How to climb Katahdin

[hikerboy57]

just out from amc outdoors:http://www.outdoors.org/publications...paign=febamcoo

[DeerPath]

Thanks for sharing.

[DaveSail]

Baxter State Park has taken over publishing Stephen Clark's fantastic Guide . Now in it's 7th Edition . Describes EVERY trail inthe park ,
in great detail , from EACH END ! Comes with a great map of the whole park . Contour - Lines are just 20 Feet apart !!


http://www.mountainwanderer.com/prod...php?prod=MEH20

David V. Webber

[max patch]

OMG he's hiking up K in the video WITHOUT trekking poles!! How will he survive?

[RCBear]

OMG he's hiking up K in the video WITHOUT trekking poles!! How will he survive?

He won't. It's not physically possible.

[BirdBrain]

just out from amc outdoors:http://www.outdoors.org/publications...paign=febamcoo

Great post. I look at every video I can on Katahdin. Our 1st day of our Maine walk will be up Abol, across Knife Edge, over across Hamlin Ridge, and down Hunt Trail. Can't wait.

[Lone Wolf]

OMG he's hiking up K in the video WITHOUT trekking poles!! How will he survive?

i've only walked up katahdin 11 times. barely survived with no poles

[hikerboy57]

3 times,no poles.

[peakbagger]

Its good fluff video but it does skip by some fairly significant points.

The day use parking pass system works well during non busy periods but if you want to go there on a weekend in mid August to Early September, you need to a get a pass early, possibly a month in advance. The pass costs $5 per day and its not refundable. If you wait until the weekend forecast, its probably too late to get a parking pass at Roaring Brook and usually Katahdin Stream and Abol as all the passes are sold out

If the car someone is driving has out of state plates, they also have to pay a Entrance Fee of $14 good for one visit to the park.

If you do decide to stay in the park, if you are at any other campsite than Roaring Brook Katahdin Stream of Abol (the three major trailheads to Katahdin), you have to get up real early in order to drive over to one of these three campgrounds and park before the park gates are open (which can be as early as 4:30 AM depending on when sunrise predicted). If the lot is full when you get there even though you are staying in the park , there is no overflow parking and the park staff may "boot" your car or get it towed. (yes even though you may think you are in the wilderness the park does enforce the rules). There are other great hikes in the park without this hassle so its not thaty you wont get to hike, you just will not get to hike Kathadin. The cheapest way to stay in the park is book a bunkhouse space for $11. There is a bunkhouse at most campgrounds

There are a couple of commercial campgrounds fairly close by to the park, if you are in the mood to party and crank tunes plus want more amenities, they are a good alternative. They cater to the whitewater rafting groups in the area.

Many summer/fall hikers need to plan their water, the area above treeline is very extensive and on a hot sunny day its easy to run out. Some of the springs on the plateau are not very palatable, Thoreay Spring in particular can be a bog later in the season.

There really is no need to pick up a Maine Mountain Guide just to climb Kathadin. There are plenty of good maps available and the trail junctions are well marked. You can buy maps and guides in Millinocket at the Park Headquarters or at the vistors center just south of the Togue Pond gate.

GPS based car navigation systems that are in many cars have very flawed databases of the roads in the park and around the park. . Many of the roads in the database havent been roads for years and some are now trails. The park roads are posted 20 MPH and are about 1.5 cars wide in spots. Dont think because you have a SUV or a pick up that you can go a heck of a lot faster. Blind corners in dense woods is the norm. It can take 1 to 1.5 hours to drive from Katahdin Stream to Roaring Brook.

No Dogs, motorcycles or campers are allowed in the park

If you dont like the rules dont go. The park staff are nice folks but if you get on their wrong side they can and will make your life miserable. On the other hand if you work with them, they can be a great asset. They try to go out of their way for guests to have a good time, but their "BS" detectors are very good so if you try to pull a fast one they will probably figure it out and treat you accordingly.

The only cell service is up on the summits, might as well leave the phone turned off when down low.

If you check with the ranger you can hike up the mountain in the dark, the major trails are wide and well maintained down below and it you can time it to be above the trees for sunrise, the views wit the morning light are spectacular. Helon Taylor Trail in the early AM is probably the best of the best for this. The day use folks are normally let in so they are on the trail just before sunrise but are usually still in the woods at sunrise so this is best done if you are staying in the park.