Chimney Pond BW Campground Questions

Yahoo!!! I'm going to Baxter for my first visit weekend of 9/18 onwards. I managed to book space for 2 nights in bunkhouse at Chimney Pond CG as well as Roaring Brook for 2 more nights. Main thing I'm wondering what there is for water source at Chimney Pond. Do I need to bring my water treatment stuff or does campground have water source like faucet something like in AMC huts???

Jazzbo said:

Yahoo!!! I'm going to Baxter for my first visit weekend of 9/18 onwards. I managed to book space for 2 nights in bunkhouse at Chimney Pond CG as well as Roaring Brook for 2 more nights. Main thing I'm wondering what there is for water source at Chimney Pond. Do I need to bring my water treatment stuff or does campground have water source like faucet something like in AMC huts???

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You get water from the pond. Bring a filter.

Bunkhouse is embarrassingly nice. Stayed there a few years back after it was renovated. Just two of us had the whole thing to ourselves. Large dining/living area and 2 bunk rooms (I think they hold 4 each).

Here's the thread from that trip: Chimney Pond Trip

Thanks PB!

Thanks for the link to your TR on your 2008 trip. I recall reading that one now. I agree the bunkhouse does look embarassingly nice. I bought some storage cantainers for protecting food from rodents, but appears I won't need it.

Its a great place to stay. Evenings sitting out at the beach at the pond is something hard to match anywhere else. Plan on bringing clothing for freezing conditions as the suns angle keeps it from getting in the bowl early morning and sun sets early at night. I believe the bunkhouse has a wood stove. Do note that there is no official tested water sources in the entire park (that includes roaring brook). It not that the water is polluted as much as they dont want to go through the hassle of testing. Most of the ranger cabins (not accessible to the public) have water lines drawing out of streams, although with all of the public use on the roaring brook stream I would wonder about the RR brook water source (fine if its treated). A water bucket is handy at Roaring brook as the water source is the stream and some of the sites are a bit of a walk. You can have fires at Roaring brook but none at Chimney except in the bunkhouse woodstove. They sell firewood at Roaring brook, but bring some scrap wood (kiln dried wood scraps, not firewood you collected in the woods) or some good firestarters.

Favorites at Chimney

Pamola Caves - worth the trip over, its an extensive slab cave system, but requires a lot of scrambling.

Hamlin Ridge Trail down - If you can try to do Hamlin seperately and if you do try to hike don Hamlin Ridge trail, its quite spectacular, with views similiar to the knifes edge in spots but far less intimidating. Its a good one to do the first or last day at Chinmey.

Ascending the Catherdral trail is pretty spectacular, I would strongly urge you not to descend it as there are some interesting pitches tha would be a bear going down. If you want to do Knifes edge, that means you want to get an early start up Cathedral so you hit Knifes Edge reasonably early. Going down the Dudley is a lot longer than you think as its most one long boulder scramble. If you have poles, you will want to stash them in your pack and make sure they dont hang out too far.

If you are driving out on a weekend, the drive down the Golden road is a nice alternative to the state highway. When you are driving in on the state highway, you will see the turn off on your left a few miles from the park. Its too easy to drive by it goiing in but coming out once you take the turn off and take a left on the road, it goes all the way into Millinocket (take a left at the mill gate and you are back in town). Its a private road and there is no apparent speed limit so keep and eye out for fast traffic.

Peakbagger

Assuming conditions permit, I'm thinking of a dayhike ascending via Cathedral to visit Baxter Peak and then going across tableland to Hamlin and descend via Hamlin Ridge. Ideally this would be on middle day to minimize my mileage.

I PB's photos of BH I'm noting sleeping pads. It appears bunk beds don't have matresses?

Jazzbo said:

Assuming conditions permit, I'm thinking of a dayhike ascending via Cathedral to visit Baxter Peak and then going across tableland to Hamlin and descend via Hamlin Ridge. Ideally this would be on middle day to minimize my mileage.

I PB's photos of BH I'm noting sleeping pads. It appears bunk beds don't have matresses?

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Right. Bring your Thermorest.

Thats a nice hike, you will be up on the summit fairly early and have plenty of time to pick up Hamlin. THe lower 2/3rd of Cathedral is very sheltered from the typical wind but once you near the top of ridge to the summit and back to Hamlin, you have full exposure so make sure you have appropriate gear.

If its a clear day, you may come to the conclusion that you have been climbing the wrong moutains for most of your hiking career as there is nothing like it in New England.

If you have room in the ,keep an eye out for throughhikers, a lot of them are dependent upon the kindness of campers and dayhikers leaving the park to give them a ride out of the park to Millinocket or Medway. They rarely have to wait very long for a ride. If you give someone a ride to Millinocket, the AT hikers hostel is a right turn at the first traffic light in Millinocket about two blocks down on the left.

peakbagger said:

Thats a nice hike, you will be up on the summit fairly early and have plenty of time to pick up Hamlin. THe lower 2/3rd of Cathedral is very sheltered from the typical wind but once you near the top of ridge to the summit and back to Hamlin, you have full exposure so make sure you have appropriate gear.

If its a clear day, you may come to the conclusion that you have been climbing the wrong moutains for most of your hiking career as there is nothing like it in New England.

If you have room in the ,keep an eye out for throughhikers, a lot of them are dependent upon the kindness of campers and dayhikers leaving the park to give them a ride out of the park to Millinocket or Medway. They rarely have to wait very long for a ride. If you give someone a ride to Millinocket, the AT hikers hostel is a right turn at the first traffic light in Millinocket about two blocks down on the left.

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If weather cooperates I'm going to head over to N Bro to finish NE67 and Fort to add to NEHH. Regardless I will definitely keep my eyes out for thru-hikers needing rides.