Day 21 - 6/29/24 – Katahdin – Great Mountain

Katahdin Stream Campground (5.2) to Katahdin Summit (0.0) and back to Katahdin Stream Campground.

The famous Katahdin sign at the summit - The Northern Terminus of the AT!

Katahdin! Katahdin holds an almost mystical status in the imaginations of AT hikers, both as one of the most challenging climbs of the whole trail and as the northern terminus. Today, I got to hike to the summit of Katahdin and begin my southbound hike. My dad and I started early, arriving at the entrance to Baxter State Park before 6 am. This was a necessity because admission to the state park is limited each day.

I started my hike from Katahdin Stream Campground just after 7:00 in the morning. The first mile of the trail is deceptively easy.

An example of the bouldering throughout much of the climb

Then, the path turned upward, and I learned precisely why Katahdin is both feared and revered. Once I climbed above the treeline, the wind picked up and the trail turned into an indeterminate path over and around giant boulders (picture). 

About two miles from the summit, the trail climbs a rocky spine for about half a mile (picture). This one tricky section took me nearly 30 minutes. For reference, half a mile on the trail usually takes around 10 minutes. 

I reached the summit (yay!) around 10 am, and a fellow hiker was kind enough to take my picture on the summit sign (picture). At the summit, I met a few thru-hikers who were finishing their 2,200-mile trek, which was very cool. I didn’t stay at the summit too long, though, as it was pretty chilly, and the wind started to pick up.

I started my descent, which was even slower going than the way up. Trying to lower myself back down the boulders I had just scrambled up took a toll on my knees.

Along the spine on the way down, I met up with my dad, and we stopped for a quick snack (picture). He decided to turn around, as it was almost noon, and we climbed back down together. After the hike, we got a quick dinner and returned to the hotel to crash. Tonight will be my last night in civilization for about the next week, as I’ll enter the Hundred Mile Wilderness tomorrow.