| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Katahdin - Hamlin Peak, Mt. Katahdin - Baxter Peak, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Chimney Pond Trail, North Basin Cutoff, North Basin Trail, Hamlin Ridge Trail, North Peaks Trail, Hamlin Cutoff, Northwest Basin Trail, Saddle Trail, Cathedral Cutoff, Cathedral Trail, Knife Edge, Dudley Trail, Pamola Caves Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, August 5, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Roaring Brook parking lot was only about half full when we left around 3:00 |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All unbridged crossings were easily hoppable |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail are all well maintained and marked. Most are quite heavily used |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Not allowed |
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 | Bugs: |
Not an issue |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
After flip-flopping back and forth, the weather for Monday (8/5) finally settled on looking favorable. We arrived at the Togue Pond Gate at around 5:35 and were surprised by how few people were there. That theme continued throughout the day; we got the closest parking spot at Roaring Brook and the parking lot was maybe half full around 3:00, when we left.
After starting up the Chimney Pond Trail, I headed up to Hamlin Peak via the North Basin Cutoff, North Basin Trail, and Hamlin Ridge Trail. I had these trails, and the peak, entirely to myself and was treated to beautiful views the whole way. After reaching the peak, some clouds arrived and the mountain would alternate being in and out of clouds for the next few hours.
I then made a loop around Hamlin Peak, using the North Peaks Trail and Hamlin Cutoff. This loop treated me to some great views across the Northwest Plateau and into the Klondike. These trails were lightly travelled and usually didn't have a distinct footbeds across the alpine tundra, although they were well marked with cairns. After making the loop, I headed across The Saddle via the Northwest Basin Trail and Saddle Trail to the junction with Cathedral Cutoff. I took the Cathedral Cutoff (another enjoyable lightly used trail) to the Cathedral Trail, which I then followed back to the Saddle Trail and Baxter Peak.
After enjoying lunch and views from the summit, we crossed the Knife Edge, which was mostly out of the clouds when we crossed. From Pamola Peak, I descended to Chimney Pond via the Dudley Trail. The upper part of the Dudley Trail is a lot of fun with rock scrambles similar to the Cathedral Trail. However, I was not a big fan of the reroute lower on the Dudley Trail. It makes a huge sweeping switchback through scrubby forest with mostly poor footing, adding a significant amount of distance, but no notable points of interest. One positive is that the new side trail to Pamola Caves is shorter. I took the detour to the caves and enjoyed scrambling through the sometimes tight and challenging passageways.
After reaching Chimney Pond, I descended back to Roaring Brook on the Chimney Pond Trail. It had been a few years since I hiked on the east side of Katahdin, and we were lucky to have an outstanding day for it! |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-08-06 |
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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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