Hiking in Maine: There is pure joy when climbing Katahdin in winter - pressherald.com

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The Chimney Pond bunkhouse is pitch dark and dead quiet when I climb out of my warm sleeping bag at 4 a.m., a half-hour before the alarm. Wide awake for an hour already, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning eager to sneak out to the presents under the tree. And why not, for the gift of a Katahdin summit awaits on this February morning, if we can make it.

Shuffling into the common room, I add a few sticks to the glowing embers in the wood stove, then light the camp stove. By the time the fire has roared back to life and the coffee is ready, the rest of the group is up and about preparing breakfast and gathering up gear. The mix of excitement and trepidation for the monumental climb ahead of us is palpable.

Soon enough, eight of us are out the door and marching up the packed path, the lights from our headlamps bobbing hither and yon among the trailside trees. Hamlin Ridge is bathed in alpenglow as we hike up to timberline, and shortly after breaking out into the open, we turn around to witness the rising sun peeking through the narrow slot of the Chimney between Pamola and Chimney Peak.

The rising sun peeks through the Chimney on the climb up Katahdin. Photo by Kirk Cratty

Rather than deal with the corniced Saddle Slide, we opt for the steep but straightforward gully to its right. Our team has a range of mountaineering experience, from novice to advanced, and we proceed slowly but steadily over what climbers call “no fall” terrain, vigorously kicking crampons and plunging ice axes into the slope as we ascend one cautious step at a time.

Emerging onto the Tablelands, we are greeted by light winds, bluebird skies and a sea of snow-capped mountaintops, from Hamlin and Howe peaks to North and South Brother to Coe, O-J-I, Barren and Doubletop. We trundle across the vast expanse of rock and ice to the Saddle Trail junction and gather there to add layers and enjoy some food and water.

Baxter Peak looms 1,000 feet above and a mile away. Fortified now and jazzed beyond measure, we begin the final ascent, the abyss of the Great Basin off to our left, and far across, the jagged crest of the incomparable Knife Edge. In an incredible hour of climbing, the famous summit sign comes into view and with a few more steps we arrive at Maine’s mile-high apex.

Carey Kish, left, and his friends pose on the summit of Katahdin. Photo by Tom Tanner

Emotions run wild. There are high-fives, huge smiles and bear hugs all around. And pictures, pictures and more pictures. Only then can we truly relax and enjoy the one-of-a-kind, top-of-the-world panorama over the majesty that is Gov. Baxter’s wilderness park and far beyond, across the glorious landscape of the deep green Maine Woods.

Wispy clouds of the predicted afternoon storm begin to gather right on time, so after 45 minutes of milling about the peak, we dutifully pack up and head down. Good thing, too, because the gully proves that much more difficult and time-consuming on the descent. And by the time the last of the group is back at the cabin, snow is falling.

Humbled by the day’s experience, we are also thankful for the window of good weather that allowed us to reach the top of Katahdin and return safely to base camp. Settling in, snacks and liquor nips hoarded for just this moment are spread across the table, and well into the night (until 8 p.m. at least!), we celebrate our success, play cribbage and talk of adventures past and future.

Our journey began three days earlier at the Golden Road near Abol Bridge. From there, it was a strenuous 13-mile ski over the unplowed park roads to the bunkhouse at Roaring Brook Campground, each of us towing sleds loaded with five days of gear and supplies. The following morning, we strapped on snowshoes (two opted to ski) and shuffled up the trail to Chimney Pond, crossing over wild, windswept Basin Pond en route to our camp for two nights in the South Basin beneath the towering walls of the Katahdin massif.

A winter trek into Baxter State Park is the adventure of a lifetime, and climbing Katahdin is just one of many outstanding options available for snow-loving explorers. Find everything you need to plan, prepare and pull off a safe and enjoyable Baxter backcountry expedition at baxterstatepark.org/winter-basics.

Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is veteran adventurer and freelance writer. His latest book, Beer Hiking New England, will be available this spring. Follow more of Carey’s adventures on Facebook @CareyKish

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