9/27/23
Helon Taylor: 3.2 miles / Knife Edge: 1.1 miles / Saddle Trail: 1.0 miles / Northwest Basin Trail: 1.0 miles / Hamlin Ridge Trail: 1.5 miles / North Basin Trail: 0.3 miles / North Basin Cutoff: 0.7 miles / Chimney Pond Trail: 2.3 miles
11.1 miles (4,850' elevation gained)
9/28/23
Hunt Trail: 5.3 miles / Knife Edge: 1.1 miles / Helon Taylor Trail: 3.2 miles / Chimney Pond Trail: 3.4 miles / Dudley Trail: 1.4 miles / Knife Edge: 1.1 miles / Abol Trail: 4.0 miles / Tote Road: 2.0 miles
21.5 miles (9,250' elevation gained)
9/29/23
Chimney Pond Trail 3.2 miles / Cathedral Trail: 1.4 miles / Knife Edge: 1.1 miles / Helon Tail Trail: 3.2 miles
8.9 miles (4,150' elevation gained)
Trip Report
- Every September after Labor Day I start eyeing up lean-to and campsite openings mid-week in Baxter State Park during good weather windows. Summer vacation is over, bugs are long gone, leaves start to change colors, basically it's the perfect time of year to drive up to Millinocket and get into the park which for me is the cathedral of hiking in the northeast.
- Last year I was able to scoop up a lean-to during peak foliage the first week of October, this year I nabbed a lean-to during the last week of September just as the leaves started to change color.
- Joining me this year was my travel buddy, Strava Todd, we left his place in Jackson, NH at 4AM and made the long but easy drive up to the park, making it to the gate around 9:15AM and to the Roaring Brook Trailhead about twenty minutes later.
The painted boulder, a few miles outside of the park, a good place to take a tourist pic and stretch the legs for a minute
- Day one was a classic loop up Helon Taylor, across the Knife Edge, down the Tableland, over and down Hamlin Peak, and an easy hike out via Chimney Pond Trail.
- Temperatures were warm down low and a little crisp up high with some decent wind gusts. When we broke above treeline the clouds were slowly clearing off the Knife Edge above us as we made our way to Pamola Peak.
- Helon Taylor is probably the easiest approach to the Knife Edge with moderate grades the whole way, no scrambling, and only some loose small rocks over the last hundred feet below Pamola Peak.
- Once on the Knife Edge, the real fun began, this 1.1 mile stretch is second to none for hiking/scrambling in the northeast. Huge drop-offs and dramatic views!
Todd heading up to Pamola Peak
Classic Knife Edge shot
Knife Edge
- Halfway across the Knife Edge we entered back into the clouds and it mostly stayed this way until heading down Hamlin Ridge so no big views were to be had heading across the Tableland
View of the Knife Edge from Hamlin Ridge
Basin Ponds and South Turner Mountain
- Once back below treeline we hooked onto the slippery and moss-covered rocks of the North Basin and Basin Cutoff trails on our way to Chimney Pond Trail. We made quick work of the Chimney Pond Trail back to Roaring Brook Trailhead finishing around 2PM before making the hour drive over to our lean-to at Nesowadnehunk Field.
Lean-to #10 Nesowadnehunk Field
Day 2: Double Day on Baxter
- On Thursday, we started at dawn along the Hunt Trail (Appalachian Trail) for a big day of roaming around Baxter Peak. Hunt Trail is a bit of a grind to get to treeline but once it breaks into the open the views become huge and the trail itself is much more adventerous with a few spots where you have to maneuverer up and over some big boulders with the help of re-bar.
- Hunt Trail and the Tableland above treeline was windy and cold but once we started across the Knife Edge we were out of the wind for the most part and had the whole ridge to ourselves as we traversed it around 9AM.
Todd heads up the Hunt Trail
Looking back down the Hunt Trail
Baxter Peak
Pamola Peak
- From Pamola peak we descended Helon Taylor Trail all the way to Roaring Brook Trailhead and then turned right back around and took the Chimney Pond Trail to Chimney Pond. At the pond we tried to filter water from my Sawyer Squeeze but it was barely working so we just scooped water from the pond without filtering. I had down this last year without any issues and luckily again we both had no problems with getting sick from not filtering.
'Todd descends Helon Taylor Trail
Beautiful outlook at Lower Basin Pond
Todd running over the old but sturdy bridge along the Chimney Pond Trail
Chimney Pond
- Now it was time to steeply head back up via the Dudley Trail. Trail crews worked hard cutting a new reroute a few years ago after a slide wiped out the lower section of the trail. We marveled at their handy work as we made our way through the woods along a long switchback up to treeline where we hooked back onto the old existing upper section of the trail.
- Hunt Trail to Pamola peak above treeline is filled with huge boulders to climb up, around, and over but none of the moves are tricky and anytime you need to catch your breath you can just turn around and look at the views which will quickly re-energizes anyone.
Todd gets a pic of me picking my way up the boulders with Chimney Pond far below
View from Dudley Trail
- At the summit of Pamola we traversed the Knife Edge for the second time of the day, this time there were hikers scattered across the Knife Edge but it never seemed too busy. Along the way we even saw some interesting outfits on a few hikers!
Not sure what is going on here but they were all doing great!
- When we reached Baxter Peak we took a short break before going back down the Tableland to the Abol Trail where we made the steep descent back to the Tote Road. Abol Trail has also been rerouted making this a much easier trail to descend then before. Still, the upper half is steep and loose so caution is needed but once you leave the slide the trail becomes much easier.
- After picking our way down the upper half of the slide we made quick work of the rest of the trail and ran two miles up the Tote Road back to the Jepp at Katahdin Stream Trailhead.
Todd makes his way back down the Tableland
Day 3: Getaway / Get Away Day
- Friday morning we headed back over to Roaring Brook Trailhead to hike my favorite trail, Cathedral, and then one last traverse of the Knife Edge. On the way to the trailhead I got a flat tire, a rock went right through my tire, tires which are supposedly some of the best off road tires, so it was disappointing that a rock punctured the tire of my Jeep with these beefy tires. To add insult to injury a bunch of little sedans with regular tires were driving to the trailhead most likely laughing at me.
- Once we figured out how to use the jack correctly and where to place it correctly, totally different from my previous Jepp, we quickly switched out the flat with the full sized spare and drove the remaining few miles to Roaring Brook Trailhead and started up the mountain.
Bullseye, direct hit by this rock, a deep tire puncture that could not be plugged.
- We trail ran to Chimney Pond and before we headed up we were asked to sign into the hiker's log book at the ranger's cabin. The ranger, who must have thought we were amateurs, started asking questions as if we have never hiked before. Even after informing her that we both live ten minutes from Pinkham Notch, she still was schooling me on a few things, always an enjoyable experience.
- After escaping the ranger we headed up the Cathedral Trail, what a beauty of a trail. It's rough and rugged as is sharply rises up to the first Cathedral, traveling through a boulder field just below treeline followed by some fun bouldering and slabby scrambles as it passes the three spires of the cathedrals.
- Just before treeline another hiker huffed and puffed to catch up to us. Not positive, but there was a 50% chance the ranger sent this dude to keep an eye on us, this hiker didn't think we knew what we were doing out here either. Our getaway day on the mountain was now quickly becoming a "Get Away From Me Day." After chatting with this fellow for a minute or two assuring him we knew what we were doing we zoomed up to the first Cathedral.
- Once topping out and taking in the incredible view of the first cathedral we were treated with a pop quiz from an older hiker who also must have thought we were a couple of city-slickers. "Have you been here before", "you are on the first Cathedral", "Are you looking at the rock over on the Dudley Trail, that is Index Rock." I politely replied, "Yes we've been here a few times, yes the first Cathedral is great, Yes, I know where Index Rock is but we actually have been looking over there up to Chimney Peak because we have a map from 1948 that has an old trail called Chimney Trail and were wondering where that abandoned trail must have gone."
- Finally after passing this hiker with all the answers to the test we got to enjoy the rest of the Cathedral Trail up to the top of Baxter Peak without interruptions while taking in the rugged views along the way.
- At the summit we took a nice break and watched some thru-hikers finishing, always a great site!
Todd picks his way up the Cathedral Trail between the first and second spires
Perfect view of Hamlin Peak and the Great Basin
What a great moment it must have been for these two finishers!
Todd enjoying our last day on Mount Katahdin
- After our relaxing break in perfect weather we made our way across the Knife edge one last time, passing by many happy hikers along the way. We did run into one more hiker who made a sly comment about our attire, calling it "presi running kit." He later almost got his hiking partner cliffed out as he unwisely descended the Chimney off trail and she followed him and froze up, she had to turn around and crawl back up to where the trail was all the while he watched from below without helping out. We saw this spectacle from across the way as we were stuck at a choke point heading up Pamola while letting some nice but frightened hikers scoot down a tricky scramble.
- Once free of traffic we quickly summitted Pamola Peak and enjoyed the fabulous weather as we descended Keep Ridge along the Helon Taylor Trail.
- Back at Roaring Brook we cleaned off and relaxed for awhile before making the drive back home to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
- It was the second straight year of perfect timing for a mid-week adventure in Baxter State Park. I really enjoy the rules and regulations that the park has which keeps the number of hikers at bay while the park itself is very clean and pristine, a real joy, and I'm already looking forward to heading back again!
Todd with Keep Ridge in view
One last view of the magnificent Knife Edge!
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