Maine trip

“I was wondering that too, Fritz. Probably far, so that only the people get buried when the snow slides. ;-O”

“Cars will be parked right at the site at Avalanche Field. There are no water pumps in BSP, and Avalance Brook is our water source there. Like Artex I generally bring jugs of water for car camping. At Russell Pond a spring is our water source. I don't filter most running water in BSP, and also drink directly from Chimney Pond. Not Russell Pond though, I've seen what the moose do in there. ;)

I know gforce, and I'm sorry 'bout that, but ya never know. I thought this person was more experienced than he turned out to be. I also found out yesterday that a person who was pickin' my brain about Katahdin and the Knife Edge had to be rescued. I was concerned about her experience (but what do I know?) and did go so far as to obnoxiously give her a list of required items she needed to carry for her trip. I haven't heard from her, but I hope she at least had her #&%!$ together.

LOL, I didn't even pay attention to the size of your wine bag, LyndyS. M&M said she couldn't make it, some boy scout thing going on that weekend.”

“Oh well, I thought as much since I hadn't heard from M&M. Cow Patty and I have been emailing and we decided to share a tent. So I won't be falling over you guys and waking you up, unless I develop insomnia and want someone to chatter with 8-D. j/k

I have a serious question though. Do we need to bring crampons? I was going to rent some, but I would rather not. But I don't want to be unprepared. So what do you think Twigeater?”

“Oh and can we hear more about the person who had to be rescued? I need to do more research into whether I can hike Katadyn and Knife's Edge. It would be really embarrassing, among other things, to have to be rescued.”

“I hear you, Lyndy. Being rescued is humiliating; I hate it when that happens.”

“If crampons are necessary trails will be closed anyway, so no you won't need them. BSP has two seasons with different regs - if you go in the winter season you can do the trails in snow, etc. but in the regular season you can't. The regular season ends October 15th and the winter season doesn't begin until December 1.

Lyndy we have one site that holds one tent, do you and cow patty want that one? If you decide not to do the big Knife Edge trip, you can always head up the Saddle trail to Baxter Peak with me.

I don't really think it was an "official" rescue - from what I've heard so far it was after they had completed the Knife Edge that they got lost, and they just happened to be found by some people who were going up to rescue someone else. I don't know how they got lost yet, I'll let ya know when I get more details.

There's only one way to go on the Knife Edge and as long as you stay on trail, you're fine. If you get lost and it's dark, you are out for the night.

Here are a coupls of trip reports:
Katahdin

BSP”

“Thanks, Twigeater, I feel better now. :)

Yes the single tent site would be great if it is okay with everyone else.

I may hike with you Twigeater, if I am unsure of my ability to do both the Knife Edge and the ten miles the next day.”

“10 days left until we

HIKE MAINE!!!!

”

“Lyndy there is a 7-mile option on Saturday, that ends in the same place. Don't skimp on the good stuff on Friday. If you are wiped out Saturday and want to do the 7-mile trail, I'm sure someone will join you.”

“Yeah you can do 7 miles on Saturday if you want, even hike the first 6 miles with the 10 mile group and branch off after the stream crossing - only .4 miles longer than the other trail. So 7.1, 7.5 or 10 something. It takes about 3 hours to do either of the 7 mile trails.

The only reason I don't do the Knife Edge and some of the other trails is because of vertigo. But I have done these trails and I know what fun I'm missing, so don't be put off by anything I say.

I get up a couple times in the night as well, and I'm told I have a gentle snore, lol. Although I think "gentle" was disputed after a night in the bunkhouse. :)”

“Okay, sounds good. I don't mean to sound like a wimp, but well maybe I am a wimp! :)


Vertigo huh? Hmmmm I guess it hits everyone in different ways. I had a very hard time driving the last few miles up to Pikes Peak. But I'll give Knife's Edge a try.”

“OK, twiggy, but do you rub your feet together all night, shaking the entire shelter? Are you going to constantly reach over and attempt to pull off my sleeping bag? Will you talk in your sleep?

Will wild animals run into the shelter in the middle of the night, steal my pillow, and try to force me off the shelter platform? And then, ummm.....pee in my sleeping bag?

Actually this should be a lot more restful than sleeping at home!”

“Uh Fritz, you really need to get out more then!”

“Being a wimp and knowing your own limitations are two different things. I cheerfully confess mine (and call myself a wimp) and some people view them as silly or see that as fear, but I don't care, I'm still out there doin' my thing.

I did do the Knife Edge once but I didn't know what I was getting into. It was a fun trip "a good day to die" as I call my good days, but I was also very relieved to be off it. Today I can climb firetowers, but once I couldn't, and one day I'll do the Knife Edge again. I don't know why though.

...talk in my sleep maybe, but Fritz, sounds like the nights at your house are interesting!”

“twigeater you're absolutely right when pointing out the need for warm clothing/gear. I would do the same if I were leading this trip! So no need for any apologies. I was just being my usual TT smartass self. :)

artex that's a good idea bout the water, maybe I'll bring along a couple of gallons too.”

“Funny you mention firetowers, twigeater. I still get a touch of vertigo when climbing them, and the same with other manmade structures. For example, there's a crazy railroad bridge in Letchworth State Park, NY that crosses over a gorge that is super duper high. It freaked me out walking across it. But I don't get it with cliffs. I can sit on a cliff's edge and let my feet dangle and pretty much feel okay.

Wierd, wild stuff.”

“ugh, just watching people do that makes me wanna throw up Artex...
I'm jealous though...
I had all I could do to walk and stand up on the Lubec breakwater when the tide was running - I had a death grip on the international border marker so I could take pictures.”

“here is a good link to Katahdin info - also says the cut off time is 9am.

Katahdin”

“Wow, wicked pictures on that link, twigeater! Knife's Edge looks soooo sweet!

HIKE MAINE!!

”

“I need to take a trip to Oz to get some courage.”

“The woman I climbed the Cathedral trail with (she and her husband have since divorced . . .all the way up the trail she was screaming at him . . .I'm gonna divorce you) . . .anyhoo

From Chimney pond you walk a short distance across a marshy area and then come to a rock face. She got 20 feet up the rock face . . .looked down . . .and panicked. She was from Jacksonnville FL . . .where the highest place above sea level is the mall.

She refused to come down. SO we went up . . .and up ... and up.

All the way up to South Peak . . .

ON HER HANDS AND KNEES!!

As far as a I know . . she still has scar tissue . . .blood streaming down her legs.

I would love to do Cathedral again when I could enjy it more. THere is a lot of hand over hand clambering (nothing techinical . . there is always a logical place to step or reach next . . jsut challening and very steep. Steep enough so that you feel like you could "fall off" in spots.

The trail down the gully had snow in it and was closed, so we came down the next one over . . .(Twig . .to the right as you face South Peak).

THe next time up was with a different woman . . .she was fine all the way up to Pamola . . .but the Chimney did her in. She crawled sort of crab style across the knife's edge . . .and yelled at me every time I stood erect and looked over the edge. I was carrying both her daypack and mine from about 2/3 of the way up Pamola, all the way across the Knife Edge, so I was way out of balance. As penance for taking her up htere she made me conintue to carry the pack all the way down too.

HIKE MAINE>


Ps: Lyndy . . .you can't get lost on the knife's edge . . .the trail is obvious . . .straight ahead or a 1000 foot abyss!!

pps: its not THAT bad . . .If you can walk down a ten foot wide hallway without crashing into a wall then you can hike the knife's edge without falling off. And that is only for that one stretch in the link someone posted above!

HIKE MAINE”

“awwww lee! and I wasn't tellin' my scared crying people stories! (J/K!) I hiked it with a guy who kept saying "you gutta be #&%!$tin' me" the whole way.
Saddle's the one usually closed for snow, so would it be the Hamlin Ridge trail you came down?

If you read the trip reports, most people talk like they hike all over Katahdin with no problem. I'm sure many do, but some of the reports I'd list as "incredible journeys."”

“Any of you folks from the Bath or Portland area? I was raised in Bath and taught in Portland for 25 years. I moved to So Cal in 1998.”

“Hehehe, such language! Reminds me of the stuff that came out of my mouth the last time I drove through Manhattan.

It looks like a beautiful place. But I keep thinking about the dream I have of climbing stairs, neverending stairs, and then all of a sudden the stairs tilt sideways. Of course it is just a dream, not likely to actually happen....”

“On my last hike, the person sharing my tent tried to steal my pillow and did grab & flip my draped on sleeping bag off me and on to her! Do LyndyS and I need to discuss these things?? :^)”

“Cow Patty, I'm not sure I follow... Did you understand that I am merely the victim of all the indignities I described?

Or...are you two threatening to gang up on me???”

“He wishes! No CowPatty, I grew up sleeping in tight places in a motorhome with my sister, and I'm good at staying within my space.

Now here is what we're going to do to Fritz ....)sp sh sp sh sss”

“I think maybe I'll sleep up on the Knife's Edge. It will sure beat sleeping at home, plus I won't have to worry about Lyndy and Cow Patty...”

“Twigeater e-mailed me asking for a trip report, and I sheepishly remembered that I didn't post one here. I did send one to my relatives, so here's a copy. How could I forget you guys, we're all one big happy family...

Well, we had a great trip to Baxter State park. After a four hour drive up to BSP, that included a stop at the kids house, to drop off Suzy (no dogs allowed), we set up camp. At the information cabin outside the park, I bought a map and the warden mentioned that the ranger was Bill Snow. I knew a Bill Snow growing up! Sure enough it is him. He lived a few houses down from me as a child. We were to chat at some length through out the weekend.

Since we got an early start, we decide to climb North Turner, about 3100 feet up, 2 miles as a warm up for tomorrow's ascent on Katahdin. We passed two people coming down, and basicaly have the mountain to ourselves. Great view from tthe top, incredibly clean, peaceful. And a great view of Katahdin. We head back down and stop at various viewpoints at Sandy beach pond and see a moose feeding in the pond! Back at camp, we chow early and hit the hay to get an early start up the mountian.

We depart at 7AM and we maintain a steady pace up the hill, taking in all the viewpoints on the way. At Chimney Pond, while Jeannette is in the out house, and I have my camera ready to photo her on the way out, a moose comes clomping along. I get a couple of good shots... just happened to have the camera ready!!! The climb up the saddle trail is difficult, some hand over hand and steep and gravely, and this is the easiest way up! It's an incredible view here!, We are leapfrogging with several other groups and finally reach the summit and survey the knife edge trail. We decide to return the way we came. It's a long ways back, any way you slice it, and you are fighting rubber legs and have to rest a little more frequently. Over all, Katahdin is 5200 feet up and an 11 mile round trip. All we want to do in a day. We sleep very well and return on Monday, taking my kids out to dinner as we pick up Suzy.

As we return, we discuss the two climbs we did, and decide the trail less traveled was the way to go. Next trip there, we'll discover other areas of the park, having done Mt.Katahdin.”

“Nice report Uphill Klimber, sounds like you guys had a lot of fun. I can't wait to try it! :-)”

“MountainMaster, I live in Biddeford, work in Portland.”

“thanks Klimber! glad to hear you had a great trip!

Sorry to nitpick, but unless you were bushwacking, you hiked South Turner mountain. (and it's Sandy Stream Pond)

There is so much great hiking and backpacking in Baxter, away from Katahdin and the crowds. I had such a blast on my last trip I'm already planning winter and next year. Enjoy!”

“I just checked out the long-range forecast for Baxter.. high's in the 50's, lows in the 20's for a town to the east of the park... of course, it'll likely be a bit colder for us do to elevation.. and the forecasts this far in advance are meaningless.. but hey, IT'S ONLY 9 DAYS AWAY!

I just got an e-mail from Wolfman's Brother.. him and I are heading out Wednesday night, drive for a few hours, camp out somewhere or sleep in the car, and then wake up and drive the rest of the way. ROAD TRIIIIIIIIP!!!!!

Look forward to hiking with everyone, we're all going to have a blast..! :-)”

“"him and I" and you WRITE for a living????

:-)

CANNOT WAIT! Gonna be a GOOOOOOOD time!”

“Twiggy, you know the place better than I do. You are correct...”

“UK - thanks for the great report. It gives us a taste of the fun to come. Got pics??”

“UK, no matter how many times I go to BSP I learn something new.
Sure you guys can't join us?

I can't wait to go back! wahoo!
HIKE MAINE!”

“I feel like a total free-bird when posting on TT because I can write pretty much the same way I talk, and don't have to follow the rules. I'm good at following the rules for work though!

And yes, I realize you were just busting my balls. :-)”

“Too bad it is October. Some of the best fishing for "red spots," lake run brook trout, in Baxter is at South Branch Pond. One of my favorite fishing areas when I was a kid. Good luck...but be prepared for some cold weather. Maine does not forgive if you forget warm clothing and expect it to be damp all the time.

Stop at Dysart's in Bangor for breakfast. It is on 95.”

“No way man, I wasn't doing NOTHING to your privates! Tugging your chain, that's my preferred expression. :-)

(Now, I wanna say just let-er-rip or something like that, but I just can't bring myself to say that to the original Fartex.) :-)”

“let's just say that you may want to sleep with one eye open....wherever you decide to throw down your sleeping bag! ;^ ))”

“Hey, stop making fun of me... Obviously they have told you that I only have one eye...”

“And let's not get started on his third nipple...”

“broken balls, one eyed monsters, third nipples??? who are you people??
HIKE MAINE!

thank-you MM2003 - when I said I couldn't pass Dysart's, this group accused me of being a "lot lizard." Just good food!”

“hmmm . . . . broken balls, one eyed monsters, third nipples, cow patty and her ti axe (she did mention the ti axe didn't she?). . . did I somehow get on the wrong trip . . . or am I posting to the wrong thread? Maybe this is really the MAINIAC TRIP thread!!!”

“50's and 20's sounds great!!!! We've been in the mid 80's here this week with lows in the 70's. Way too warm for this time of year.”