Katadhin

September 15, 2024

Katadhin

Katadhin as seen from the I-95N Scenic Overlook

Man is born to die, his works are short-lived. Buildings crumble, monuments decay, wealth vanishes, but Katadhin in all its glory forever shall remain the mountain of the people of Maine.
- Percival Proctor Baxter - Governor of Maine, 1921-1925

A wonderful legacy. But if I may make a suggestion, it would be

... Katadhin in all its glory shall remain the mountain of the people who wander.

for Katadhin truly is the mountain of all the people who experience it, whether by admiring it from a distance, or having a first-hand experience hiking and summiting it.

Katadhin is in Baxter State Park, and is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, 2190+ miles from Georgia to Maine, and the final destination of the AT thru hikers. The last 10 miles in Baxter State Park is one of the most difficult section (or considered the most difficult section) of the Appalachian Trail.

Things I found out when doing some readings about Katadhin.

At 5269 ft, it is the highest mountain in Maine, but only 7th on the Northeastern US

Mt Washington is the highest in the Northeast at 6288 ft
Mt Marcy, the highest in New York is at 5343 ft
The other peaks higher than Katadhin, all part of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.

Mt Jefferson at 5712 ft
Mt Adams at 5394 ft
Mt Monroe at 5372 ft
Mt Madison at 5367 ft

Katahdin translates to “The Greatest Mountain" in the Penobscot language.
Katadhin, or the summit of Katadhin is also known as Baxter Peak, officially recognized by the US Board on Geographic Names in 1931.
In 1846, Henry David Thoreau made a failed bid to climb Katadhin. He wrote about his experience in an essay called "Ktaadn", which can be found in his book "The Maine Woods".
In 1879, Theodore Roosevelt climbed Katadhin, losing a shoe in a river crossing and finishing the hike in moccasins.
There are several trails to summit Katadhin

Abol Trail - the shortest route, but with a gain of 4000 ft in 3.5 mile ascent.
Hunt Trail - the final 5.2 miles of the Appalachian Trail to Katadhin.
Cathedral Trail - considered as the hardest trail to summit Katadhin. with lots of rock scrambling.
Saddle Trail - considered as the easiest trail to summit Katadhin, but it is still steep.
The Knife's Edge - the most famous and dangerous trail to Katadhin. It is less than a mile in a wildly-exposed ridge with big drops connecting Pamola Peak and Baxter Peak.

There have been more than 60 deaths on Katahdin since 1933 including October 8 and 9, 2020.

Hiking Katadhin.

Katadhin is inside the Baxter State Park. You cannot just go to the trailhead and hike the trails inside Baxter State Park like some hiking trails. You need parking permit and a gate pass to enter Baxter and hike Katadhin and other trails inside the park. All information you need is available at Baxter State Park website, including camping options (which is highly recommended).

I camped at Roaring Brook and hiked Katadhin via Helon Taylor Trail to Pamola Peak then Knife's Edge. Yes, it is a dangerous trail. But please note that no hiking trail is safe if you're not properly prepared for it. For an experienced hiker, without fear of drops and exposure, it is a beautiful trail with an oomph. If you plan to hike it, don't just hike it because you have seen amazing pictures and stories from the internet. Don't hike it just because you're friend says you can do it. You have to assess yourself. And if you tell yourself, "I can do it", do some research, plan and prepare for it.

Interesting chat with a ranger at Pamola Peak.

A park ranger passed me at Helon Taylor Trail before the summit of Pamola Peak. I met him again at the summit of Pamola Peak. It was windy on that day, and the wind gust was strong at the summit. There were 3 other hikers resting at the peak. There's a sign at Pamola Peak, a warning, that says "DO NOT HIKE THIS TRAIL IN BAD WEATHER". The sun was up, but the wind was blowing hard. I asked the ranger his opinion on whether it is still a good idea to do Knife's Edge in a windy condition like today. Here's what he said... "I don't do Knife's Edge even in good weather condition.". For a brief moment, my stomach churned. Crap. Still, I did it, and so did the 3 hikers at the summit. What an experience.

Little hike details.

Katadhin from Roaring Brook trailhead via Helon Taylor Trail -> Pamola Peak -> Knife's Edge is about 4.2 miles. You will be above tree line after 2 miles on Helon Taylor Trail going up for another 1 mile to Pamola Peak. From here, Knife's Edge is less than a mile to the summit of Katadhin.

Coming down Katadhin. My original plan was to do the big loop including Hamlin Peak, for a total of about 11 miles. But I decided to come down via Saddle Trail -> Chimney Pond Trail back to the trailhead, with a total distance of about 9.7 miles, and an elevation gain of about 3952 ft. It was the better decision as I enjoyed a little more time after the hike relaxing at the camp site, next to the roaring brook. I would hike Hamlin Peak the next day for an amazing view of the whole Pamola->Knife's Edge->Katadhin trail.

I still have to go back to Baxter State Park to camp and hike Katadhin via the other trails. And I was informed that there is more in Baxter than just Katadhin - birding! I would like to experience all of them. It is a very long drive for me, so I need to plan and make the most of this new adventure.