Southbound Hiking Partner

imported
#1

Fellow Readers,

I know it is late notice, but I have found myself with several months of free time in which I felt it was a good time to charge myself with a new adventure. I would prefer to find a southbound hiking partner to start a thru-hike at Mt. Katahdin if possible. July would be the ideal starting time, but I am flexible in order to accommodate other plans.

I would also like any assistance on the navigation of Mt. Katahdin and sleeping arrangements within Baxter State Park for thru-hikers. Most of my hiking experiences have been in the form of blue trails in CT and out west in CO and UT.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have suggestions on other locations to post this “classified” please let me know. I can be reached at JAYL4@aol.com.

Thanks,

Sticks

Sticks

#2

Sticks, A little story. My wife and I hiked SOBO last year leaving in Mid-June. The same day we left 6 other people started their hike too. There was a group of of four who haphazardly got together before the hike. They were pretty much at each others throats from the start because of different hiking paces, sleeping preferences, meal preferences, you name it. They split up after a few weeks, but never recovered. Not one of the four made it past the halfway point though two of them will attempt the hike again soon. By leaving mid-June to Mid-July you’ll be assured companionship on the trail. You’ll find hiking partners whom you will me able to mesh with very easily. Hell, maybe even on Big K. Blind dates suck!

Katahdin - Get yourself to Millinocket, ME and hitch into the State Park or arrange a ride to the park. If driving to the park, keep in mind only a limited amount of cars are allowed in the park at a time. Beware if it is a nice weekend day. The AT is also called the Hunt Trail up Katahdin. 5 miles up to the summit to get to the starting point of the AT. There are also other, more dramatic trails up Kathadin if you do not want to retrace your steps. I do think they are longer though. Camping is restricted to the Daicy Pond campground for thru-hikers. Space may be available at other campsites due to cancellations, but don’t count on it. Daicy Pond is 7 miles from the summit of Big K. The day after Katahdin you’ll most likely make it to Abol Bridge or beyond outside of the park boundaries.

I urge you to get a Data Book and perhaps even a handbook so you can be aware of mileages, road crossings, hiker services etc, throughout your trip. Hope this helps.

Grimace

#3

The Baxter Rangers are helpful. Ask questions. We lucked into a spot in K Stream Campground going north. No decent water on the summit. Borrow a smelly day pack at the K Stream station. It’s a full day climb. Abol is trick. Good store, laundry, shower. $12 for a site I think it was or you may be able to tent across the road. Boogie from there after a good nights rest.

Bushwhack

#4

Grimace and Bushwhack,

Thank you both for the advice. Grimace - I actually have purchased and gotten excellent information from the data book and a handbook. They are great sources of information regarding guidelines and mileages. When reading, I was concerned about campsite reservations for thru-hikers in Baxter State Park. Are they needed for Daicy Pond or should I be ok just heading in?

Bushwhack - I have heard the suggestion of just daypacking to the top and picking up your regular pack at the bottom. Do you know if people ever full pack it and what is a good time to get started and be able to make it to Daicy Pond before it gets too late.

Once again, you both have been a great deal of help. Hopefully someday I can be the person passing along some useful information to future hikers.

Thanks,

Sticks

Sticks

#5

You’d be nuts to try and carry your pack up that thing, if not for the fact it’s dangerous. This isn’t any easy climb even for a seasoned hiker. It takes a full 4-5 hours to get up in good weather. Most of us start for the base trail at 4-5am. You’re not allowed on the mountain above tree line before sunrise and you have to cover a good mile and a half just from K Stream camp to tree line. If you’re at Daicy Pond Shelter it takes a little more than an hour to get to K Stream but you won’t get day pack from the ranger station that early. You have to ditch your pack somewhere. You’d have to leave Daicy at around 3-4 am to enjoy the day and have a couple of hours on the summit.

Bushwhack

#6

If you’re traveling light enough in good weather, coming up over the knife edge is supposed to be a great way to kick things off. I had a reservation at Katahdin Stream Campground, but they wouldn’t let my wife drive me around to drop me off at the other campground. They limit the amount of traffic even for the cars they let in. One angle I heard of was to drive a van to the gate around midnight and sleep in it at the entrance. Then you have your pick of places for a daytime visit…

I’d like to know of any similar strategies for starting on the IAT northbound…

btw, when I called the Park last year to get information, I found them to be entirely courteous.

Linguini

#7

I wouldn’t go so far as to say hiking up Katahdin with a full pack is nuts. Thru-hiking the AT is nuts. Carrying a full pack up K is more an idealistic thought. I was the same way. I will carry my pack for every inch of the trail, I will touch every white blaze and say a prayer each time, I will walk into every town. Hiking the AT is a difficult endeavor. Make it is as easy for yourself as possible. No point in hurting yourself the first day. It gets to the point where you’ll walk an extra 4 miles in a day to avoid walking .4 off the trail to find a shelter. You’ll hitch into town even if the walk is only .6 miles. Borrow a day pack.

We left from K Stream campground around 7:30 and made it back there by 5:00 My 56 year old mother came with us the whole way. It was 30 degrees, driving rain and wind. Had it been nice, and had I not had to help my mother off the mountain we could have easily done the trip in half the time. It’s an easy level walk from K Stream to Daicy. You do not need reservations at there, just show up.

Grimace

#8

Grimace, Bushwhack, and Linguini,

Thanks for all of the great advice. I will plan a “day pack” trip to the top. One last question, where are good places to store my pack while hiking and prevent any type of theft or destruction?

Once again, you all have been a great help and relieved some of the difficulties in finalizing my plans.

Thanks,

Sticks

Sticks

#9

Some folks might find be a bit blown away by riding a bus and then having to grunt up a hill with a pack that’s way to heavy. And then that chance of pulling a something when not in condition. We like it kind of cushy so if a Marriot were at the bottom we’d blue blaze to it in a heart beat.
As for where to hide your pack. I dunno, tuck it off the trail behind a rock? Chipmunks might get it. If you start in the early am you can put your pack at the ranger building across the foot bridge but if they think you’ll blow the day light curfew you might get busted. You just can’t be above tree line before sunrise, “technically”. A few of our crew were at it at 2am!
Our pack tops convert into a waste jobber so we passed on the sour rentals.

Bushwhack

#10

actually, if you’re southbound, you’ll have company every night with northbounders at the shelters. then after Massachusetts, things settle out a little bit. a lot of southbounders join a possee. hiking alone during the day and meeting at night. ten of them summited Springer together last Oct 22(?). it’s all good.

Linguini