I do not recommend Cathedral for a descent, md.
Have fun!
Teej
"[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.
I would be better to go down by saddle trail and chemney pond if weather's not good ?Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej
If you have a 2-night reservation at Chimney Pond, then on the middle day, with fair weather, you can make a loop of Dudley, Knife Edge and Cathedral, starting and ending at Chimney Pond. Hike in to Chimney Pond the first day, hike back out on the last day.
It would have been nice! However I have no reservation at Chimney pond or roaring brook campground, I'll stay at big moose in, a campground 45 min. for the beginning of the trail at roaring brook. It's seems to be my best option so far.
Yes, the Saddle trial is the least exposed route down. It is a loose slide up top and try to avoid having a large group behind you as they can knock lose rocks down on you. The lower section of the Saddle trail is well graded trail and the Chimney Pond trail is similar.
weather seems promising so far for my sunday katahdin hike, I know that its dépends on the conditions and my own pace, but what would be a "normal" time, or a "book time" for this hike assuming that I go up Chimney Pond, then Cathedral, Knife edge and down by helon Taylor. Thanks, cant wait to hike the knife edge, which will take me up to 12 hours of car for a 1 day hike.
Book time? I wouldn't worry about it if the hike involves Knife Edge. Take your time. If it were me, I'd leave camp early, to give myself maximum daylight. Pack some warm outer layers and headlamp, just in case. It can be mighty cool and breezy up top.
Think 1 to 1.5 MPH. Calculate the distance and do the math. The terrain will slow you down. The views will slow you down even more. +1 on post above. Get started as early as you can. Enjoy the walk. If you are in the shape you suggest, you will have a great day and have enough time. You should be able to do at least 2 MPH from Roaring Brook to Chimney Pond. Once you get to the pond, time will stop. The views and the climb will be a awesome slow walk.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
Don't forget hat and gloves.
Thanks, I only wanted to have a approximation to determine my early start, since I have 6 hrs of car to do after my hike to go back home!
Bring plenty of water, you can refill at Chimney Pond (like all other water in the park you need to treat it)if you are doing Cathedral or Saddle, but once you cross the bridge over the brook on Hunt Trail there is no reliable water to the summit. If you are doing Helon Taylor and Knifes Edge the last water is just a short distance up Chimney Pond Trail where you turn onto Helon Taylor. Thoreau Springs on the tableland can be pretty scuzzy unless you have a filter. There is another spring near the turn off the tablelands onto Saddle that is somewhat better. A lot of folks misjudge water and ending up getting dehydrated.
Someone had great weather (at least it was great in Acadia all weekend). I look forward to the report.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln
Finally went up by chimney pond and then cathedral. What a hike cathedral trail! It tooks us more than 3 hours of "climbing". Unfortunately we couldn't see anything up there because it was too cloudy with kind of grumpy wind. So we did not do the knife edge, we went down by saddle trail. Total time: 10hrs. I will certainly go again next year for the knife edge and hope for a clear view.
Did you enjoy the Cathedral climb? The Knife Edge is a spectacular view when the weather is right, sorry you were socked in. When I was last there you could see the moisture from the eastern side of the mountain evaporate and condense into clouds about 100 feet above us, it would drizzle and rain a bit, clouds would dissipate, and the cycle would start all over again. Quite a weather machine there.
This is truly a special and unique trail. Very demanding, my girlfriend is quite small so there is some places that were a little creepy for her. (And for me looking at her lol). The view was really disappointing however, in fact there was no view excepts tons of big rocks! I can't wait to do the knife edge on a clear view.
I plan to be up on the summit and near the summit this weekend. I hope to do an early hike to get ahead of the crowds. I plan to head north the next day and expect I will see few if any folks once I leave Hamlin.
NW Basin or North Peaks? The Basin has some treacherous trail, especially below Davis, while the Peaks trail has extra bears from what I'm told. You can't go wrong for adventure either way
“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau
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North Peaks, was worth the wait. Left Chimney Pond early and didn't see another hiker until we hit Russell Pond. A friend who has hiked in Newfoundland said it reminded him of trails up there rather than New England. I have done the NW basin a few times including a night a Davis Pond. I cant wait until the new trail from Center Pond between Mullen and Fort gets built. Its going to open up a lot of interesting options.
Cmon, its not a technical ridgeline even. Ive seen people in the Trap Dike of the ADK and out on the slide during rain, and thats way more exposed and technical than the Knife Edge. I wouldnt be begging for rain and lightning if I were to go up it, but I also wouldnt be put off by normal mountain weather. HYOH though. Everyones comfort zone varies.
The Knife Edge is deceptive. It doesn't appear to be much of a technical trail, but once out on the exposure and the weather changes or the winds come, it gets very dangerous very fast. There have been several deaths along that mile of trail and more than several injuries that have required evacuation. On a trail a few feet wide with drop offs of 1,000 feet on either side, vertigo can become a problem on a calm day. People have been blown off that ridge in less that serious weather conditions, convection winds can be gusty or just breezy within the same few minutes. Footing is treacherous and can be made dangerous by just a little moisture. The real danger is over confidence where caution should rule the day.
Its ok to have a trail of this caliber in your comfort zone, but that zone should include a high respect for the many different things that can happen. Though you may not think it difficult from a photo, once there it will likely change and the mountain may have other ideas of how it wants you to pass. Dismissing the dangers of this type from a photo is bad form, as noted by Sir Edmund Hillary in a different hill.
"Many people have been getting too casual about climbing Everest. I forecast a disaster many times" Sir Edmund Hillary
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