blaze
Active member
Thursday 2/4: up at 4:00 AM... five hours sleep. But I am up and out of the house by 5:00. I rendezvous with Angela and Kenny at Dunkin Donuts in Bangor. We load up the Subaru and are off to Millinocket!
We load our sleds at Abol Bridge and are skiing by 10:00 AM. We use "kicker" skins on our skis for the 12 mile, mostly-uphill slog to Roaring Brook.
We arrive at Roaring Brook at 4:15 PM. It's breezy and cold. The sun is gone but it's not dark yet. The bunkhouse is full (a very nice group of folks), and so our hopes to make a last-minute switch from our lean-to are dashed.
But we get a quick dinner cooked and by 7:00 PM are in bed. Temps fall to ~0 overnight and the wind howls, but we stay warm. Kenny and I have zero degree bags and bivy sacks; I also have a Thermolite liner. Angela is loaded for bear with a -20 bag and bivy sack. We all wear clothing to bed.
Friday 2/5: despite retiring early, we sleep in a bit, knowing we have a short day today. After breakfast, we enjoy a leisurely snowshoe to Sandy Stream Pond, the first visit for Angela and Kenny. Curiously, there are no moose! =) But the views of Katahdin, Hamlin and Howe peaks, and of the basins, are stunning.
We return to the lean to and saddle up. We ditch our skis under the porch at the ranger's cabin. We put on our snowshoes and tug the sleds up to Chimney Pond. The winter trail has been packed out by the ranger's snowmobile and is in terrific shape.
We arrive at the Chimney Pond bunkhouse in time for a late lunch. Kenny and Angela whip up a delicious dinner of ravioli in tomato sauce. I contribute a liter box of Merlot along with some sopressata sausage and smoked gruyere cheese.
The cabin is occupied by five climbers from CT, who've been there all week. They've had some great climbs, and are clearing out the next day. We turn in early, anticipating our Katahdin hike the next day.
Saturday 2/6: we are up and out just after 8:00. We ascend via the Cathedral Trail (more or less), staying to the right of a curving, snow-loaded chute near the base, then keeping right to stay on snow vs. picking through the rocks.
I can't say precisely where the line between hiking and climbing is drawn - but we are on the other side of the line.
It's exposed and steep, and a bit unnerving. The consequences of a fall here would be "inconvenient" and quite possibly life threatening. The surface is icy and crampons have a tendency to rebound if not kicked in firmly. But we top out on the plateau without incident.
One of our party is not feeling strong enough for the c. 1/2 mile push to the Baxter Peak summit, after three consecutive days of sled-hauling and climbing. The other two agree, without hesitation, to turn right and head across the Saddle for Hamlin instead. Hardly a sacrifice... the sun is out, the wind is light, and views in all directions are spectacular... there is no way to have a bad time on this mountain, on a day like this.
Our walk across the Saddle, up to Hamlin Peak, and down Hamlin Ridge is spectacular. My camera is not cooperating, but I get a few shots, and Kenny and Angela take quite a few. This is Angela's first time on Hamlin Ridge, spectacular any time of year, absolutely stunning in winter. We leave crampons on until treeline, where we hit deeper powder, and switch back to snowshoes for the walk back to Chimney Pond, where we'll spend a 2nd night in the bunkhouse.
The bunkhouse is full tonight - a group of seven, mostly if not all from Maine, a congenial and funny group, clearly veterans of many trips together. We share appetizers and sip our beverages. Chili and leftover ravioli for dinner, with a box of Cabernet. In bed early once again, tired after three challenging days, and thinking of our 15 mile trip out to Abol Bridge the next day.
Sunday 2/7: on the trail just after 8:30. Cold, cloudy and windy at Chimney Pond. About an inch of fresh powder has fallen overnight. After a quick 1+ hour descent to Roaring Brook, we get the skis back on, sans skins, and the skiing is brilliant. Cool but pleasant temps, cloudy, light snow falling, with the sun peeking through occasionally. A beautiful day.
Back at Abol Bridge before 3:00, and home by 7:30.
Big thanks to Kenny and Angela for planning this outstanding weekend! You guys are the best.
Thanks to all the friendly rangers at Baxter who were, without exception, friendly, helpful, and informative. And thanks to our fellow bunkhouse guests Friday and Saturday nights for their company and good trail info.
We covered at least 35 miles in our four day adventure. This is a challenging and rewarding experience.
Photos to follow...
We load our sleds at Abol Bridge and are skiing by 10:00 AM. We use "kicker" skins on our skis for the 12 mile, mostly-uphill slog to Roaring Brook.
We arrive at Roaring Brook at 4:15 PM. It's breezy and cold. The sun is gone but it's not dark yet. The bunkhouse is full (a very nice group of folks), and so our hopes to make a last-minute switch from our lean-to are dashed.
But we get a quick dinner cooked and by 7:00 PM are in bed. Temps fall to ~0 overnight and the wind howls, but we stay warm. Kenny and I have zero degree bags and bivy sacks; I also have a Thermolite liner. Angela is loaded for bear with a -20 bag and bivy sack. We all wear clothing to bed.
Friday 2/5: despite retiring early, we sleep in a bit, knowing we have a short day today. After breakfast, we enjoy a leisurely snowshoe to Sandy Stream Pond, the first visit for Angela and Kenny. Curiously, there are no moose! =) But the views of Katahdin, Hamlin and Howe peaks, and of the basins, are stunning.
We return to the lean to and saddle up. We ditch our skis under the porch at the ranger's cabin. We put on our snowshoes and tug the sleds up to Chimney Pond. The winter trail has been packed out by the ranger's snowmobile and is in terrific shape.
We arrive at the Chimney Pond bunkhouse in time for a late lunch. Kenny and Angela whip up a delicious dinner of ravioli in tomato sauce. I contribute a liter box of Merlot along with some sopressata sausage and smoked gruyere cheese.
The cabin is occupied by five climbers from CT, who've been there all week. They've had some great climbs, and are clearing out the next day. We turn in early, anticipating our Katahdin hike the next day.
Saturday 2/6: we are up and out just after 8:00. We ascend via the Cathedral Trail (more or less), staying to the right of a curving, snow-loaded chute near the base, then keeping right to stay on snow vs. picking through the rocks.
I can't say precisely where the line between hiking and climbing is drawn - but we are on the other side of the line.
It's exposed and steep, and a bit unnerving. The consequences of a fall here would be "inconvenient" and quite possibly life threatening. The surface is icy and crampons have a tendency to rebound if not kicked in firmly. But we top out on the plateau without incident.
One of our party is not feeling strong enough for the c. 1/2 mile push to the Baxter Peak summit, after three consecutive days of sled-hauling and climbing. The other two agree, without hesitation, to turn right and head across the Saddle for Hamlin instead. Hardly a sacrifice... the sun is out, the wind is light, and views in all directions are spectacular... there is no way to have a bad time on this mountain, on a day like this.
Our walk across the Saddle, up to Hamlin Peak, and down Hamlin Ridge is spectacular. My camera is not cooperating, but I get a few shots, and Kenny and Angela take quite a few. This is Angela's first time on Hamlin Ridge, spectacular any time of year, absolutely stunning in winter. We leave crampons on until treeline, where we hit deeper powder, and switch back to snowshoes for the walk back to Chimney Pond, where we'll spend a 2nd night in the bunkhouse.
The bunkhouse is full tonight - a group of seven, mostly if not all from Maine, a congenial and funny group, clearly veterans of many trips together. We share appetizers and sip our beverages. Chili and leftover ravioli for dinner, with a box of Cabernet. In bed early once again, tired after three challenging days, and thinking of our 15 mile trip out to Abol Bridge the next day.
Sunday 2/7: on the trail just after 8:30. Cold, cloudy and windy at Chimney Pond. About an inch of fresh powder has fallen overnight. After a quick 1+ hour descent to Roaring Brook, we get the skis back on, sans skins, and the skiing is brilliant. Cool but pleasant temps, cloudy, light snow falling, with the sun peeking through occasionally. A beautiful day.
Back at Abol Bridge before 3:00, and home by 7:30.
Big thanks to Kenny and Angela for planning this outstanding weekend! You guys are the best.
Thanks to all the friendly rangers at Baxter who were, without exception, friendly, helpful, and informative. And thanks to our fellow bunkhouse guests Friday and Saturday nights for their company and good trail info.
We covered at least 35 miles in our four day adventure. This is a challenging and rewarding experience.
Photos to follow...
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