| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Katahdin - Baxter Peak, Mt. Katahdin - Hamlin Peak, North Brother (attempt), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Abol Stream Trail, Tote Road, Abol Trail, Saddle Trail, Hamlin Ridge Trail, Baxter Cutoff, Marston Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 29, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked at abol bridge. It was plowed. The road in was icy. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
We didnt have any issues crossing nay water. The lower crossings on abol and marston were not frozen, and were the best place to collect water. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We did a three day hike through baxter state park from 12/27-12/29 staying at kidney pond. On day one, we entered from abol bridge, and climbed both peaks on katahdin from the abol trail. Abol trail had a trench, but noone had hiked it in the last few day, so we had to do some trail breaking. The lower section of the abol trail was a mix of snow and running water with exposed rocks. The snow got more consistent in the switchbacks below the slide. The slide was a mix of snow drifts and alot of exposed rock. It was not particularly icy, but it was still a very difficult scary climb up. We didnt need crampons but an ice ax was useful for a few of the upper scrambles. In the table lands there were the usual snowfields but the section coming off baxter peak was icy. The weather was amazing with just a light breeze. We did katahdin mostly in snowshoes.
There were no signs that anyone had hiked north brother recently. We broke trail the entire way through deep snow drifts and many fallen trees/hanging limbs. It got much worse above the pond. We left our cabin at 7 but didnt reach the intersection .8 below north brother until 3:15. With the daylight ending, me feeling really tired from the day before, and a broken snowshoe, I turned around .6 from the summit. We did not encounter any other hikers the entire trip. |
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 | Name: |
nich c |
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 | E-Mail: |
nich43@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-30 |
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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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