Baxter bagging

I expect to go upto Baxter this coming September and wonder about the following bushwhacks.

1) The Traveler: I assume you would hike down the Pogy Notch Trail from South Branch Pond, Take the Center Ridge Trail to Peak of the Ridges and then bushwhack across the col to the Traveler. Anyone familiar with this?

2) Fort: I know the usual route is over from North Brother. Should I even think about coming in from the east from the Northwest Basin Trail?

3) Doubletop: Any routes from the east crossing the Nosowadnehunk Stream somewhere around Slide Dam and going up one of the slides or ravines?

4) East Turner from South Turner: I know, impenetrable.

5) OJI: (not a bushwhack) If I'm bagging Coe, South Brother, North Brother and Fort (in a day, of course), should I throw in OJI, crossing the OJI Link Trail from the Coe col? Am I out of my mind?

Anyone who has done any of these or has any information or other ideas please respond. I'm sure Roy or Dennis or Carole or other 3k baggers might have some ideas.

Thanks
Pb

Did I give you that idea of Fort from the east? That really sounds adventurous. If you start on the east side of Fort and do the whole range the ascent from the OJI-Coe col does not appear all that bad. The descent of OJI using the south slide is pleasant. Although I never did this as one hike, I believe the trek is tough but definitely doable. On this picture taken from OJI, you see the ascent of OJI from the right and the descent of the Coe slide. You might enjoy this whole album for views of the terrain of this area (did not climb Fort). Also, as an added bonus - note that pictures 61-72 of this album are of the Gulf Hagas. (sneak preview)

Doubletop

Papabear, sounds like you already know about the trail from the west, which originates at Kidney Pond. There is also a trail from the North that comes in to the summits from Soudahunk campground. The east face looks fairly technical and exposed to me--not sure I'd want to try it without a rope and a fair amount of trad gear.

askus3 said:

Did I give you that idea of Fort from the east? That really sounds adventurous. If you start on the east side of Fort and do the whole range the ascent from the OJI-Coe col does not appear all that bad.

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No, I was just looking at a map.

My more likely route would be the usual loop from the Slide Dam picnic area up Coe slide, possible side trip to OJI, then Coe, S Bro, N Bro, Fort and back to N Bro then out.

How much extra time for the OJI side trip over and back?

Pb

Doubletop: I'll add that coming from the south is also nice enough, but flat for most of the ways. Coming in from the Slaughter Pond trail will shorten the hike by nearly a mile. It's a half day hike with some of the best views from the summits. A must do summit in BSP.

Thanks Roy for all the information.

I wasn't necessasarily going to ever do Fort from the east, that was just a hypothetical question. One followup question:

RoySwkr said:

There is open ledge and game trails all the way from Peak of the Ridges to Traveller. Note that trail up Peak of the Ridges has scrambling. For more variety, add North Traveller and start at that end.

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For The Traveler you suggest starting at the North Traveler end of the ridge. That looks like a much longer bushwhack. It it similarly open ledges all the way?

And thanks Mad Townie, Roy and SherpaK for the ideas on Doubletop. Sounds too technical from the east. I'll probably take the trail from the north.

I'd love to hear from any others with experience and ideas.
Thanks
Pb

I was thinking and offered as a suggestion to Papa Bear this multi-day backpack.

Day 1: he could finish his AT trek from Katahdin Stream CG over Katahdin via the Hunt, along the Knife Edge to Pamola and down to Chimney Pond via the Dudley.

Day 2: Climb over Hamlin Peak from Chimney Pond to Davis Pond. So now he gets his last 4,000 footer.

Day 3: That is why I thought he'd challenge Fort from the east and then do the traverse of North Brother, South Brother, Coe & OJI and down the south slide and a short hike (hitch) along the road back to Katahdin Stream.

This is a backpack that I thought would be one I'd like to attempt someday. So I was also very curious what the east bushwack of Fort was like and whether it was feasible and doable so I was curious what the responses would be like. When I saw Lake Cowles from North Brother, I said that remote lake is a place I want to camp at. Then when I realized there is a legitimate Baxter Park back country site at Davis Pond, I really started a future plan to ascend Fort from the east. Sounds ambitious and like an interesting challenge. However, after North Brother, I probably would just descend the Marsston Trail as I have already have done the other peaks.

Thanks Aaron, that would be an interesting approach.

However I want more out of Baxter than just Hamlin and N. Bro. I am simultaneously doing the Hundred Highest and Fifty Finest, so that means (besides Hamlin) Coe, S. Bro., Fort, Traveler and Double Top.

I threw in East Turner to get Tramper Al's attention (which it did). So it looks like I'll be 3 or 4 days in Baxter after finishing that section of the AT.

My real goal after this AT section of the AT, would be to backpack up through Baxter: Russell Pond -> Davis Pond -> South Branch Pond -> Hudson Pond -> Webster Pond and then hop in a canoe and run down the Alagash! But alas, not this year!

So much to do!
Pb

You are right - so much to do. But I have to work, so I am section hiking the AT and settling on the 4,000 footers. So this year, I am finishing my NH 4,000 footers on 8/5/04 on my friends 70th birthday with both our completion of NH on Moosilauke. I also am hiking an easy stretch of the AT from Monson to Flagstaff Lake. But I have to finsih the section from JoMary Road to Abol Bridge, but I really want to do it North to sSouth to stick with my orientation. Maybe we'll pass each other in Sept. but I am not sure what dates I am doing my AT hikes but probably late Sept. or early Oct.

In Baxter, I would like to do the Turners, Travellers, and the Cathedral Trail up Katahdin and hike into Davis Pond and climb Fort from the east. but that is for another year. I was hoping to get you to be my guinea pig as I know you take good notes & pictures to pass along and give me a good heads up on what to expect. Doubletop I did in 1979 and at the time there was a fire tower laying on its side on the north peak just off the rim to the east. Sometime I'll dig up that picture and scan it for you.

Fort, N. Brother, etc.

Having climbed N. Brother I know that the combination of Fort, N. and S. Brother, and Coe would make for a LONG day, forget about throwing in Mt. OJI unless you really just want to race over the peaks. The view from N. Brother is superb and really deserves some time all to itself - you'll want to get out the binoculars and peer down at the Klondike and up at Katahdin, drink in the view.....

If I had my way I would break up the 5 mountains into at least 2 hikes, maybe do Fort and N. Brother one day and OJI, Coe and S. Brother the next. That's my preference as I like to linger on the summits a bit and take my time, especially when bushwacking.