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slugger
01-04-2011, 10:56
So I have been researching and reading up on what I'm going to do in Baxter State Park to climb big K. I was wondering if it's at all possible to climb up to the start of the AT on the knifes edge trail and then down on the AT trail. Do anyone know if they connect or if anyone has done this?

Shutterbug
01-04-2011, 12:11
So I have been researching and reading up on what I'm going to do in Baxter State Park to climb big K. I was wondering if it's at all possible to climb up to the start of the AT on the knifes edge trail and then down on the AT trail. Do anyone know if they connect or if anyone has done this?

Yes. They connect at the Summit. It is done often. The only problem is the logistics of having your vechicle parked on the north side and your hike end on the south.

CrumbSnatcher
01-04-2011, 12:23
most hikers go up the AT so they can leave thier pack at the katahdin stream campground ranger station, climb big K then come back down the AT to offically start thier hike and pick up the pack. most hikers don't want to carry a full pack up and over the knifes edge. if your staying in the park overnight anyway you could do the knifes edge and hitch back to katahdin stream campground or get the pack shuttled over to katahdin stream and you start at roaring fork campground? lots of options but yes the knifes edge will get you to baxter peak have a great hike!

slugger
01-04-2011, 12:25
Yes. They connect at the Summit. It is done often. The only problem is the logistics of having your vechicle parked on the north side and your hike end on the south.


Good to know. I'll be starting a thru so I'm not worried about leaving a car, just finding a ride. :)


The site I found says Knifes edge is only 1.1 miles to the top. Does that mean I take other trails to get to it or is is just a straight up 1.1? Also what parking lot would I need for the knifes edge?

Slo-go'en
01-04-2011, 12:29
Yes. They connect at the Summit. It is done often. The only problem is the logistics of having your vechicle parked on the north side and your hike end on the south.

I don't know that it is done often, but it can be done. If someone drives you up to Baxter, it is no more difficult to be dropped off at Roaring Brook than it would be at Abol Bridge, except you'd have to pay to get into the park to drive over to Roaring brook.

No, the real problem is it would be one heck of a long and difficult hike for your first day out! And unless you had the driver drop most of your gear off at Abol bridge, you'd have to carry it all up and over the mountain.

Actually, I wouldn't want to do that hike all in one day, so now the problem is getting a spot at Chimney pond. To get a spot, you'd have to make reservations like right now.

Shutterbug
01-04-2011, 12:39
Good to know. I'll be starting a thru so I'm not worried about leaving a car, just finding a ride. :)


The site I found says Knifes edge is only 1.1 miles to the top. Does that mean I take other trails to get to it or is is just a straight up 1.1? Also what parking lot would I need for the knifes edge?

Here is the trail map: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/miscPages/maps.html

The trail head is at Roaring Brook. From there you climb to Chimney Pond, then up and across the Knifes Edge.

Slo-go'en
01-04-2011, 12:45
Good to know. The site I found says Knifes edge is only 1.1 miles to the top. Does that mean I take other trails to get to it or is is just a straight up 1.1? Also what parking lot would I need for the knifes edge?

The Knifes edge is a narrow ridge trail (and is really scarry in spots, with 1000 foot drops on either side of it in places and 4-5 feet wide there). It should not be attempted except in ideal weather. The trail connects Pamola Peak to Baxter Peak, so you have to climp to the top of Pamola peak first to do the knife edge. (I have a picture of the knife edge from near the top of Pamola Peak in my WB photo gallery)

Pamola can be accessed directly from Roaring Brook campground via the Helon Tayor trail or from Chimeny Pond camp ground via the Dudley trail.

I've never been on the Helon Tayor trail, it climbs up along the ridge line and looks to be about 3-4 miles to the top of Pamola. The Dudley trail is relatively short, maybe a mile, but very steep. Plus you have to hike 3.5 miles from Roaring brook to get to Chimeny pond.

Actually, now that I looked at the maps again, it looks like it would be a shorter hike to go up and over from Roaring Brook then up and down from Katahdin Stream.

walkin' wally
01-04-2011, 12:51
So I have been researching and reading up on what I'm going to do in Baxter State Park to climb big K. I was wondering if it's at all possible to climb up to the start of the AT on the knifes edge trail and then down on the AT trail. Do anyone know if they connect or if anyone has done this?

Yes they do connect and it has been done. You do have to climb to the Knife's Edge though.

Option one is you could take the Helon Taylor Trail from Roaring Brook to the beginning of the Knife's Edge at Pamola Peak, cross the Knife's edge to Baxter Peak then descend the Hunt Trail (AT). This would be the shortest route by distance for one day.

Option two would be to go from Roaring Brook to Chimney Pond Campground then up the Dudley Trail to Pamola Peak then across the Knife's edge to Baxter Peak. etc This is a longer route.

Maybe you could get reservations for Chimney Pond the night before and save some daytime for hiking up the Dudley Trail to Pamola Peak.Then this would be the shortest day

Either way you would have to go to Roaring Brook first and Pamola Peak later.

I would suggest getting a map of the trails on the mountain to get an idea of the routes.

I would also call the Baxter Park Authority to get an idea of parking and/or reservations, if necessary, for dayhiking etc on either side of the Mountain. Sometimes areas are closed when they fill up. Sometimes Katahdin is closed to additional hikers going up the trails during the day. I think they have a quota of sorts.

Distances,

roaring brook cg. to pamola pk 3.3m, knife edge to baxter pk is 1 m, hunt trail (AT) at baxter pk to Katahdin Str. cg 5.2 m 9.5 m total.

the chimney pd trail is 3.3m from roaring bk. the dudley tr. is 1.3m to pamola or 10.8m total over to Katahdin Str. cg.

Good Luck:)

TJ aka Teej
01-04-2011, 16:33
When is your start date? That seriously impacts your plans.
If your date is before mid-June, get a lean-to at Katahdin Stream for the nights before and after you climb. There's a good chance by that time only Abol Slide and Hunt Trail will be open.

slugger
01-04-2011, 16:38
When is your start date? That seriously impacts your plans.
If your date is before mid-June, get a lean-to at Katahdin Stream for the nights before and after you climb. There's a good chance by that time only Abol Slide and Hunt Trail will be open.


Good to know. I am looking to start around June 12th-18th. :-?

Blissful
01-04-2011, 17:38
We left our stuff at the ranger station, got a ride down to Abol Slide trail and went up that way and down the Hunt. Tough stuff but glad I did it that way.

peakbagger
01-04-2011, 17:51
As noted, the east side of the mountain opens up later than the west side due to late season snow pack. Helon Taylor is pretty exposed so it should be open as soon as the roaring brook road is dried out and opened. If you stay at Roaring brook there are several options to the get to the summit sign and the begining of the AT. If the weather is crappy, the Saddle trail is the least exposed with the Cathedral trail also somewhat less exposed (but real steep). The Helon Taylor/Knifes edge is the most exposed. Carrying a pack on a windy day across the knifes edge would be pretty dicey and the required climb up the Chimney would be a lot harder with a pack on.
You may be able to work out a deal with your shuttler to have him drop your pack off at Katahdin Stream ranger cabin and dayhike up and over the mountain without it. I did the hike from Roaring brook to Katahdin stream via the Helon Taylor/knifes edge then down the AT (Hunt trail) two years ago and it wasnt a bad day but you would need reservations at Katahdin stream unless they let you stay at the Birches which are just up the road from Katahdin stream.

garlic08
01-04-2011, 18:59
I did exactly that in reverse to end my NOBO hike, ending up at Roaring Brook and hitching out from there. Somehow that seemed more fitting than backtracking. It was very easy logistically on a crowded day in the park in July.

DaveSail
09-13-2011, 20:19
So I have been researching and reading up on what I'm going to do in Baxter State Park to climb big K. I was wondering if it's at all possible to climb up to the start of the AT on the knifes edge trail and then down on the AT trail. Do anyone know if they connect or if anyone has done this?
http://www.katahdinoutdoors.com/bsp/katahdinmap.html
Here is a map :

If you are at Chimney pond , ( somehow ) you can go up the Dudley Trail , over the Knife Edge to the Summit , then down the AT to the road there . David

mudhead
09-14-2011, 08:18
The other issue that happens: People get to the top of Pamola and freak. The Knifedge is fine hiking, but not everyone can safely do it. Vertigo fear of heights blah blah.

The Hunt Trail looks different going up than it does going down.