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Looking for Katahdin partner(s) this winter
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Hello, Looking to start planning a Katahdin trip for this winter (November - March). I'm hoping to find someone with previous experience knowing that winter Katahdin logistics are a nightmare. I've climbed Katahdin in the summer and would be willing to do what ever help is needed to get a winter trip planned. I will have a week available and would like to do as many routes as possible. I can follow in the WI4 / M5 / 5.8 range. Feel free to drop a line if you might need a partner / know of others, or can offer advice on planning my own trip. Best, Joe |
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Joe: I've run two Katahdin winter expeditions (1998 and 2000) and would be willing to offer you advice. Baxter has there rules and regulations for Winter permits on there site ( baxterstatepark.org/winter-… ) and my first advice is simply get your permit in "EARLY"...LIKE NOW ! That said, a team of SIX is required or was in my day. (two teams of 2 can climb routes technical or non-technical) and one team is in reserve for rescue. Now most laugh at this and all of Baxter's rules, but I for one say it is worth it..if by chance you get Chimney Pond alone and get your weather window...the mountain is the best east of the Rockies, just follow the rules. Pick your team wisely, plan your logistics carefully (I highly recommend radio 's for all three teams) ...it's not a trip to Denali but it's a great prep for such. Train for this one..the ability to symo climb and make long run outs on grade 2-2+ terrain is needed on most of the gully routes. We always went late Feb. Early March to gain the MAX SUNLIGHT. Sleds are needed and ski's preferred (a good backcountry set up is best) but we used cross country set ups. I'm not one for snow shoes, but one "could" argue there need. Get the cabin and bring good food...this is not the trip for suffering unnecessarily. All teams should pledge to and obey a turnaround time on there routes...have realistic goals and have had adequate training and fitness to safely pull these goals off, I know the critics will call me paranoid and motherly but this mountain doesn't care , it deserves respect! Anyway..that's my 2 cents, Good Luck...your going to love it ! Feel free to PM me for any specifics. newbostonbowen@aol.com |
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Hey Sean, thanks for your kind reply. It seems as thought the office has relaxed its rules in terms of party size and I plan on sending my reservations in the next week. I've been fortunate to find a partner on here who can lead 3+ and we are still looking for 1 more that could lead Cilley-Barber, Waterfall Gully, etc. Are you interested in heading up? We are aiming for the week(s) before or after Dec. 25th. Best, Joe |
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Update - just called Baxter. They said the Bunkhouse will be reserved for only 1 party at a time because of Covid even if the party is only 2 people. They said they're still figuring out pricing but it normally is $400 a night for the entire house. If anyone wants to get in on a reservation Dec 11 - January 8 let me know asap. My current party of 2 is planning on a 5 day 4 night stay. |
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I've been to Baxter a couple of times in recent winters. The crux is getting the bunkhouse at Chimney Pond, you're golden if you manage that. I never have, it goes quick. They will likely sell out reservations for the whole season on the first day they open. But with the bunkhouse you'll have a warm place to hang out and dry your gear if all else fails (and it might). However, if you're willing to sleep outside it relaxes the planning a lot: there will pretty much always be lean-to's available for the masochists and you can reserve those 1wk in advance rather than months. If you're willing to do this it gains you significant flexibility in terms of weather. It's very possible to go a whole week there without a good window. Definitely bring a tarp to block off the lean-to entrance. Multiple routes might not be feasible with this approach because all your gear will be soaked after one big route, but the ranger and cabin dwellers will probably be kind and let you dry your stuff out a bit indoors. Fine for a smash and grab though. Other than that, just need to learn how to ski with a sled. There's a little route finding to get from Abol Bridge to the Tote road initially (any reasonably experienced backpacker with a GPS can pull it off easily). From there it's just mindless suffering to Roaring Brook. Crossing over Basin Pond and finding the trail on the other side on the way to Chimney Pond can also be a bit confusing the first time if the ranger hasn't left snowmobile tracks recently. I agree with the radios mentioned. They had a rescue call out on me last time I went, would have been nice to be able to tell the ranger everything was fine. I would definitely work out a specific communication plan with the ranger on duty if I went back. Felt bad about that. If your primary objective is climbing I think approach skis with fishscale bottoms and Silvrettas that fit your climbing boots are the ticket, but if you and your partner are backcountry skiers then hauling your gear up there could be fun if the weather turns out to be better for skiing than climbing. Good luck, have fun, embrace the adventure/suffering and don't get your hopes up too much. I know I'm not the only one that's shown up there and not gotten on the big routes due to weather. Some weeks it's just not meant to be. |
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Joe: |
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JD - thanks for your notes. We're waiting to see what the Bunkhouse pricing is like and would much rather stay inside but we aren't opposed to the lean-tos. The park ranger said they are optimistic that there will be availabilities in December, just depends if they are going to make us pay $400 per night. Definitely planning to bring some tarps if that's the case and would be hopeful that we can dry out gear inside. Was thinking of renting a snowmobile drop off to Tongue Pond via Twin Camps/NEOC but it's $275 each way. That might be too expensive for us, looks like we will have to make a decision on that. Perhaps we will need to be prepared for 16 miles of skiing via Abol Bridge - Tongue Pond - Roaring Brook - Chimney Pond. I have quite of bit of climbing experience but have yet to made an approach on skis like this. I don't have an alpine touring kit and instead will be renting a set up. Alpenglow in Orono is able to rent me fishscale/silvrettas and NEOC has cross country kits for $20 a day. I think the Alpenglow set up might be better, not sure how well the cross country skis will hike uphill. |
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Well good job tackling logistics. December is early season, I've not been up at that time but presume there will be some ice in a typical year. It's ~5 miles one way from Abol Bridge (accessible by car) to the Togue Pond Gatehouse. If you do the snowmobile ride (they'll take a different route) just make sure they have a way to bring your pulk and skis. Most people do Abol Bridge to Roaring Brook on the first day then go up to Chimney Pond the next morning. You can certainly do it in a monster day if you're one of these new aged mountain triathletes. It didn't agree with me personally. You can get back out in a day easily, it's mostly downhill. The Alpenglow setup is better for simplicity so you don't have to haul two pairs of boots out there. But I'm not sure what a good set of XC skis/bindings/boots weighs these days, Silvrettas are heavy so it might be closer to a wash weight wise. If you've not skied much it might be pretty frustrating. Worth considering snowshoes even though they're slow. I'd still bring a pulk either way. That's a long way to slog with weight on your back. |
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Joe: I used X-Country sets for UMaine at Orano, and most of my crew used Alpine glow type set ups...they were much better with the skins and allowed there use puling UP HILL from Roaring Brook, while I had to BOOT IT UP the hill to Chimney Pond. Get the hut ....an MIT crew that went the week before us stayed in the lean-too's and was misarable...you never dry out and believe me at least in Late Feb. when we went it was COLD. Get the HUT !! Damn Baxter...we paid $25.00 per person per night back in the day. PS: don't forget pitons, at least a few for belay's especually if you stick to the early season. Use double 70 m ropes and carry a spare cordellette for rap anchors. I know the new age crowd will laugh , but leash's are a good idea, you loose a tool up on Cilley Barber or Waterfall , your done ! The radios' are key or were for my groups. Build your pulk sled with reinforcements (I did pvc pipe all around) and if you have time to train on a pull you should, plus symo climbing with your partner (even on simple rock would be good practice, get your belay transitions down to a science). We hauled 150 lbs apeice, Those sleds take a beating ( I used a super big : hockey equiptment bag to store everything in the sled) , but you want good food and spirits so dont skimp on supplies ! My buddy used his Snowmachine to ferry to the Tounge Pond Gate and we chained the machine there, the 2ed yr we went, it was great, but not needed...the woods ski from the golden road to the gate is mellow. hard to get lost ! Again "pm" me for the goory details |
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Everyone has different experiences with the reservation process, but I accepted years ago that I was most likely going to sleep outside if I wanted a good chance at getting on Cilley Barber with reasonable weather. YMMV obviously depending on how flexible or inflexible the rest of your life is. I have to ask for my vacation weeks months in advance. I've never been able to get the CP bunkhouse in peak climbing season (early March when the ice is still fat but it's a bit warmer and there's a bit more daylight), even when I lived in Maine and supposedly had priority as a resident. I'd send in my reservation form with overnight mail, call the park office the day reservations opened and be told "oh yeah there was a line out the door this morning, they get first dibs." It's Millinocket on a week day - if your life allows you to easily drive up to northern Maine on a Tuesday to get a spot, great. And even after going through all that, weather might suck. This isn't like planning a week long trip to the Cascades in June where you're all but guaranteed a couple of nice days. My strategery: I've taken the first week of March off for the past several years. If in the last week of February the extended weather forecast didn't suck, I called the park office and reserved a lean-to for the whole week. Then just kept an eye on the forecast and dashed in for a couple of nights whenever the weather looked best. Even this way I've shown up to shit conditions at CP :-) And obviously I wouldn't recommend it as your first subzero camping experience. One of the local guides posted this smash n grab with fat bikes. Many climbers don't ski so I've heard a lot of people talking about doing the approach this way. I'd say flexibility helps a lot here; you need a certain set of (likely early or late season) conditions or fat bikes don't go. I saw 5 of them chained to trees along the Tote road on the way to Roaring Brook this past March where people had given up and started walking. Skis remain the best solution on most days. With fishscales + skins I skied all the way up to Chimney Pond and all the way down. Baxter is one of my favorite places but the logistics are challenging. It's way out there, winter weather sucks, park rules etc.. I honestly found it much easier to go climb in the Ruth Gorge in Spring. I can get on a plane in New England in the morning and be in Anchorage 3pm the same day, Talkeetna by 6pm after a supply run, can be on the glacier at the foot of your climb that night. And while Spring in AK offers no guarantees, your chances of good weather are higher than winter in Baxter. Update this thread with your experience, I know I was looking for trip reports years ago and only found a handful. For a modest climb in the lower 48 (not even very far from me) I found it challenging to finally tick off the bucket list. It's not that it's super hard, just a lot of planning goes into it and a lot of variables outside your control have to line up. EDIT: here's the trip report from the above fat bike smash n grab. http://www.brentdoscher.com/cilley-barber Relevant:
You gotta want it :-) |
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Hey Joe, you guys find more climbers? I'm considering a winter trip up there, probably be able to bring a 4th along to split the bunkhouse with you guys. Let me know! |
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Hey Nick, thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, my partner bailed so it's only me right now. I called the office this morning and the bunkhouse is only open to single parties at a time for a flat rate of $275 a night + $10 per person. If you know of others and would like to get a group together I would like to join forces. I could spring for the cash at a minimum of 5 people, other than that its too expensive. I'd also be willing to stay in a lean-to. Let me know... Best! |
Joe B wrote: Welcome to Katahdin winter climbing :-) That's an inescapable part of the experience I think. Of my 3 "real" tries where I actually made a reservation: 1) partner bailed last minute, I scrapped the trip. 2) partner bailed, I said fuck it and went in alone for recon. 3) partner showed! Suboptimally prepared. I dragged them up C-B and down in a whiteout, they may have since decided alpine climbing isn't for them :-) Or certainly not with me leading. Stay psyched! |
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I'd be willing to stay in a lean to, but keeping stuff dry seems like a pretty big crux. I wonder if it'd be worth hauling a little buddy propane heater on the sled. |
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I'd run that one by the park before you plan around it. Practically it seems no more dangerous than using an isobutane or white gas stove near the lean-to to cook which people obviously do, but the Baxter KGB might not love the heater. You could also try the ask forgiveness rather than permission thing I guess. Not having tried this strategery, I wonder how much extra fuel you'd have to bring. A Coleman bottle lasts just a few hours right? I don't know how long it would take to dry stuff. If it gets you two routes instead of one I'd say totally worth the extra ~10lbs split several ways on sleds. I brought no down gear which made my lean-to life easier but still - everything was soaked after one big route. Slings frozen solid, locking carabiners stuck, gloves wet/frozen. It's gonna take some work. |
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GET THE BUNK HOUSE !!!! I can't believe they raised the price that much (It was $25.00 a night per person 20 yrs ago !!!) JD's Right on though...welcome to BAXTER in WINTER ! Try advertising on NEICE.com ! |
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Hey Joe, I live in NH and would like to consider a Katahdin trip this year. Lets connect and see if we might click as a partnership. I'll PM you my number. Additionally, anyone else that is looking for an ice partner in this area (I live in Barnstead) shoot me a message and we'll go from there. |
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I'm down for a trip too as long as it's in the bunkhouse. No effing way to the lean-to! If someone plans to do Chimney or something easy and needs a partner please keep me in the loop. P.S. the approach can be horrid 11/16/20 EDIT: There are NO slots in the Chimney Pond bunkhouse, unless you already got one? If you did, please see below. ~ Well well, hello hello! Can I just start by saying how terrific you look? No, really! You look great. Anyway, sounds like you got a Chimney Pond bunkhouse slot, huh? Sure is cold in that bunkhouse when it's not at full occupancy. Extra body heat can really make or break it. If you're looking to stay warm, look no further! It so happens that between my partner and I we have two nice warm bodies and we're willing to donate them to your cause. Along with our share of the fees, of course. Dates flexible. Message me please! |
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Heading up next week (3/17-3/20) if anyone is looking for a plus one. Staying in a lean to |
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Snow bike is the strat for approach |
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You going in alone Jack? Good for you! Hope you find a climbing partner, but even hiking up the easy way would be an adventure. |
