Katahdin - a week in the South Basin

Planning a winter climbing trip to Baxter State Park can seem the opposite of the freedom of the hills. There is a LOT of red tape - applications, resumes, steep fees, strict climbing rules, cumbersome protocols. The required gear list harkens from another time. It could have been written by Verplank Colvin himself: “a goodly supply of pemmican, whiskey, camp axe, wampum.” The rules seem designed to exclude - to safeguard some inner sanctum from the eyes of the casual and uninitiated masses.

But we six novitiates adhered to the rules, asking not why. Having just returned from the cathedral of the South Basin, where we sojourned for six days and six nights, I can testify that, yes, the faithful shall indeed be admitted to the kingdom of the mountain paradise.

Pat, Drew, Henry, John, Christina and myself (Al) climbed four ice routes in the South Basin (Cilley-Barber, Waterfall, Dougal's Delight and Pamola Left). We summited twice - including a traverse of the Knife Edge under impossibly blue skies. I am at a loss for words. (Other than to say - watch out for the "Bernie Madoff" pine marten at Chimney Pond!) On to the photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36614022@N03/show/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29577172@N03/sets/72157615779891690

Amazing! Absolutely stunning photos of such a beautiful place! I hope I someday have the chance to spend a week at Baxter. Thank you for sharing the sights - it must have been a trip to remember!

awesome photo report! I hope you left some snow and ice for us to play on this coming weekend...

best trip report and pix all winter - hands down.

for those that may not know, waterfall and cilley-barber are probably some of the harder (hardest?) mountaineering routes in the east.
well done & congrats on a great trip. I am seething with envy. But hopefully, we can can get something similar in this week

I am heading into the pond in a couple days - I assume the road was still good for pulling the sled on the way out?

Wow! Great pics! Looks like all the red tape was well worth it!

Excellent report with lots of routes ticked!!!

I cannot begin to express how jealous I am.

Stunning photos! I really like the first ice climbing pic in the slideshow.

Absolutley amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing. Like Giggy said, some of the best alpine routes in all the East. Extremely jealous.

Hi Al,

You climb ice too ?
Looks beautiful, especially the ice itself.
Did you return each night to the cabin shown in the pictures ?
It looks like a long way from the mountains.

Clay

Fantastic photos! Thanks for sharing; brought back great memories. After Henry Barber and Dave Cilley did the first ascent of their route, I remember Dave saying "Henry climbed as fast as my legs would go." I believe that they simul-climbed a lot of it, but those are really impressive ice routes in the South Basin; I agree with giggy, nothing like them in the East.

giggy said:

best trip report and pix all winter - hands down.

Click to expand...

Yeah, what he said. Kudos!