Katahdin 2014

Katahdin is Maine's best mountain. I first struggled up it with my dad when I was seven or eight years old, and I've been to the top about ten times since then.

Zeb, Dan, Mike, and I went in to Chimney Pond a week ago for some climbing. My mom and her friend were planning to come and hike around, but bailed due to the cold forecast. Locals in Millinockett, the nearest logging town, said the temperature on our night at the trailhead dropped to -35 F without windchill.

Camping at the trailhead.

Baxter State Park roads are closed in the winter so people typically approach Chimney Pond from a plowed parking lot on the Golden Road (a privately owned and maintained logging road). This extension adds 13 miles of travel (skiing for us, this time) to the typical 3.6 mile hike. We did the ~17 miles in 7 hours. The high temperature that day was -12 F; the snow was abrasive and slow.

Katahdin is northern finish to the Appalachian mountains and trail.

Approach: mostly skiing and some walking.

Beginning the final leg of the approach to Chimney Pond.

Two years ago we stayed in a lean-to, which was perhaps the worst possible shelter for the -20 F temps we had then. (Unlike sleeping on snow, a lean-to exposes you to cold air on all sides, all the time.) This year we decided to stay longer, for four nights, and be more comfortable. We chose to luxuriate in the insulated, woodstove equipped bunkhouse, for which the park charges $38 per night. The bunkhouse comes with firewood, gas lamps, and a ranger to look after you.

Like the day before, our first day at Chimney Pond was cold. The high temperature was somewhere below zero. Zeb and I tromped up the Chimney route, a snow gully and great ski line, in 2.5 hours round trip, and then read, ate, and napped the rest of the day. Dan skied down to Roaring Brook to check in with Mike, who tore a muscle on the approach and was not coming in all the way (big bummer), and then did a ski line in the afternoon.

The Chimney route follows the snow gully to the ridge.

Post Chimney shimmy 

The next day the three of us did Ciley-Barber in 5.5 hours round trip, ate a hot lunch in the bunkhouse, and did the best part (lower part) of the Waterfall route, which goes about one third of the way up the mountain. Upon returning at 4PM the ranger said, "Damn, you boys are faster than my snowmobile!" He made us laugh regularly and we gave him a bar of chocolate and a massive Vermont-made pepperoni that Dan brought. 

Dan on Ciley-Barber

Me on Ciley-Barber

Ciley-Barber

Zeb on Waterfall

The following day we planned to do the Cauvin Cole route, but there wasn't any ice and we weren't feeling motivated for mixed climbing. After doing the approach we decided to do an easier low angle route, then tagged the summit, and were back in camp by noon for lunch. 

Katahin is 5,267 feet tall and the cairn at the peak attempts to be 13 ft. tall, which would make the top a mile above sea level. Zeb and I climbed the cairn and sat on top of each other. The wind was blasting and we were both squeezing our legs and hugging each other very hard in order to stay balanced and not topple off while Dan giggled and snapped pics.

On the summit. Struggling to hold on and reach a mile above sea level.

The ski out was quick due to the elevation loss and the much faster snow. It was sleeting when we left camp and it rained all day. It was a dramatic change from the previous weather and we were soaked to the bone. 30 F and raining is perhaps the most difficult condition for layering because it's impossible to stay dry. Thankfully, Dan brought along a thermos (and 79 other pounds of gear) and at our break he asked us, "spot of tea, anyone?" Humor and hot beverages have a fantastic warming effect.

This was a super fun trip. The climbing and scenery were great, but the best part was spending time with good friends. Catching up on life, sharing past memories, future desires, and cracking jokes mid route can't be beat. We also had way too much food (because we had half as many people as planned, and didn't leave much food behind) and brought high quality real food, not dehydrated meals. For example, we had tons of chocolate: chocolate bars, chocolate candies, chocolate truffles, homemade chocolate coconut rum fudge, and homemade flour-less chocolate chestnut torts!! The relatively flat approach allows you to pull a sled, which in turn allows you to carry more, and the bunkhouse's woodstove allows you to dry things out at night and stay warm... we learned that you only need a 30 degree sleeping bag and very little fuel (there's no need to melt snow and you can cook on the woodstove)... so you can carry less gear and more and better food and still have relatively light packs. Chimney Pond is a wonderful location for a group basecamp trip. We'll definitely go back.