Mt. Katahdin

     While I am waiting on parts to complete the second half of my AR15 build I thought I would share some pictures from my recent hike of Mt. Katahdin. For those who are not familiar with it by name, Mt. Katahdin is the highest peak in the state of Maine, stretching up one mile into the clouds overlooking Baxter State Park in the states northern wilderness. This years hike ended up being a very long day due to a number of reasons but the pay off was no less amazing than ever. Last year my hiking partner and I took the Saddle Trail to the summit and decided to follow the same path back down after taking in the views from the top. This year the wind was so still and calm at the top we had to try the Knife's Edge. Knife's Edge is the most famous trail of Mt. Katahdin. It starts by the summit and follows the mountain ridge to Pomola Peak where it branches off into several different trails going down the mountain. This trail has the best views by far but it gets as narrow as three to four feet in places with cliff on both sides so you want to photograph carefully. All in all it was a great day. We rested at the summit for lunch and I cooked hotdogs and sausages on my folding camp stove (which I was quite impressed with). Here are some of the views.

This is my hiking partner making his way down the trail. Does it get any better than that?

The two pictures above are the Knife's Edge trail from a ways back. Yes, you basically walk the top of the mountains. How cool is that?

That's a long way down...so long in fact that we found ourselves above the clouds....

It was absolutely beautiful at the top this day, barely any wind, plenty of sun, and lots of people enjoying Mother Nature's glory. The scenary doesn't begin when you get to the top though. The trails are filled with gorgeous brooks, bridges, and wildlife that makes the entire experience very sureal. Below is a random trail picture as we had just started hiking.

Pictured below is probably the hardest part of the Saddle Trail. It is known as the slide. The rocks are very light-weight and can slide under your feet if your not careful. To the left side of the picture, which would be the right side of the trail as you go up, are bigger rocks that can be climbed over to avoid sliding.

At the end of our adventure I was sitting in the parking lot. I was switching my shoes and taking my pack off for a much needed break. I heard something in the woods and walked over a few feet to see what it was. Just as I got a little closer an adult doe stepped out into the parking lot in front of me (and of course my camera was in the car). Luckily she waited for me to go grab it and take her picture. What a way to end a beautiful Maine hike!

Mt. Washington is coming up in a few weeks. I'll be sure to post more pics from there.