100 mile and Big K

[mtnkngxt]

A friend my dad and I are planning a 100mile Wilderness and Big K trip in May or June. I need some feedback on a few things. As far as sleeping goes will it be warm enough for a 35 degree bag and a hammock without a pad? I am a very warm sleeper. Secondly as far as food drops, I have heard the white house allows you to send food drops there but they do not have a resupply store. How many miles in from Monson is the whitehouse? Also we are planning on driving into Abol and then using Katahdin Air to get to Monson and then just hike back to our car. Has anyone used Katahdin Air and what was your experience like? Thanks for the help.

[DavidNH]

If you are going in May, a 25 degree bag is NOT warm enough in my opinion. Bring a 20 degree bag. Also, I would suggest holding off until AT LEAST Memorial day weekend. Otherwise you may well hit tons of mud and possibly left over snow at higher elevations.

Additionally, plan on LOTS of bugs. May and June from my understanding is peak bug season in the 100 mile wilderness. I hiked this section in September and I had for the most part fabulous weather. May and June can be quite wet. You will run into not just the wonderful large ponds, but also mud and possibly high streams. The 100 mile wilderness have several large streams that must be forded. This could be more of a challenge in May and June when the water table is higher than in the fall. You could face Knee deep to waist deep water.

As for White House Landing: you have to hike a one mile side trail off the AT, then get picked up by boat. The boat ride is free but that is made up for by the cost of nearly everything else. You can buy food supplies there, enough to get you the two more days to Abol Bridge where you can get plenty more supplies at the store there. I am not aware of them accepting mail drops. Perhaps someone else has information about this.

White House landing is around 30 miles from Abol Bridge and closer to 70 miles from Monson.

While many hikers do the Monson to Abol Bridge stretch in under a week, I would suggest allowing 10 days. That means 5-6 days of food at least from Monson to White House need to be carried.

DavidNH

[KG4FAM]

I think you are backwards on the white house landing thing. I think that they have a small store but no maildrops. I don't care for the fellow at white house (do a search about and read all the controversy) so if I was going to do a food drop I would use some lady in monson that drops it at jo mary road.

I did the 100 miles this summer with my dad in nine days and we carried all the food from the start. You don't have to resupply

.I would carry a pad with the hammock. I have only hiked in Maine in July and early August and there have been times when it got chilly.

[shoe]

boarstone is the one that drops off at Jo Mary Lake Road. We used her as a shuttle this year and she is awesome.

We also used Katahdin Air and they were great. Trish in the office is a hoot. I would highly recommend them.

[Old Hillwalker]

If you are going in May, a 25 degree bag is NOT warm enough in my opinion. Bring a 20 degree bag. Also, I would suggest holding off until AT LEAST Memorial day weekend. Otherwise you may well hit tons of mud and possibly left over snow at higher elevations.

Additionally, plan on LOTS of bugs. May and June from my understanding is peak bug season in the 100 mile wilderness. I hiked this section in September and I had for the most part fabulous weather. May and June can be quite wet. You will run into not just the wonderful large ponds, but also mud and possibly high streams. The 100 mile wilderness have several large streams that must be forded. This could be more of a challenge in May and June when the water table is higher than in the fall. You could face Knee deep to waist deep water.

As for White House Landing: you have to hike a one mile side trail off the AT, then get picked up by boat. The boat ride is free but that is made up for by the cost of nearly everything else. You can buy food supplies there, enough to get you the two more days to Abol Bridge where you can get plenty more supplies at the store there. I am not aware of them accepting mail drops. Perhaps someone else has information about this.

White House landing is around 30 miles from Abol Bridge and closer to 70 miles from Monson.

While many hikers do the Monson to Abol Bridge stretch in under a week, I would suggest allowing 10 days. That means 5-6 days of food at least from Monson to White House need to be carried.

DavidNH

The boat ride is free only if you are spending the night....

[Doughnut]

+1 for Boarstone (Kathy Preble (205) 965-8464).
Sounds like you are doing what I did this year: I drove to Abol Bridge and left my Jeep there, linked up with Kathy, did a drop in the wilderness, did another drop at Monson, (Shaw's) and shuttled me to Caratunk where I started my section hike.
I was fortunate enough to link up with 3 hikers from Raleigh so we shared the ride up, and I had 2 hikers riding part of the way back (saves on gas).

doughNut

[Phreak]

The boat ride is free only if you are spending the night....

Not true (at least when I was there in late June, 2007). The boat ride is free regardless of staying the night, or just grabbing a snack. They don't accept mail drops but have a limited resupply selection (given the location). Their prices on resupply food items are cheaper than Mountain Crossings (Neel Gap), which doesn't make much sense to me.

[Phreak]

Buddy @ The Lakeshore House / 7 Pines Shuttle Service also delivers mail drops to the 100 Mile Wilderness. He was the cheapest I could find during my hike last June (2007).

[wallace]

We did this trip in September. Went to Katahdin Air and they shuttled our car up to Abol Bridge (about 8 miles) with no additional charge. Flew down to the beginning of the trail by Monson. It is actually only 37 miles as the crow flies. It was nice to see the hike from the air. We got out of the plane, walked through the woods about 20 yards and were at the trail.

We actually ran out of time and could not finish all 100 miles. I did no t leave enough time. Having only done SNP before, I underestemated the difficulty despite what everyone told me. Now I know. We made it to the Whitehouse, about 70 miles. Katadhin Air pick us up there for $50 each and landed at Abol Bridge in about 15 minutes.

We also used Kathy for a food drop at Jo Mary. Worked great although it took us longer to get there than I thought it would. After that point, going north, the big elevation changes are done.

[mtnkngxt]

Thanks for the tips everyone. We've decided to use Katahdin Air and take the float plane down to Monson. I'll probably just carry my food with me and not worry about a drop. I'll have to research that aspect more. Anyone done the 100 mile in late May early June this year that can tell me what the weather and bugs were like?

[dessertrat]

boarstone is the one that drops off at Jo Mary Lake Road. We used her as a shuttle this year and she is awesome.

We also used Katahdin Air and they were great. Trish in the office is a hoot. I would highly recommend them.

How do you get in touch with Boarstone? Do you think she would shuttle from Monson to Abol? I still need to set up a shuttle for next weekend, I plan on going SOBO from Abol to Monson, and want to leave my car at Monson. Do you know if Shaw's still shuttles, too?

[dessertrat]

Thanks for the tips everyone. We've decided to use Katahdin Air and take the float plane down to Monson. I'll probably just carry my food with me and not worry about a drop. I'll have to research that aspect more. Anyone done the 100 mile in late May early June this year that can tell me what the weather and bugs were like?

I haven't, but I grew up in Maine, and can tell you there is a probability of vicious and relentless black flies around 100% that time of year.

[TJ aka Teej]

How do you get in touch with Boarstone?

Boarstone's extremely knowledgeable and is a WB contributor.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=2980
Buddy is a wicked good guy and great cook, and really knows the woods roads.
Yes, Shaw's can arrange shuttles to just about everywhere.
Contact info for all is in the Companion:
www.aldha.org

[Doughnut]

Boarstone (Kathy Preble (205) 965-8464).

DoughNut

[weary]

I haven't, but I grew up in Maine, and can tell you there is a probability of vicious and relentless black flies around 100% that time of year.

Absolutely true. If it doesn't happen, be surprised. But don't count on it happening. Sunny windy days help. But the odds are pretty minimal. Do not count on it.

Folks with minimum preparation should plan on 10 days to do the 100 miles. Experienced folks, like those walking north from Georgia certainly can do the 100 miles in less time, as can those who spend a lot of time on difficult other trails. Very few without significant experience or physical conditioning can do so -- and the many that try regret it.

The "wilderness" is a great experience. I doubt if White House Landing increases the wilderness experience, so I would skip any thought of stopping there.

Better in my opinion is to either carry the food you need, (It's not that difficult and many thousands have done so.) or have someone leave you food at the Jo Mary Camp ground road/AT intersection. All the shuttlers know the area. If they promise to be there, and you show up on time there won't be a problem.

This is one of the absolutely greatest section of the entire AT. Don't mess it up with frivilous considerations. Late August, September and early October are wonderful times to experience the 100 miles. But any 10 days or so in the 12 months will work -- well winter does require some special resupply and time considerations.

Weary

[mtnkngxt]

I grew up in Maine, just haven't ever done the 100 miles. Spent alot of time as a kid in Baxter at the lake. My grandparents live in Blosters Mills about an hour outside of Foxcroft.

[knicksin2010]

You'll need some serious bug protection if you're not used to them. I bought a full bug shirt and left no exposed skin after trying to deal with them for two weeks.