Free Spirit’s ( Al's )

Appalachian Trail Journal

Mt. Washington, NH to Mt. Katahdin, Maine

Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail

(Part 8)

Dates ........ Friday the 13th of September, 2002
Miles ........ 9.9 miles
From ........ Abol Bridge and public campground
To ............. Katahdin Stream Campground - Base Camp. - "The Birches"
Weather ... On/off showers overnight and morning, 40's, partly cloudy, calm.

Friday the 13th of September, 2002

Nesowadnehunk Stream, Daicey Pond, Elbow and Tracy Ponds, Katahdin Stream and Campground - Katahdin Base Camp - The Birches

After I packed up my wet tent and organized my backpack, I went to the Abol Bridge country store and had a hot cup of coffee and breakfast. I was excited and anxious to get to Katahdin's base camp at Katahdin Stream Campground in Baxter State Park. I left the store and headed up the road, following the trail, about 7:15 AM. I met Donna and Lynn Olmstede coming back from dropping Richard and Clint off at the trailhead, and then I caught up with Richard and Clint at the Baxter Park trail entrance and sign-up board. We signed up for a spot in "The Birches". Base camp was limited to 12 hikers, maximum and every indication was that the main Katahdin Stream Campground would be filled to capacity. At that point, they turned away people arriving at the gate. Hikers, however, could proceed and get a spot on a "first-come, first-serve" basis. We were encouraged, being the first to sign up. Now, if only the weather would cooperate.

What a change in the weather. A couple of days ago we were sweating our tails off in 90 plus temperatures and today we were hiking with raingear in the 40's. On top of Katahdin, especially above treeline, that translated to ice and snow, in all likelihood.

We hiked past Katahdin and Abol streams and a pretty little beaver dam and then followed the West Branch of the Penobscott River upstream. We made several stream crossings then followed the Nesowadnehunk upstream. There were several major cascades and falls, and the remnants of an old toll dam used to transport logs downstream when the area was last logged. We came to Daicey Pond and the ranger station there, and then moved along past Elbow Pond. Richard and Clint's wives caught up with us there and we talked as we hiked. I was ahead of the group, headed to camp to get a spot when I heard them yell at me. I ran back and they were watching a moose enter Tracy Pond. They knew how disappointed I was in not seeing more then the one moose I saw in NH, so they wanted me to see this one.

Water rushes over falls along Nesowadnehunk Stream
Moose on Tracy Pond (just north of Elbow Pond)

Before parting with the Olmstede's wives, I gave them a message to deliver to Jim Yeich and an order for some sandwiches since they were going into town and returning later with their husbands. I was confident that I could climb Katahdin tomorrow: two of three weather reports indicated a clear night, no wind, and sunshine tomorrow morning with temperatures reaching 70. The rain would not come in until tomorrow night. Even the third forecast was acceptable, but not as nice. I had the Olmstedes tell Jim Yeich that I would summit on the 14th and meet him in Millinocket after that. I would find a way to or would ride with the Olmstede's to Millinocket after completing the climb.

I checked in with the ranger at Katahdin Stream Campground; they assured me that every spot in the campground would be taken by 6:00 AM, only one half hour after the gates opened. There was a good chance of nice weather on Saturday morning and rain moving back in Saturday afternoon. They also informed me that the summit and any trails above treeline had indeed been closed today and the day before yesterday due to icy conditions. They (and I) hoped that would not be the case tomorrow. The Rangers directed me to the exclusive long-distance hiker's site. I went back to the main campground and talked to some (returning) hikers coming down the trail. They had long faces and storied of great disappointment. Essentially, they had tried to climb Katahdin and could not because of the snow and ice they ran into in the rock field just below treeline. They said proceeding any further was more than dangerous: it was impossible without ice and rock climbing equipment. They descended a few hundred feet down the trail into some thick trees, out of the howling wind, and waited for a couple of hours. Conditions worsened and they finally gave up and headed down. Even though the summit and skies around it were now clear, as we could see from the campground, they knew (and the rangers advised) that there was still plenty of ice up on the rocks above treeline. I was concerned, but undaunted.

I went up to The Birches. The first one there, I had my choice of spots in either of the two brand new shelters or the available tentsites. I set my stuff out in one of the shelters and returned to the main campground. Talking with another ranger, he told me off the record that any well-behaved long-distance hiker that comes into the campground and needs to climb Katahdin will be accommodated in one way or another if bad weather prevents the climb - as long as it is before the October 15 closing of the mountain for the winter. They never turn back long-distance hikers for lack of space, but they may close the mountain for bad weather and make them wait until it is safe to climb. That seemed very reasonable and reassuring to me. Climbers or hikers arriving by car are subject to the park filing up to the specified capacity and closing the entrance to the park when full strictly enforces that. Hikers are given registration slips and persons coming to pick them up will only be allowed into the park to pick up registered hikers. The ranger also said that if good weather holds for tomorrow, we could expect a horde of 250 or more hikers to climb Katahdin tomorrow. An early start would beat the crowds.

Making a long and complicated story short, the land in Baxter Park, including Katahdin, was donated to the state of Maine upon the condition that it be used forever for public park and recreational purposes but also remain forever in its wild and natural state. Thus, the balancing act to serve people and preserve the wilderness prohibits development and expansion of the park to serve ALL that want to use it.

I used the last of the afternoon's available sunshine and breeze to dry my tent, wet hiking boots and socks. Everything else had dried as I wore it or hung it on a line back at The Birches. The two women, Vikki and Cindy, came along, registered for a site and dried their gear also. They were looking for another woman (with a car) to join them, but were told the park was full and she would probably be turned away.

I returned to The Birches, which was just outside the main camping area and along the entrance road. Somehow, the friend of the two girls got through and they all decided to go to another camp, further away, so they could be together. They would drive in to the campground in the morning. A couple of other hikers came by and joined us just as the Olmstede's returned from town. My supper was a bottle of beer and a huge roast beef sub. Yummy. Clint and Richard did their best to con me out of the bottle of wine I planned to carry to the summit. I'd been carrying it since Whitehouse Landing and I was going to carry it to the summit with me, and then back home to celebrate completion of the AT, reserving a spot in my trophy case for the bottle. After supper I separated the items in my pack that I would leave behind at the ranger station and the items I would carry on the climb. After a little chatting with the other arrivals, including Sobo, TJ, Greenleaf and a couple others, the Olmstedes and I turned in. We planned to head out early and be on the trail up the mountain by 6 AM. The sky was clear and clod, the stars shining brightly. I would have my crack at Katahdin tomorrow. I was sure of it.

Mt. Katahdin in the clear just before sunset. Summit is not visible from Katahdin Stream base camp. "Top" visible here is Hunt Spur to Gateway, 1.5 miles and 700' from Baxter Peak summit

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~ Journal Part 8 ~

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Last Updated 12/26/02