Baxter State Park 2008 Opening..

[L Tee]

Talked to the people at the Appalachian Trail Lodge and I guess one of the Baxter State Park Rangers lives there and said not to expect it to open on the first of June. Anyone else have any good ideas when it will be opening up this year? My flight gets to Bangor on June 3rd, and the gentleman on the phone said it could be end of the first week in june or even the middle of june. Hopefully there is lots to do in Millinocket...

[mudhead]

Have faith. We are due a heat wave.

[warren doyle]

Leave Abol Bridge Campground area at 3am, register as day user, night hike roads to Abol Campground (about 5 miles). Climb the 3.8 mile Abol Trail to the summit. Descend Hunt Spur Trail (AT) and the AT to Abol Bridge Campground, night-hiking the last 4 miles. 24 miles in 20 hours (3am-11pm).

[L Tee]

Thank you for the suggestion but I don't I want to break any rules while hiking especially not at the very beginning! I just hope, like I said, there is lots to do in Millinocket.

[roadtripper]

There's nothing to do in Millinocket, unless you like BINGO

[HYOH]

Thank you for the suggestion but I don't I want to break any rules while hiking especially not at the very beginning! I just hope, like I said, there is lots to do in Millinocket.

If you didn't want to know, then why ask? A registered day user is one who uses the area without camping. Doyle's plan entails no camping so what's illegal about it? You'll be wearing only a light neccesity pack so you should atleast be able to get off Katahdin before you take an evening nap some where.(during your day hike)

[weary]

Talked to the people at the Appalachian Trail Lodge and I guess one of the Baxter State Park Rangers lives there and said not to expect it to open on the first of June. Anyone else have any good ideas when it will be opening up this year? My flight gets to Bangor on June 3rd, and the gentleman on the phone said it could be end of the first week in june or even the middle of june. Hopefully there is lots to do in Millinocket...

Sadly there is not much to do in Millinocket. But there is quite a bit to do in Baxter Park besides climbing Katahdin. Also this is a bit early to decide when the mountain will open for climbing. Maine weather holds many surprises.

Weary

[paradoxb3]

Thank you for the suggestion but I don't I want to break any rules while hiking especially not at the very beginning!

as HYOH has already said, is there actually anything illegal/wrong with taking WD's dayhike suggestion? As I understand it, its not like they put a big plexi-dome over Baxter... You can legally enter as a day user to summit Katahdin, so long as you're not camping, right?

[L Tee]

To everyone talking about WD's suggestions it all sounded pretty sketchy so I just assumed it would be against the rules. Registering as a day hiker and having to night hiking to get places does not exactly seem the legit.

And HYOH if you read the original post I did not ask for his suggestion. The question was if anyone had a good idea when it would open. I wasn't assuming anyone here is going to know the precise weather patterns but there are old people on here who have seen different years of weather who might have a good guess. Also, although I am more in shape than probably 90% of the people attempting thru hikes I dont think I want to hike 24 miles in 20 hours (On the first day of a thru hike????) nor wake up at 3am to "bend" the rules to night hike around the state park. And I wont be wearing a light necessity pack, I will be wearing one with however many days of food and water and everything else a person would need to plan on trying to hike a long distance.

[L Tee]

And thank you weary for precisely answering the question I had asked...

[Jack Tarlin]

Probably the best source of current, up-to-date information on the Park does not come from any one individual hiker.

I suggest you check out www.baxterstateparkauthority.com instead.

[mudhead]

And don't forget, first light is somewhere around 4:15AM.

I seem to remember camping opens 5/16 or so.

Trails open when they feel like it is safe.

Have faith. Gonna be freakin' tropical here next week!

[weary]

To everyone talking about WD's suggestions it all sounded pretty sketchy so I just assumed it would be against the rules. Registering as a day hiker and having to night hiking to get places does not exactly seem the legit.

And HYOH if you read the original post I did not ask for his suggestion. The question was if anyone had a good idea when it would open. I wasn't assuming anyone here is going to know the precise weather patterns but there are old people on here who have seen different years of weather who might have a good guess. Also, although I am more in shape than probably 90% of the people attempting thru hikes I dont think I want to hike 24 miles in 20 hours (On the first day of a thru hike????) nor wake up at 3am to "bend" the rules to night hike around the state park. And I wont be wearing a light necessity pack, I will be wearing one with however many days of food and water and everything else a person would need to plan on trying to hike a long distance.

Warren's proposal is not illegal. But usually there are plenty of vacant camping spots that early in Baxter. I would just camp and enjoy myself while waiting for the mountain trails to open.

Weary

[peakbagger]

Per a discussion with an employee many years ago

The park doesnt plow the roads in the spring, they have to melt and then get dry enough to drive on. They also get a fair share of washouts that they dont work on until the snowpack is pretty well melted out. Now once they "open" the park, the trails to the summit have to be "open". So the park can be open but there is a distinct possbility that the AT to the summit is closed.

Contrary to the prior assertion of an end run around a closed park that works in the fall, the rangers can and will "close" the trails to the summit and typically in the begining of the season will keep the summit trails closed until melted out. Frequently Abol melts out first, with the AT melting out later.

[Jack Tarlin]

Weary's correct. Warren's camping program isn't illegal. Just cheap.

[warraghiyagey]

Good thread. I've been at katahdin the last two years June 1 and June 27. Both years it was beatiful there. In fact last year I was the first hiker let through on the Hunt Trail and there were only a couple snow patches about a mile below the tree line. The Rangers asked simply that I'd try to help stomp them down as I went. Each patch less than twenty yard long.
Looking forward to it again this year.
All good input here. Thanks everyone.

[HYOH]

To everyone talking about WD's suggestions it all sounded pretty sketchy so I just assumed it would be against the rules. Registering as a day hiker and having to night hiking to get places does not exactly seem the legit.

And HYOH if you read the original post I did not ask for his suggestion. The question was if anyone had a good idea when it would open. I wasn't assuming anyone here is going to know the precise weather patterns but there are old people on here who have seen different years of weather who might have a good guess. Also, although I am more in shape than probably 90% of the people attempting thru hikes I dont think I want to hike 24 miles in 20 hours (On the first day of a thru hike????) nor wake up at 3am to "bend" the rules to night hike around the state park. And I wont be wearing a light necessity pack, I will be wearing one with however many days of food and water and everything else a person would need to plan on trying to hike a long distance.

Warren's suggestion was an answer as to how to include the climb to Katahdin after your arrival without spending allot of time sitting there looking at it. Very few hikers carry their full rig up the big K and since what Mr. Doyle suggested is a loop hike, it would be questionable as to why you want to carry yours. Most folks carry a day pack with water, food and basic survival amenities. How ever you decide to do it, best of luck, enjoy your trek and HYOH.

[weary]

Weary's correct. Warren's camping program isn't illegal. Just cheap.

Well, the "Just cheap," was added by Jack. However, I still believe that if the park is open, but the trail to the summit is closed, just camp and explore. Chimney Pond is about the most beautiful place I've seen in the east. If you can get to Roaring Brook, take a day or two to walk the 7 mile round trip. It's an easy day hike, but it's even better as an overnight so you can watch the sun creep over the ridges and slowly illuminate the headwall in the morning.

Weary

[Woody48]

I spent the first week of March (2008) in Baxter State Park. My group camped at Chimney Pond and spent the week hiking and ice climbing.

I would recommend carrying only a light daypack up Katahdin. There is no point in carrying a heavy pack up to the summit just to carry it back down. Katahdin maybe "only" 5,267 feet (Baxter Peak), but unless you are a very experienced and fit mountain hiker, the odds are that it will kick your butt. You can make arrangements with the Rangers to leave your big pack and supplies with them for safe keeping. WD's suggestion is a good one. It may make for a long day but your knees will thank you if they don't have to carry a big load up and down the mountain. You should make good time once off of the steeper and rougher sections of trail.

If the park tote road is open and you plan on driving into the park, get in line with your car well before the park opens to make sure you can get to the parking area you want before it fills up. I recommend having your car in line before 5 am.

Here are a couple of pictures I took during our recent trip to Katahdin.

[Woody48]

Well I tried to post a couple of pictures but I guess I didn't do it right and for some reason I am not allowed to edit my own post. Here is a link to my Katahdin pictures from March 2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawoodf...7604069481233/

Here is a link for Katahdin pictures from August 2006
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawoodf...7604312500940/