Date: 2006-09-07
From: Abol Campsite

To: KATAHDIN; Abol Campsite
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

SUMMITTED KATAHDIN!!!! Well, today is the big day for big K. Hey it's only a 5.2 mile hike to the top. How hard could it be right?Well....if you had a brochure it might go something like this. [Fine print in square brackets for inferred info the brochure doesn't quite mention].Katahdin Mountain offers:* A short scenic stint(5.2 miles) on the Appalachian Trail, or the Hunt trail as it is known in Baxter State Park. [oh yeah, it's 5.2 miles to get down as well...I guess you could take the "Knife's Edge" down if you wish, the waiver forms can be found at the ranger station.]* A beautiful climb to the highest peak in the state of maine; it is also the first part of the USA to receive sun light in the morning. [by climb we mean to say it is ~4200 ft up in that short scenic 5.2 miles [ oh yeah,it's also ~4200 ft down to get back]]* The Hunt trail offers glimpses of unique environments found in only a few areas in the New England region due to above treeline exposure on the mountain. [ IT IS ROCKY, LICHENS CAN BE SLIPPERY, THERE ARE NO TREES TO SHIELD YOUR BUTT FROM THE COLD WIND AND DRIVEN RAIN; THE RAIN ALSO MAKES THE ROCKS SLIPPERY.]* The trail has some thing to offer for everyone, be they a day-packer or amateur rock climber. [You want rocks? hahahah. we got ROCKS! Ok, to be fair we'll put some iron bars in the trickery spots to climb.]* Gorgeous views from the summit into the tranquil wilderness surrounding the mountain. [...oh, nothing scary hidden in there, it's all true]Ok, in all seriousness, the climb wasn't all that bad. It was hard and exhausting but all fatigue was instantly replaced with exhilaration upon reaching the summit. We started up the mountain fairly early. Rainbow Brite's mom drove us to the Katahdin Stream campsite where the trailhead is located. After the well wishes and pictures we started up the mountain.Katahdin really has three parts in my mind. The first section which goes from the campsite to a about .5 miles past the Katahdin Falls. The second section, the Gateway[to hell], and lastly, the table lands[we like tables as they are generally flat].So the first section is very easy. The trail mashed to a hard pavement-like surface due to the shear number of day hikers. It is a very very easy walk to the falls.The second section is why Katahdin is "fun". Remember, playing "King of the Hill" on a gravel pile somewhere when you were a little kid? Well, it is very similar. There is a big steep pile of granite and tons of people are scrambling up it. There are tricky places, some with, some without the aid of iron bars. Part way up the gateway we meet a guy that did trail maintenance for the park. As we're starting up one section he says to us, "Some times I go a different way...", and proceeded around a rock. We continued on up the path. He, of course, was a bit ahead of us when we next saw him and Rainbow Brite says, "Next time I'm following him.". So, next time we followed him....So here I am, at the base of this rock slab. I saw that he went this way and I'm looking around going...how the hell..... There are no iron bars, etc, just rock and one root just within my reach. So I grabbed the root, shimmed my leg rock and pulled myself up using only the root(yeah for arm strength). I tried to coach Rainbow Brite up the method I used but ended up reaching down and pulling her up. Next time, we didn't follow him. The great thing about the climb is you can clearly see the top of the mountain while climbing the rocks up the gateway...until to see the "2m ->" stay painted on to a rock and realize that they is a false summit. Doh! But the really good news is once you hit that false summit it is clear sailing to the real summit; you have entered the table lands.The table lands are just as rocky, but you can traverse the trail on leg power alone. From the top of the gateway to the summit was a blur.