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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
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<title>Baxter State Park in Winter, Katahdin Hamlin peak</title>
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<h1>Baxter State Park in Winter: A Novice's Tale<br />by<br />Sam Jamke</h1>
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<!-- table of contents start -->
<h2><a name="toc" id="toc"></a>Table of Contents</h2>
<p>On <b>this</b> page:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="baxter97.html#tocref1">Winter Peakbagging</a></li>
<li><a href="baxter97.html#tocref2">Planning</a></li>
<li><a href="baxter97.html#tocref3">Preparation</a></li>
</ul>
<p>On <b>other</b> pages:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="baxter97_2.html#tocref4">The Trip</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="baxter97_2.html#tocref5">Day 1: To Roaring
Brook</a></li>
<li><a href="baxter97_2.html#tocref6">Day 2: To Chimney
Pond</a></li>
<li><a href="baxter97_2.html#tocref7">Day 3: Hamlin Peak</a></li>
<li><a href="baxter97_3.html#tocref8">Day 4: No Hiking</a></li>
<li><a href="baxter97_3.html#tocref9">Day 5: Back to
Civilization!</a></li>
</ul></li></ul>
<!-- table of contents end -->
<h2><a name="tocref1" id="tocref1"></a>Winter Peakbagging</h2>
<p>Few people have any concept of what the winter hiking and
climbing experience really is. Many of my acquaintances who know
that Steve Ward and I actually enjoy being out of doors in winter
are mystified by the fact; those few who understand the draw of a
mountainous winter wonderland are most likely out there slogging
through the snow and ice with us. When I began "peak bagging"
(collecting high summits by ascending them on foot) in the early
1980s, I never expected to continue the adventure throughout the
year, but when I acquired some Sorel boots and Sherpa snowshoes in
the late 1980's, I began to explore the woods in winter. Quite
beautiful, I thought, but I would never peak bag in winter. Then I
met Steve and a whole new world opened up!</p>
<p>I completed my winter conquest of the forty-eight White Mountain
Four Thousand Footers in March of 1997 on Mount Monroe and found I
had but 13 summits left to climb in order to complete the 65 New
England Winter Fours, an accomplishment claimed at that point in
time by only 70 or so people. Most of the summits are quite
accessible, but three—the two summits of Mount Katahdin
(Baxter and Hamlin Peaks) and North Brother—are deep within
Maine's Baxter State Park. BSP is located in the far northern
reaches of the state, and entering the park in winter is an
adventure to be planned well in advance—one can not simply
wait for a good weather forecast and decide to run up to the park
for a couple of days.</p>
<h2><a name="tocref2" id="tocref2"></a>Planning</h2>
<p>In the summer of '97 Steve and I began to talk to our winter
climbing friends about a Baxter trip over the New Year's holiday.
We soon had a strong group all lined up and set to go. Steve
volunteered to make the trek up to Park Headquarters in East
Millinocket on the first business day after 11/1/97—the first
day the park will accept applications for winter travel within the
park. Steve was on the office doorstep at 3 am and when the office
opened at 8 am, he was at the head of the line to request (and pay
for in cash or bank check) our four nights in bunkhouses at Roaring
Brook and Chimney Pond. Along with money one must submit
applications which fully document the group's membership (names,
addresses, age, weight, next of kin) and, most importantly, the
qualifications and experience of the trip leader and two
co-leaders. No greenhorns allowed!</p>
<p>Because we were going in for several nights, we each had a lot
of gear, food and supplies to bring in. BSP requires that each
hiker be well prepared with snowshoes and/or skis, proper clothing
and emergency gear. There is generally too much "stuff" to carry on
one's back for long distances, especially since we hoped to eat
well. (The trip is a long one. To go into Chimney Pond, one must,
per Park requirements, spend the first night at Roaring Brook,
located 12 miles from the Abol Bridge parking area, one of the
usual winter entry points. The following day one hikes about 3.5
miles with about 1500' of elevation gain into Chimney Pond.) The
usual solution to the gear hauling challenge is the use of a gear
sled, such as the Mountainsmith Armadillo, or homemade facsimile.
The important features are rigid traces (so the sled does not run
you over on the downhill), stability (so the sled does not flip
frequently), and some way to keep the load dry (with a zippered
cover, waterproof duffel or other creative arrangement). The sleds
are generally affixed to a hip belt for towing, although some
hikers prefer to wear a pack and fasten the sled to the pack in
some manner.</p>
<p>Only two of us making this trip had never been in the Park in
winter and I was one of the uninitiated. After considering making a
sled or borrowing one and trying to rent one, I opted to purchase a
Ziffco Tow-boggan. It had plenty of capacity and worked well for my
needs. (I learned of this sled by searching the Internet and saved
more than $100 over the price of the Armadillo. Gear sleds can be
very hard to find in your local area!)</p>
<h2><a name="tocref3" id="tocref3"></a>Preparation</h2>
<p>I began my trip preparation by making lists of clothing, food,
first aid supplies and medications, gear (such as crampons, ice ax,
snowshoes, skis, goggles, hand heaters, collapsible ski poles,
sleeping bag). I asked experienced friends to review these lists. I
am pleased to report that I had very little with me that was not
used, with the happy exception of emergency items. I did have a bit
too much snack food but that was due in part to the fact that we
were able, by virtue of the weather, to make only one major climb,
and that proved to be a relatively short one.</p>
<p>The day before my departure, I prepared the group meal I had
volunteered to make and packaged up the 16+ pounds of bean stew for
travel. I was fortunate in that my meal was being consumed at
Roaring Brook, so I did not have to freeze it and I would be rid of
it before the climb to Chimney Pond. My next step was to have a dry
run to see if I could fit everything into my sled and find a way to
strap my pack and skis onto it. All my gear packed well and I was
ecstatic! But the sled weighed a ton, it seemed to me.</p>
<p>Final preparation was going on madly on Sunday night, 12/28, and
I felt like I was getting a sore throat. Just stress, I told
myself, until I woke up Monday morning at 3 am, unable to breathe
or swallow. Too late to back out now—everyone was counting on
me. So off to work I went, drugged up with assorted pills to treat
the symptoms. I went home at noon to pack up the truck and head
from my home in NH to Steve's place in Maine.</p>
<p>As I got out of my car in the garage, I heard a noise coming
from the house and hurried inside— my carbon monoxide
detector was screaming and the cats were terrorized. I was very
worried and called the Fire Department immediately after silencing
the alarm. I was thinking to myself that this was not an auspicious
start to my adventure and wondered how I was going to deal with
this problem. The Bedford Fire Department sent someone over
immediately to measure the CO levels in the house and found them
not to be immediately dangerous. So I cracked a few windows, made
an appointment to have the furnace rechecked, packed up the truck
and headed east. On my mind now was the weather—the forecast
was for a nor'easter to hit late Monday night and Tuesday. Could
make for a challenging trip!</p>
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