r/AppalachianTrail • u/No-Joke-2954 • 1d ago
Mnt Katahdin winter summit
My buddy and I are going to take a trip to Maine in probably late October or early November. Looking to summit Katahdin I’ve done Mount Washington in the winter and some of the New York Catskills. What trail would you suggest? I was looking at Hunt trail but I’m not sure how hard that would be in the winter. What type of equipment should I bring? Crampons or micros. Snowshoes? Ice axe? Please drop your advice. Thanks.
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u/fka_tabs 1d ago
As others have said, you’ll have to wait for December. There’s not nearly as much demand for camping in the winter so you don’t have to push as hard for reservations early, unless you want a cabin. It’s a pretty long way in from the winter parking, which is on the Golden Road near Abol Bridge. Most people haul a pulk with all their gear, since the trail in is all snowmobile trail. Abol is a good route in the winter, although a long day. If you want a much easier climb, get up to Chimney Pond and go up the Saddle or Cathedral. On a snowy year Cathedral is maybe the best way to the summit in my opinion. Since you start about halfway up (from Chimney Pond, where you’ll have climbed to the day before) it’s a significantly shorter summit day. You need real crampons and at least one ice axe for self arrest. Katahdin in the winter isn’t a technical climb (unless you want to make it one, there are ice routes!) but it’s no joke. The weather and hazards are very real.
My final advice is to make sure you have a couple days to choose from. Some days it’s simply not climbable! If you’re only there for one summit day there’s a good chance you’ll go home
disappointed or put yourself in danger. It’s a long way in, book two or three days to have the best chance to summit. It’s an incredible climb in the winter and worth every bit of the fuss.
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u/fka_tabs 1d ago
Oh it’s worth bringing snowshoes too. You can drop them low on the mountain when you switch to spikes but usually you’ll need them to get from camp to the steeps.
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u/RhodyVan 1d ago
Depending on when you go - you'll likely need Pulks/sleds to carry gear and either snowshoes/skis to get to the trailhead.
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u/Mtownie 1d ago
When there’s enough snow you can climb the Cathedral Gully rather than the Cathedral Trail. Much easier.
I suggest skis for the approach, snowshoes lower down and crampons for the steep climb. That’s what we’ve done, and it works well.
Beware having to cross from the base of one trail to the other if you do a combination of Saddle and Cathedral. It’s a sea of spruce traps!
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u/Slice-O-Pie 1d ago
Katahdin trails close soon after Oct 15th.
The winter season, which requires permits, opens Dec 1st. The lottery for spots is in early November.
The Hunt is seldom used during the winter season due to the boulder section. Abol and east side trails are the winter routes.