down a different trail(Saddle is best). I've never hiked Knife's Edge, I hope to some day.
Kirby
The Knife's edge was crazy! We had been hearing about it for a while, then when we get to the top we were pretty blown away at the sight of it. We could see these tiny people moving slowly up and over some of the sharpest little peaks we could imagine. Sailboat, Pippi, Hamburgler and I already decided to do it, so we stuck to our guns even though the weather looked like it was shifting. There were times I had to collapse to my knees and hug rock with the wind blowing strips of fog through making me dizzy. I can't imagine doing it in bad weather, but I did have my full pack (light food). Not to mention Boat and I were sure sporting a buzz. ;)
The Knife's edge was crazy! We had been hearing about it for a while, then when we get to the top we were pretty blown away at the sight of it. We could see these tiny people moving slowly up and over some of the sharpest little peaks we could imagine. Sailboat, Pippi, Hamburgler and I already decided to do it, so we stuck to our guns even though the weather looked like it was shifting. There were times I had to collapse to my knees and hug rock with the wind blowing strips of fog through making me dizzy. I can't imagine doing it in bad weather, but I did have my full pack (light food). Not to mention Boat and I were sure sporting a buzz. ;)
-Sage:banana
grizzlyadam
09-06-2008, 21:44
i did roaring brook campground to katahdin stream campground twice- by way of the katahdin summit.
in 2003 my route was via chimney pond/hamlin ridge/the saddle and down the AT. this trip was with a full pack and it was a long, exhausting day. here is the journal entry. (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=49258)
in 2004 my route was via helon taylor trail and the knife edge. this time the ranger at RBC was nice enough to have my pack shuttled around to katahdin stream, so i only had to carry a few items in a day pack. i retrieved my backpack at katahdin stream and followed the blueberry ledges trail to abol bridge where i ended my day. it was a long day, but not nearly as tiring as when i'd carried my full pack over the year before. here is the journal entry (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=2626) for that day.
No need to overnight if you start early. Hit the trail at pre-dawn, summit, hang out, go over the knife edge, Pamola and down Helon-Taylor. Its a looooong way down that trail. :) You end up at Roaring Brook where you can most likely find a hitch out of the park, especially if you do this on a Sunday.Otherwise, get down to Roaring Brook and ask the ranger if there is a place for you to camp. Most likely, if its a busy day you will find a ride, and if its not a busy day, you'll find a campsite. Knife Edge - totally worth the extra effort, BTW. I've done it three times now and I can't wait to do it again.
Get water just before Roaring Brook Campground, if you intend to hitch out of the park. Light pack, better yet to weasel a pack shuttle. @6 hour hike time.
Add lots for hang out time. Not a good route in wet, or high wind, but I am a sissy.
The Solemates
09-08-2008, 09:39
the knife's edge is lots of fun, and contrary to popular opinion it really isnt all that difficult a trail, even with a pack. i'm not telling you to not be cautious and negligent, but just take the advice that its really difficult with a grain of salt...
paradoxb3
09-09-2008, 00:20
hey peanut! saw you and wrongway on youtube. congrats on your hike! what happened to your partner wing-it?
-many miles behind you, Caveman (in Georgia)
the knife's edge is lots of fun, and contrary to popular opinion it really isnt all that difficult a trail, even with a pack. i'm not telling you to not be cautious and negligent, but just take the advice that its really difficult with a grain of salt...
I'm not saying it's difficult. But it's steep and very narrow, and if you have a fear of heights, it can be challenging. It's not a good place to be in bad weather.
sofaking
09-09-2008, 08:18
peanut is too hardcore to be soliciting advice from people like this...she carried wrong-way AND his pack through mahoosuc notch, then let me tie a rope onto her and drug both of us up the arm, that damn arm...i have a feeling that it was wrong-way asking for help while peanut was still logged in, after all, he hiked more than half of the whites in his flip flops...faster than me, most of the time. that crazy guy...
TJ aka Teej
09-09-2008, 09:10
Stay inside the park at the Birches or Katahdin Stream, check the weather with the Ranger the night before, and if it's good get on the trail as early as you can. After the Knife Edge you still have a lot of hiking to do, and a choice of going down Dudley through Chimney Pond or down the Keep Ridge to Roaring Brook. Make that choice after the KE, and head to Chimney Pond if you're feeling good. Consider trying to score a spot a Chimney Pond instead of hiking out to RB. All traffic leaving Roaring Brook heads to the Gate House, it's always been easy to hitch or yogi a ride.
Have fun!
just an fyi...We ended up not doing the Knife's Edge. We pushed 23 to Abol Bridge on Wed., 9/10 and got an updated weather report that informed us of fantastic weather 9/11 and not so much on the 12..so...we pushed from there to the summit...20 miles, and didn't really have time. We also found a ride if we did the summit, but since we had such a long day, we summited too late to meet her. Oh well...thanks for all the info, though. I look forward to heading up there some other time and doing it. Peace,
Peanut:)
Stay inside the park at the Birches or Katahdin Stream, check the weather with the Ranger the night before, and if it's good get on the trail as early as you can. After the Knife Edge you still have a lot of hiking to do, and a choice of going down Dudley through Chimney Pond or down the Keep Ridge to Roaring Brook. Make that choice after the KE, and head to Chimney Pond if you're feeling good. Consider trying to score a spot a Chimney Pond instead of hiking out to RB. All traffic leaving Roaring Brook heads to the Gate House, it's always been easy to hitch or yogi a ride.
Have fun!
Teej is right. Chimney Pond is one of the great shelter sites in the east -- possibly in the nation, maybe the continent. Possibly in the world. But I haven't visited enough of the latter to comment responsibly. But it is better than most places east of the mississippi, anyway, I'm sure.
Regardless. Do the Knife Edge. It's easy, especially if you have ever done any significant challenging hikes. I've never heard of anyone dying that sticks to the trail. Nor have I ever heard of injuries, for those that have had a little experience and used common sense.
Weary
Teej is right. Chimney Pond is one of the great shelter sites in the east -- possibly in the nation, maybe the continent. Possibly in the world. But I haven't visited enough of the latter to comment responsibly. But it is better than most places east of the mississippi, anyway, I'm sure.
Regardless. Do the Knife Edge. It's easy, especially if you have ever done any significant challenging hikes. I've never heard of anyone dying that sticks to the trail. Nor have I ever heard of injuries, for those that have had a little experience and used common sense.
Weary
I'll second all of that. Chimney Pond and Knife Edge are as good as it gets, on this side of the continent.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com/chim_pond_sunset_reflection.jpg
Baby Blue
09-14-2008, 00:55
The Chimney was hard for sure, I did see Women, Children and elderly people do it though.
That's a little old fashioned, don't you think?
I'll second all of that. Chimney Pond and Knife Edge are as good as it gets, on this side of the continent.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com/chim_pond_sunset_reflection.jpg
Good enough anyway.