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Winter Hikers Revel in Baxter Park Experience

February 02, 2010 - BAXTER STATE PARK -- A rich salmon color grew along the eastern horizon at daybreak. A towering Mount Katahdin loomed near the shore. With the last of the ropes tightened around the gear in the toboggan, we clipped the poles to our waist belts and embarked across a snow-covered Daicey Pond. Five of us were heading home after a three-night wilderness stay in the bosom of winter.

Baxter State Park has relaxed its winter reservation policy. So when a friend announced a few short weeks ago that he had made reservations for a cabin at Daicey Pond in January, many of us were giddy about – although somewhat intimidated by – the prospect of visiting a favorite place in the dead of a Maine winter.

We are seasoned hikers, having visited various places within Baxter State Park. But in the dead of winter? Driving to our final destination was out of the question. How would we even get to the cabin? Did we have the proper equipment? Did we possess the stamina for such a trek? How long would it take, and how much daylight would we have heading in? These and countless other questions ran through our swirling heads.

"It's a six-mile ski to the cabin," our friend Bill Punsky said.

Six miles. Far, but not unreasonable, I thought. The prospect of being the only souls in an unspoiled setting for miles around while snapping pictures and shooting video of our beloved mountain began to fill me with absolute eagerness. I resolved to go.

Rather than backpacking, we decided sledding our gear in would be the best option. However, skiing while pulling a sled would likely prove difficult. Snowshoes seemed more practical.

I didn't possess a sled, but I am a proficient wood worker. My eagerness for the trip heightened upon realizing this would be a rare opportunity to craft a toboggan, a traditional vessel for winter travel employed by the indigenous cultures of this continent for thousands of years. After I shared my sled-making plans and the opportunity to shoot pictures of the homemade craft with Katahdin in the background, Jeff Stanton – another in the group with a keen interest in photography – readily agreed to build one, too.

Our design would not be identical to a classic toboggan, but rather loosely based on the shape. The 180-degree bend on the bow of a traditional toboggan was daunting for us first-time steam benders. We sawed a mixture of thin oak and cedar slats, built a couple of forms, a steam box, and rented a wallpaper steamer.

At the end of a busy day, we had successfully coerced 14 6-foot-by-3-inch-wide slats into position in the forms. It was good we prepared extra slats, because many snapped in the bending process.

Last week, with our finished sleds, we loaded the vehicles and embarked for Baxter State Park, deciding to stay the night at a quaint little place called Katahdin Cabins in Millinocket before hitting the trail bright and early the next morning.

Our hosts at Katahdin Cabins presented a marvelous trail-fueling breakfast of hot drinks, quiche and double-chocolate muffins. No doubt we'll remember these lovely accommodations for future winter trips in the region.

At 9:30 a.m., with sleds loaded and cars parked at Abol Bridge, a staging area just outside the park along the Golden Road, an industrial logging corridor, the five of us began the trek to Daicey Pond.

Our sleds tracked well. Upon encountering our first uphill stretches, it was apparent that some had brought too much gear. Frequent stops were needed for load adjusting and to catch one's breath.

Glimpses of Katahdin came early and energized everyone. We finally lived those earlier anticipations and thrived wholly on the experience.

We reached the cabin after nightfall. Winter travel takes time. With the woodstove roaring and gas lamps lit, the bungalow began to offer us a warm sanctuary from the starry and frigid night. Temps hovered in the single digits.

On the second day, Stewart Guay, deputy chief ranger, paid us a visit. A veteran of nearly 18 years at Baxter State Park and a former alpine ranger at Katahdin's Chimney Pond, Guay is intimately familiar with the area in winter. He said one of his favorite views of Mount Katahdin is from the recently acquired Katahdin Lake parcel to the east.

We probed him for advice for seasoned warm-weather hikers who may want to visit the park in the dead of winter.

"Keeping your drinking water from freezing and dressing for moisture management is key," Guay said. "Even if you are staying in a cabin, I still advise folks to bring a sleeping bag rated for the conditions you might find outside should you have to spend the night there. The ability to build an emergency snow structure is also a consideration."

Luckily, we were blessed with abundant sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Being in a cabin allowed us the finer comforts in the backcountry. Poached salmon with summer squash, potatoes and zucchini were enjoyed one night. And just realizing where we were in the heart of the Maine woods as we sat around the woodstove proved very satisfying.

For those who love Baxter State Park, a winter excursion is one to consider, providing you prepare for being alone in the changeable conditions of January in our beautiful state.

DON PERKINS, Portland Press Herald, January 27, 2010


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Regions: Katahdin


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