Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Katahdin (Pamola), Mt. Katahdin (South Peak), Mt. Katahdin (Baxter Peak), ME |
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| Trails: |
Helon Taylor Trail, Knife Edge Trail, Saddle Trail, Chimney Pond Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Monday, August 8, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
You are not guaranteed parking even if you have reservations at a campsite. I drove 5 1/2 hours and got there at 8:06 AM on a Monday (with reservations for two nights at Chimney Pond Campground) and I was told the lot was full. I did get in but not without some frustrating conversation. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are very well maintained and easy to follow - even on the Knife Edge (bright blue blazes). Don't confuse the words "well-maintained" with "easy footing"! :). Signs are well maintained, clear and easy to understand. Kudos to the trail maintenance crew! |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
No dogs allowed in Baxter State Park |
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| Bugs: |
A few biting while sitting at Chimney Pond at dusk, but none on the trail. |
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| Lost and Found: |
Yep. Dropped my gray softcover GoPro case on Pamola and my purple bandana escaped on the Saddle. |
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| Comments: |
Here are some questions I got after my hike. I hope my answers will help anyone looking to hike Knife Edge.
1) How does hiking Knife Edge compare to hiking the Presidentials? My answer: It depends on the route. If you are doing a traverse of all the Presidentials, that would be much harder than Knife. If you are doing one or two Presidentials at a time, I think Knife is harder. For example, I thought Adams/Madison (up Airline/down Valley) was easier than Knife. There is very little rock-hopping and bouldering on Adams/Madison compared to Knife.
2) What did you think about Knife Edge? Answer: I expected to be afraid, I wasn't. Even with occasional wind gusts of 40+ mph I wasn't afraid. When the gusts came I just stopped and waited them out. Once you're up there, it's like any other above-tree-line trail just a little narrower. I just took one step and one hand-hold at a time. All and all, I think anyone who doesn’t have a strong fear of heights and hikes with their brain and not their ego, can successfully hike Knife Edge.
3) What was your favorite part? Answer: The Pamola to Chimney section. I enjoy the challenge of bouldering. It took me 11 minutes and 28 seconds, not fast but methodical.
4) How long did the hike take you? Answer: I ascended Helon, and descended Saddle. I started at 8:45am. It took me 3 hours 15 minutes to hike up Helon Taylor, it took me 2 hours 35 minutes to hike across Knife Edge. From there I'm not sure of the hiking time. I spent a good deal of time at Baxter and "the Saddle" taking photos. I arrived at Chimney Pond at 4:20pm. I spent the night there, but you can hike back to the car and make it a day hike. The next morning it took me under two hours (with photo stops) to get back to the car.
I took videos of three sections of Knife Edge: 1. Pamola to Chimney, 2. The 'Knife' edge of Knife Edge, 3. The 'easy' section of Knife Edge. I also took photos of the entire hike. The videos and photos are located in the FB link below. |
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| Name: |
solowoodlandwanderer |
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| E-Mail: |
bugsandthings@comcast.net |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-08-10 |
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| Link: |
https://www.facebook.com/roberta.m.dellanno/media_set?set=a.10209067056746685.1073742223.1626231855&type=3 |
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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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