To the Flanks of Mt. Katahdin
Jun. 21st, 2021 03:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerMaine Week Travelog #16
Baxter State Park, ME - Friday, 18 Jun 2021, 10:15am.
Today we've driven up to Baxter State Park in north-central Maine. The park is home to Maine's highest peak, Mt. Katahdin, elev. 5,267'. We're not here to summit the peak. With an ascent of over 4,000' the trek is beyond the shape we're in. But the peak clearly looms above us as we embark on the trail with a ~1,000' gain to Katahdin Falls on its flank.
![Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest peak, in Baxter State Park [Jun 2021]](https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/canyonwalker/33413618/740691/740691_original.jpg "Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest peak, in Baxter State Park [Jun 2021]")
Getting up to Mt. Katahdin was a fun little road trip this morning. From our start in Bangor we were closer than our original plan of staying Bar Harbor. (See blog about calling an audible on this trip.)
The first hour of the drive was a pleasant trek up I-95. Once out morning rush hour traffic in Bangor it was smooth sailing. In Medway we turned off the interstate and drove most of the rest of the way on country highways.
Overall the trip took longer than the 2 hours estimated by Google Maps. That's because the last 10 miles of the trek were on a narrow, dirt/gravel road inside the park. A sign at the entrance informed us that keeping it "primitive" was a requirement of the person who donated the land for the park decades ago. That person also happened to be the governor at the time. 🙄
The primitive road didn't bother me much until we reached the pay station and were socked with a $15 entrance fee. $15 and they can't even pave the dang road?!
Oh, and there were questions. Lots of questions. Where were we from? (Out of state residents pay more.) Did we have any pets? (Not allowed.) Firearms? (Also not allowed.) Phone number for next of kin? (Yes, they really asked for a phone number.) The ranger dutifully noted all of this on the pass he filled out in triplicate, tearing a copy off at the end for us to display on our dashboard at all times while in the park.
Oh, and the ranger pronounced it "Kataaaaaahdin". It was fun talking to a Mainer who still speaks like a Mainer. I was getting tired of all the Minnesota trills and Texas drawls making Bah Habbah seem too much like the midwest.
Baxter State Park, ME - Friday, 18 Jun 2021, 10:15am.
Today we've driven up to Baxter State Park in north-central Maine. The park is home to Maine's highest peak, Mt. Katahdin, elev. 5,267'. We're not here to summit the peak. With an ascent of over 4,000' the trek is beyond the shape we're in. But the peak clearly looms above us as we embark on the trail with a ~1,000' gain to Katahdin Falls on its flank.
Getting up to Mt. Katahdin was a fun little road trip this morning. From our start in Bangor we were closer than our original plan of staying Bar Harbor. (See blog about calling an audible on this trip.)
The first hour of the drive was a pleasant trek up I-95. Once out morning rush hour traffic in Bangor it was smooth sailing. In Medway we turned off the interstate and drove most of the rest of the way on country highways.
Overall the trip took longer than the 2 hours estimated by Google Maps. That's because the last 10 miles of the trek were on a narrow, dirt/gravel road inside the park. A sign at the entrance informed us that keeping it "primitive" was a requirement of the person who donated the land for the park decades ago. That person also happened to be the governor at the time. 🙄
The primitive road didn't bother me much until we reached the pay station and were socked with a $15 entrance fee. $15 and they can't even pave the dang road?!
Oh, and there were questions. Lots of questions. Where were we from? (Out of state residents pay more.) Did we have any pets? (Not allowed.) Firearms? (Also not allowed.) Phone number for next of kin? (Yes, they really asked for a phone number.) The ranger dutifully noted all of this on the pass he filled out in triplicate, tearing a copy off at the end for us to display on our dashboard at all times while in the park.
Oh, and the ranger pronounced it "Kataaaaaahdin". It was fun talking to a Mainer who still speaks like a Mainer. I was getting tired of all the Minnesota trills and Texas drawls making Bah Habbah seem too much like the midwest.
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Date: 2021-06-22 03:03 am (UTC)