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or more. At the end of your day on Katahdin, four things will stick out in your mind: You're exhausted. Your feet hurt. You're hungry. And you've just had the best hiking day of your life.
"I remember thinking that Katahdin looked like some of the mountains I'd seen out West," says Brian Hanish, 35, a social studies teacher at Nokomis High School who has scaled the mountain numerous times. Hanish first climbed Katahdin as a Boy Scout, but didn't return to the peak until his college years. As an adult, the mountain seemed much more formidable.
"The big, rocky peak just towers over the surrounding landscape. I was definitely apprehensive when we started up, especially once we hit some of the real boulder-scrambling sections
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Rob Tice couldn't agree more. Tice first climbed Katahdin as he completed a hike of the Appalachian Trail back in 1992. Now, as Baxter State Park's alpine ranger, he climbs the granite peak at least once a week during the summer months, and once or twice a season in the winter. ("It's kind of ironic that I ended my Appalachian Trail hike on Katahdin, and now I live up here," he says.)
Spend much time talking to Tice, and you can tell that his job isn't a chore. But, though he encourages people to come and scale Maine's highest peak, he knows that Katahdin isn't a simple walk in the park.
"Katahdin is a mountain that you work up to," he says, noting that far too many hikers misjudge the mountain's difficulty. "It should be a goal, not the first hike of the summer."
Katahdin's imposing presence belies its less-than-spectacular numbers. As mountains go, the highest point
in Maine is relatively small. In New Hampshire alone, six peaks reach further skyward.
Yet there's an emotional component to reaching Katahdin's celebrated summit that's lacking on those higher peaks. Henry David Thoreau (who, in 1846, became only the eighth or ninth white person to climb Katahdin) wrote that Katahdin was made out of "Chaos and Old Night," an example of the Earth as it was originally made. Percival Baxter, Maine's 53rd governor, was so enamored of Katahdin that he campaigned tirelessly for the creation of a state park that would protect the mountain and the surrounding wilderness. When the legislature refused, Baxter purchased the land himself, eventually donating 202,018 acres to the people of Maine with the agreement that the land would be "forever left in a natural wild state." And each year, nearly 2,000 hardy souls stand on Georgia's Springer Mountain with their sights set on Katahdin, 2,174 miles away, as they begin their hike of the Appalachian Trail. Of those, only a few hundred reach their goal.
But the mountain attracts more than just hard-core backpackers. Last year, more than 24,000 people-more than a third of all park visitors, many only there for the day-walked the trails to Maine's highest peak. Alongside the weary Appalachian Trail hikers were visitors of every stripe: parents and grandparents, teachers and students, teenagers, Boy Scouts, and everyday folks, all drawn to Katahdin in search of a personal experience with the sacred mountain.
No other person has more day-in, day-out experience with the mountain's rock-strewn terrain than Tice. As Baxter State Park's alpine ranger, he spends eight months out of the year living and working at picturesque Chimney Pond, which sits in a shallow basin at the foot of the looming mountain. Katahdin is Tice's home-literally. The campground at Chimney Pond is his only residence.
"Back in 2001, I was doing volunteer search-and-rescue coverage at Togue Pond," says Tice as he explains how he came to reside in the park. "One night I put my sea kayak in the water and paddled out to watch the Perseid meteor showers. And there's the silhouette of Katahdin, and I'm thinking, 'Wow, this is too great. I don't want to leave.'" The next day, Tice spoke with Buzz Caverly, the park director, about possible employment. Caverly told him about a short-term vacancy as the alpine ranger; eventually, the short-term vacancy became a long-term opening, and Tice earned himself a home at the mountain's base.
It's a beautiful setting, and a difficult job. In the winter-the time of the year when Tice hauls in most of the supplies he'll need for the following season-Tice deals with biting cold, an average annual snowfall of around 100 inches, and the occasional winter camper. But it's in the summer that he truly earns his keep. As the alpine ranger, Tice keeps track of the scores of hikers heading out onto Katahdin from Chimney Pond, and gladly gives advice to those who ask. He's also often the first to respond should a hiker get into trouble. And trouble does happen.
Last year, there were 33 search-and-rescues-and two deaths-in Baxter State Park. One of the deaths occurred on Katahdin, when a falling boulder killed a 51-year-old Bangor resident who was hiking the Cathedral Trail. The man and his hiking companions did nothing wrong during their hike-they were well prepared, and had actually started planning the hike three years earlier. That's in stark contrast to most search-and-rescue cases, which happen because hikers are woefully unprepared for the rigors of a day on the mountain.
"In July and August, I'll sometimes see more than 200 people a day come through Chimney Pond," says Tice of the park's busy season. "Some of those people are wearing sneakers and carrying a Poland Spring water bottle, and they say, 'Hey, we're going to climb the mountain!' And I keep thinking we're going to have 48 rescues every day. But we don't. In some cases, though, it's just dumb luck. People regularly underestimate the ruggedness of the hike, and the amount of time it takes."
Fortunately, in the summer season, time (and the Baxter State Park staff) is on a hiker's side. Gates to the park open at 6 a.m., and parking lots close once they're full-sometimes within minutes. Rangers at the various stations post the day's weather by 7 a.m., alerting hikers to potential problems with Mother Nature that can make conditions dangerous on the slopes of the mountain, especially along the 1.1 mile, jaw-droppingly exposed Knife Edge connecting Pamola and Baxter Peaks. The early gate openings and speedy weather reports mean that summer hikers attempting Katahdin can have more than 12 hours of daylight at their disposal. Many will use almost all of it. Not only because fatigue has worn them down, but also because the stunning views from Maine's greatest mountain demand that you stop and soak them in.
The difficult journey creates strong emotional bonds connecting hikers to Katahdin's peaks, as well as to each other. It's a connection that Hanish understands, and one that he hopes to one day share with his young son. "I want to be there with him when he stands on the tallest point in the state and gets the payoff from that hard climb. It's something you need to experience firsthand."
Don't believe it? It's time you had a talk with the alpine ranger. As Rob Tice says from his home in the shadows of the mountain, "You have to come out and try it for yourself." Just make sure you know what you're getting into before you go.
SIDEBAR: To the top...
Getting There:
Take Exit 244 on I-95 and follow Rte. 157 west through Millinocket. The Togue Pond Gatehouse is 18 miles beyond Millinocket on Rte. 157. From there, follow signs to either the Roaring Brook Campground (8 miles north of the gate) or to the Abol and Katahdin Stream Campgrounds (6 and 8 miles northwest of the gate). Admission is free for Maine residents.
When to Go:
The park is open from May 15 to October 15. It's busiest in July and August, when warm weather brings hikers out in droves. Planning a day hike? Go in the middle of the week, and be at the park when (or before) the gate opens at 6.
What to Bring:
You should be comfortable using your gear-now is not the time to be testing a new pack or breaking in a pair of boots. At the very least, you should bring or use:
Hiking boots. Boots with firm ankle support and stiff soles will protect your feet on the extremely rocky terrain.
Backpack. Carry one big enough to comfortably hold everything else on this list.
Food. Forget Atkins-you'll need some high-energy, high-carbohydrate foods. Nuts, raisins, and granola bars are good,
as are peanut-butter sandwiches and
dried fruit.
Water. At least 2 quarts per person. More is better. There are no reliable sources of
water on the mountain.
Flashlight. It's a park rule.
Map. Buy an illustrated map of Katahdin's trails ($2.95) at park headquarters in Millinocket. It provides hiking and planning tips, as well as trail descriptions, and is well worth the money. Maps are also available online at www.wildernessmaps.com.
Warm Clothes. Conditions can deteriorate rapidly. Bring a sweater, as well as a windbreaker or rain jacket. And remember, don't wear cotton-it holds moisture against your skin and makes you cold, fast.
First-Aid Kit. Along with the usual bandages, bring along some duct tape (for emergency pack repairs), sunscreen, and a way to treat blisters.
Where to Eat:
For breakfast, stop at the Irving just off
I-95 in Medway. After your hike, class
it up a bit with a meal at the Big Moose Inn's restaurant, 8 miles south of the
gate to Baxter State Park (723-8391; www.bigmoosecabins.com).
Preparations:
Katahdin is not to be taken lightly; it shouldn't be your first-ever hike, or your first hike of the year. Instead, make Katahdin a goal, and build your stamina-and test your gear-by first hiking some of Maine's smaller (but still picturesque) mountain trails. Two recommendations: the South Ridge Trail on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, and the Loop and Brook Trails on Tumbledown Mountain north of Weld.
Trail Options:
Hardy: From Roaring Brook, hike to Chimney Pond, and ascend the mountain via the very steep, rocky Cathedral Trail, which connects to the Saddle Trail just before Baxter Peak. From the peak, take the Knife Edge to the Helon Taylor Trail, and head back to Roaring Brook. Total distance: 9.2 miles.
Historical: From Abol Campground, take the Abol Trail (which approximates Thoreau's route to the peak) to Thoreau Spring. Then, follow the Hunt trail to Baxter Peak. Return by taking the Hunt Trail to Katahdin Stream, and walk the Perimeter Road to Abol Campground. Total distance: 11 miles.
Easy (for Katahdin, anyway):
From Roaring Brook, hike to Chimney Pond, then climb to Baxter Peak via the Saddle Trail. When you've had your fill of the view, return the way you came. Total distance: 11 miles.
For Non-Hikers: Forget the peak. From Roaring Brook, hike to Chimney Pond, and bask in the glory of Katahdin as others struggle to the top. Total distance: 6.6 miles.
For more information:
Baxter State Park Authority
723-5140 www.baxterstateparkauthority.com
WEB LINKS:
Appalachian Mountain Club,
Maine Chapter
http://home.gwi.net/amcmaine/main.htm
Appalachian Trail Conference
www.appalachiantrail.org
Maine Outdoor Adventure Club
www.moac.org
Baxter State Park Authority
www.baxterstateparkauthority.com
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/
countryman/hik_baxt.htm
Mainely Hiking
www.mainelyhiking.com
