Winter Expedition to Katahdin / Baxter State Park

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hikersinger

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
90
Reaction score
0
Location
New Boston, NH
Day 1 - December 26, 2015
- Abol Bridge winter parking lot to Roaring Brook (~13 miles, via trail, Tote Road, and Roaring Brook Road)
Day 2
- Chimney Pond Trail to Chimney Pond (3.3 miles)
- Saddle Trail to Baxter Peak, 5270' (2.2 miles)
- Saddle Trail in reverse, to NW Basin Trail and bushwhack short-cut to Hamlin summit, 4756' (~2 miles)
- Hamlin Ridge Trail to Chimney Pond Trail, back to bunkhouse (~1.9 miles)
Day 3
- rest day at Chimney Pond bunkhouse during snow storm
Day 4
- Chimney Pond Trail to Roaring Brook Road, back to Abol Bridge lot (16.2 miles)

---

Photo Album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152805089449567&type=1&l=b7707c0c59

---

For a few years, I'd been offered the opportunity to join an annual Winter trek into Baxter State Park (BSP) in Maine, and be part of one of the first groups to enter the park in calendar Winter. Michael Blair, a friend and certified hike leader with the AMC and co-leader of the popular Random Group of Hikers, had been leading annual early Winter expeditions into the park to hike the several higher-elevation peaks there, including the famed Baxter Peak, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. This year I felt a real, serious urge to seize the opportunity.

I had hiked in BSP just once, several years back in late September, and absolutely loved it. We stayed in nearby Millinocket at the AT Lodge and drove far into the park for a relatively simple day hike: up the Helon Taylor trail over Pamola and the Knife Edge to the Baxter Peak summit, then down the Cathedral Trail. But from what I heard, most any hiking trip into the park in Winter would be much more involved, requiring permits and multi-day plans due to seasonal park road closures, the technical aspects of the mountain, and the unpredictable winter conditions. Sounds good, right? So, with the love and support of my family, I signed up.

The plan was to hike about 13 miles to the bunkhouse at the Roaring Brook campground, stay overnight, then hike 3.3 miles up to the base of Katahdin -- the name for the group of peaks encompassing Baxter, Hamlin, and Pamola peaks, and the Knife Edge -- to make the bunkhouse at Chimney Pond our base camp for the next three days. We'd then hike back to Roaring Brook on the third day, and hike out of the park the final day.

The sheer distance needed to hike in, combined with the unknown conditions on the ground and the weather, required that the trip be planned for at least five days if we were to have a reasonable set of options to achieve success. Even with this sort of planning, in years past the expedition had only mixed success due to these various factors (extreme snow accumulation mostly). This year, the primary goal was to summit Baxter and Hamlin peaks, the two Katahdin peaks on the New England 100 Highest list, with secondary hopes to hike the Knife Edge. Since we weren't sure of conditions (we'd likely enter the park before the rangers would) we planned time for various options, such as to break a trail most of the way one day, so we could summit the next day in reasonable time. A single-day hike to bag all three peaks and the Knife Edge would likely be prohibitive for a group our size, given normal winter conditions.

---

We met in Millinocket, the closest town to BSP, the day after Christmas. We stayed at the Pamola Motor Lodge, which offered very basic accommodations in relatively clean, if dated, rooms. Uncharacteristic of the season, there was no snow on the ground when I arrived late that afternoon. It had been a very warm late Fall and Winter so far, but we were still hopeful we'd be able to use our sleds to ferry our heavy, multi-day packs the 13 miles to the first cabin. Some snow was forecast, but the park roads weren't holding on to much snow from a recent snowfall. (The couple days before Christmas saw temps in the 50s and near 60!)

The six of us -- Michael and his wife Monica, Colin, Kyle, Liz, and myself -- reviewed plans and gear and settled in for the night. The next morning, we woke to a few inches of snow on the ground. This was very exciting as it hardly seemed like Winter to this point, and we'd almost certainly be able to use our sleds!

We had intended to have breakfast at the AT Cafe, but found it was closed for the season. (I knew the AT Lodge was as well, but wasn't sure about the Cafe - both are owned by the same couple.) We found another place in town, Ruthie's, which was quite good and made a great start to the day. Satiated with the last "good meal" we'd have for the next few days, we drove 20 miles into the park to the Abol Bridge parking lot, the main winter trailhead.

Knowing we'd have a long road walk ahead of us that would cover 1,400' of vertical elevation, most of us came equipped with expedition-style sleds to carry all or some of our pack weight. I put one together in the pulk sled style, suggested by Michael, using a $35 expedition sled purchased at a local hardware store, some rope, two 6-foot pipes to increase control and prevent bumping up against my boots, and carabiners and a belt to anchor to my waist. It turned out really well, and worked just as I had hoped.

Not long in, we encountered a flooded section of the trail; not surprising given the recent warm weather, and several inches of snow before that. We had to carefully step through several inches of water, but thankfully the sleds successfully floated our gear on the water. My boots managed to keep the water at bay, thankfully -- score one for the North Face! Tip for those in this predicament: find or place a branch or fallen tree to step on if you can; every little bit helps. I was also able to hug the side of the trail along small tree trunks while "monkeying" from tree to tree, to avoid having to step right in the middle (deepest part) of the trail.

The winter route into the park brought us along a relatively flat trail by Abol Beach, a nice picnic area with two pavilions and an outhouse, and soon to the Park Tote Road. Closed to car traffic in Winter, this road runs around much of the perimeter of the park and is a popular route for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers. In a few more miles we reached the Togue Pond Gate entrance, and turned sharp left onto Roaring Brook Road, the main road used in the warmer months to access the southern side of the mountain (this is the same road I traveled several years earlier, in September).

We knew a road walk of this length would be trying and it was, on a few levels. While it didn't climb any particularly steep pitches, save one or two short ones, the near constant slight incline got to be very tiring, physically and psychologically. The belt and sled gave my back a rest, but my waist and especially my hip flexors were feeling real stress near the end (they still do a little, even a week later). It took some real effort to avoid the jarring motion against my waist as I would take steps, and I often found it helpful to take the ropes by my hands and employ an isometric hold on them to give my waist a break. And, while the environment was peaceful and pretty, rounding bend after bend and not really knowing how much longer we'd get there got to be draining on the soul.

Dusk and dark slowly crept in, and contributed to a growing sense of exhaustion; the few of us at the lead forewent our headlamps until the very end, hoping that would somehow hasten our arrival. Hiking in near-dark conditions on snow, with such stress on the body from miles and miles of road hiking, made the mind start to go a little mad! I did feel a couple faint pains in my chest after particularly tiring stretches near the end, which didn't help; I rested for a few minutes each time and they subsided. It's interesting how the body and mind can work against each other during an effort like this. I did bring along tunes, which helped calm and occupy the mind at the same time.

Finally reaching the Roaring Brook Campground parking lot in near-complete dark, we donned our headlamps to get a better sense for direction toward the bunkhouse. There was not a soul to be seen, and no lights, as we were the first to reach this point since the start of Winter proper. We soon found the bunkhouse and dropped our gear there. It was ultra cool to walk into a place so utterly desolate and quiet, when it usually sees so many people during the warmer months.

I retrieved a day's worth of wood using my sled from a nearby wood shed, and we got the wood stove started. We soon had ourselves a cozy, warm environment, had warm meals and settled in for the night in comfortable, dry clothes. The Roaring Brook bunkhouse was the smaller of the two we'd be staying in, but was roomy enough to hang our wet gear, cook/eat, and stretch out. It has two bunk rooms, each with two sets of three bunks that span floor to ceiling.

It can be a little challenging to maintain a consistently warm environment with the woodstove, but we managed well. We expected the overnight would grow cooler as the night went on, but the stove kept the place surprisingly warm enough. I started the night in the top bunk in one of the rooms, but it proved to be way too warm (heat rises!) and I soon moved to the bottom, where I was much more comfortable.
 
Last edited:
Winter Expedition to Katahdin / Baxter State Park (2 of 2)

The next morning, we got right up and started up the Chimney Pond Trail, 3.3 miles to Chimney Pond and the campground there. This would be "basecamp" for the next couple days. We stashed our sleds under the bunkhouse since the trail would be too rough and impractical for them. Thankfully the trail was relatively easy and short enough, as we had to carry our full, multi-day packs.

We arrived at Chimney Pond by 9:00 and found the bunkhouse already heated. Two climbers had spent the night and had already headed up the mountain (they must have hiked all the way in the previous day, after us, since we broke trail the entire way to Roaring Brook). We settled in, had a quick bite, and decided it best to try for the summits right away given a sizable snow storm was coming the next day.

The Saddle Trail would be our route up; it is the easiest and least exposed of the trails leading up to the summits. Through online forecasts (I was able to get a decent 1x data signal from a couple of the windows of the bunkhouse) we knew the conditions up above treeline were likely very cold and windy, so we made sure to dress appropriately. We also knew we'd likely be breaking trail up, as no one had hiked this trail since the last snows several days earlier.

The trail itself wasn't terribly difficult, though the climb up did get rather steep as it made the final, half-mile climb to the ridge. As we approached the ridge, Michael guided us off the trail, skirting to the left of a large rock formation to avoid a cornice that formed to its right where the trail proper was to go. While this did involve a quick bushwhack through some dense scrub, it saved us a good deal of time and brought us easily right up to the col between the Baxter and Hamlin summits.

Here we decided to split up as a group; four of us (including me) headed left to Baxter Peak, and Michael and Monica headed slowly to Hamlin Peak since they already tagged Baxter in Winter. The Baxter group would then turn around and head back down and eventually join the others to summit Hamlin, and head down the mountain via Hamlin Ridge.

The ascent up to Baxter Peak was challenging. Temperatures hovered at or just below zero degrees, and sustained winds pelted us at 20-30mph, making the going rough and requiring that we keep moving to stay warm. Frostbite was a real concern, too, so we had to keep all skin covered as much as possible. We kept our snowshoes on the whole time since it proved to be the most effective for the variety of surfaces we encountered: crusty snow, stretches of ice, and wind-blown snow drifts of mostly hardened snow. Skies remained clear enough that we could easily see our way forward, and cairns led the way easily. The trail leads up the eastern side of the ridge, where winds seemed to have blown much of any accumulating snow away.

We soon reached the famed summit of Baxter Peak (5270'), the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail with its well-known summit sign, snapped some photos, and quickly headed back down the same way we came. The wind was mostly at our backs coming up, so coming down was a little tougher since we often faced the wind more than not. My goggles iced up on one side on the way up, so I took some care to try and avoid the same thing on the other side on the way down. My jacket's hood and my balaclava came in very handy, shielding the wind from my face just enough to allow me to remove the goggles for short distances.

Once we were back at the junction where we split up, we saw the other two who had ascended Hamlin Peak, about half-way up. We soon caught up to them and found they had reached the summit and we were coming back down slowly to meet us, just to keep moving. We all then headed up Hamlin Peak through a more direct route than the trail proper would take us, given the extreme temps and wind. We were as careful as we could be to avoid the fragile alpine growth.

We all snapped quick photos at the Hamlin Peak summit (4756'), then started our slow and steady descent down the Hamlin Ridge trail. This ridge is marked by larger boulders and stunning, 180-degree views -- about a mile of sloping ridge travel above treeline. The going was slow given the rough rock hopping and scrambling we had to do to get around and down certain formations. It seemed like forever before we reached treeline; in total we were above treeline for at least 2.5 hours. The wind was particularly strong coming up from the left out of the North Basin. We had near constant views to our right of the Knife Edge up high, and Chimney Pond and our bunkhouse down low; it was stunning and gut-wrenching all at once.

The group soon returned to the warm bunkhouse, pretty exhausted from two days of challenging hiking totaling over 22 miles. Despite the challenges, we were thrilled to be able to achieve the main goals for the trip in just this one day. It wasn't hard to decide at this point to make the following day a rest day, given a large storm would envelop the area for much of the day, dropping as much as 18 inches of snow.

---

Chimney Pond Campground's bunkhouse has a roomier common area, though it sleeps only 10. Its two bunk rooms each have five bunks: four of them in two levels, and a fifth under a window. So we had more vertical bunk space, which was real nice. Like the common area at Roaring Brook, the one here features a cooking counter, picnic table, a few extra benches, and a wood stove. It also has an enclosed porch, where gear and wood can be stored out of the elements.

At both places, the group's water came from ponds or rivers/streams close by. Michael brought along two bags we used to collect the water, then we used a Katadin water filter to pump it right out of the bags for various uses: cooking (we had MSR white gas and JetBoil stoves), insulated water bottles, and washing/general use. It worked great and only required perhaps four trips in all to keep us supplied over these few days.

I really enjoyed the rest day, being able to sleep in a little, lounge around in cotton clothes, do some reading, stretching, replenish our water stores, and gather more firewood. I also managed to explore the campground during the storm, taking photos and generally enjoying the idyllic scenes of a snowy backcountry. The snow-covered trees and various buildings, combined with the pond and spired rock face jetting up from it, made this area one of the most beautiful I've seen.

We talked over our options at this point, and decided it would be best to not attempt any higher-elevation hikes given the additional snowfall. And with about 16 miles hiking ahead to leave the park, and the coming New Years Eve plans, a few of us decided to hike all the way out the next day, December 29, so we'd be able to wake up on New Years Eve and make our way back home in time for New Years evening, mostly rested.

The hike out was mostly uneventful; certainly easier as the general slope was in the downward direction. On our way down to Roaring Brook, however, we did encounter a female moose, likely whose prints I'd been seeing from Chimney Pond around our bunkhouse, all the way down the trail. She wasn't 50 feet from us when she headed off-trail to the left, and stopped for a while to lunch on some low brush. We lingered for a few minutes to gaze, and continued down without any incident.

We made good time, covering the full 16 miles in 9 hours, with a stop at Roaring Brook to warm up and collect a bit of gear we stashed (including the sleds). We broke trail between Chimney Pond and Roaring Brook, but were able to utilize existing sled track on the park roads from a group that headed up to Roaring Brook the previous night. We also did encounter the same water near the end that we did on our way in; the sleds did a great job of floating our gear above it.

Back at the cars, we cleaned them off and headed back to Millinocket. We were able to secure a couple rooms at Ruthie's Hotel Terrace (the same place we had breakfast on Day 1). This turned out to be a much better experience than the Pamola Motor Lodge, not just because of the attached restaurant, but also since the amenities were more updated and room entrances were on the inside, connected to the restaurant. Price between the two is comparable, so I'd register a vote for Ruthie's.

---

There are few places in New England you can really call Winter expedition-worthy. I'd say Baxter State Park in Winter qualifies, given the necessity of hiking in a good distance, the sometimes extreme and unpredictable snowfall, and the technical aspects of the mountain. It takes a great deal of planning and time, but can reap huge rewards. This is a trip I'll not soon forget, and hope to repeat again some day.
 
Last edited:
Fat Tire Bikes

We knew a road walk of this length would be trying and it was, on a few levels.


Question -- Do you think the balloon-tire mountain bikes now in vogue would provide an alternative to walking 13 miles of packed-out tote road to Roaring Brook?

I've done that Baxter slog on skis and on foot many times and know there's got to be an easier way!!

(Although I suppose if you're trying to bag Baxter and Hamlin as winter 4ks you might run afoul of the rules using a bike.)

cb
 
Question -- Do you think the balloon-tire mountain bikes now in vogue would provide an alternative to walking 13 miles of packed-out tote road to Roaring Brook?

I've done that Baxter slog on skis and on foot many times and know there's got to be an easier way!!

(Although I suppose if you're trying to bag Baxter and Hamlin as winter 4ks you might run afoul of the rules using a bike.)

cb

There was actually a sign about fat bikes at the sign in kiosk but I don't remember the details. Not sure if they are allowed on the road to Roaring Brook since it isn't open to the public for snow mobiles - only park rangers.

The other issue would be if you are looking to submit your name to the AMC for finishing the list you can't use a bike per the club's rules.
 
Fat Bikes are still allowed. With a permit. I have a permit for next weekend...I'll let you know how it went if my work doesn't get in a way. Right now it looks like my work might force me to cancel the trip but I' will know by Monday evening. :)
 
Fat Bikes

Fat Bikes are still allowed. With a permit. I have a permit for next weekend...I'll let you know how it went if my work doesn't get in a way. Right now it looks like my work might force me to cancel the trip but I' will know by Monday evening. :)

Please do keep us informed on how it goes. A few questions:

How are you approaching Togue Pond gate house? (not from Abol Bridge I assume)

How are you hauling gear? On your back or by towing a sled with the bike?

Are your tires studded?

Thanks,
cb
 
Awesome report and pictures. After many summer trips there, it is a big goal of mine to get to Chimney Pond in the winter. Thanks for sharing!!
 
Yes from Abol Bridge.

I have a front handlebar attachment that can take all my camping items (sleeping bat etc... )

I have a tiny frame bag for items and rear seat bag that fits some more stuff and I would wear medium sized backpack.

on the inside of my handlebars are two insulated buckets that fit two nalgene bottles.

Blue bike:
23510214609_d28833be7b_c.jpg


Yes my tires are studded.



Please do keep us informed on how it goes. A few questions:

How are you approaching Togue Pond gate house? (not from Abol Bridge I assume)

How are you hauling gear? On your back or by towing a sled with the bike?

Are your tires studded?

Thanks,
cb
 
Yes from Abol Bridge.

Hi,

Cool bikes!!

That trail along the stream from Abol Bridge is narrow and has a few very steep ups and downs before you each the beach. Then another 3.5 miles to Togue.

Would it be easier and shorter if you jumped on the winter snowmobile road into Togue Pond?

I've used that approach on skis and it does seem shorter.

cb
 
It's not too narrow to bike and the few steeps the bike could be easily pushed for the duration. Actually, depending on the snow level you might have an unpleasant surprise to push the bike more than you'd like ;-)

I suppose if you had someone to drop you off at the Togue gate that would work out nicely.

:)



Hi,

Cool bikes!!

That trail along the stream from Abol Bridge is narrow and has a few very steep ups and downs before you each the beach. Then another 3.5 miles to Togue.

Would it be easier and shorter if you jumped on the winter snowmobile road into Togue Pond?

I've used that approach on skis and it does seem shorter.

cb
 
Top