Panorama from North Brother, including Fort Mountain and Katahdin
24 July 2005 North Brother, Baxter State Park, Maine
Doubletop from the Marston trailhead
Another day in Baxter brought a short drive north on the perimeter road to the Marston Trailhead which I'd passed on my way to Nesowadnehunk Field. From the car park I had an interesting view of yesterday's quarry, Doubletop. I got my boots on and headed up the trail. The climbing was steady but not too steep and before long I came to the first junction with the trail up the Mt. Coe slide. I was interested in looping up and over but hiking solo and a possibility of afternoon thunder had me putting off that hike for another day. Today I would be heading straight up North Brother and retracing my steps back down.
This pond was at the end of a creepy section of woods
My trail branched left from this junction. Something about this next mile of trail gave me a serious case of the willies. I wanted out of there and fast. I came to a picturesque pond that was set at the base of a steep shoulder of the mountain. Pretty though it was, I could not linger and enjoy it. After a few hasty snapshots I beat it out of there. Soon after leaving the pond I started a steep climb and something about the woods changed for the better. Everything was back to normal. Here and there I got a view through open trees. After a while the trail began to level off as I gained the saddle between North and South Brothers. Some easy walking through beautiful forest brought me to the upper junction with the Coe loop. From here I could see my goal rising to the North. Some stiff climbing involving some interesting scrambles brought me to the summit of North Brother.
South Brother and Mt. Coe
It was fairly breezy and as I'd been sweating I was soon thoroughly chilled. I ducked behind some rocks to enjoy the view north and east over Fort Mountain and Katahdin, which was quite spectacular. To the south I saw South Brother and Coe tucked in behind it. I've saved them for another day. My camera batteries had finally drained and I'd eaten my snack so I picked my way back down the bouldery summit cone to the junction with the Coe trail and made my way back down the Marston Trail. I was not looking forward to revisiting that mile-long stretch between the end of my steep descent and the lower junction with the Coe Slide Trail. It was just as inexplicably creepy the second time through and I ran the section in under 10 minutes. Upon reaching the lower sign and the end of the unpleasant section I paused to catch my breath before completing the hike at a more leisurely pace.
