Katahdin is by far the most difficult peak east of the Rockies!  This is not just my opinion, but also the opinion of many of the other Highpointers I have chatted with.  While Mt. Marcy in New York is much longer and almost as much elevation gain, Katahdin has a much more of a technical aspect than Marcy.

We camped just outside the park at Hidden Springs Campground, with about a 25 minute drive to the front gate to the park.  Since they limit the number of day hikers on Katahdin, we got up at 3:45am to prep the gear and eat some breakfast.  We then headed out and got to the park gate about 4:30am.  The ranger opened then gate about 5:00am, then we paid the $12.00 entry fee and headed off to the Katahdin Stream trailhead which is about a 30 minute drive from the gate.  We had specifically planned the hike for today, since they were calling for clear skies, low humidity, and a 10% chance of storms.  The morning sky did not disappoint us, as we looked up at clear blue with wispy cloud puffs forming from winds moving across the surrounding peaks.  

We reached the trailhead, put together the rest of our gear, and hit the trail at 6:00am.  The air was still cold and we both started the hike in jackets.  The trail started off very easy as a wooded trail that meanders gently along the banks of Katahdin Stream.  The trail is extremely "green" at this point, with a collage of evergreen trees and moss.  After about a mile, a side trail heads up the hill on the left to a peak called "The Owl".  This marks the end of the easy segment and the beginning of the true ascent.  The trail crosses Katahdin Stream and starts up through rocky steps, where there are beautiful views of Katahdin Stream Falls.  The trail continues up over the next mile, over rocks that are 1 to 6 feet across.  It seems like the rocks get bigger as the trail gets steeper.  About two miles into the hike we reached "Cave Rock" (an overhanging boulder) and moved above the treeline after about another 1/4 mile of  hiking/climbing.

Once we moved above the treeline, the steep hike turned into a climb.  Although there were few spots where we were exposed to a long fall, there was the constant risk of slipping and falling 4-10 feet if you were to lose your balance.  One of the dicey spots is at a metal rung to pull yourself up.  After working through the boulders for a few hundred feet, we came to a small rocky plateau and a good place to rest.  Looking up from the plateau, we could see a steep climb up a rocky wall to reach an area called the "Tableland".  The view was beautiful, and the clouds were still wispy and dancing around the peaks.  We finished up the break, and headed up the 600 foot climb to the Tableland.  While not extremely technical, the climb involves a lot of concentration and good balance.  The climb takes about an hour, but the view from the Tableland is incredible!

The Tableland is a huge flat plateau just below the summit of Katahdin.  By huge, I mean square MILES.  It is almost a mile across this flat expanse to the beginning of the final climb up the last 400 feet to the summit.   On the Tableland is Thoreau Springs, named for Henry David Thoreau who climbed the peak in the 1800's.  The plateau is a protected sub-arctic zone with no trees, and lots of lichen and moss.  After hiking across the Tableland, we started the final ascent on Katahdin (Baxter Peak), which is just a steep hike.

Reaching the top, the clouds had all burned off and the view was perfectly clear in all directions.  We were treated to a panorama of the surrounding peaks, along with a view of the "Knife Edge" and "Chimney Pond" on the back side of the mountain.  On the far side of the ridge is the "Knife Edge", a ridge that is only 5 feet wide in places with sharp drops on each side.  There were quite a few folks already on top who had come up the Abol Trail.  The Abol trail is basically a scramble up a rock side, and covers most of the 4000+ ft elevation gain in about 3 miles.  We had made it to the top about 10:45am, with our total time being 4:45

After snapping some pics and some water, we started down.  We knew the trip down would be a bit longer, since we wanted to be very careful with footing (i.e. no sprains or breaks).  After an easy crossing of the Tablelands, we started down the primary scramble.  The exhausting climb up was replaced by caution, and we started working new muscles as our legs absorbed the shocks of a 4000 ft descent.  After the climb through the rocks, we stopped on a small plateau for a late lunch of Deviled Ham and crackers.  This was a popular place, as we chatted with folks who were on their way up (many of who would not be able to make it up and back by dark).  We regained some energy and started down the final climb down to treeline.  Our legs started hurting more as we moved from scrambling to stepping down 1-3 feet at a time.  I was glad to have my trusty hiking pole!!  Finally, we worked down the steep parts and made it to Katahdin Stream and the final "flat" mile to the car.  We emerged from the woods at 5:00pm, making the total climb 11 hours - 4 3/4 up, and 6 1/4 down!  When we reached the car we attacked the cooler for any cold drinks we could find and slumped into the seats.

After resting a few minutes we packed up the car and drove back to the campground and on to dinner.  We were both exhausted and went to bed about 9:30pm.  We slept until 8:30 the next morning!

The image below is a collage of pictures taken to form a panorama when we reached the edge of the Tableland.  Once you click on it, it is best viewed by expanding the image by moving the mouse cursor to the lower right-hand corner of the picture and clicking the expand box when it pops up.