Baxter???

[Slo-go'en]

So what are the regulations about getting Baxter reservations if you are not a Nobo thru hiker, let's go with Baxter's definition of thru hiker as starting 100+ miles south. I'm under the impression it takes weeks. It's difficult to know when you're gonna hit Baxter weeks before. And Baxter seems to not want to take time to make those arrangement for you, you friends and family. Hooking up for a ride home seems to be in there too. It appears for an individual hikers it's easy enough but with friends and family it becomes much more difficult.
Just thinking.

The park allows thru hikers to show up and stay at the Birches without reservations because it's not practical for thru hikers to do so. Baxter is under no obligation to make arrangements for your friends and/or family and why should they?

There are a number of places your friends/family can stay just outside the park, like Abol Bridge campground. Getting a ride out is no problem, you use the phone at Abol Bridge campground, but no doubt shuttle drivers are there every morning during the busy season anyway.

[peakbagger]

So what are the regulations about getting Baxter reservations if you are not a Nobo thru hiker, let's go with Baxter's definition of thru hiker as starting 100+ miles south. I'm under the impression it takes weeks. It's difficult to know when you're gonna hit Baxter weeks before. And Baxter seems to not want to take time to make those arrangement for you, you friends and family. Hooking up for a ride home seems to be in there too. It appears for an individual hikers it's easy enough but with friends and family it becomes much more difficult.
Just thinking.

Its pretty simple

Call the park office from Monson and ask for the reservation desk
Tell the staff person what night you are looking for and preferred campground and type of accommodation
They will either tell you a place is open or suggest alternatives which to most thru hikers would be Abol campground in place of KSC.
Supply them a valid credit card number and you have reservations and can avoid all the worry about getting in the park.

I generally suggest booking two nights as you are covered for two summit attempts in case the weather is poor the first day

You are all set but do note there are no refunds

This can also be done on the web but I encourage hikers to call.

Shuttles out of the park have been offered by the AT Lodge in Millinocket, a private entity and is not run by BSP. I would encourage hikers who plan to use this service to verify what the rules are and costs for this service prior to ending up in the park.

The park in the past has tried to fill unreserved sites with thruhikers if the Birches fills up but I expect this may change and that this role may be taken over by ATC/MATC. Its important to note that the park only works with cash as there is no way to process credit cards due to lack of cell service.

For families or friends wishing to meet or hike up the mountain with thruhikers, the reservation process is the same for those who plan to stay overnight, otherwise for day use they need to get a day use pass for the Katahdin Stream campground. Maine residents can book these passes well in advance but out of state guests have to wait until 2 weeks prior to the date (please verify this as I am doing this from memory). With the exception of holiday weekends there are usually passes available for those who insist upon driving up to the gate without one but its bad idea to depend on it. If the hiker is just being picked up and the driver is not planning to hike or park for an extended period at the trailhead, a day use pass is not needed but this can be problematical as its rare that a thru hiker will know exactly when they are getting down.

Some folks driving in have abused this exemption in the past and have decided to throw an impromptu extended party at the KSC parking lot without a day use pass. I suggest that a far nicer place is the roadside facility just south of Togue Pond gate as there are picnic tables and good place to swim plus far more picturesque.

[BillyGr]

I was reading a trail journal where the couple started hiking from Abol after midnight and then signed in and started up Katahdin around 4am. They did leave one pack at the Birches lean to but never camped in the park.

Thats a long day.

Is it? Would be about 20 miles (assuming one gets a ride after coming down)? Still not easy, but for many who have been doing similar distances a number of times...

[egilbe]

20 mile days in Maine and NH are long days. Katahdin is the single largest elevation gain on the AT. The hike from Abol bridge to KSC is pretty nice. I wouldnt want to climb Katahdin in the dark. It scares me in the day, but i get vertigo and am a bit afraid of heights.

[peakbagger]

Hiking to the summit from outside the park and back out in 24 hours is possible and even done in the winter. Taking the AT adds mileage. The folks I have read of typically take the right at the entrance hiker entrance and take the Abol Pond trail (an old logging road) then up the perimeter road to the Abol campground and then up the Abol trail and back again. Northbounders should be in good enough shape for this hike but it will still be long hard day and plan on a rest day the next day.

Unfortunately, some folks claim they are going to do this and then decide when they come off the mountain that they are incapable or unwilling to follow through with the plan and become one of the "those thruhikers" that require special attention from park staff. That attention may range from finding the hiker a legit campsite at the last minute or getting hauled out of the park for stealth camping.

The far better alternative is to make reservations in Monson or spending a night outside the park at Abol Bridge and grabbing a spot at the birches in the morning. The store at the bridge has plenty of food for a short term resupply.

[Starchild]

Such complicated bureaucratic solutions which could be easily solved by spacing another AT shelter about a mile from the Birches. Possibly multiple shelters with limited capacity each (make the Birches smaller). The distance apart from each other would cut down on the crowded feel of thru hiker community, and the staggered start for the climb up Katahdin would also limit the number at the summit at a time and also stop the problem of trying to find the thru hikers last minute reservations. All without adding a complex system of reservations which may or may not be filled and are not easy for the thru hiker to make. The more thru hikers who are pushed to make reservations the less spots available for the public and the residents of Maine, and this also will lead to many reservations going unfilled due to uncertainty of when one will arrive.

Also to add the phone service at Abol Bridge is not reliable, cell service is sketchy but possible and we all know how that can go trying to give a credit card number over a phone that keeps cutting in and out.

[egilbe]

keep adding all these modern conveniences to a wilderness area and pretty soon, its no longer a wilderness area.

[Traveler]

keep adding all these modern conveniences to a wilderness area and pretty soon, its no longer a wilderness area.

Well said.

[chiefduffy]

So what are the regulations about getting Baxter reservations if you are not a Nobo thru hiker, let's go with Baxter's definition of thru hiker as starting 100+ miles south. I'm under the impression it takes weeks. It's difficult to know when you're gonna hit Baxter weeks before. And Baxter seems to not want to take time to make those arrangement for you, you friends and family. Hooking up for a ride home seems to be in there too. It appears for an individual hikers it's easy enough but with friends and family it becomes much more difficult.
Just thinking.

If you are not a thru hiker(by Baxter's def.) , you should have a pretty good idea of when you need a campsite. The BSP website has a running chart of campsites available by date. Make your reservations and adjust your schedule slightly if necessary. Hundreds of section hikers do this every year. If you call the BSP Headquarters, they are VERY helpful, as are the rangers in the park. The problem is accommodating thrus, because of the limited number of campsites available on short notice.

[kennajm]

Baxter was easy. I thought the same things then I got there and it was no problem whatsoever. We had 11 people in the Birches and they had spots available at KSC. It will be a longer day but Abol is definitely an option. The folks running Baxter were nothing but great while I was there and it was an all around positive experience from the time I showed up until the time I left. Don't sweat it and enjoy your hike.

[Sir Setsalot]

The birches are not the only option for camping for thru hikers. The Birches are only available to thru hikers on a first come first served non reservation basis. You should know when you get to Monson, before entering the 100 mile wilderness, approx. when you will arrive. call the BSP and make a reservation for another campsite. There may not be any available but it is an option. Even if you make a reservation and arrive 2 days early stay at ABOL campground or adjust your miles.

[rickb]

Duplicate post

[rickb]

Baxter was easy. I thought the same things then I got there and it was no problem whatsoever. We had 11 people in the Birches and they had spots available at KSC. It will be a longer day but Abol is definitely an option. The folks running Baxter were nothing but great while I was there and it was an all around positive experience from the time I showed up until the time I left. Don't sweat it and enjoy your hike.

Is it possible that the month and day you finished impacted the site availability at KSCG?

[RockDoc]

If you plan well enough you can reserve a spot at Katahdin Creek campground, and have a bunch of other hikers camp with you at your spot. That's what we did last time. The other time I stayed in the Birches shelters and my friend and I were the only ones there (July, 2007), each with a hut to ourselves.

Just go for it. It will sort itself out OK if you follow the rules and do nothing stupid.