Past Memories - June 2005

Katahdin June 2005 Part 1

We went up to Maine in June of 2005 with the goal of hiking up Mt. Katahdin with the hope of crossing the infamous Knife Edge. The Knife Edge is mountain spine that connects Pamola peak and Baxter Peak. The four of us, my boyfriend Josh and me, and our engaged neighbors Mandie and Greg, started the morning by waking up at 4:45am.

We arrived at Baxter State Park gate a little before 6am. We joked at the stop sign saying its a warning of the "Doom" ahead. The "Doom" being a joke between Josh and Greg about climbing up the mountain. I knew Josh didn't want to go up the mountain anymore after seeing it in real life vs. just reading about it in the books. I really wanted to first get up the mountain and then try the Knife Edge but felt dedicated to stick by Josh's side if he choose to go down via another route.

A ranger arrived and opened the gate. We proceeded to the check in booth to and pay and declare what our plans for the day, as Josh put it to them "over the top". We then continued on up to Roaring Brook campground parking area. We arrived there in about 30 to 40 minutes. We got out and began to prepare, sun lotions, lubes, adjusting packs and poles, eating breakfast of beagles, and using the privies. When as ready and settled as we could be we went to sign in on the trail log and look at the decided trail route on the 3D trail model. The route we chose gave us little choice but to do Knife Edge, an option not everyone was completely happy with.

We started out on to Chimney Pond trail. The trail was a gentle steady up hill grade, it was noticeable rockier then a typical walking trail and you could hear and or see Roaring brook to the right. Not far along we asked a couple to take a picture of us bright eyed and bushy tailed at the start of great hike. The grade became more noticeable and rocky as we walked on and this was just the start. When we came to a place were the stones were arranged as stairs we joked, stairs to doom and stairway to Hell.
We continued on up and up. I reflected to the book Chimney Pond Tales and on all the people Dudley brought up this trail. We noticed a bolder on the left side of the trail with a paint marking on it. After a bit of puzzling we realized it said 1/2 way. It seemed like longer then that. I took a breath shrugged up my pack and moved on with the others. Shortly after that we came to a view point trail. We went out to it and saw the views of Katahdin's peaks and slopes. We couldn't stop long to admire the 'doom' due to the swarms of black flies that surrounded us.

We continued trudging up the trail untill we got to the side trail to Basin ponds. Beautiful, amazing, refreshing. The water was clear, and still, reflecting the surrounding forests and Katahdin. We slowly pulled ourselves away and continued the trek to Chimney pond.

All along the way we walked on board walks over wild streams with dazzlingly clear water flowing underneath us. On one of the longer boardwalks the brook was sprawled out every where. In the stream and all around were green moss and other vegetation along with trees. The peaceful beauty of the greens and trees combined with the clear flowing water over granite rocks plus the sound of the water and birds could of held me there all day..

We continued on passing campers/hikers heading down from Chimney pond camp. Finally we arrived at Chimney Pond. We paused to look around at the camp and used the primitive privies. We then went to Chimney pond its self. It was gorgeous. A clear bluish pound nestled right at the bottom of stony sloped of Katahdin and its forest. We stopped and sat down to snack and look around at the view. Mumbles of 'doom' and 'craziness', excitement and Dudleys tales ran between us. We could see the Chimney and Knife's Edge. We all had our doubts and hopes about the hike ahead of us. We talked to some folks about the trails. One pointed out Saddle trail to us. The easy trail down "see the pink rock slide over there, thats Saddle trail". Another told how he and his friend went over Knifes Edge just fine and he was afraid of spiders and his friend was afraid of heights. This caught Mandie's and Josh's attention. Apparently there are a lot of rock spiders up there that sun themselves but run off when you approach. Josh asked, "what if you scared of both". The person just smiled and said "your looking at it".
We decided we better get moving and headed toward Dudley trail. We walked a very short distance before we came to the boulders. The trail went from flat forest to bolder climbing. We began the climbing, scrambling and jumping quickly leaving the forest behind to only scattered trees among the boulders and rocks.

Dudley was one bolder climb scramble after another with a stony rocky path on occasion. As we got higher and higher the trees shrunk and vanished. Adrenalin was kicking in especial when scrambling up a bolder while glancing at the steep sloped behind, ahead and beside us. Some of the rocks were very hard to get up, more so the further up we got. It didn't help being shorter with shorter legs. Once while trying to climb up a rock my hamstring Charlie horsed. I panicked for minute inside fearing that I might have pulled the muscle. But it eased of as soon as I got up and tried walking, and faded of as we continued on.
We stopped for a rest and snack. Looking up we could see specks of people further up near a rock that looked like a tree stump(index rock we realized back at camp). When I started moving again it was hard, the adrenalin had worn off and the muscles wanted to stay resting. Mandie was the first to warn us of the first spotting of a rock spider, she didn't do much sitting form there on out. We pasted threw some interesting alpine rock gardens, rocks surrounded by grasses and alpine plants. Adrenalin came back quickly with more challenging scary rock climbs.

When we finally got to the rock stump it was actually a huge angular rock sticking oddly out of the slope we were climbing. The size was real impressive no other rocks around were close in size and considering how small it looked when we were further down. Not long after that we saw the cairn of Pamola peak come into view.

When we reached the cairn we found odd large bees flying around it and we kept our distance. I amused myself thinking it was Pamola protecting his peak. Then our attention quickly turned to the 'Doom' Knife edge and the Chimney. Josh wasn't doing well, he was just sitting silent not eating. The rest of us ate and looked at the Knife Edge pondering if we would try it or not. My worry at the time was getting up and down the Chimney. Up didn't look bad (never assume!) but what about down. With out my pack I started down Chimney to look. I found it no worse then Dudley. The flat bottom of the Chimney looked comforting verses the constant boulders and rock climbs on the other side that still looked no worse then Dudley. Seeing off both sides of the mountain was incredible. To look to one side down the 5,000 foot plus slope to endless view of forest, lakes and other peaks and then turn and see the same thing only feet away. It was breathtaking to have the mountain just drop way on either side of you, only feet between the slopes. I went back up and said what I thought of the Chimney and sat down for some food.
Too be continued......