Date Hiked: 9/21/07

Conditions: Sunny and warm. Slightly breezy at times. Beautiful! Dry under foot.

Special Required Equipment: Essential to be able to somehow pack walking stick(s)into pack. For long stretches need two hands available. Rubber-fronted (hardware store) gloves also very useful. Having a long (not heavy) rope was useful to drop our packs down a tricky bit of descent, where having them on our backs would have made it more difficult.

Comments: AMC Maine Guide Book not as useful as NH White Mountain guide books. No indication of "recommend experienced hikers", "not advised for those with fear of heights!", etc. Difficult getting information on phone from Baxter State Park. Was not told "after Labor Day gate opens at 6, not 5!" (We could have slept an hour longer!) Point of interest/fun: we have named the first vertical climb of the Knife Edge (going towards Pamola), "THE HILLARY STEP," for a very brave woman hiking along near us who had never hiked before - much less Katahdin - (was in sneakers!) and got up and over this really tricky bit. Of course it turns out that this was only the first of a number of more "tricky bits!", and she did 'em all! Not to mention that she and her buddy had come UP over Cathedral! WAY TO GO, HILLARY from D.C.!

Submitted by: Cindy McLean-Greeley, Jim Burns