Heading North

Tomorrow, we are heading north to Katahdin.

In 1930, former Governor Percival P. Baxter purchased 6,000 acres of Maine wilderness that included Katahdin. The next year, he donated the land to the people of Maine for a park and continued adding land parcel by parcel over the next 32 years until with his last purchase in 1962, the park contained over 200,000 acres.

When Governor Baxter died, he left a Trust of nearly $7 million so that the Park would not have to compete for tax money. The trust was established for the people of Maine and a condition of the trust was that the park "Shall be kept and remain in the Natural Wild State." Baxter's wish was that the park be managed as a sanctuary for birds and beasts and "Katahdin in all its glory forever shall remain the mountain of the People of Maine."

There are few roads in the park and access is strictly manged on a daily basis.

When I first started hiking in the easily accessible and trail friendly White Mountains, I would often notice other hikers and comfort myself whenever I saw one that was fatter and more out of shape than myself. That never happens to me in Baxter. Every one you see on the trail is fit and ready for the challenge--it's kind of disconcerting, actually.

We will camp three nights at the Abol Campground. Molly, Archie and Rory are going to be joining us but I imagine that they will be scampering up the slide every morning and bustin' rock climber moves all around the summit while Charlie and I climb up to the Hamlin Peak on Katahdin and then on another day to North Brother and South Brother.

Today will be busy trying to get everything planned and packed for three nights in the wilderness.

The top picture was taken from Katahdin Lake looking at the mountain, the bottom picture was taken from near the Pamola summit looking back at the lake.