Date: 2009-07-22
From: Katahdin Creek Campground/Baxter State Park ME

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was a 'driving' day and we gave our poor muscles a break. We returned the rental car to Gorham and in the process of doing that picked up Jo and Phil (we just guessed at who they were!), two SOBOS who were hitching into Gorham. We have been following them on trailjournals, so it was fun to finally meet them and to learn something about what lies ahead in the ME wilderness! They are happy to be done with Maine! After dropping them at the best breakfast spot in town (Welsh's) we headed east on Rt 2 to Bangor (3 hr) to pick up rental car #2. Then it was north on I95 to Millinocket, our next trail town. We are staying at the Best Value Inn ($84 a night inc. continental breakfast--we were long gone each morning by the time breakfast was open--but we did find a friendly McDonalds across the way that opened at 5). And there are several restaurants/cafes/gas stations in Millinocket, so this will be our home base for this trip and the next.After checking in to the hotel, we drove up Golden Road (the one the lumber trucks use) to Abol Bridge--we have been reading about this and the campstore for years-- and placed the rental car here for the hike the next day. We then drove into Baxter State Park ($13 entry or season pass for $39; cars with ME plates get in free so we are lucky there with the rental car). We have reservations to stay at a campsite in August (when we were planning to summit Katahdin), but after seeing the short distance to Millinocket--only 1/2 hr to the main gate and 1/2 more to the trailhead--we may opt for a hotel bed the night before the big hike. At any rate, today was a day to ask questions and to get the 'lay of the land'. We also learned that we don't need to be at the gate by 6am for the limited day hiker parking as this season they have not had quota problems with too many hikers.On the way out of the park, Bugsy spotted a seaplane concession advertising AT drop-offs. After investigating, he came out of the office smiling...all along he had been worried about how to break up the first 17.5 mile stretch of the 100 Mile Wilderness...and now he found the answer to his concerns!7/22/09We did the above listed hike in two shorter hikes. The first went north to south from Daicey Pond (in Baxter State Park) to Abol Bridge and the second went from north to south from Katahdin Stream Campground to Daicey Pond.#1 Trail Access:North: We drove in to Baxter State Park. Daicey Pond was a 45 min drive from the park gate over narrow, windy roads. There was parking for about 10 cars.South: The drive up the Golden Road from Millinocket was about 1/2 hr. There is AT parking on the far side of Abol Bridge for about 10 cars.#1 Hike--Daicey Pond south to Abol Bridge--7.5 miles:Did we mention that Maine was rocky, rooty and MUDDY??? We will not purchase new boots until we complete Maine! We slogged through the first 2 miles until we reached a stream ford. Note to self: When we see a 'Highwater Bypass'...TAKE IT! (The trail follows the Nesowadnehunk Stream almost all the way, then the west branch of the Penobscot River). The stream ford was scary! We banded together with 3 SOBOS--Tic, ETC and TNT--and helped each other survive. Bugsy, across first, got out his Flip camera and now Burly Girl and Tic are featured on YouTube and our videos on this site attempting to cross without dying. The stream was up to our waists, but very swift and there were many submerged rocks, hence, a fear of broken ankles. But we all survived, only to come to a second stream ford a mile or so later. This one was even scarier. Tic fell in and lost a water bottle, but ETC ran around the bend and somehow retrieved it. At any rate, the 'Highwater Bypass' went .9 miles and would have avoided both fords. Lesson learned!The last 3 miles were level and ran along the Penobscot River with no roots, rocks or mud...YEAH!#2 Hike--Katahdin Stream Campground south to Daicey Pond--2.4 miles:We drove the rental car into Baxter and headed for Katahdin Stream Campground, the jumping off spot for those summiting Katahdin. But for now, we hiked south back to Daicey Pond. The first mile was easy and went down the road we had just driven up.The next 1.5 miles were scenic along Moxie Pond and Daicey Pond. The mosquitoes kept us company!Bugsy here--just in case you were wondering, hiking in Maine is a 'trip' through roots, more roots, mud, deeper mud, roots, even deeper mud, rocks and let's throw in even more roots. Oh yeah...and then there's the mud. At each mud area there are 'clouds' of mosquitoes (my arch enemies).