2021 is the year for skiing your locale and so that meant a trip to Katahdin. Covid changed the park reservations for the cabins so they were rented to just one group. We were supposed to be a group of three, but in the last week one of us dropped (healing vibes out to you Nate). Our five day trip started with a 13 mile skin in to the Roaring Brook Bunkhouse.
Views of North Basin on the way in
A closer look a couple days later with a rad line on the right and clouds pouring over Tabor Wall. Gullies in the North Basin had a lot of pepper up high.
Day 2 had us skinning up the 3.3 mile trail to Chimney Pond in one and a half hours to the bunkhouse. Just having two of us in the bunkhouse was a wonderful luxury as it holds 10 and with winter gear can be quite the dance. Nights 2, 3 and 4 were spent in the bunkhouse and each day we returned for lunch and a cup of something hot. This tree gives a sense of how low tide the snow was.
The Chimney is the prime line and it looked smooth and skiable from almost the top. We stayed out as there was loading and did not feel like a safe line.
Normally the gullies off Hamlin are reliable run producers, but not when we were there.
We climbed and skied up by the Cathedrals in the South Basin and over in the gullies of the Saddle. Snow allowed us to skin almost to the tablelands. With the wind blowing stiff each day, we only made one boot pack up the remaining 150 feet. We checked north basin and ran into another group out riding but though beautiful it was grim
We made sure to observe safety protocols.
Still looking for sponsors
Despite the low snow, we made lemonade from lemons and had the best ski days of the year.
The anti-poleplant
And my friend
The ski down from Chimney Pond with the sled pushing you through 5” of fresh on the narrow hiking trail was a hoot.
Edit to add: Had successive best ski days of the year. We got four to six inches our first night at Chimney Pond. Knee I busted last year held up well although it was swollen stiff and sore for a while after. Full day drive and ski in and full day ski and drive out but so worth it for three days in a special place
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