I thought I asked about some of this before but I can't find the thread. Please accept that I overthink some things. I use the excuse that its a long drive and I would like to be as prepared as possible.
I've been reading the Baxter State Park web site and 2021 SoBo’s Guide to Baxter and Katahdin and contemplating my plans. In general, I would like to stay at a hotel in Millinocket, drive to BSP and hike Katahdin, then spend the night at a hotel in Millinocket again. I see that I can make a parking reservation in BSP. I see that the gates open at 6am and parking reservations may be lost if one arrives after 7am. I also see a permit to hike Hunt/AT trail is needed. I see "AT Hiker Permit Cards must be secured in person at Katahdin Stream Campground." I see that I should not begin hiking until after the 7am weather report is posted.
So my questions:
1. Is someone available at the Katahdin Stream Campground to issue a hiking permit at 6am, or maybe 6:30am with drive time? Is there typically a long line or is this a 5 minute process? Is it better to get the permit a day in advance? This may require adding an extra day of travel but I can plan for it if necessary. I assume hiking Katahdin on a weekday would be less crowded than on a weekend.
2. My thought is to hike either the middle two weeks of July or the middle two weeks of August. This will include BSP and the HMW. Is one month better than the other? I'm thinking weather, bugs, traffic, crowds, etc. I'm planning to avoid July 4th traffic.
Next day:
3. If I decide to hike the AT from the Katahdin Stream Campground to the Abol Stream Store, is a parking permit necessary? I gather only the Katahdin trailheads have parking issues. This would only be done if I have a partner to key swap with.
4. If I decide to hike from the Katahdin Stream Campground into the HMW, what total distance would I need to cover to get to a camp site in the HMW?
Thank you.