Tuesday, 18 July 2006
Katahdin from camp
Kevin and I got to the south entrance to the park at around 11:00 in the morning and drove the last half hour on the Tote Road to Katahdin Stream campground which would be our home for the next few days. We quickly settled in to Lean-to 8 and after resting for a while and checking out the yarrow and indian pipes near our site we were ready for a short walk. We settled on checking out a bit of the new Blueberry Ledge Trail that leaves the Tote Road near the AT shelter. We only walked along for about a mile before turning around as it was late in the afternoon. The trail moves through beautiful woods full of moss and the occasional orange mushroom. When we returned to the campground we went over to the clearing where there is an excellent view of Katahdin. We hoped that this good weather would hold because we were planning to climb the next day.
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Kevin taking in the view from the Hunt Trail
Our luck held out and the forecast at the Hunt trailhead at 7 a.m. was for clear, and not too hot and not too humid. We started up the trail. Kevin had never visited Katahdin before; this would be my fifth trip to the summit but I'd never climbed the Hunt Trail. After about 20 minutes of easy climbing we crossed the bridge over Katahdin Stream. The trail was detoured slightly and we had seen trailworkers in the campground so I think this crossing is being rebuilt. We crossed without incident and the trail soon began to climb more convincingly, becoming much steeper and rockier as all self-respecting northern New England trails do. We took advantage of a small stream that crossed the trail. I had finished one of my two litres of water and Kevin had finished about two thirds of his only bottle. Not long after topping off we climbed out of the scrub and Kevin got his first above-treeline views from Katahdin. The trail became much more difficult after this point. I've climbed every trail up Katahdin except Cathedral and Hunt proved to be the most challenging by far. Knife Edge was easy; Abol Slide was fun; but Hunt mocked me with ledges whose hand- and footholds were just out of reach, iron rungs that were well placed for doing chin-ups, and no soft landings under any of these if I fell. I normally carry my water and my camera on the hip of my pack for easy access but I stowed them inside as they were getting hung up on the boulders and ledges. Eventually we came to a break in the action labelled "Hunt Spur" on the map in the campground and stopped for water and a picture of this easy stretch. We could see we still had some climbing to do before we reached the Tableland. The worst of the ledges was behind us but we found there were still a few hairy sections on this last part. Partway up this last climb we took another break and admired the view of the ponds in the neighborhood of our campground. From left-to-right they are: Lost Pond, Windy Pitch Pond (well behind Lost Pond), Grassy Pond, Daicey Pond (behind Grassy), Lily Pad Pond (behind Daicey), Elbow Pond, Tracey Pond, and Kidney Pond. We pressed on and at last...at long last...we gained the Tableland...the most spectacular bit of real estate I've ever set foot on.
Signs indicate Thoreau Spring
The day could not have been nicer: it was sunny, it was warm, and there was practically no wind. Every so often just the lightest puff of a breeze would whisper by but that was it. We strolled along, the death-defying ascent nearly forgotten, and soon came to Thoreau Spring where the Abol Slide and Baxter Cutoff Trails meet the Hunt Trail. We didn't need water yet so we continued on. Baxter Peak was gradually getting closer but we were in no hurry. We had worked hard to get up here and wanted to enjoy it as long as we could. At 12:45 we arrived at the top and Kevin was happy to pose with the summit cairn to have his accomplishment documented. We checked out the views of the Knife's Edge, Chimney Pond, our own route up to the summit, and panned over towards Hamlin. After some lunch we read the summit plaque and had our picture taken at the AT sign before heading down. I like covering new ground and so decided to start out down the Saddle Trail and take the Baxter Cutoff back over to Thoreau Spring. We were glad we did. Although this trail is advertised as simply a bad-weather alternative to passing over the summit it is spectacular in its own right. Only a mile long with little elevation change, it offers quiet, solitude, and magnificent views of the Tableland. We did not see anyone along the path and for much of the time it was absolutely dead silent save for our own footsteps. A goldenrod waved at us from the sedge lawns and a couple of butterflies went by before we arrived back at Thoreau Spring where we decided to descend via the Abol Slide. We topped off our bottles and filtered water for a few friendly visitors from North Carolina and Tennessee who had only iodine with them. Then we set out toward the slide. I had climbed this route some years ago and knew it was wicked steep but I also knew that I would not have to launch myself off of ledges that were taller than me and hope that I stuck my landing.
Panorama of Knife Edge and South Peak from near the summit
Panorama over the valley that the Chimney Pond Trail climbs
Just over the rim of Abol slide
The hardest part of the slide is the very top which is roughly a vertical boulder field. In just a couple minutes I was over this section and had a good look at the rest of the slide as well as up to the rim. We took our time descending to avoid setting rocks rolling down on hikers below us and were happy when we finally got to the lower, older slide where there was some shade to be had. At last we put the slide behind us and turned for a parting look at our descent route which did not look nearly as steep from this perspective. The last part of the trail was gentle and pleasant through sunny hardwoods and ended at Abol Campground where we met a lovely couple who offered us a ride back to our campsite saving us two miles of Tote Road walking. Once back at camp we whipped up a quick and oh-so-satisfying supper of instant mashed potatoes and gravy. The next day we laid around and allowed ourselves to be entertained by an elaborately shaped little butterfly who visited our camp. I think it is a compton tortoiseshell.
Friday, 21 July 2006
A doe at Abol Campground
This morning Kevin headed out and my sister Carol and our niece Chelsea arrived and moved into lean-to 7. We wanted to do some easy hiking that afternoon and chose to visit Abol Falls which none of us had ever been to. Carol drove us over to Abol Campground and as we walked through the camping area to the trailhead we met a doe browsing in the woods. She allowed us to take some pictures and then we all went on our way. The one-mile walk was easy and the falls, although small, were very pretty. We saw several small pools and ledges that we would have liked to sit in on a hot day, which this wasn't. Chelsea took in the scene from a well-positioned rock at the top of the falls. Before leaving we explored upstream a bit where we found another very small but attractive waterfall. It still hadn't rained so we took some time on the hike out to appreciate the trail. Near the falls it ran through small conifers . Further down the forest floor was carpeted with a variety of plants including this pink mushroom and clintonia and bunchberry. It must have been quite nice when they were all in flower but we enjoyed looking at their berries. Later we poked around the rocky beach of Katahdin Stream in the campground. Chelsea found the first fossil although we all eventually found some. I had fun looking for coloured rocks and found quite a variety. From the picnic area it looked as though the weather might be clearing but it did not last through the night.
Saturday, 22 July 2006
Barn swallow chicks
We had hoped to climb Doubletop today but the forecast was not favourable so we decided to drive over to Kidney Pond and do some paddling. This is one of our favorite places to paddle because of the combination of views, plant life, and animal life. We were not disappointed on this day. We hadn't even been in the boat 5 minutes...we were trying to follow a mink along the shore who was much too quick for any of us to get a camera on...and Carol spotted these little cuties. The young barn swallows were hanging out on this branch over the water as their parents commuted back and forth bringing them tasty insect treats. Then we paddled east where the pond becomes shallower and usually more interesting. We cruised slowly along the grassy, mossy edge looking for interesting plants. Several northern pitcher plants stood out. Their flowers had gone by but their pods and pitchers were quite striking in both colour and form. We met a number of green frogs and an aster stood out against the leaves and grasses. We heard and saw a number of birds including cedar waxwings, common loons, common terns, and some sort of gull. Carol spotted a cow moose along the shore of the pond...her calf was nearly out of sight in the brush. Arriving back at the campground we stowed the boat and explored the shore on foot. We were greeted by a couple of bull frogs who eyed us rather suspiciously. We came upon a nice bunch of (hay-scented?) fern and a sprig of pearly everlasting while being visited by a northern bluet (damselfly) and a dragonfly that I think is a blue dasher. It still hadn't rained and I wanted to show Carol and Chelsea Ledge Falls which I'd visited last year and enjoyed quite a bit. It is right on the roadside between the turnoffs for Kidney Pond and Nesowadnehunk Field. Here the river runs in the open over wide, flattish ledges and forms excellent swimming pools and natural rock slides. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this because I was too busy swimming and sliding to take any! Ah, the sacrifices we make...hopefully Carol will get some of her pictures to me soon.
Red squirrel baby
That night at camp we were entertained by three baby red squirrels who evidently live in a tree next to my lean-to. They scurried all over the lower parts of the tree chasing each other and, when they noticed I was watching, playing peek-a-boo with me using branches and each other as cover. We got a cozy fire going after supper but were too full to toast many marshmallows. The rain finally started for real so we retreated to the lean-to and eventually to bed. It rained pretty hard overnight but had stopped by morning. We appreciated that as we had to pack up our gear, load the car and head out and we were glad to keep it all dry. Before we left we went over to the clearing for a last peek at Katahdin which was looking rather moody surrounded by dark clouds. We bid farewell till next year and headed for home.
