Welcome to the AppalachianTrailCafe.net!
Take a moment and register and then join the conversation

The Baxter Area - Maine

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • The Baxter Area - Maine

      Hello Folks new boot here, but not new to hiking. Well I will find myself for three days in the Baxter area. I will be solo and my prime objective is digital photography and fly fishing. If mother nature starts to act like a reluctant toddler weather wise I was thinking about a hike on the fabled AT. This will be a short hike only 3-7 miles. If I can get my friend to join me I would be up for a 9 mile hike. With those parameters what are your fave stretches being onky 3 - 9 miles long? Thank you so much and be well.

      Sonder
      Heavy Construction Surveyor
      Fly Fishing Goober
      86-92 USMC
      bourbonfliesandlies.blogspot.com
      Digital Photography

    • Welcome to the cafe.
      Since the AT runs through Baxter park for about 10 miles your plan should be easy to accomplish. Start at the ranger station at Katadyn (spelling?) Stream Campground and hike the trail southbound. Go as far as you like then turn around and hike back, things always look different going in the other direction. Above all, enjoy yourself !

    • Sonder wrote:

      Hello Folks new boot here, but not new to hiking. Well I will find myself for three days in the Baxter area. I will be solo and my prime objective is digital photography and fly fishing. If mother nature starts to act like a reluctant toddler weather wise I was thinking about a hike on the fabled AT. This will be a short hike only 3-7 miles. If I can get my friend to join me I would be up for a 9 mile hike. With those parameters what are your fave stretches being onky 3 - 9 miles long? Thank you so much and be well.

      Sonder
      Sonder, Welcome to the Cafe!

      If you are up for scrambling, I would recommend Mt Katahdin. Abol would probably be easier than AT (Hunt). In 2021 I completed my AT going up Hunt and came back down Abol. I know there are at least a couple of other paths, but I have not done any of them (Knifes Edge, Cathedral?).
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Sonder wrote:

      Hello Folks new boot here, but not new to hiking. Well I will find myself for three days in the Baxter area. I will be solo and my prime objective is digital photography and fly fishing. If mother nature starts to act like a reluctant toddler weather wise I was thinking about a hike on the fabled AT. This will be a short hike only 3-7 miles. If I can get my friend to join me I would be up for a 9 mile hike. With those parameters what are your fave stretches being onky 3 - 9 miles long? Thank you so much and be well.

      Sonder
      Welcome to the Café. While we are here to discuss all things hiking, know that pretty much any other topics is also likely to come up (except we have learned that bringing up religion and politics don't lead anywhere productive). Think of this as the campfire where discussions can go anywhere and thread drift is expected. This makes us a little different from other fora where moderators keep discussion on topic. For example I may want to pick your brain on photography. I have a Fujifilm XE3 with a standard zoom I want to start doing more with.

      As to your Q, I've not been to BSP before but I will be there for a 6 day hike in early Aug. I will fly to BGR (fom MI), and get shuttles to the middle of the Hundred Mile Wilderness and hike NOBO to Baxter Peak.

      I assume you know that you must have advance reservations to enter BSP. Day use visitors must have a vehicle pass and overnight visitors must have a permit for a specific campsite. I have a Lean-to reservation at Katahdin Stream Campground (KSC) for the night before my summit attempt.

      The AT goes for 10 mile through the park from Abol Bridge to the park road at KSC where the climb begins. You would need a park permit to hike that section. You may be exempt from that by doing an out and back hike from Abol Bridge. Even that may be a problem if they had a ranger at that gate checking for permits. I don't know if they do that. I would call the park and ask. If you want to do a one way hike or summit Baxter Peak, the Appalachian Trail Hostel and Outfitters in Millinocket does shuttles and is a great source of advice. Their web pages is a great source of logistical info.

    • Another option for photography, and fishing, would be Katadyn Woods and Waters National Monument. It's a park not a far drove from Baxter. It has the International Appalachian Trail running through as well as other trails, water courses and places to camp. It has a web site with more info.

    • I'd like to add that Baxter State Park is an anomaly these days. They have a set of rules and actually ENFORCE the rules. I'd recommend a visit to baxterstatepark.org/ to plan your visit.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • New

      Thank you folks for giving me plenty of great information. I will be staying at Big Eddy Campground and these plans are a plan "B" if I want to do something else if I dont elect to hike in and float tube a pond or fish the West Branch. I like having my options open and I will look into the permit sitation for the given areas. In looking at the routes and the elevation difference I think if I do one of the more difficult hikes it will be the trek from Katahdin Camp Ground to Thoreau Spring. I dont want to bite off more solo than I can handle lol. I am taking all of Y'alls great advice and checking it twice.

      Thank you!
      Images

      • P1010008.jpg

        104.48 kB, 450×600, viewed 14 times
      Heavy Construction Surveyor
      Fly Fishing Goober
      86-92 USMC
      bourbonfliesandlies.blogspot.com
      Digital Photography

    • New

      you can reserve 4 months out. On line you only see one week at a time. Click the date at the top of the reservation screen to get a calendar. Select the date you want to see. Also select the campground you want. Scroll down to see availability.. If you go too far out you see an icon that says those dates not yet reservable. In this screenshot I set it to search starting Sep 15 at KSC. It is showing site 1 is not available on the 15th, available on the 16th, but not reservable on the 17th as that is more than 4 months out. At midnight EDT, the site will become available on the 17th. If I turn my phone sideways I can see more dates at once.

    • New

      So after some thinking if I get my friend to meet me up there I will take the Abol Route out and back, but I will stop at Thoreau Spring. I would be starting at 1307 feet +/- and going up to 4625 feet +/- and if I was around this type of terrain my whole life I would feel differently, but safety comes first. The day light hours will be shorter and I am guessing it will take this jarhead 8 hours out and back if everthing goes w/o a hitch. I dont want to go solo and be hiking out in terrain I dont know in my headlamp lol. If my friend does not come up there I will do a much more subdue route lol. I will hike solo from AT Trail head off of Golden Road and hike out and back to the Pitman Pond area. I greatly applaud you folks for chiming in and when my vacation comes and goes (Sept 21 - Oct 5). I will still post all I have learned and did during my little visit to the AT and the Baxter area.
      Images

      • Team AT 03.jpg

        42.71 kB, 800×429, viewed 9 times

      • Solo AT 03.jpg

        50.3 kB, 800×507, viewed 6 times
      Heavy Construction Surveyor
      Fly Fishing Goober
      86-92 USMC
      bourbonfliesandlies.blogspot.com
      Digital Photography

      The post was edited 6 times, last by Sonder ().

    • New

      I started early in the morning with my headlamp. At least with Hunt (AT) and Abol should not worry about getting lost first mile or so. If you have FarOut probably able to see if you do get off.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • New

      Hello and thank you for the input and suggestion. I use my Garmin 64sx (these screen grabs are from the Garmin BaseCamp Mapping program) and with extra batteries it really does well with my navigational needs.

      Getting off trail is not my Maine concern it taking the one chance with a foot hold or hand hold that I should not take where I get myself injured or

      rolling an ankle or doing something similar.

      I am not a fatalist, but it’s a thought. With enough extra batteries with my GPS and headlamp I will be ok.

      Now after typing this all out makes me feel better. lol

      It will be a last-minute decision and hoping they have some no shows if I choose to head that way.

      Be well, thank goodness its Friday!
      Images

      • Team AT 01.jpg

        88.18 kB, 800×434, viewed 7 times

      • Team AT 02.jpg

        55.32 kB, 800×427, viewed 8 times

      • Team AT 03.jpg

        42.71 kB, 800×429, viewed 5 times
      Heavy Construction Surveyor
      Fly Fishing Goober
      86-92 USMC
      bourbonfliesandlies.blogspot.com
      Digital Photography