| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Katahdin (Pamola Peak), Mt. Katahdin (Chimney Peak), Mt. Katahdin (South Peak), Mt. Katahdin (Baxter Peak), Mt. Katahdin (Hamlin Peak), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Chimney Pond Trail, Dudley Trail, Knife Edge, Saddle Trail, Northwest Basin Trail, Hamlin Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, July 15, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The reservation system worked fine. We did an overnight at the chimney pond bunkhouse that included our parking reservation at Roaring Brook. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water level was extremely low this time of year and stream beds were dry along Chimney Pond. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails were all in great shape. We encountered no areas that needed maintenance. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No dogs allowed at the park. |
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 | Bugs: |
Still encountered some minor black flies and had to use bug dope on the lower trails. Above tree line the wind kept them away. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Amazing hike at Baxter. We started the hike at 7am. Hike up to Chimney Pond was casual. We dropped our overnight gear at the bunkhouse and then proceeded up Dudley up to Pamola Peak. The Dudley trail was tough and steep, comprising of huge boulders that you need to scramble most of the way up. We stopped at Finger Rock for lunch and then headed up to the Pamola summit. Once there we were able to size up the knife edge and the rest of the hike to Katahdin. The chimney scramble down and up right after Pamola was the most challenging part of the knife edge. The knife edge had plenty of places to hold on to for the narrow sections and we just simply took our time crossing it. We passed the South Peak and continued on to Baxter Peak. At the summit there were few people there. We all took our pictures and continued on towards Hamlin.
At the Saddle Trail decent point we had to take shelter from some thunder storms and simply moved down the mountain near a large boulder. Blue skies followed and we had the mountain to ourselves the rest of the day. I was able to pump water at Caribou Spring before heading up to Hamlin; the only source of water above tree line the entire day. I had gone through almost three liters of water (shared almost a liter with our party). Hamlin Ridge trail offered spectacular views of both the North and South Basins.
We reached the bunkhouse around 7:30pm. A long day hike to say the least. Cleaned up, pumped water for dinner, ate and fell asleep in minutes. Next morning blue skies at Chimney Pond again gave us spectacular views of the mountain. We packed up and hiked out at 10am. Once back at the car, we took a short hike to Sandy Pond hoping to see a Moose. Pond offers great views. One of the best hikes I've experienced. |
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 | Name: |
rdmnks - Rich |
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 | E-Mail: |
rdmnks at gee mail |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-07-22 |
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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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