Swim Challenge Across Sunapee Harbor

Seventy-seven years young Skip Hause made a swim challenge to Helaina Sacco, Head Swimming, Diving Coach & Aquatics Coordinator for Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH. Skip has challenged a celebrity swimmer in a fund-raiser for the past seven years; a half-mile open water swim from Sunapee Harbor’s Lake Avenue to Dewey Beach.

 The Handicap

Given Skip has 46 years more practice than Helaina, BUT Helaina has been an elite college swimmer, they agreed Skip needed a handicap of a twelve-minute headstart. This means both swimmers begin at Skip’s dock in Sunapee Harbor, but Helaina must wait a full twelve-minutes before she starts her swim. This twelve-minute time came from using Skip’s best time four-years ago of a 26-minute crossing for the half mile swim.  Helaina, never having raced in open water since her teenage years, and given her estimated time for the half-mile swim, both felt comfortable the twelve-minute lead for Skip may result in them reaching the Dewey Beach shoreline at the same time.

 Oh, one other thing, Helaina must use four different strokes during the swim: the freestyle (crawl), backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke.

 The stakes for this very sociable race is raising funds for the Colby-Sawyer College swim team.

Here is a 60-second trailer promoting the "Swim Challenge Across Sunapee Harbor."

This is the race condensed in a 20-minute video. 

The Results

Helaina caught up to Skip 22-minutes after his start.  Given Helaina waited for 12-minutes before starting , it took her ten minutes to reach Skip.

 
Swimmers and Their Coaches

Upon reaching Skip she began a breaststroke, switched to the butterfly, then the backstroke. Just before reaching the beach, Helaina turned and returned to swim alongside Skip, and both finished together. This display of sportsmanship was rather emotional to me. Finishing together demonstrated the respect Helaina and Skip had for each other.  Each, in their own way, were the winners of this friendly challenge.

Donations:

Check payable to: Colby-Sawyer College
Helaina Sacco, Head Swimming, Diving Coach
& Aquatics Coordinator

Colby-Sawyer College
541 Main St,
New London, NH 03257

" Everyone must do something. I believe I will go outdoors with family and friends"

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Steve’s books are available as hardcopy and e-Books at Amazon's Kindle and hardcopy at Harborside Trading Company, 81 Main St, Sunapee, NH, Morgan Hill Bookstore, New London, NH, Bookstore at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Gift Shop, Lebanon, NH, and Village Sports, New London, NH.

Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics. 




Additional Sources of Books at:
Hardcopy at: http://outdoorsteve.com and https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
E-book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X

Hiking Gunnison Lake (“The Goshen Ocean”)

 

Outdoor Recreation for Seniors (ORFS) hike the three-mile Ruth LeClair Trail around Gunnison Lake, Goshen, NH

Referred by locals as, “The Goshen Ocean,” its formal name is Lake Gunnison.  The lake is man-made and provides opportunity for swimming, hiking, and kayaking. The lake is on the backside of Mt Sunapee, and the view of Mt Sunapee from the Gunnison Lake is spectacular. 

Gunnison Lake is in Goshen, NH.  From nearby Newport, take Route 10-S for a mile or so, and then a left on Rt 31 (an immediate steep hill.)  Gunnison Lake Road is on the left, clearly marked about a mile up Rt 31. Click the below video and join the ORFS as they hike around Gunnison Lake.

The three-mile Ruth LeClair woodland loop trail around the Lake took our group about one hour and thirty minutes.  The Lake is in view all the time. Be careful of roots and mud (during wet times.)  There are many small wooden bridges crossing streams into the Lake. Some of the bridges are planks, and most are rather old, so be careful when crossing.

Who are the ORFS?
The Outdoor Recreation for Seniors (ORFS) group meets every Tuesday year-round at 10 am. In the summer we kayak/canoe, bike, swim and hike. In the fall we hike and bike, and in the winter we snowshoe and cross-country ski. Our trips are from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, followed by lunch.

Directions and location are available for our Tuesday 10 am outings via email and the monthly New London Chapin Senior Center Courier newsletter. To learn more and join, contact the Chapin Senior Center at 357 pleasant Street, PO Box 1263, New London, New Hampshire 03752 or go to their web site at http://www.coachapincenter.org

ORFS is a very informal group and participation is for all outdoor enthusiasts wanting guaranteed good exercise with a friendly fun group.

" Everyone must do something. I believe I will go outdoors with family and friends"

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Steve’s books are available as hardcopy and e-Books at Amazon's Kindle and hardcopy at Harborside Trading Company, 81 Main St, Sunapee, NH, Morgan Hill Bookstore, New London, NH, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Gift Shop, Lebanon, NH, and Village Sports, New London, NH.

Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics. 




Additional Sources of Books at:
Hardcopy at: http://outdoorsteve.com and https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
E-book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X

Cooking an Egg N an Onion N an Open Campfire

A recent Great North Woods paddling and camping trip to northern New Hampshire’s Lake Francis, allowed me to take my campsite experience a bit further. Paul Tawrell's outdoor enthusiast book, Wilderness Camping and Hiking, described a method to cook an egg over an open campfire in an onion. Being one to never say, "I wish I had cooked an egg in an onion over an open campfire", I decided to try Paul's recommendation.

I submitted a video of this cooking experience in the short documentary category for the Florida Short Film Festival. I received notice the project status has been updated to semi-finalist.  An internal committee will review the film more carefully and announce the winners for this season on April 30.

I presented a 30-second trailer promotional video, and the full five-minute video.

                                       30-Second Trailer:

Five-minute Short Documentary:

Click this link to SUBSCRIBE to OutdoorSteve's YouTube Channel

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Steve’s books are available as hardcopy and e-Books at Kindle and hardcopy at Harborside Trading Company, 81 Main St, Sunapee, NH, Morgan Hill Bookstore, New London, NH, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Gift Shop, Lebanon, NH.

Outdoor Play has trip preparations, routes, and narratives of bucket list places to go. The book will motivate friends and family to make the outdoors a key component of their daily life. If you want 5 or more books signed, send Steve an email and we can work out the logistics. 




Additional Sources of Books at:
Hardcopy at: http://outdoorsteve.com and https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X
E-book at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/098503842X

The Ballad of the Allagash

Fellow Outdoor Adventurers,

Film Festivals will soon select their summer film category winners.  Given our Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) and Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) accomplishments, I have decided to submit a film documenting our memories of the AWW and NFCT.  The AWW serves as the eastern-most section of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT). Sections 12 and 13 of the NFCT overlap the Allagash for nearly 90-miles from Chamberlain Lake to St John River at Allagash Village. 

If you remember, a while back, Linwood and I asked all who had been on the Allagash trips for one or more verses to be used to write "The Ballad of the Allagash."  This film uses the Ballad we wrote as the foundation for this video. I trust the memories will still be there for you.

I suggest you sit your friends and family down, make some popcorn, gather your favorite drink, and together watch this half hour draft of The Ballad of the Allagash.  Keep notes!

Here is a 60-second trailer to promote the "The Ballad of the Allagash."

A Thirty-Minute Film: "The Ballad of the Allagash"

Please send me your comments on both videos.

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Without a doubt, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (Allagash, AWW) in northern Maine rates as the brightest among the jewels of Maine’s wilderness state parks and historic sites.  Some 104 miles end-to-end, the Waterway offers the canoer both lake and river paddling environments, including primitive camping, portages, class 2 whitewater paddling on 5-mile Chase Rapids, remnants of the century-old Eagle Lake tramway built to aid transporting logs to the papermills, and the 40’Allagash Falls. 

The pictures and videos in this film are a composite of three Allagash trips guided by Loon Parsons. 

This presentation has four parts.

1.  First, meet the film paddlers – The Loon and the Chickadee.  And the fifteen paddlers they guided on week-long adventures of Allagash insights, history lessons, teaching paddling skills, and the peace of the remote north country, called the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
2. Second, watch the briefs from the trips to get insight into the verses sung in the Allagash Ballad. See, our paddlers do a canoe rescue for two of our group in the middle of Eagle lake. See father-son combinations run the hazards and remnants of Long Lake Dam. Hear why Folger’s Black Silk coffee is forever cherished.
3. Next, hear Tim’s interview on his seven trips in Maine with “The Loon “and “The Chickadee,” and memories to be heard in The Ballad of the Allagash.
4. Finally, is The Ballad of the Allagash, sung to Janis Joplin’s melody, “Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.“ All the verses are composed by individuals who experienced paddling the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with Master Maine Guide Loon and his wife, The Chickadee.” Each stanza of the ballad reflects a special Allagash moment.

Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) - Three Trips

The map here shows in red the three put-ins, one at Johnson Pond, and two at Indian Steam. Our take-outs are at St John River in Allagash Village, Maine, near the New Brunswick, Canadian border. Johnson Pond was a 104-mile eight-day paddle, and Indian Steam, a 94-mile six-day paddle. The blue arrows are the northern paddling downstream route.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT)

The Allagash also serves as the eastern-most section of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT). Sections 12 and 13 of the NFCT overlap the Allagash for nearly 90-miles from Chamberlain Lake to St John’ River at Allagash Village.

Section 12 is a 41-mile paddle from Umbazooksus Stream to the Umsaskis Lake outlet to where Section 13 begins. As seen in the map, from our Johnson Pond put-in, we joined the designated NFCT Section 12 in Chamberlain Lake before the Lock Dam.

Our Indian Stream put-in meets NFCT Section 12 in Eagle Lake.

NFCT Section 12 is a 41-mile paddle from Umbazooksus Stream to the Umsaskis Lake outlet to where Section 13 begins. From our Johnson Pond put-in, we paddle across Chamberlin Lake joining the designated NFCT Section 12. The Indian Stream put-in joins NFCT Section 12 in Eagle Lake.

First roamed by native Abnaki Indians in search of food and furs, then in the 1800s by lumbermen in search of virgin timber for logs and pulpwood, the Allagash today is visited by the adventurist paddler seeking a deep backwoods experience in wilderness camping.

Our Daily Paddle and Campsites

Each day begins from your tent, a campfire breakfast, packing of tents, gear, and canoes, and then paddle northeast downstream to experience an assortment of streams, lakes, rivers, and white water. Remember, the Allagash flows northeast. Each day ends after eight to twenty miles of sometimes challenging paddling and all the while seeing an abundance of wildlife from the majestic moose to our national bird, the bald eagle.

 We locate a campsite, prepare a campfire, set up tents, maybe a swim, enjoy a well-earned dinner, see a beautiful sunset, followed by campfire stories and tales of the day. Then comes a deep sleep in the Allagash Wilderness waterway. The next morning we continue our daily routine and look forward to the day’s paddle and confronts.

The Allagash Wilderness Waterway is rich in historical points of interest from those by-gone eras. 

We explored the “Tramway” that connects Eagle Lake with Chamberlain Lake and see the locomotives that ran between Eagle and Umbazooksus lakes in the early 1900’s lumbering era.

 At Churchill Dam, preparing for paddling the 5-mile Chase Rapids in empty canoes, we left our gear with a park ranger, who brought our bags to the end of Chase Rapids.

Twelve miles from Allagash Village, we portage the most incredible spectacle on the river; the 40-foot high Allagash Falls, a thundering, boiling cauldron of power and beauty.

A week or so later, after paddling 100 miles, we are at Allagash Village, where the Allagash River and the St John River meet on the Canadian border.

Indeed, paddling the Allagash is a bucket list of treasured memories. These remembrances are shared and made lasting in The Ballad of the Allagash.

 References

Map-Paddling the Allagash Wilderness Waterway https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parksearch/Pro

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The Ballad of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway

(To the tune of “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz” (Janis Joplin)

Introduction to Ballad by Steve

This Allagash Wilderness Waterway Ballad video was prepared from participants’ memorable moments of expeditions guided by Registered Master Maine Guide Linwood Parsons and his wife Betty.

Without a doubt, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway rates as the gem of Maine’s wilderness areas.

The verses of this Ballard are to the tune of Janis Joplin, “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz.”

The Ballad of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway

 (Kathy)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a big can of Ben’s.

I’m out in the woods now,

The flies never end.

Got bitten all over,

No help from my friends.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a big can of Ben’s.

 

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a bed of my own.

A mattress and box spring

That’s not on the ground.

Last night I got bruises,

I slept on a stone.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a bed of my own.

 

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a roll of TP.

Those baked beans of Betty’s

Are getting to me.

Been wiping with leaves

Til I got poison ivy.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a roll of TP.

 (Linwood)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a deputy’s badge.

We helped save two druggies

At Little Allagash.

Ole Andy was naked,

And Tara was scared.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a deputy’s badge.

 

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me new waterproof gear.

“Dry bags” became “wet bags”

When we sank to our ear.

We swam down the rapids

A chasin’ the beer.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me new waterproof gear.

 (Betty)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a few more good years.

To paddle with Linwood

And Harry mit beers.

Chase Rapids with Karen

Without many fears.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a few more good years.

 (Karen)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me an instant campfire.

No sawing of firewood,

No stripping of bark.

No pleading with Linwood

Or Harry to lite it.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me an instant campfire.

(Harry)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a brand new spruce paddle.

Chase Rapids are coming,

Excitement is high.

Cross draw, sweep, and a pry,

Til we all finished dry.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a brand new spruce paddle.

 (Steve)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Maine Master Guide.

To show us the Allagash,

In swagger and stride.

And teach us canoe rescue,

And a loon landing wildlife bona fide.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Maine Master Guide.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Chickadee and a Loon.

The bread in the Dead,

Cornish hen in the coffee can.

Folger’s Black Silk,

and a pudding lid spoon.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Chickadee and a Loon.

 

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a campsite to rest.

Spruce gum for the rookie,

Counting moose at its best.

A swim though the rapids,

Flint and steel for our test.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a campsite to rest.

 (Steve)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Long Lake Dam

A dam to portage if you can,

Or paddle at risk and I’ll be dam.

A spike waiting to rip the canoe,

Tim and Steve paddled be dammed.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Long Lake Dam.

 (Tim)

Oh lord take me down to the Allagash now.

Take me to the north woods,

 Where the moose runs wild and proud.

To see the eagles soar,

As I relax on the shore.

Oh lord take me down to the Allagash now.

 

Oh Lord, won't you buy me some rapids right now.

The "V" through the rocks

will guide us somehow.

The draw stroke shall save us

with a quick turn of the bow.

Oh Lord, won't you buy me some rapids right now.

 (Dundee)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me more beer.

To help me create more cairns made of stone,

And the whistles of willow,

And the white birch bark stars.

So much more to create, so

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me more beer!

 (Paul)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a big ole white sail.

I’m on Eagle Lake and,

The wind never fails.

My arms ache from paddlin’,

Oh, S#%t is that hail?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a big ole white sail.

 (Linwood)

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a big ole fat fish.

I'll gut him and skin him,

Then he'll land in my dish.

An eighteen inch Brookie,

Now that'd be my wish.

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a big ole fat fish.

 (Linwood)

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a bigger Canoe.

'Cause the one I have now,

Just simply won't do.

Need more room for the beer,

for the hard strokin' Crew.

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a bigger Canoe.

 (Rick)

Oh Lord, won't you buy me some stars in the Sky.

They look near at hand,

yet, are so high.

I'm just a lightening bug seeking a mate,

in the heavens above, but I'm feeling spry.

Oh Lord, won't you buy me some stars in the Sky.

(Steve)

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me paddlers so grand.

Dundee is prepared,

And navigates first hand.

Timothy skilled in the stern,

When the river gets tough he insures the turn

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me paddlers so grand.

 

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a campfire recipe.

Garret flint and steel,

Tim saws wood fire-to-be.

Linwood’s cuisine is five-star,

Lobster and eggs benedict are the par.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a campfire recipe.

 

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me “Never say I wish I had …”

For eight days we were in awe of the Allagash and the Loon,

Our skills grew as we paddled in tune.

Coolers with names of rivers,

All are lifetime of memories delivered.

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me “Never say I wish I had …”

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Paddling the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Long Lake to Village of Saranac

Fellow Outdoor Adventurers,

Paddling Film Festival World Tour will soon hold a film festival. I selected this particular film company because we have attended prior shows by them, and they had no NFCT films. Given our many Northern Forest Canoe Trail accomplishments, I have decided to submit a movie of our NFCT Section 2 experience for the canoeing documentary category.

I suggest you sit your friends and family down, make some popcorn, gather your favorite drink, and together watch this draft of the Paddling the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Long Lake to Village of Saranac.

Please send me your comments on the video.

Here is the 50-second Trailer I developed to promote the 50-minute "Paddling the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Long Lake to Village of Saranac."

50-Minute Film

--Below is the Description I will include along with the video--

Welcome to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The NFCT is a living reminder of when rivers were highways and communication routes. The Trail is 740-miles of historic waterway traveled by Native Americans. Its west to east direction begins in Old Forge, New York, and travels through Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and ends in Fort Kent, Maine.

The NFCT is divided into 13 sections and has detailed maps for each section. Our journey was Section 2 in the Adirondack and Saranac region of northern New York. We began at the Long Lake bridge paddling in a north-east direction and ended 42-miles and 3 ½ days later at the Village of Saranac. Our trip included transfers through two hand-operated locks to convey paddlers between waterways and three very demanding portages totaling 11.5 plus miles.

Our 3 ½ day itinerary:

• Day 1: A 15-mile paddle on Long Lake, then a 1.6-mile portage around Raquette falls – which took three trips for a hike of 4.8-miles - with our day ending at the Palmer Brook lean-to on the Raquette River.
• Day 2: Raquette River to Stony Creek Ponds, a 1.1-mile Indian Carry portage - which took five trips for 5.5-miles - and the .4-mile, Bartlett Carry, into Middle Saranac Lake for a paddle to our campsite on Norway Island. We paddled twelve-miles on Day 2.
• Day 3: We paddled through the Upper Locks into Lower Saranac Lake to our campsite on Partridge Island. About an 8-mile paddling day.
• Day 4: Lower Saranac Lake to First Pond into Second Pond and through the Lower Locks of the Saranac River into Oseetah Lake, and then into Lake Flower for our take-out at the Village of Saranac Lake. An 8-mile paddling day.

This Section 2 water highway has no fresh drinking water sources. Dehydration can be a major issue. We restocked our drinking water at night, boiling lake water with our Jet Boil.

On day 3 we paddled from our Norway Island campsite on Middle Saranac Lake to Partridge Island campsite in Lower Saranac Lake. We started day 3 with another great breakfast by Chef John. We appreciate John's menu planning, food acquisition, and indeed, his meals are fit for royalty.

We paddled through the self-operated Uppers Lock from Middle Saranac Lake to Lower Saranac. Enjoy our video of our lock transition as we thoroughly appreciated the experience of going from a higher lake to a lower lake – bypassing a strict set of rapids.

On our last day on Section 2 of the NFCT we paddled from our Partridge Island campsite through another hand-operated lock to Oseetah Lake. Experience the transitory and unique Lower Lock feeling of our canoes and gear being transported via water from Lower Saranac Lake to Oseetah Lake.

The paddling was easy and we soaked in the wilderness and beauty of the Adirondacks.  We saw deer, huge rock formations, swam in the lakes each evening, and watched sunsets from our island campsites.  

After we did our final take-out  at the Village, we went to the NFCT Kiosk and signed the NFCT log book.

Never say, "I wish I had paddled the Northern Forest Canoe Trail Section 2 in the Adirondack and Saranac wilderness."

Hiking Maine's Fabled Knife Edge Trail

(**2021 Dublin World Film Festival Award Winner SemiFinalist Film Documentary**)

Fellow Knife Edge Hiking Colleagues and Outdoor Adventurers:

I am thrilled to announce that a film festival will soon be held, featuring a category for short documentary films. Inspired by our incredible achievements hiking Maine’s Mount Katahdin Knife Edge Trail to Baxter Peak, I have decided to submit a documentary showcasing our unforgettable trail experience.

This 30-minute video includes many pictures and videos that you have never seen before. Unlike my original seven-minute video, this new documentary captures not only our journey to Baxter Peak but also the return hike, providing a comprehensive view of our adventure.

I hope you enjoy reliving these moments as much as I did putting them together. Your support and camaraderie have made these experiences truly special.

I suggest you sit your friends and family down, make some popcorn, gather your favorite drink, and watch this Knife Edge documentary.  

Be prepared to close your eyes if you are severely afraid of heights.

Here is the 50-second Trailer I developed to promote the half-hour "Hiking the Fabled Knife Edge Trail."

Here is the half-hour film submitted to the Film Festival:  

------------------------------Intro Narrative----------------------------

I present the Fabled Knife Edge Trail of Mount Katahdin, Maine. A 15-hour and 11-mile hike, followed by the trail mapping plan. Five friends and I will take you with us, share the Knife Edge experience, and discuss the planning.

We planned a long day of hiking, only to find a day and evening of climbing. The plan seemed relatively straightforward:

1. Hike to Baxter Peak, the northern terminus of the 2,162-mile Appalachian Trail (AT).
2. Cross the fabled 1.1-mile Knife Edge Trail.
3. Hike five miles on the AT starting at its northern beginning at Baxter Peak.

A footpath by the loosest of definitions, the ridge-jagged Knife Edge can be as narrow as the width of your laptop computer screen with thousand-foot drop-offs on both sides of the ridge. The 1.1-mile Knife Edge Trail in Baxter State Park, Maine, is often described as the most dangerous trail in New England. The crossing was a two-hour scramble, balancing act, crawling, scooting on our butts, while on a peaked rock-strewn ridge stretching from Pamola Peak across Chimney Peak (4902 feet) and South Peak to Baxter Peak (5267 feet) on Mt Katahdin. Baxter Peak is the northern start of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail.

You cannot drive or paddle to reach the Knife Edge Trail. First, it takes a 7-hour uphill hike from Roaring Brook campground to Chimney Peak to get to the beginning of the notorious and legendary Knife Edge Trail. Next, after a two-hour hike described above, you finally arrive at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Mt Katahdin's Baxter Peak. And remember, what goes up a mountain, must come down. After reaching your Baxter Peak goal via the Knife Edge Trail, you now must hike down five miles on Mt Katahdin's Appalachian Trail in more treacherous ridge terrain for six hours to return to the Katahdin Stream Campground.

-----------------------------------

More Detail Videos of Knife Edge, Google Earth Map Route, and Overview of Our Katahdin Trek

Sit back and enjoy - and cringe - as we cross the fabled Knife Edge Trail. Now showing on Bedford Community Television (BCTV) - produced by OutdoorSteve.com
Click here for a narrated Map of our Katahdin Trail Route using Google Earth.
Click here for A Little Stroll Along Katahdin with Dundee and LoonsNest.biz

Below is the time and miles breakdown by trail

Trails	Start	End Total Trip Hrs:Min	Hours   Miles	Comments
Roaring Brook Campground to Chimney Pond Campground	Start 6:45 am	9:30 am	2 ¾ hrs 3.3 miles	Chimney Pond Trail easy hike.  4 of us used Tracking Poles.  Some nice side trail views.
Chimney Pond Campground to Pamola Peak via Dudley Trail	10 am	1 pm	3 hrs 1.4 miles	After a snack and rest at Chimney Pond Campground, we tied our tracking poles to our packs.  The Dudley Trail is a 2,000 elevation gain and a relentless massive granite boulder laden trail nearly straight up requiring our hands for pulling, grabbing rocks and hand holds, our legs for pushing, our arms for lifting our bodies, our feet for pushing and toe holds, and our butts to sliding up and holding our bodies at times. All of us were exhausted.  Indeed it was a very trying physical test of our mettle.
Pamola Peak to Chimney Peak/Knife Edge	1:20 pm	2:12 pm	¾ hr	Our descent down the 40 foot drop from Pamola Peak was technical “rock climbing” .  We held indentations in the rocks while reaching for footholds.  Indeed for this descent we used using hands, arms, body and butt.
Knife Edge to South Peak	2:12	3:00 pm	1 hr .8 miles	A 1.1 mile balancing act along the ridge of the Knife Edge Trail. Prior to this trip I had visions of panicking because of the elevation and 1000 foot drop offs and extremely narrow trail.  Truthfully, I had no fear as I crossed this very unique trail.
South Peak to Baxter Peak	3:00	3:50 pm	1 hr .3 miles	This ridge trail went up and down.  Just when we got to the top of the trail, it would drop and we would start another descent.  Then an ascent followed by another descent.  We were close to 7 hours since we left Roaring Brook campground and were tired.  At each high ledge we could see Baxter Peak, but could not differentiate the rolling ridge.
Baxter Peak  via Hunt Trail through Table Land	4:00 pm	5:15 pm	1 ¼ hr 1.0 miles	Tableland was like a country hike.  It was flat and a welcome hike.  We passed the famous Henry David Thorough Spring. We had been hiking for near ten hours.
Hunt Trail after TableLand to Katahdin Stream Campground	5:15 pm	10:00 pm	4.5 hrs 4.2 miles	We were now headed down and home, BUT still had 4.2 miles according to the trail sign. The first two miles were a steep down and over rough granite.  We did have some technical areas.  One section had steel handles in the granite to make the descent from huge ledges a bit easier. Took us two hours just to get below the tree line. At 8:30 pm we put on our headlamps.  We used our trekking poles to give us stability through the downward rock strewn path. At 10 pm we reached the ranger check-in station where we signed-on the register that six of us were back. We also met the Park Ranger who had been told by two people who passed us earlier in the dark with headlamps and that we were fine and on our way
TOTAL HOURS	6:45 am	10:00 pm	11 miles  15 hrs!	What a Journey!!!

Knife Edge Trail
We were into our hike for about 6 ½ hrs. of rock strewn, rugged and prolonged steepness on the Dudley trail reaching Pamola Peak, followed by a technical Pamola descent.  We ascended Chimney Peak, and the start of the almost mile high Knife Edge Trail. Whew!

The Knife Edge Trail is perhaps the most spectacular trail in New England – and also the most dangerous. It would take us two hours to cross from Chimney Peak to Baxter Peak.

We were advised to avoid the Knife Edge in stormy weather. The exposure to high winds and lightning is extreme. We were warned once we decide to cross the Knife Edge we MUST CONTINUE ON THE TRAIL. There is no safe way to descend off either side of the mountain ridge. Our weather conditions were perfect!

The mile long Knife Edge path stretches across the South Basin’s headwall between Pamola and Baxter Peak. You get a sense of what these six outdoor enthusiasts experienced crossing this unique narrow mile-high ridge with 1,000-foot plus drops on both sides. At a few points the width of the ridge was close to 10-inches. The views, when we dared a birds-eyed glimpse, are magnificent and certainly breathtaking.

Are You Ready for Katahdin?

A very special thanks goes to Linwood and Betty of Loons Nest (http://www.loonsnest.biz/) for their immense help in preparing this trip.

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References

• www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/
• Bedford Community Television (BCTV):  Knife Edge to Baxter Peak at the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail produced by Steve Priest
• The Wilderness Map Company, Franconia, NH 03580 (I could find no web site on the map I used titled, Katahdin: Baxter State Park, Maine)
• OutdoorSteve Blog Post November 2009: Springer Mountain, Georgia - The Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy
• http://www.loonsnest.biz/

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"Everyone must do something.  I believe I will go outdoors with family and friends"

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