| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Katahdin - Baxter Peak, Mt. Katahdin - Hamlin Peak, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Chimney Pond Trail, Saddle Trail, Cathedral Trail, Hunt Trail, Baxter Peak Cutoff, Cathedral Cutoff, Northwest Basin Trail, Hamlin Ridge Trail, Hamlin Peak Cutoff, North Peaks Trail, North Basin Trail, North Basin Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, July 12, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
$16 day pass for non-ME residents and $42 for a season pass for non-ME residents. Park Tote Rd has potholes and such but is kept in good shape so that it should be drivable by any cars. It is narrow throughout and the speed limit is 20mph and 10mph around campgrounds. I arrived at 5:45am and was able to get a spot at Roaring Brook but they made us wait till 7am to get in (this is typical). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Many crossings down low are bridged and those that are not were easily rock hopable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Baxter Peak Cutoff could really be brushed back. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dogs are not allowed in BSP. |
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 | Bugs: |
I don't think they were awful and I think they were mostly non-existant above treeline probably due to the weather, but the obnoxious flies and such were out below treeline in the afternoon. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
I think all trails other than the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Baxter State Park (BSP) are blazed in blue. Chimney Pond Trail is eroded but trivial to follow, though I don't recall the blazing situation. Cathedral Trail was actually blazed quite well above treeeline. Interestingly, no cairns mark it until upon Cathedral Cutoff; until then, it's just frequent blue blaze. Baxter Peak Cutoff was blazed but less frequently and was clearly lightly travelled, obscure, and could really be brushed back. I don't recall the blazing on Saddle, North Peaks, Hamlin Ridge, Northwest Basin, North Basin, or North Basin Cutoff, but note that the sections of North Peaks and Hamlin Peak Cutoff I was on were very lightly travelled, obscure, and the signage at these jcts, while there, was not readable and ought to be replaced. I'm sure there were blowdowns but I don't recall where.
1st day in Millinocket. I knew if I wanted to hike Katahdin, this would be my best chance of it given that it was a weekday so I went for it. I hate the red tape of BSP being from NH but getting to the gate at 5:45am and then waiting till 7am to be let in did indeed pay off as I got a spot at Roaring Brook. I used this opportunity to redline several more trails on the peak and get a couple more for the increasingly impossible NE67 Grid. The route: Chimney Pond Trail --> Saddle Trail --> Cathedral Trail --> Saddle Trail to Baxter --> Hunt Trail --> Baxter Peak Cutoff --> Saddle Trail --> Northwest Basin Trail --> Hamlin Ridge Trail to Hamlin Peak --> Hamlin Peak Cutoff --> North Peaks Trail --> Northwest Basin Trail --> Saddle Trail (east/descent) --> Chimney Pond Trail --> North Basin Trail to Blueberry Knoll and back to --> North Basin Cutoff --> Chimney Pond Trail. I also hiked the short view spurs shown on Gaia along the way of Chimney Pond Trail though they aren't needed for redlining. The first one goes through a real cool ledgy, brushy area, and you can hear Roaring Brook quite loudly from it but no views were had due to the clouds. Basin Ponds view was neat and I got a view from Chimney Pond on my way down as well which was pretty spectacular. Blueberry Knoll is also a fantastic spot. A common theme throughout the day was a trailless ridge eastern ridge north of Hamlin Ridge that looks like it could be fun to whack...
Chimney Pond Trail is eroded and thus doesn't offer the best of footing but is generally a nice easy/moderate grade which is a nice warm-up. Some minor running water on the trail. Cathedral Trail is pretty tame for the first half mile or so, then is absolutely whack for the next half mile, gaining about 1500ft in that time. The beginning of the steep, scrambly climb is a fairly typical boulder field sort of scramble, similar to what one might see in Kings Ravine in the White Mtns. Slow going but nothing crazy. Continuing on, however, as you really climb the narrow, steep ridge, there were some very difficult scrambles. Being a nearly six foot guy and with only a trail running vest, I still stood, pondered, and tried a few different things, before finally making my way up a few scrambles. There were truly a couple "head scratchers". I think the worst was a spot in which people have stacked up some small rocks to aid you. I know at least one group behind me went around this and I wonder how many people really stick to the trail in these spots. Some spots around the cathedrals were also very tricky. What's so cool (and scary!) about Katahdin, is that it is reminiscent of some of the larger peaks out west... Anyway, once above the cathedrals, I believe the trail was still steep but not as scrambly and moderated some. Then, above Cathedral Cutoff, the grade further moderated. I had views on the scrambles down low but alas went into the clouds and it began to sprinkle and rain lightly at times which added to the fun.
Saddle Trail was a welcome sight and offered a much easier climb to Baxter which was socked in but still hosted a good deal of hikers at the summit including a couple of thru-hikers that had just finished :) Hunt Trail was a pretty nice descent though I thought it a real shame not to have views on the Tableland. Baxter Peak Cutoff wasn't bad walking as it wasn't steep and didn't have a lot of PUDS but was unpleasantly overgrown and muddy at times and with some rough footing. At its end on Saddle Trail, I continued straight to do an OAB on Cathedral Cutoff which is across broken rock but starts off easy, before offering mich rougher footing across larger boulders as it nears Cathedral Trail.
Realizing I'd be mad at myself for not grabbing Hamlin Peak while I was up there, rather than just head down Saddle Trail, I took Saddle, Northwest Basin, and Hamlin Ridge trails to Hamlin Peak. The sun seemed like it might shine throgh a few times but it was ultimately unsuccessful and I was socked in. To make a future hike slightly easier, I made a little lop around the summit, descending Hamlin Peaks Cutoff, then ascending North Peaks Trail back to Northwest Basin Trail which I took to Saddle Trail which I used to descend back to Chimney Pond. Saddle Trail is indeed very steep and loose as it descends a slide up high. Very slow going for some people. I might compare it to South Tripyramid Slide in the Whites. It says something that this is the most moderate trail up from Chimney Pond lol. From Chimney Pond Trail, I hiked out North Basin and North Basin Cutoff for redlining purposes. These were a bit rougher than I expected at the end of the day but nothing too bad and Blueberry Knoll was a great treat.
Overall, above treeline, things were quite wet from a mild rain and mist and there was some mud on Baxter Peak Cutoff. Below treeline, there was some wetness from recent rains and mild running water, but generally speaking I don't think there was a ton of mud given how heavily used these trails are. Gaia had me at about 15.2mi, 4600ft of gain in 9hr45min. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-07-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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