Several of us are contemplating a section hike next year through the 100-mile wilderness, from north to south. Two questions: what is the best time of year to do this, and what kind of travel arrangements can be made for getting to the starting and ending points, assuming that we fly into Bangor?
Thanks.
Terry
wilderness is a misnomer, as you will find out.
Anyway, to answer your questions, I would suggest waiting until after the 4th of July. The reason being is that the black flies will eat you alive before that, plus the stream crossings will still be high and cold from the spring run off. So, any time between July and September is great.
For a shuttle, get the list from ATC, or call Keith Shaw in Monson. No need to rent a car for the week.
Incidentally, south bound hikers are not permitted at the Birches in Baxter State Park. If you plan to stay in the park as a south bound hiker, then you need to make a reservation. Otherwise, start at Abol Bridge just outside the park.
Peaks
I’m just back from a section hike of 38 miles in the Wilderness. We’d planned on 64 miles to Gulf Hagas, but it didn’t work out that way. We started out at Daicey Pond, and made it to Jo-Mary Road. We took the taxi from Millinocket, but we both drove to Millinocket in the first place. It’s not a complete ‘Wilderness’ because there are roads crossing it; the most notable of which are Jo-Mary Road and Katahdin Iron Works Road. (We had hoped to make it to Gulf Hagas on KIW Road.) Also, we met a day hiker on Nesuntabunt Mountain. I don’t usually backpack in September, and had troubles with the short daylight hours and the cool evening temperatures (and it could have been quite a bit colder.) What probably doomed us was the extra weight from the warmer clothes and extra food. (Hey, we’re middle-aged. Give us a break.) :cheers Definiely try to avoid the black flies in early summer. The no-see-ums in September are bad enough. September is beautiful if you don’t mind the short daylight hours, and the fact that the moose all go to a convention in Quebec.
Harry Dolphin
The 100 mile wilderness can be just that if you let it be. You will hit some logging roads and maybe some men working on some of the bridges but its still a cool place. But if you go into White House, youve just made it the 70 mile wilderness. Dont cheat yourself.
Virginian
I greatly appreciated my stop at White House Landing this summer when I hiked the 100-mile Wilderness. I had sent myself a food drop which greatly reduced the weight I had to carry. I hiked 4th of July week. This year it was very hot and humid that week with countless mosquitoes AND black flies. It was still a great experience and good practice for my thru-hike next year. I would think August or September would be great times to hike it. Enjoy! Annie K
Annie K
Hi Terry,
You’ll find plenty of company in the 100 mile, but that’s half the fun of AT hiking - the people! June is bug season, and wet, but the woods are beautiful. Early July is prime time for groups and camps to be hiking, sites can get crowded. Late July will see the start of lots of GA>MEers, expect plenty of day hikers and weekend warriors. Early August is when the woods usually dry out. (I said usually!) Look up at night, meteor showers and northern lights! Late August will see full houses in Monson right through Labor Day weekend. If you get to Katahdin Stream that weekend you’ll see the Penobscot Nation’s annual tribal gathering, but you won’t be able to stay as the campground is resevered for them only. September begins with college kids on group “bonding” hikes, but midweeks are sweet. By mid-September there’s the beginning of color in the leaves, cool nights, and the water sources are really dry. Late September you’ll meet lots of fast movin’ serious nobos. “Best time”? Any time! Just head in and enjoy! Consider hiking ‘with’ the flow of thruhikers, southbound in June or northbound in Aug/Sept. Worry about shuttles next year, it’s too early to stress now.
Hey Harry - glad you made it out alive!
TJ
TJ aka Teej
Aloha! I lucked out and was able to cache two days worth of food at the first logging road (can’t think of the name right now) due to its ease to get to and a maildrop at White House Landing. Jo-Mary Road is also easy to get in and out of. Shaws in Monson and several others will help you shuttle food or persons for a fee. With the White House Landing, call them if you do mail a package to ensure they pick it up. It’s 50 miles roundtrip for them and they don’t pick up every day. As Peak says above, the name 100-Mile Wilderness is pretty much a misnomer now (said after watching numerous pickup trucks and day hikers) but it’s still a wonderful hike. You’re going to love the ponds and lakes. Gorgeous! Aloha! Ann
Aloha! Ann
How exactly do you cache food? Do you bury it or hang it from a tree? It seems like if the food is is one place for a long period of time bears or other animals will eventually find a way to get it.
Demon Deac
If you want a true hundred mile wilderness, actually 125 miles, do the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks. In 10 days I saw no one. I did not even hear an jet motor for 6 days. I love the “wilderness” in Maine, but it’s a name only.
Blue Jay
No, it’s not “wilderness” like you’d expect in parts of Alaska, but it’s got plenty of solitude. It’s just not “pure” enough for some who may be expecting absolutely NO signs of civilization.
You can backpack the whole thing without caches, maildrops, Pierce Pond pancakes, or White House Landing and the most you’re going to see/hear to ruin the illusion of wilderness is a handful of road crossings and perhaps some evidence of logging (trucks and/or saws in the distance).
At the other extreme, because of those roads (some of which cost a few bucks to gain access to) you COULD slackpack the whole thing and/or take advantage of the aforementioned “amenities.”
I did it this past August, and did a combination of slackpacking and heavypacking, but avoided Pierce Pond and the White House. It was all good.
The day I summitted K, I met two guys who were dropped into Jo Mary Lake on a pontoon plane! An outfit in Millinocket only charged them $35 to do this–cheaper than some shuttles I bet. They then hiked NOBO to Baxter Peak. heavypacking.
“Skyline”
We ran into several airplanes dropping off hikers and supplies. That was unexpected and rather annoying - kind of like Mt. Robson this summer, the buzz drives you crazy. However, the folks getting supplies were kind to us, offering us free beer at Rainbow lake, which we happily accepted. Like the rest of the AT - it is a natural experience, but not a wilderness experience. You can make it more challenging by not doing resupply midway - or you can take advantage of it to have an easier hike. It’s entirely up to you. The Wilderness was beautiful and challenging, but more crowded than expected. Still, it is worth doing. And the wildlife is still there. I saw a bear once and several moose – always fun.
Spirit Walker
Y’all can thank that rag Backpacker magazine for the crowds. A few years ago they did an article with a front page spread on the so-called “100 MILE WILDERNESS”.
Wolf
The wilderness is cool, but if i was to re-do 100 miles of maine i’d go further south; maybe trying to cover the baldpates, sugarloaf or perhaps the bigelows. some of these areas seemed a lot more empty (and they have much cooler scenery in my opinion) than the wilderness.
but they’re just varying degrees of great; pick any 100 miles in maine and you can’t go wrong
mariachi
mindlessmariachi
I’ve hiked it w my kids, with my wife and by myself and it’s all great. Email me if you need any help in planning or transportation advice.
pob
You do know, of course, that the original route of the 100 mile wilderness went past SEVERAL sporting camps, including:
Long Pond Camps
West Branch Pond Camps
Yoke Pond Camps
Antler Camps
The trail was routed TO these places, not because the trail planner cared about impinging on someone’s ‘wilderness’ experience, but the remoteness of this section of trail seemed a long way to go without some comforts of home (i.e. supplies).In fact, that’s why it also went to Pierce Pond Camps and others across Maine.
Strangely, the most famous sporting camp in the 100 mile region was never near the AT - Little Lyford Pond Camps, just a stones throw from Gulf Hagas.
And that may have turned out to be a good thing . . . the dreaded enemy of AT hikers (please, no rants on why) - AMC has recently purchased this sporting camp. They’re creeping into the 100 mile wilderness, now, too
:nerd
Kineo Kid