100 mile Wilderness

“I have been wanting to do the 100 mile wilderness section of the At for a couple years. Anyone interested maybe this summer or early fall?
I have been researching this on the web and it seems like an awesome hike. Anyone here do it? There is at least one resupply point but they recomend carrying 10 days of food. This seems like alot. If I can plan it I was thinking about going light and trying for 6 days. That way we could drive up on a Saturday and be out the following Saturday. An interesting twist would be to park at Abol bridge and float plane back to Munson. It would cost about $85 per person and you would fly over the wilderness.
With a group of 4 hikers sharing gear, tarps, stoves, filters, etc we could travel really light and fast. Most hiker talk of averaging 10-15 miles a day.
Of course we would have to stop and eat the famous 1lb burger at Whitehouse landing.

Right now this is just a dream trip but if there is interest then I am definately game.”

“SET the dates.”

“I think it was the famous 1lb burger at whitehouse landing that did me in. Projectile vomiting and diarrhea the next morning. I enjoyed the 100 mile wilderness, but didn't find it that rugged (but for my sickness). Personally, I'd skip WhiteHouse Landing and keep on rollin'. That section, though, was great hiking and very scenic.”

“Nimble if you were doing this as a seperate hike, not part of the thru hike what time of year do you think it would be best?”

“Fridge you want to do it?”

“Lt I do. Just need to pin point the date. I have schedules I can adjust except August.”

“I've always wanted to do the 100 mile Wilderness, but I won't have the time this summer, perhaps the following year if you're still interested.”

“Bobo, and fridge what about Fall, Sept would be really nice up there, leaves change low temps in the high 30's highs in the 70's.”

“I'm not sure when the black flies disappear, but I'm thinking mid-August to mid-September would be okay. Nice days, cool nights and no flies. I caught a lot of rain going through there, but that's not always the case.”

“You can pretty much count on black flies in NH from Mother's Day until Father's Day. It might lag a week or two in Maine.”

“Sept is a go for me LT. Plan it and set actual dates in concrete.”

“I did it in '99 with my son. He turned 13 on the trail. It was the trip that got me hooked on longer backpacking trips. I carried 12 days of food to be safe. White House Landing opened to the trail that year, but we hadn't heard about until we were on the trail already.

The first time I ever came to this site was when I was researching the trip. I have no idea what my user name was back then.

I've got loads of fond memories of that trip. Someday I'll do it again + the stretch inside Baxter to Katahdin. Other areas of the maine AT are more spectacular by far - but there is something great about 100 mile "wilderness."
last edited: 2/24/07 9:36:54 PM”

“we did a section of the 100 mile wilderness about 6 years ago. you could send supplies to nakamaka(?) lake camps, the lady that runs it was real nice. no flies for us in mid august
http://nahmakanta.com/t.
last edited: 2/24/07 10:29:25 PM”

“If we did this should we do Katadin as a finisher? It adds about 15 miles to the trip. If we had 2 cars we could leave one at Abol Bridge and drive down to Munson, stay at Shaws and then leave northbound.

Will there be alot of thru hikers on the trail in Sept?”

“20, if you plan to descend Katahdin.”

“the 110 mile stretch from gorham, nh to stratton, me, is much more scenic, rugged, and just as remote as the 100 mile wilderness, imho. there are only a couple of major road crossings, and the rest are backwoods roads of the same variety you find in the 100. mahoosuc notch is alot of fun, and the view from the windswept peak of goose eye mountain is arguably the best vista south of Big K

the 100 is very flat and uninteresting for about the last 40 miles, altho the first 60 or so are pretty awesome. there is also a knock you on your ass view of katahdin from pemadumcook lake
last edited: 2/25/07 8:25:39 AM”

“september is probably the height of thru-hiking season in the 100. i went thru in mid-september, and the shelters were full every night”

“"Pemadumcook"??

Watch your mouth, Buster!!

I like this!
If its really not that rugged then some 15 mile days are doable for this gang.

There is a must-go wedding on my schedule for early August.”

“the food at whitehouse landing is outstanding, altho the hospitality leaves alot to be desired. if you want breakfast in the morning, you MUST tell them the night before. they are inflexible on this.

after being told i could not have breakfast, i grabbed a chocolate chip cookie, and was planning on telling the woman that was running the place, because they keep a running tab. her husband saw me, and really snapped at me, and more or less insinuated that i was trying to take it without paying. obviously, im not a fan of the proprietors”

“They are truly dickheads.”

“Ok here are some mileage figures and a plan to do it in a week. Driving up and shuttling cars on Friday, leave at least one car at Abol bridge outside of Baxter then driving back to Monson. Friday night we could stay somewhere in Monson then start Saturday morning.
Saturday hike to Long Pond Stream LT 15.1
Sunday hike to Chairback Gap LT 10.9m
Monday hike to Logan Brook LT 17.1m
Tuesday hike to Antlers Campsite 19.6m(nice campsite on the lake)
Wensday hike to Rainbow Stream LT 21.7 (Lunch at Whitehouse landing maybe)
Thursday hike to Abol Bridge 23.1 Car located here. Overnight somewhere maybe Abol Bridge campground(If we stay on schedule we could hike up to Birches Campground from here 10.2 miles camp the night there and then hike up Katadin and head home Sunday)
Friday Day pack up Katahdin
Saturday Homeward

I figure this gives us an extra day just in case of bad weather or slower hiking. The north end of the hike is supposed to be flatter and we will be lighter so I think the higher mileages are doable.
last edited: 2/25/07 2:11:23 PM”

“thats pretty ambitious, but do-able if you are in thru-hiker shape”

“There are some great places to stop and swim in the 100 mile wilderness. I'd recommend a slower pace to stop and enjoy.

It'z odd to me to hear how much people have disliked the proprietors of White House Landing for a number of years.

When I was there, they were thrilled to have the new income. The owner's Dad was hiking or had hiked the AT and he was really nice. I'm not sure when the honeymoon ended.”

“Maybe it was when Crash Bang showed up and tried to steal that donut.”

“Well I figure if we get slowed down we have an extra day and if we don't get to do Katadin that would suck but oh well and that would add another day.”

“This would involve hittin' the trail at first light and gettin' a move on.

Falling behind schedule would be out of the question.”

“Yeah no slacking and taking naps Marko. A couple fo the big mile days could be cut back by 4-5 miles but some of them just work out that way because of the distances.
Maybe the trip should be planned without the Katahdin finsh so that more time could be spent in the wilderness. I am just trying to fit it into an 8 day trip not including 2 travel days.
last edited: 2/25/07 4:07:04 PM”

“oops
last edited: 2/25/07 4:05:27 PM”

“the campsite at antlers is really pimp-ass. i was planning on stopping there, but stopped at the shelter before it, instead”

“The mooses treat ya right, huh?”

“CB, Antlers Camp is one of the reasons that the mileage is wacky. I planned another trip and It has us finishing on a Sat. with stops at Antlers and Whitehouse. The biggest day is 17.6 from Whitehouse to rainbow stream(one of the oldest leantos on the AT still has a baseball bat floor sounds comfy).”

“Positively batty!”

“rainbow stream is a beautiful site. its on the cover of one of the more recent data books.

woulndt know about the comfy factor of the baseball bats. i tented just uphill. as a matter of fact, i tented at all the sites except whitehouse landing. they charge just as much if you sleep in their bunk or tent on the lawn”

“Judging by your post on the crowds up there in Sept I would definately plan on tarping it most nights.
Do you remember if there are any campsites across the lake from Whitehouse landing. I read somewhere that it is hard to get an early start from there because of the boat ride across the lake. Maybe we could eat then go back across the lake and camp somewhere.”

“This is getting interesting!”

“according to wingfoot, theres a campsite a couple miles after. antlers is the only one noted beforehand. however, youre in a pretty level area at that point. you could probably find a site near the blue blaze”

“If I'm even gonna try this jog, I will have to train up.”

“better eat your wheaties, gray man”

“Marko, If you want to come you could take the train to Old Saybrook, Ct then I could pick you up. If all goes as planned everyone will be coming within a few miles of my house so we could leave cars here and car pool.”

“Saturday hike to Long Pond Stream LT 15.1
Sunday hike to Chairback Gap LT 10.9m
Monday hike to Logan Brook LT 17.1m
Tuesday hike to Antlers Campsite 19.6m
Wensday hike to Rainbow Stream LT 21.7
Thursday hike to Abol Bridge 23.1

Whoa. Y'all are going to be hurting after that itinerary. ;) Are you in a hurry or just wanting to do bigger miles?”

“Pretty good chance I'll be heading through there with a couple friends in late may - early june (with an 8 day supply of food and a 2 year supply of deet). We'll probably be northbound, so a pretty similar trip to yours - actually we'd be leaving out of my house in Old Lyme, CT...so just about an identical trip plus some blackflies minus some thru hikers. If it makes it past the planning phase (ie if I can talk my buddys into spending their free time after graduation schlepping through the woods) I'll let you know how it goes.”

“I did the section from Monson to Gulf Hagas with a college class in 1990-something...took us 7 days to go 40 miles, LOL...

I'd join you for this, but single motherhood is upon me again...however, we'd be willing to do some shuttling or whatever...”

“You just had a baby?”

“Twiggie had a baby? Wow!”

“LMG, I was trying to get finished so that we would have a layover day if we needed it for weather or slower hiking, and also so that we would have a day to hike up Katahdin. I have revised the mileage and the longest day is 17 miles and thatis on the flatter section.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“LOL...”

“Meathead, you'll have to come along on one of our Daks or Catskills trips sometime, heck we are practically neighbors across the river.”

“Yeah I'd love to. I'm finishing up my senior year at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY right now - a very short drive to the catskills:). Moving up to Hadlyme, CT after that - still right in the Old Lyme, Old Saybrook ballpark.”

“Oh so you already had lyme disease.”