Good map of Baxter Park?

[Arden]

I think I now have a better perspective of Baxter peak. I created a 3-D model of the A.T. from Baxter to Monson, using Google Earth, "T-ANE SP1" railroad simulator, and "TransDem", a program that converts DEM, Raster, and Vector maps to a form that the simulator can read.
I haven't populated the model with trees, or painted the terrain, but I get a rough map painted over the terrain with TransDem.
If you're curious, here is a link to the shot of Knife Edge looking from the Helon Taylor trail towards Baxter Peak. Looks pretty scary!

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/p...psijpcrjzg.jpg

[egilbe]

That model is a lot smoother than it actually is. I have somebpictures of Knifes edge taken from the top of the Saddle trail that will give you an idea of what you are facing if you want to hike Knife's Edge. There is also a youtube video a guy shot with a go pro of his entire climb along Knife Edge.

[Water Rat]

Knife Edge is amazing! You just don't wanna do it on a windy day...or if you have a fear of heights.

Here's a brief YouTube video that begins on the Hunt Trail, at the iron rungs. Then, it skips a bit and includes the Tablelands. At the 1:09 mark, that is when Knife Edge begins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A88bXzKhe7k

Lots of fun videos out there! Just head on over to YouTube and type in Hunt Trail, Katahdin, etc. She sure is an amazing place!

[Arden]

The model is smooth because I used 1 Arc Sec, not 1/3 Arc to create it. I tried to use the 1/3 but my system has only 8GIB, and froze up while TransDem was attempting to process it. Should have been able to complete the task with virtual memory, but something went wrong.

I have seen the Go-Pro vid of the hike. It doesn't look all that bad from that perspective, but that is deceiving.

[Arden]

Knife Edge is amazing! You just don't wanna do it on a windy day...or if you have a fear of heights.

Here's a brief YouTube video that begins on the Hunt Trail, at the iron rungs. Then, it skips a bit and includes the Tablelands. At the 1:09 mark, that is when Knife Edge begins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A88bXzKhe7k

Lots of fun videos out there! Just head on over to YouTube and type in Hunt Trail, Katahdin, etc. She sure is an amazing place!

If I'm going to have to climb those iron rungs, I don't think I would want to be carrying my full pack!

[egilbe]

If I'm going to have to climb those iron rungs, I don't think I would want to be carrying my full pack!

You can get day packs from the rangers at KSC. Those iron rungs was where I had an attack of vertigo. We had climbed up to that point in rain and fog so thick you couldnt see 30 feet. My gf was ahead of me and I heard her call out "Look"! I turned around and for maybe 10 seconds the clouds had opened up and we had a wide open view. I had a moment whete i thought "Wow, we are really high up"! Then i felt like i was going to fall off the mountain. I grabbed the side of the mountain for dear life. When the clouds rolled back in, i couldn't see any more and shakily continued climbing. I've never felt anything like that since. Every other time I've hiked Katahdin it as from fair to beautiful weather and I had beautiful views.

Knifes Edge is still on m bucket list, though

[Arden]

egilbe said: You can get day packs from the rangers at KSC.

That's my plan, now that it has been brought to my attention. I don't usually have any trouble with climbing rocks and ladders, or rungs as they may be, but I don't think I would turn around and look at the view while in such a situation. I too may feel a bit shaky after what you experienced. I would love to do Knife Edge, but the weather would have to be perfect, and I would want to be with a group. That is definitely not a hike anyone would want to make alone.

It's interesting how the mind works with fear of heights. Put Knife Edge at a location where you don't have the steep drop-off on both sides, and it is a cake walk. The biggest problem would be getting a foot caught in the rocks. I hiked up Lions Head and Tuckerman's to Mount Washington on lots of broken rocks like that, but of course there wasn't a steep drop-off on both sides. When I was a child, I would climb trees, but rarely go as high as some of my friends did. Perhaps before I go to Katahdin, I'll try some wall climbing in a gym. Maybe that would give me a little more confidence?

[peakbagger]

There is an odd form of fear of heights that I have run into few times. The person is fine up high if there is a visual reference in their peripheral vision but if there isn't they freak out. I have threatened to have them wear horseblinders. The rungs on the Hunt trail are in fairly wide boulder field.

The knife edge on the other hand even on calm day has some spots that freak folks out as it drops straight down in spots. The rangers have a sense of humor when they reblaze the trail. The upthrust of the rocks is near vertical so it forms in spots a trail that is 10" wide. Generally to the side is what I can a "chicken run" which is fairly flat route down a bit lower and to the side of the actual knifes edge. Most of the time folks have the toughest time on some vertical walls going around the pnnacles immediately west of the Chimney, the trail has plenty of good handholds but it requires hanging off a near vertical slope and working sideways with a steep drop below the hiker. Immediately before that is the climb out of the chimney which requires climbing up vertical crack. The handholds are there but many don't like the exposure. When I lead newbies through I sometimes have to spot folks above and below to guide the climbers feet and hand to the hold. Once you get past the pinnacles, then the rest of the route to the summit is "easier". I have never done it on a windy day but many who have all agreed it was real stupid. By the way some thru hikers dump ther packs at the summit and just do the out and back over to Pamola. If they are staying in the park that evening and its a nice day why not spend the time up top instead of sitting down in the woods?

[Arden]

Somehow, I think that more NOBO thru-hikers than SOBO just starting out at Katahdin would be inclined to do Knife Edge. By the time you've hiked 2200 miles and pretty much done all sorts of high traverses, Knife Edge would be a lot less intimidating. Whether or not I try it depends on a lot of things... But I am sure that doing it would give me a lot of confidence, and make it more likely that I will complete the entire thru-hike to Springer.