First of all, for those of you who aren't familiar with Katahdin, here are few excerpts from books and websites, etc, mostly focused on the trails we did:
The white-blazed Appalacian Trail (Hunt Spur) up Katahdin is arguably the most difficult climb on the entire A.T. Allow for a full 8-10 hours for a round trip hike of Katahdin. Following the A.T. up Katahdin requires rock scrambling and the use of hands in some places, and be a frightening climb for those with even a mild fear of heights.
From the south at Abol Campground, the Abol Trail is another popular route to the mountain’s summit. It is the shortest route involving 3.8 miles to the peak but is considered by some to be more difficult. It is a very steep trail once above treeline but also affords many fine views to the south and west. This trail also utilizes a prominent rockslide for most of the way. Henry David Thoreau used this route on his famous ascent of the mountain in the 1850’s. Caution should be exercised when ascending or descending this slide due to the loose rock and gravel underfoot.
Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest mountain peak, carries an 8 out of 10 difficulty rating for hikers and climbers.
Concededly it is without peer east of the Rocky Mountains!
So there's your introduction to our madness. I'll give you the full story of how it went tomorrow. Oh the joy of days off... :-)
