Hiking Katahdin via Hunt Trail
I would like to start by stating that I absolutely knew summiting Katahdin was going to be the most difficult hike I had ever done. Although I have been hiking 3 and 4,000 footers my whole life, nothing can really prepare you for the ass-whooping that is Katahdin.
On August 16th, 2019, we woke up at 4 a.m. to make sure we would be one of the first cars in line when they open the park gate at 6 a.m. For those of you that don’t know, you are required to purchase a day-use parking reservation to park your car at one of the Katahdin trailhead parking lots (if you aren’t camping at one of their campsites the night before). This reservation is your ticket into the park, and it is held until 7 a.m After that, they give your spot away to those without a reservation. If you don’t make a reservation, you have to wait until 7 a.m. to enter the park, and there is no guarantee that there will be any parking spots left. Which means you may not be able to park your car and go hiking. So moral of the story is: camp in the park the night before OR make a parking reservation. If you’re hiking anywhere else in the park all spots are first come first served.
There are several Katahdin trailheads, and the one you choose should be wholeheartedly dependent on your hiking experience and preferences. This trip, we had my parents with us, so we picked the hunt trail. This trail is one of the most popular, due to how picturesque it is. It also has a more gradual incline. This is also the trail that Appalachian Trail hikers use, so don’t be discouraged if people are passing you. Take your time, enjoy the views, and be mindful of your turn around time.
To access the trailhead, we parked our car at Katahdin Stream parking lot. The first mile or so of the trail is a nice gradual climb in a forest setting. About a mile or so in, you will come to Katahdin Stream, which is home to a beautiful falls. Usually, there is a footbridge that goes over the stream, but it was out when we hiked, so we had to maneuver our way across the stream, which was kind of challenging, due to the amount of rain that had fallen that week.
After the falls, the hike becomes more and more steep, beginning with a series of stone staircases. About three miles into the hike, the tree line will come to an end and the boulder scrambling will begin, some of which even have metal rungs. This portion of the climb can be very dangerous in wet conditions. During our hike, it was raining on and off before we even got to the treeline, but we decided to push on for another half mile or so, until we saw how dense the upcoming rain clouds were and how foggy the last couple of miles were going to be. At that point, my parents decided to turn back and my husband and I kept going. My goodness, what a mistake that was. Hindsight is always 20/20, right?
I feel as if my experience would have been a lot calmer had I been able to see more than 10 feet in any direction, but the fog prohibited that entirely. From the time my parents turned back, I felt nothing but anxiety, cold, and wetness. My clothing and body were more soaked than a paper towel in water. I didn’t think it could get any worse. Then, it began hailing. Ahhh, Katahdin. It never ceases to amaze me.
After you throw your body over every last boulder, you reach what you think HAS to be the top. Spoiler alert: it isn’t. You have just entered the “gateway”, which is a fancy way of saying another whole mile of maneuvering somewhat flat, randomly arranged rocks until you summit. By the time we entered the last mile, the trail was full on flooded. But when you’re a mile away from the grand summit of Katahdin, you don’t turn around! Or at least that was the mentality I had talked myself into.
Once we reached the top, the thick fog and freezing rain hindered any possibility of mountaintop views. We barely even paused to celebrate the fact that we had successfully hiked Katahdin. Our minds were elsewhere, focused on warmth and getting out of the freezing rain. Unfortunately, I have no glorious, panoramic pictures of the summit. Instead, I came away with a story about my first dreadful experience hiking Katahdin. A mountain that should never be underestimated.