looking for advice and info for my trip to Baxter this weekend

[Matt Theriault]

Me and a few friends are going to be hitting Katadhin this weekend and plan on going up Abol straight to Hamlin then come down Hamlin ridge connect to Dudley and go up to Knifes edge and connect back to Baxter/ Abol. Has anyone does this loop before? How long did it take etc. Thanks!

Notes: I haven't done Katahdin yet thats why im asking, but i have plenty of experience so i know i can do the millage. And my friends have all done Katahdin, just not this loop.

[Matt Theriault]

It will be a 14mile hike

[Quadzilla]

Tell any ranger in Baxter Park about your plans and they will consider your attempt foolhardy. There have been way too many rescues on the mountain this year. People always underestimate the difficulty of Katahdin. It is a mountain all its own. I climbed Katahdin way over 100 times in my lifetime. I use to maintain the Helon Taylor trail on Katahdin for 13 years. I have been over every trail on that mountain dozens of times. Your attempt is not a good choice. The Abol Slide is difficult, at best. The footpath is strewn with loose gravel, sand and small rock over slippery ledge. You will have to wind your way through house sized boulders near the top. Once upon the Tableland, the footpath is loaded with rock and you will be doing more rock hopping than hiking. The "walk" to Hamlin Ridge is pleasant enough on a nice day, but the descent down Hamlin Ridge is rough and ragged and unbelieveably slow due to all the sloping ledge and the irregular footpath. This is "hand to hand" combat as you grasp for handholds and make your way down huge boulders and slippery, sloping ledge. Then comes the root tangles and slippery rocks over to Chimney Pond. From there, the Dudley trail is a large boulder filed standing on edge. It is straight up and you will be grasping at tree roots, branches, rock cracks and anything within reach to pull yourself up over the house sized boulders. From Pamola, which is the beginning of the Knife Edge trail and the top of the Dudley trail, you will have to negotiate the Chimney before even beginning to cross the precipitous Knife Edge. Scary!! The Knife Edge is dangerous and is best charecterized as a narrow, boulder field where all the rocks are huge, smooth and flat surfaced. All the rocks are car sized and slope in every different direction. This isn't hiking. This is slowly negotiating your way while grasping onto every walk you can. Imagine trying to go through a car pileup for a mile with each of the cars smashed into each other and angled every different way.....Now you have made it to Baxter Peak and must now make your way back across the rock strewn Tableland and then descend the punishing slopes of the Abol trail. Again....athis is a slide and the "footpath" is slippery with all the loose sand, gravel, small and large rocks over slippery ledge......I will be reading about you in the papers and watching footage of you on the nightly news if you survive your ordeal. Figure on less than 1 mile per hour. Hike looks good on paper, but not a realistic hike unless you are an ultra-marathoner accustomed to pain...... www.100milewilderness.info Call the Park and tell them of your planned itinerary. Hope this helps

[TJ aka Teej]

Has anyone does this loop before? How long did it take

Yes, from KSC, not Abol Stream. The Abol slide trail sucks. And it took two days, because we stayed over at Chimney Pond.

[weary]

It doesn't sound like fun to me. And it's not anything I would have ever attempted. The ability to do long hiking miles has nothing to do with it. You are talking about 14 miles of mostly rock scramble.

[peakbagger]

Predicted high temps and humidity will do you in. The only reasonable way to do Hamlin and Katahdin is from Roaring Brook. If a day use parking pass is available for this weekend get one for roaring brook, then you can go up Helon Taylor across the Knifes edge to the Baxter Peaks and then hike over to Hamlin. When you get to the Saddle figure out how you are feeling and then only if you are up for 3 hours of scrambling head to Hamlin and take Hamlin Ridge down, otherwise head down Saddle and call it a day (its still a long walk out but a heck of a lot easier than via Hamlin ridge).

[Matt Theriault]

Thanks for the advice, Im going with 3 people that have done this loop a few times. I was just looking for some insite on people past experiences, not encouraging the fact i will be in the paper.

Tell any ranger in Baxter Park about your plans and they will consider your attempt foolhardy. There have been way too many rescues on the mountain this year. People always underestimate the difficulty of Katahdin. It is a mountain all its own. I climbed Katahdin way over 100 times in my lifetime. I use to maintain the Helon Taylor trail on Katahdin for 13 years. I have been over every trail on that mountain dozens of times. Your attempt is not a good choice. The Abol Slide is difficult, at best. The footpath is strewn with loose gravel, sand and small rock over slippery ledge. You will have to wind your way through house sized boulders near the top. Once upon the Tableland, the footpath is loaded with rock and you will be doing more rock hopping than hiking. The "walk" to Hamlin Ridge is pleasant enough on a nice day, but the descent down Hamlin Ridge is rough and ragged and unbelieveably slow due to all the sloping ledge and the irregular footpath. This is "hand to hand" combat as you grasp for handholds and make your way down huge boulders and slippery, sloping ledge. Then comes the root tangles and slippery rocks over to Chimney Pond. From there, the Dudley trail is a large boulder filed standing on edge. It is straight up and you will be grasping at tree roots, branches, rock cracks and anything within reach to pull yourself up over the house sized boulders. From Pamola, which is the beginning of the Knife Edge trail and the top of the Dudley trail, you will have to negotiate the Chimney before even beginning to cross the precipitous Knife Edge. Scary!! The Knife Edge is dangerous and is best charecterized as a narrow, boulder field where all the rocks are huge, smooth and flat surfaced. All the rocks are car sized and slope in every different direction. This isn't hiking. This is slowly negotiating your way while grasping onto every walk you can. Imagine trying to go through a car pileup for a mile with each of the cars smashed into each other and angled every different way.....Now you have made it to Baxter Peak and must now make your way back across the rock strewn Tableland and then descend the punishing slopes of the Abol trail. Again....athis is a slide and the "footpath" is slippery with all the loose sand, gravel, small and large rocks over slippery ledge......I will be reading about you in the papers and watching footage of you on the nightly news if you survive your ordeal. Figure on less than 1 mile per hour. Hike looks good on paper, but not a realistic hike unless you are an ultra-marathoner accustomed to pain...... www.100milewilderness.info Call the Park and tell them of your planned itinerary. Hope this helps

[mudhead]

I have done the Helon Baxter Hamlin Roaring Brook loop a number of times. Full day. Fun day.

I do not like Abol or Dudley downhill. Abol as the end sounds like a great way to take a spill.

I think you are cheating yourself in your quest for checkmarks, but we are all different.

Water @ 100' from the intersection on the backside of the summit of Hamlin.

Don't kill yourself taking a header, someone has to scrape up the mess.

[Matt Theriault]

Thanks. Yeah i am looking to bag peaks ( im trying to complete the 14 4ks) but i will surly enjoy my self, and im going back for a 3 day trip in August. So i figured because these guys have done this route and i can bag my peaks this time and next month i can have a goal of just spending the day on the Mountain and try some different trails.

Do you have a better route for hitting Hamlin, Baxter and Knifes edge?

I have done the Helon Baxter Hamlin Roaring Brook loop a number of times. Full day. Fun day.

I do not like Abol or Dudley downhill. Abol as the end sounds like a great way to take a spill.

I think you are cheating yourself in your quest for checkmarks, but we are all different.

Water @ 100' from the intersection on the backside of the summit of Hamlin.

Don't kill yourself taking a header, someone has to scrape up the mess.

[peakbagger]

Predicted high temps and humidity will do you in. The only reasonable way to do Hamlin and Katahdin is from Roaring Brook. If a day use parking pass is available for this weekend get one for roaring brook, then you can go up Helon Taylor across the Knifes edge to the Baxter Peaks and then hike over to Hamlin. When you get to the Saddle figure out how you are feeling and then only if you are up for 3 hours of scrambling head to Hamlin and take Hamlin Ridge down, otherwise head down Saddle and call it a day (its still a long walk out but a heck of a lot easier than via Hamlin ridge).

The route I described previously covers what you want and is the what most peakbaggers do.

[mudhead]

The route I described previously covers what you want and is the what most peakbaggers do.

Agree. I have hung a downhill at the Saddle several times myself. Usually a good spot to decide- Chimney Pond- or Hamlin. Doing both is doable but easier to pick one.

Whoever said Abol sucks has done it. Should have capitalized tho. Or added moose clock.

[Matt Theriault]

Do you have to reserve parking to hike Katahdin? All the spots are full via the site. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[1azarus]

i did ask that question... you need a parking permit -- either day use or overnight -- to enter the park, unless you are a "long distance hiker". if you walk in from abol bridge on the blueberry ledges trail or the AT the ranger on the phone said they would not let you climb Katahdin. Said this was the only way to maintain crowd control and limit use impact. The funny loophole I keep wondering about is I think that the campsites all have allotments of 4 to 6 people -- and they apparently don't have to be preregistered. I wonder if you could ask someone at a campsite to let you "join" there party. Or I wonder if we could all post when we have campsites which are underutilized. I'll be there the weekend of September 7th and well should have room at my campsite.

[peakbagger]

If you want to drive into the park for a dayhike and park at any one of the three lots with access to Katahdin you need a day use parking pass unless they are not sold out. Even if you are camping at another site in the park other than Roaring Brook, Chimney Pond or Katahdin Stream, you have to get to the lot before the gate opens to allow people with permits to access the parking lots. Once they fill up, even campers from the rest of the park cant park. About the only way around it would be to get a shuttle into the park via the AT lodge in Millinocket and have them drop you off and then hope you can hitch out in the afternoon.

Other than the three trailheads, there is no other reasonable way to climb the mountain as a dayhike. Sure you can park outside the park at Abol bridge and do it but plan on a real long day.

[Matt Theriault]

Thanks for the info, looks like we will be hitting Mt. Washington this weekend.

If you want to drive into the park for a dayhike and park at any one of the three lots with access to Katahdin you need a day use parking pass unless they are not sold out. Even if you are camping at another site in the park other than Roaring Brook, Chimney Pond or Katahdin Stream, you have to get to the lot before the gate opens to allow people with permits to access the parking lots. Once they fill up, even campers from the rest of the park cant park. About the only way around it would be to get a shuttle into the park via the AT lodge in Millinocket and have them drop you off and then hope you can hitch out in the afternoon.

Other than the three trailheads, there is no other reasonable way to climb the mountain as a dayhike. Sure you can park outside the park at Abol bridge and do it but plan on a real long day.