SOBO start help!

[mikeosborne]

I'm going to start the Sobo hike at Mt. Katahdin in late June/early July and I was just curious as to the start of the trail, I've read a lot where the hike to the summit is tough and should be done without your full pack so you drop it off at the rangers office and you get a day pack for the hike. How does this work for the thru hike? Do you go roundtrip on the mountain then end up where you started, pick up your pack, and then continue on the AT through a separate way or what? Sorry for the dumb question but I was just a tad bit confused!

[bigcranky]

Yes, that's exactly right. There are other ways to do it so you don't backtrack, but those trailheads are farther away. The conventional wisdom is to get two nights in the campground there. Spend the night, dayhike to the summit and back, then spend the second night, and keep going sobo the next morning.

[mikeosborne]

Could you go into detail a little bit if you don't mind with the agenda of the hike and trail names etc. please! I just wanna be completely prepared and know what I'm doing when i get there.

[Odd Man Out]

Not a dumb question because I was wondering the same thing. And if I might add a follow-up, given all the advice on the "security" threads that you don't leave your gear unattended, can you indeed leave all your stuff with the rangers? Or do you leave your camp set up and trust people (in retrospect, I do this all the time)? What about your food bag? Rangers, Bear-proof containers, Bear Poles? PCT-method?

TIA

[Sassafras Lass]

Could you go into detail a little bit if you don't mind with the agenda of the hike and trail names etc. please! I just wanna be completely prepared and know what I'm doing when i get there.

Best thing to do is to study the maps provided here and call the folks at Baxter State Park to get a clearer picture of what's going on. That's what I did in prep for our SOBO this year . . . .

[Sassafras Lass]

Here's a better look to see where you're going.

Katahdin Stream Campground is on the far left in the middle. What you'll want to do is register at the ranger station there and start down the Hunt Trail to the South Peak. You could then either take the Hunt all the way back or do the Abol trail - different views - to Abol Campground and then hitch back to Katahdin Stream Campground.

[TJ aka Teej]

Sassafras: good links!

Mike: the 'agenda' is first get to Millinocket. Are you taking the bus? Driving up and getting dropped off? Read some of the other topics here in the MEGA forum.

Odd Man Out: You leave your pack inside the Ranger Cabin's enclosed porch. Thousands of hikers have done this, and knock wood, I've never heard of a theft. Several bags have been rocked, though. It is a campground, and like most, campers leave their kit set up while they hike or climb.

[mikeosborne]

Where should I camp out for the two nights? And now I understand you hike Mt. Katahdin roundtrip and end up back at your campsite but where do you go from there?

[TJ aka Teej]

Where should I camp out for the two nights? And now I understand you hike Mt. Katahdin roundtrip and end up back at your campsite but where do you go from there?

Get a lean-to at KSC for the nights before and after your climb. The AT is the dirt road running through the campground. Follow the white blazes out of the campground and into the woods across the road.

[Quadzilla]

Always make your overnight accommodations (after you summit) at Katahdin Stream campground. This way, you can pack up you gear and just continue South along the AT (which runs through Katahdin Stream cg) in the morning towards Abol Bridge and beyond. I always recommend to my guests that they use the Abol Slide trail as an approach route as it is the shortest trail enroute to Baxter Peak from the South. You can leave your full pack with the ranger (new...Betsy will replace Bruce at Katahdin Stream cg this year) and grab one of their loaner daypacks for your summit assualt. It is just over 2 miles to Abol cg from Katahdin Stream and an easy hitch. Think of the letter "Y". Use Abol Slide as one leg of the "Y" to Thoreau Spring and connect into the AT (Hunt trail) from there and make your way to Baxter Peak. Make sure to enjoy your lunch along the Knife Edge, which begins at Baxter Peak. You don't have to walk out very far to learn what the "fear of God" is all about!! Pretty scary in places! Retrace your footsteps along the AT (Hunt trail) to Thoreau Spring and then follow down to Katahdin Stream where your full pack is safely waiting for you. Using the Abol Slide approach saves you 1.6 total miles of hiking (as opposed to the out and back Hunt trail only hike). Awesome way to see two different sides of the mountain. I always tell my guests that if you can do Abol Slide and the Hunt trail, then you can do anything else out there on the entire AT.......Phil "Quadzilla" Pepin GA>ME '77 & '82 & '10 www.100milewilderness.info

[Blissful]

We went up the Abol Slide trail for our start (get a ride to the trailhead from the campground) and then we went down the Hunt Trail (AT). A tough trip. It took us 10 hrs., but we had nasty weather on top too (sleet July 1). Prepare for everything, even in summer. Reserve two nights at Katahdin Stream. After your hike of katahdin the next day you head south on the AT. A ten mile hike that day through Baxter State Park puts you at Abol Bridge and there's a private (paid) campground next to the store that is hiker friendly. Has showers too and beer if you like that kind of thing. You could go on to Hurd Brook but that's a real long day and you'll be sore from Katahdin, so take it easy. Couple guys blew out their knees doing too much.

[Quadzilla]

Better campground is directly across the road from the Abol Bridge campground (which is geared more towards car campers and is quite cramped). The Abol Pines campground is offered by the Nature Conservancy and is more private. You can buy your limited needs (though they are building a new addition and will be offering more) at the Abol Bridge campground store and then just walk across the road and stay at Abol Pines which has nice river side campsites.