Order of Visit: High Point #1
Date Visited: July 24, 2018 (and again on September 5, 2019)
Route Taken: Appalachian Trail via the Hunt Trailhead – 10.4 miles roundtrip
Type of Terrain: Steep, well-defined trails, followed by some Class 3 rock scrambling.
Elevation: 5,267 feet
Ancestral Lands: Penobscot, Wabanaki, Abenaki
What’s in a name?
Maine’s high point is unique in that it’s the only mountain that serves as a terminus for one of our National Scenic Trails. Thus, for many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers (myself included), simply mentioning the word Katahdin triggers deep emotional feelings.
Katahdin is not just a destination in the trail community. It’s the end (or beginning) of an epic journey. Katahdin is the word that you mutter to yourself for motivation on the hard days of the Appalachian Trail. It’s the reason to keep moving forward step after step, day after day, rain or shine on that 2,200-mile trek.
Long before Appalachian Trail hikers began to revere this mountain as the terminus for their long journey, this mountain was a sacred spot to the indigenous people of Maine.
The local Penobscot Native Americans named this mountain Katahdin, which translates to “greatest mountain.” Maine’s tallest peak is one of the few state high points to hold its traditional Indigenous name instead of being [re]named for Anglo-American settlers or geographers.
In 1893, the US Board on Geographic Names approved naming this New England peak Mount Katahdin. However, some locals note that this name is grammatically and culturally incorrect. When the word “mount” was added to the front end of the name Katahdin, it shifted the meaning from “Greatest Mountain” in the Indigenous languages to the redundant name “Mount Greatest Mountain.”
Perhaps the Board was less concerned with linguistic accuracy, though, and more interested in paring down the ways authors were phonetically spelling the name. Over the decades, maps, journals, and other documents spelled Maine’s highest point as: Mount Katahdin, Catardin Mountain, Ktaadn, Ktaahden Mountain, Ktahdin Mountain, Mountain Ktaadn, Mount Tadden, Tadden, Taddon Mountain, Teddon, The Teddon, and Toddin.
For the Penobscot people, Katahdin represents birth and spiritual enlightenment. Yet, they often avoided the mountain’s summit because they believed it was inhabited by an evil spirit named Pamola. This mythical creature had the head of a moose, the body of a man, and the wings and talons of an eagle.
Pamola was feared and respected because he was associated with fierce storms, snow, and cold weather. Climbing Katahdin could result in men being killed or devoured by Pamola. Thus, the Penobscot legend reminds hikers to respect the mountain and the fickle weather or severe storms that often surround it.
Trip Summary
Unfortunately for us, much of our July visit to northern Maine was supposed to be inundated with rain. So, when we spotted a lone Tuesday in July with a reasonably dry forecast, we hurriedly booked a parking reservation near the Hunt Trailhead.
We planned to get an early start (i.e., before 7 am and my requisite two cups of coffee) because we knew it might take us 10 hours (or more) to climb this summit. Not only was this climb supposed to be steep and difficult, but we were going to attempt it with an 11-year-old in tow.
Once at the trailhead, we dutifully signed the hiker register with our starting time and route. This safety measure helps park rangers learn about missing and/or injured hikers, but it also serves as a tool to see how many people are ahead of you on the mountain.
As I signed us in, it was humbling to scan down the list of names and see how many other hikers started hiking Katahdin hours earlier than us that day! We’d be playing catch-up, for sure.
The trail was well-defined, but it wasn’t long before the dirt path began ascending sharply. We soon encountered large boulders in the middle of the trail that we had to climb up and around, only adding to the difficulty of the journey. It was slow hiking, and I immediately understood why this summit would take so long to ascend.
Around 2 ½ miles into the hike, we popped out above the treeline and into a dense fog surrounding the mountain. From here to the summit, we no longer had a traditional dirt trail. Instead, we needed to rely upon a series of white blazes painted on rocks to help navigate through the notorious rock scramble.
This next mile of rock scrambling was undoubtedly the hardest section of Katahdin’s route. Finn and I climbed up and over the boulders pretty easily. But Keith struggled in several places where his surgically-repaired, “old man knees” didn’t want to bend as much as the Class 3 terrain required.
Nonetheless, we pressed on slowly and steadily. Our focus was mostly on our handholds and footing, which was fine since the fog enveloping us on all sides ensured there weren’t any views to linger on.
During this rock scrambling section, we passed numerous people turning around and heading back down. They didn’t feel completely safe in the handful of places where they needed to climb over the rocks using some metal rungs. I could understand their hesitation, but it honestly wasn’t that bad.
As we continued to climb higher, we reached a ledge that felt very exposed and cold, especially whenever gusts of wind would come up. So, we used a short break to add a layer of clothing before the temperature dropped too much.
With the rock scramble complete, we trod through an easy mile of flat tableland. The route through this section was well-marked with ropes so hikers didn’t wander off and crush the delicate alpine flora. Atop this tableland, another route merged with us, and the crowds began to grow.
There’s not much more climbing after the tableland. Just a few more rocks and we were at the summit. We made it!!
Of course, there was a line of hikers patiently waiting to take their photo with Katahdin’s iconic A-frame sign – and we were no exception. We wanted that picture to prove our achievement!!
Afterward, we found a low spot to sit on the summit that was (mostly) protected from the wind, and we broke out our lunches. All of us were starving from the climb and ready to fill our bellies. After a sack lunch and some celebratory Snickers bars, it was time to pack up and head back down the way we’d come.
During the descent, the clouds briefly broke to give us a few fleeting glimpses of the scenery miles below us. I can only imagine how much we’d enjoy climbing Katahdin on a sunny day. However, given Keith’s distaste for narrow ledges and sharp drop-offs, it was probably better than he couldn’t see those grand views on the way up.
Scrambling down the rocks was definitely harder in several ways. There was at least one section where the white blazes seemed to disappear and we couldn’t discern any easy way ahead. Nonetheless, we eventually made it back down to treeline on weary legs.
The final few miles back to the car were unnaturally quiet. We were all tired and lost in our thoughts. Plus, there were all those knee-jarring steps around rocks to focus on before we finally returned to the trailhead.
All told, took us just over 9 hours from to the time we signed in on the register until we signed back out. Not a fast pace, but it was well worth the hike.
(Author’s Note: If you also want to read about my second time summiting this high point at the end of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2019, click HERE)
Details
When to Visit: June to late September. Snow usually closes the trails during other times of the year.
Getting There: Mt. Katahdin is located within Baxter State Park, approximately 35 miles north of Millinocket, Maine.
Entrance Fees/Permits: Non-residents must pay a $15 entrance fee for Baxter State Park, but there is no permit or additional fees to hike up Mt. Katahdin. All hikers should register their climb on the clipboard near the trailhead they use – signing in and out at the beginning/end of their hike. This method helps the park rangers identify lost hikers, coordinate rescues, and manage their resources appropriately.
Parking: Baxter State Park limits parking at the three trailheads (Abol, Hunt, and Roaring Brook). If you plan to hike Katahdin in July or August, parking reservations are highly recommended. A link to the parking reservation page is HERE. Note: Non-residents can only make reservations up to two weeks in advance.
Accessibility: This is a remote hike that is best for adventurous hikers. This climb requires an elevation gain of 4,000 feet and the average round-trip hike for a Katahdin hike is 8-12 hours! Definitely pack a lunch and lots of water. In addition, the park does not allow children under the age of 6 to hike above timberline.
Bonus: Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. So, expect to see lots of hikers there when you visit, especially if you arrive in late summer/early fall when many thru-hikers are completing their nearly 2,200 mile journey along the Appalachian Trail.
Blog Links: Why I Chose to Summit Mt. Katahdin Before a Thru-hike
Resources: