DebW
10-31-2002, 22:55
I posted a couple of pictures from the Katahdin summit in February of 1980. Go check it out in the Photo Gallery. It wasn't really an AT hike but a Katahdin winter expedition. If you think Katahdin regulations are a problem in the fall, try going in winter. The application process takes months, and you are required to carry an axe (not an ice axe, a real axe), plus crampons and climbing ropes. Our packs were 60-70 pounds. We stayed at the Abol campsite for 5 days and summitted twice, coming down the Hunt Trail (AT) once. The most interesting experience was watching the thermometer plunge from +40 to -20 in 12 hours (we were much happier at -20, +40 was just wrong for that time and place). Someday I'll stand on that summit again after completing the 2160 mile trail (could have saved 135 miles if I'd done it in 1980--check the mileage on the sign).