This was a great trip. We camped at New England Outdoor Center up the road from the gate entrance. We didn’t beat the clouds, but no rain so the trails were great. The Knife Edge was tough and slow going, but the Chimney was more difficult overall, though brief.
The descent down Hamlin Ridge Trail was slow with many scrambles toward the end of the day. I would not change the direction of the loop if I had to do it again, as putting Knife Edge toward the end would be mentally exhausting.
Overall a fantastic hike and very glad I was able to do it.
Camped at New England Outdoor Center just up the road, first at the gate in the morningGlance back at the line of cars building behind usOnce inside, we headed on trailHeaded up Helon Taylor to PamolaPlenty of ripe blueberries all along the wayKevin makes is way up a few boulder sections of Helon TaylorA quick selfie as we catch some of our first viewsKevin looking into the south basin as we make some gainsCatching Kevin lining up the scrambles up to PamolaThe summit of Pamola with Baxter Peak(behind the sign) and the ridge down to the TablelandsA look at the Knife Edge trail to Baxter Peak from PamolaThe first hump is Chimney Peak. We have to descend steeply to a col, then back up to reach itLooking across the south basin with glimpses into the north basin. Hamlin Peak is in the cloudsKevin please to reach PamolaKevin starting his way down to the col between Pamola and Chimney PeakOnce in the col, looking at the route to ascend Chimney PeakScanning up Chimney Peak. The blue blazes guide you, but still requires much careKevin figuring out how to negotiate around one protrusion up and to the leftKevin surveys the range and basin from Chimney PeakA precarious looking place to tie your shoe, along Mt Katahdin’s Knife EdgeNavigating the Knife Edge requires some balance on the always off camber footingThe blue blaze on Knife Edge suggests this narrow stretch, with nothing much belowWe both elect the herd path around the less daunting wayAs we slowly progress on Knife Edge, we keep an eye as clouds are rolling over the Baxter Peak from the northLooking back down Knife Edge toward Chimney Peak and Pamola.The clouds rolled over Baxter Peak from the north down into the basin, then back up over Knife EdgeWe rose to meet the cloud ceiling just before Baxter PeakNearly losing site of Kevin in the cloudsAnother hiker beside a massive cairn atop Mt Katahdin, Baxter PeakKevin classic summit selfie, with trademark sunglasses on in the clouds. Also waiting for photo opportunities were several Appalachian Trail finishers.My summit selfie atop Mt Katahdin Baxter Peak, next to the iconic Katahdin summit sign, northern terminus of the Appalachian TrailOne of the AT finishers stepping up to the Katahdin sign atop Baxter PeakThe crushed stone bed of the Saddle Trail down to the Tablelands was annoying, glad it was short-livedThe flats of the Tableland and SaddleThe junction of Saddle Trail and Northwest Basin Trail on our way up toward Hamlin PeakBack in the clouds as we reached the summit cairn on Hamlin PeakHamlin Ridge Trail crosses over the summit and down the ridge toward the basin pondsAs we begin our descent off Hamlin Peak, a brief look back at the large cliff wall just a few steps from the trailLooking toward the basin ponds(upper and lower), with Hamlin Ridge Trail along the crest. North basin to our left, south basin to our rightA look back at where our day started, across the south basin, toward Pamola and Knife EdgeUpper/Lower Basin Ponds down below the Hamlin Ridge TrailMore looks into the south basin of Mt Katahdin from Hamlin Ridge Trail. Chimney Pond catches the mountain run offKevin filling up on ripe blueberriesOur work is not over yet, the Hamlin Ridge Trail is a bit slow going off the summit with many scrambles to negotiateKevin coming around some scrub as we near treeline on the Hamlin Ridge TrailThe Roaring Brook Campground and our ride is down beyond the pondsJunction of Hamlin Ridge Trail and where we pick up North Basin TrailBright colored mushrooms were plentiful in the shaded stretchesThis was a very long boardwalk over some drainage, quite unexpected in the wildernessLooking over South Basin Pond toward North Basin and Hamlin Ridge Trail centerNow along the Roaring Brook, we reach cruising speedThe other side of the Chimney Pond Trail is a fright of another kind (see post about Whitewall bushwhackA bridge over Roaring Brook which we bypassThe start and end of our big loop, 11.4 miles in 9 hours, including rests
