The Northern Terminus

I couldn't help but do a separate post (previous) when I came across that stunning view of Mt. Katahdin up on the Rainbow Ledges, near the end of the 100 Mile Wilderness. I have a little catching up to do though, covering the time spent getting there from Caratunk.

I left Caratunk on Sunday the 31st of July, heading to Monson, 33 miles away. What I remember most about those 33 miles was that the blueberries were ripe and plentiful, particularly around Moxie Bald Mountain. Monson is at the start of thee 100 Mile Wilderness, through which there would be no towns, resupply, etc., so I spent some time there making sure I had all of the supplies I needed for the final push to Baxter State Park (where Mt. Katahdin is located). I stayed at a hostel right on Lake Hebron, and had a nice view of the lake from my window. On the first floor of the building where the hostel was located was the only restaurant in town, a full-spectrum pub that offered everything from burgers to sushi and fresh Maine fish from the coast. It featured a large, outdoor patio right on the lake. A few kayaks were available for hostel residents if they wanted to use them also, no waiver form needed.

View from the hostel.

The 100 Mile Wilderness is on private land owned almost entirely by a few large lumber companies. These companies have a long history of working with the citizens of Maine, allowing them access for hunting, fishing, hiking. etc. The roads and bridges that allow access are privately owned and maintained, so fees are charged at gated access points. Hikers on foot never see these gates and aren't charged fees anyway. It's good public relations to have the AT run through such a large swath of land owned by "Big Lumber", and the companies seem to be good stewards.

The area was beautiful, full of pines, spruces, cedars, enormous moss- and fern-covered boulders, and lake after lake, many of them quite large. Some of these lakes could only be accessed on foot or by float plane, where passengers are flown to remote fishing lodges.

Lake,

Stream.

My first glimpse of Mt. Katahdin was on the north side of White Cap Mountain, about 40 miles north of Monson. It was still quite far away, but it motivated me to pick up my pace even more. As an aside, I actually had my down jacket and insulated gloves on while on top of windy White Cap Mountain in the early evening. A few hours earlier I had been sweating below the tree line several thousand vertical feet lower. I found that I used my down jacket, gloves and wool hat a few times in New Hampshire and Maine. I was glad that I hung onto them through the mid-Atlantic states.

I reverted back to my old ways of pushing myself hard and hiking well into the night. Although I never saw a moose in Maine I heard a few of them crashing through pine limbs when they detected me coming down the trail at night with my headlamp. I was so used to animal noises along the trail that they didn't startle me anymore. There were plenty of moose droppings along the trail, so they were certainly around.

Somewhere toward the end of the 100 Mile Wilderness the trail ran along a large lake. It then ran straight into a hammock occupied by a young, exhausted woman who said she was just resting before continuing (it was mid-afternoon). I thought I must have inadvertently taken a side trail so I asked her where the trail was. She wearily pointed up a hill. I walked up the hill for a hundred yards or so and saw nothing. I backtracked and realized that she had strung her hammock directly across the trail, completely blocking it. I ducked under her rope and kept going.

Sometimes the trail is poorly marked. Sometimes occasional signs can be missed also, as your eyes are often focused down, trying to navigate through the roots and rocks. 99% of the time you will stay on the trail if you follow the well-worn path, occasionally glancing up to make sure there are still white blazes. In one case, while hiking at night towards the end of the 100 Mile Wilderness, the well-worn path led to a "viewpoint", marked with a small sign mounted very high on a tree that I missed. The viewpoint was a cliff above a gorge and had I kept on walking I would have ended up at the bottom of the gorge. I didn't get within 10 feet of the edge, but it made me think.

The 100 Mile Wilderness ends at Abol Bridge, which crosses the rather large West Kennebec River. There is a campground, with a store and restarant there and not much else. The border of Baxter State Park is less than a quarter mile away. I arrived there on Saturday the 6th of August, paid $5 for a shower, and had dinner at the restaurant. I ran into some people, such as Four Year, who I had been playing leapfrog with for over a thousand miles. Since the campground was full, I stealth camped in a nice spot right beside the river. My plan was to wake up early, walk the 9.5 miles through Baxter State Park to the base of Mt. Katahdin, climb over five miles to the top, climb down, and the hitch-hike almost 24 miles into Millinocket.

My plan worked quite well. While many like to break that section into two days, I was ready to see the view from the top and complete my journey. I left Abol Bridge around 6:00 AM on Sunday, and the 9.5 mile hike to the ranger station was surprisingly nice. It paralled the West Kennebec River for a while. And later Katahdin Stream. I was quite surprised at high volume of water in both since it was early August. I arrived at the ranger station and dropped off about half of my gear before heading up the mountain. The Rangers had a box full of daypack for thru hikers to use, but I decided to just use mine and left my tent, sleeping bag, and other items I wouldn't need that day in a large trash bag (I always carry a few) and headed up the Mountain.

The climb started at 1,000 feet and ended at the 5,265 foot summit. The first mile paralleled Katahdin Stream, with many cascades and falls. It then grew steeper until we were above the tree line, where the toughest section of the trail, the middle section, started. It involved a little rock climbing, with grab bars and rungs occasionally positioned in spots where you would have a tough time continuing without them. The last 1000 vertical feet was a nice surprise, as it leveled out a little onto a plateau. There were stunning views the rest of the way to the summit, and some occasion cold, wind-driven rain, but it didn't last long.

Deceiving.
The actual summit is about a mile and a quarter (and about 1000 vertical feet) further than what is seen in this photo.

At various points along the trail I passed by about 10 thru hikers that I recognized who were on their way down, having left earlier as they had camped the night before near the base. I congratulated all and they all told me that the view from the summit was awesome. It was.

View from the top.

Mission accomplished!

I only spent about five minutes on top as I was a late starter and still had a long day ahead, but I took a few pictures and chatted with the others who were enjoying the views as well.

I didn't arrive back to the ranger station until after 6:30. While getting my pack in order I noticed that my water bottle was missing. It was actually just a re-purposed Gatorade bottle, but it had been with me since Georgia. I had taken a drink from it just a mile previously, but I wasn't about to go back and get it. I had picked up someone's Smartwater bottle earlier in the day that had fallen from a pack and disposed of it later at the campground. Someone was going to have to return the favor.

It's almost 24 miles from the ranger station to Millinocket, the nearest town. I started hitchhiking at around 7:00 PM and was picked up by two young guys from southern Maine who were just heading to the next campground, but I was appreciative for the ride anyway. When they arrived at the campground a third member of their party flagged them down and told them that he had received permission from his Dad to use his credit card (for emergencies) to buy a five man tent in Millenocket, and that the store closed at 9:00. How fortuitous for me; I got a ride all the way into Millinocket.

It turns out that these guys also summited Katahdin that day and were a group of five. There was supposed to have been a sixth, but he dropped out. Unfortunately, he was the one who they all gave money to who "supposedly" had reserved and paid in advance for a lean-to shelter for all of them for three nights. He didn't, however, and the five found themselves having to stay at a tent site without a tent, hence the trip to town. Their friend had some explaining to do. I sensed that they were a little short in cash, so I gave them some gas money and my leftover freeze dried food when we arrived in town. They were very appreciative. I then walked to a motel I had called earlier and began to unwind.

Just another day on the trail.