DT on the AT: Mount Katahdin

Note: Mt. Katahdin is the highest peak in Maine and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

The alarm went off at 5AM. We rolled out of the tent and into the darkness. I fired up the jetboil (a must have for the caffeine addicted camper) and made some coffee.

The drive from Abol to Roaring Brook was about 16 miles. The roads in the park are narrow and bumpy so the journey took about an hour. We arrived at the parking lot where several other hikers were preparing for their day on the mountain. I filled my CamelBak, laced up my Scarpa Kailash Boots and we made our way to the Ranger’s Station to sign the log book.

Our original plan was to hike Chimney Pond to Dudley (Pamola Peak), cross over the Knife Edge to Baxter Peak, then descend via the Saddle Trail and Chimney Pond. When we arrived at Chimney Pond the Ranger told us that there were wind gusts of 50mph at the peak, which made crossing over the Knife Edge (a narrow, exposed ridge) somewhat dangerous. We opted to take the Cathedral Trail to Baxter Peak, and then follow the Saddle Trail to Chimney Pond.

The trail was classified as “ strenuous” and it easily lived up to that label. In many sections, I was required to climb up large boulders. On more than one occasion I found myself saying, “The trail goes where? How am I supposed to get up there?”

Stacie was moving a bit slower and eventually told me to go ahead so that I did not have to wait in the biting wind. I reached the summit shortly before 2pm and found several others enjoying lunch, snapping photos and (believe it or not) talking on their cell phones. The oddest sight was a hiker (who had started the trail in Massachusetts two months ago) smoking a cigarette.

After a couple pictures and a quick snack, we made our descent via the Saddle Trail. In the distance I could see a section where the trail leveled off. I figured that all we needed to do was reach that point and it would be an easy trip down the rest of the way. I was wrong.

We descended 2353 feet in about 2.5 miles. I arrived at Chimney Pond, thankful to be standing on something that was not a rock, but I still had another 3.3 miles to go.

By the time I reached the parking lot, the sun had just set. There were several other cars still there, which meant that these hikers would be completing their descent in the dark. After a quick stretch and a change of clothes, I made my way back to the Ranger Station where I waited for Stacie. I looked in the direction of the trail and saw several headlamps bobbing up and down in the dark. A group of hikers (including my partner) emerged from the woods, happy to be on level ground. We signed out of the log book and headed back to camp.

The next day we packed up and headed for Acadia National Park. Originally, we had planned on doing a few hikes, but our legs thought otherwise. Three days later, I am still sore, but it was well worth it.