salsgang
Member
Date(s) Hiked: July 26, 2008
Trails(s) Hiked: Chimney Pond / Saddle
Total Distance:11.0 miles
Difficulty: Chimney Pond Moderate - Saddle Strenuous in parts
Conditions: Pretty Wet
Special Required Equipment: None
Trip Report: After conquering Old Speck the previous weekend - we were ready to take on Katahdin. With a 12 and 10 year old in tow, I decided the Saddle up and down would be the best bet.
We started off at 7:30 from Roaring Brook campground. Fortunately the weather was good and we got to hike on only the 7th Class I day of th Year. The chimney pond trial was very wet. A lot of mud and quite a few puddles to hop around. The ranger said they got about 2.5 inches of rain the day before. Chimney pond trial is a moderate 3.3 mile hike. There are a couple of moderate climbs, and quite a bit of rock hopping and a climb out the basin ponds, but it is a fairly easy go of it.
We were hiking with a college buddy of mine and 2 of his kids and we made it to Chimney in about 2hrs 15 min. Not doing to bad. I personally think chimney pond is the prettiest place I have ever been too. It amazes me every time I go.
We start the ascent up Saddle. This is the 2.2 mile trail to the top that is the 'easiest" of the trials up. It is not a piece of cake by any means. The first .5 miles of the trial out of chimney is pretty tame. A gradual ascent to the slide. Then after crossing a small brook the serious climbing begins. Its a steep ascent through some trees that kind of grow sideways, then you break out of the scrub onto the slide.
Then it is a very steep scramble up some pretty loose rocks... have to be careful not to dislodge rocks to send them tumbling down... then the last couple of hundred yards is a extremely steep climb over some boulders and big rocks. We had to rally my youngest boy as he was starting to get a bit uneasy, but he pulled it together and made it to the top of the slide. My college buddy decided to turn back with his kids part way up the slide. They were getting tired and he was feeling a bit under the weather. A good decision I think in his case.
It is then a mile moderate climb to the peak. The tablelands are fascinating. You can see forever and it has a mystic quality about it.
We made it to the peak in about 5.5 hours. We didn't break any speed records but I was certainly proud of my boyz for ascending the highest peak in Maine! They did great and the old man made it to the top of Maine of the 5th time. The views from the top were stellar.
The trip down went fine. We had to really pick our way down the Saddle slide, but after that it was just a bunch of rock hopping / mud jumping back to camp at Roaring Brook. About a 5.25 hour descent. We got back to Roaring Brook at 7:10... dead tired but very happy to have made it to the top and back.
Baxter is a very special place.
Trails(s) Hiked: Chimney Pond / Saddle
Total Distance:11.0 miles
Difficulty: Chimney Pond Moderate - Saddle Strenuous in parts
Conditions: Pretty Wet
Special Required Equipment: None
Trip Report: After conquering Old Speck the previous weekend - we were ready to take on Katahdin. With a 12 and 10 year old in tow, I decided the Saddle up and down would be the best bet.
We started off at 7:30 from Roaring Brook campground. Fortunately the weather was good and we got to hike on only the 7th Class I day of th Year. The chimney pond trial was very wet. A lot of mud and quite a few puddles to hop around. The ranger said they got about 2.5 inches of rain the day before. Chimney pond trial is a moderate 3.3 mile hike. There are a couple of moderate climbs, and quite a bit of rock hopping and a climb out the basin ponds, but it is a fairly easy go of it.
We were hiking with a college buddy of mine and 2 of his kids and we made it to Chimney in about 2hrs 15 min. Not doing to bad. I personally think chimney pond is the prettiest place I have ever been too. It amazes me every time I go.
We start the ascent up Saddle. This is the 2.2 mile trail to the top that is the 'easiest" of the trials up. It is not a piece of cake by any means. The first .5 miles of the trial out of chimney is pretty tame. A gradual ascent to the slide. Then after crossing a small brook the serious climbing begins. Its a steep ascent through some trees that kind of grow sideways, then you break out of the scrub onto the slide.
Then it is a very steep scramble up some pretty loose rocks... have to be careful not to dislodge rocks to send them tumbling down... then the last couple of hundred yards is a extremely steep climb over some boulders and big rocks. We had to rally my youngest boy as he was starting to get a bit uneasy, but he pulled it together and made it to the top of the slide. My college buddy decided to turn back with his kids part way up the slide. They were getting tired and he was feeling a bit under the weather. A good decision I think in his case.
It is then a mile moderate climb to the peak. The tablelands are fascinating. You can see forever and it has a mystic quality about it.
We made it to the peak in about 5.5 hours. We didn't break any speed records but I was certainly proud of my boyz for ascending the highest peak in Maine! They did great and the old man made it to the top of Maine of the 5th time. The views from the top were stellar.
The trip down went fine. We had to really pick our way down the Saddle slide, but after that it was just a bunch of rock hopping / mud jumping back to camp at Roaring Brook. About a 5.25 hour descent. We got back to Roaring Brook at 7:10... dead tired but very happy to have made it to the top and back.
Baxter is a very special place.