As a continuous multi-day trip of 150 miles, Penobscot Pathways — Summit to Sea will involve three distinct phases of trekking, biking and paddling. At predetermined transition points, I will stage a mountain bike, a canoe and a sea kayak — As a solo undertaking, I will be carrying all essential clothing, gear, food and shelter needed to sustain myself for the duration of the trip. Priority one is making a minimal impact on these areas as I travel through the Penobscot watershed.
Trip dates: June 23 to 29, 2011
Day 1: Arrival in Baxter State Park — Staging and preparation for the trip. Camping at Roaring Brook Campground for the evening.
Day 2: 9.5 miles of hiking and climbing. The day can be broken down into 4 stages:
The approach, ascent, traverse and summit, and finally traverse and descent.
The Route:
Chimney Pond Trail (3.3 miles) to Chimney Pond
Dudley Trail (1.3 miles) to Pamola Peak
Knife Edge (1.1 miles) to Baxter Peak
Baxter Peak, the summit of Mount Katahdin, elevation 5,267 feet
Tableland (1 mile) to Abol Peak
Abol Slide (2.8 miles) to Abol Campground
During the approach and ascent the terrain is varied with wooded areas, open fields and rocky paths that transition to large boulders and cliffs emerging above tree line. While traversing, the rocky and steep trail morphs into a narrow, serrated ridge — This ultimately leads to the summit, Baxter Peak. After summiting, another traverse across the expanse of the Tableland plateau, which resembles arctic tundra. The final descent includes rock slides and steep wooded terrain.
Day 3: Approximately 40 miles of mountain biking and 5 miles of canoeing.
The Route:
Via bike — Abol campground (within Baxter State Park) to the main stem of the Penobscot river in the town of Medway. Via canoe — Main stem of the Penobscot river.
The cycling portion of the day will take place on a variety of surfaces — Gravel roads, heavily forested single track and powerline trails. Avoiding paved roads and auto traffic is the goal. At the transition in Medway, I will begin the water portion of the trip. By way of canoe, I will head downstream on the Penobscot River.
Days 4, 5 and 6: 70 miles of canoeing on the Penobscot river.
The Route:
From above the Mattaseunk dam to the Bangor dam. This portion of the river will involve flatwater, quickwater and class I, II and III rapids. There are also 5 dams that need to be portaged. The surrounding landscape is forested with some rural towns.
Day 7: 26 miles of sea kayaking on the Penobscot river to Penobscot bay.
The Route:
Bangor to Stockton Springs, Penobscot bay. The remaining length of the Penobscot is tidal with a range of more than 13 feet at Bangor. The surrounding landscape is still a mix of forested areas and rural towns. Portions of the river become over a mile wide, often with strong currents and challenging variables created by wind an tide.
A Journey's End: Provided all goes well, I will have successfully completed this adventure, Penobscot Pathways — Summit to Sea.
