| Katahdin | |
|---|---|
 Katahdin from 10,000 ft (3,000 m) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,267 ft (1,605 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 4,288 ft (1,307 m)[2] |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 45°54′16″N68°55′17″W / 45.904354472°N 68.921274306°W /45.904354472; -68.921274306[1] |
| Geography | |
  Katahdin Location in Maine Show map of Maine Katahdin Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | |
| Parent range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Katahdin |
| Geology | |
| Rock age(s) | Devonian,Acadian orogeny |
| Mountain type | Granite |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike, Abol Trail / Hunt Trail 3.8 miles (6.1 km) |
| Designated | 1967 |
Mount Katahdin (/kəˈtɑːdɪn/kə-TAH-din) is the highest mountain in theU.S. state ofMaine at 5,269 feet (1,606 m). NamedKatahdin, which means "Great Mountain",[3] by thePenobscotNative Americans, it is withinNortheast Piscataquis,Piscataquis County, and is the centerpiece ofBaxter State Park. It is a steep, tallmassif formed from agranite intrusion weathered to the surface. The flora and fauna on the mountain are typical of those found in northernNew England, with the summit hosting fragile and endangeredalpine tundra.
Katahdin has been known to theNative Americans in the region for thousands of years and was known to Europeans since at least 1689. It has inspired hikes, climbs, journal narratives, paintings, and a piano sonata.[4] The area around the peak was protected starting in the 1930s by Maine GovernorPercival Baxter, who spent much of his personal fortune purchasing the mountain and surrounding lands after being unable to convince the state legislature of the wisdom of protecting it. Katahdin is the northern terminus of theAppalachian Trail and is near a stretch known as theHundred-Mile Wilderness. Though part of the Appalachian Mountain system, Katahdin is isolated from the range, and sits largely on its own as amonadnock. The nearest higher mountains in any direction are the high peaks of thePresidential Range, around 170 miles (270 km) to the south-west.
In 1967, Mount Katahdin was designated as aNational Natural Landmark by theNational Park Service.[5]
The mountain is commonly called just "Katahdin",[6] though the official name is "Mount Katahdin" as decided by theUS Board on Geographic Names in 1893.[7]
Katahdin is part of alaccolith that formed in theAcadian orogeny when anisland arc collided with easternNorth America approximately 400 million years ago. On the sides of Katahdin are four glacialcirques carved into the granite by alpineglaciers and in these cirques behindmoraines andeskers are several ponds.[8]
In Baxter State Park, many outcrops ofsedimentary rocks havestriations, whereas KatahdinGranite and TravelerRhyolitelava have weathered surfaces on which striations are commonly not preserved. Bedrock surfaces ofigneous rocks which were buried by glacial sediments and only recently exposed have well preserved striations, as in the vicinity ofRipogenus Dam. Several outcrops of sedimentary rocks along the Patten Road show striations, especially on the north side of the road at Hurricane Deck. A few outcrops near the Patten Road just north of Horse Mountain are striated, as are several outcrops of sedimentary rocks along the road from Trout Brook Farm northward toSecond Lake Matagamon.
Fauna includeblack bear,deer, andmoose as well asblack flies andmosquitos in the spring. A subspecies of Arctic butterfly, known as the Katahdin Arctic (Oeneis polixenes katahdin) is specific to the area, and is currently listed as endangered.[9]Among the birds areBicknell's thrush and various songbirds and raptors. A study of the animal communities was published by Irving H. Blake in 1926.[10] The flora includespine,spruce,fir,hemlock,beech,maple,birch,aspen, andpincushion plant (Diapensia lapponica).
Katahdin is in Baxter State Park, which is in east central Piscataquis County, about 25 mi (40 km) northwest ofMillinocket. It is on thedrainage divide between theEast andWest branches of thePenobscot River.
The mountain massif itself consists of multiple peaks. Baxter Peak is the tallest, and is the official northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. South Peak andPamola Peak are southeast and east of Baxter Peak, respectively, along the Knife Edge ridgeline, whileHamlin Peak lies to the north.
There is low lake country to the south and west of Katahdin, and lowlands extending east to theAtlantic and north to theSaint Lawrence River inCanada.
The summit of Katahdin offers some of the longest unbroken lines of sight in the United States, and on clear days can be seen all the way from theWhite Mountains of neighboringNew Hampshire; a distance of 170 miles (270 km).[citation needed]
Katahdin's height and isolation earns it significant coverage in indigenous and post-colonial Maine culture and literature. Katahdin's profile is distinctive and the indisputable centerpiece ofBaxter State Park. Katahdin and nearby Hamlin Peak are the only two areas to host a subarctic climate inMaine. In winter, the snowcapped east and west faces of Katahdin resemble "theKilimanjaro of New England", and it dominates the otherwise flat and endless forests of theNorth Maine Woods. Katahdin is also the northernmost mountain in the eastern United States with an elevation over 4,000 feet (1,200 m).
| Climate data for Mount Katahdin 45.9023 N, 68.9146 W, Elevation: 4,685 ft (1,428 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 16.9 (−8.4) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 38.2 (3.4) | 51.4 (10.8) | 60.5 (15.8) | 65.5 (18.6) | 64.8 (18.2) | 58.4 (14.7) | 45.2 (7.3) | 31.0 (−0.6) | 22.6 (−5.2) | 41.4 (5.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.0 (−12.8) | 9.8 (−12.3) | 16.8 (−8.4) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 44.0 (6.7) | 53.7 (12.1) | 59.0 (15.0) | 57.8 (14.3) | 51.0 (10.6) | 37.9 (3.3) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 15.3 (−9.3) | 34.1 (1.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 1.1 (−17.2) | 1.8 (−16.8) | 9.4 (−12.6) | 22.1 (−5.5) | 36.6 (2.6) | 47.0 (8.3) | 52.5 (11.4) | 50.8 (10.4) | 43.6 (6.4) | 30.6 (−0.8) | 18.5 (−7.5) | 8.0 (−13.3) | 26.8 (−2.9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.98 (152) | 4.82 (122) | 5.98 (152) | 6.72 (171) | 6.71 (170) | 7.32 (186) | 6.96 (177) | 6.48 (165) | 6.40 (163) | 8.81 (224) | 7.32 (186) | 7.71 (196) | 81.21 (2,064) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[11] | |||||||||||||
Katahdin is referred to 60 years after Field's climb of Agiokochuk (Mount Washington) in the writings ofJohn Gyles, a teenage colonist who was captured nearPortland, Maine, in 1689 by theAbenaki. While in the company of Abenaki hunting parties, he traveled up and down several Maine rivers including both branches of thePenobscot, passing close to "Teddon". He remarked that it was higher than theWhite Hills above theSaco River.
Among someNative Americans, Katahdin was believed to be the home of the storm godPamola, and thus an area to be avoided.[12]
The first recorded climb of "Catahrdin" was by Massachusetts surveyors Zackery Adley[13] andCharles Turner, Jr. in August 1804.[14] The letter describing the ascent of Charles Turner Jr. states that they began at the (West Branch Penobscot) at 8:00 a.m. and arrived on the summit at 5:00 p.m. guided by two Native Americans who were initially cautious but when the "cold part of the mountain" was reached and sensing the determination of the others became ambitious to reach the top first. Turner lists his party as: William Howe, Amos Patten, Joseph Treat, Samuel Call, William Rice, Richard Winslow, Charles Turner, Jr. In the 1930sGovernorPercival Baxter began to acquire land and finally deeded more than 200,000acres (810 km2) to the State of Maine for a park, namedBaxter State Park after him. The summit was officially recognized by theUS Board on Geographic Names as "Baxter Peak" in 1931.
In the 1840sHenry David Thoreau climbed Katahdin, which he spelled "Ktaadn"; his ascent is recorded in a well-known chapter ofThe Maine Woods.[15] A few years laterTheodore Winthrop wrote about his visit inLife in the Open Air. PaintersFrederic Edwin Church andMarsden Hartley are well-known artists who created landscapes of Katahdin. On 30 November 2011, Christie's auctioned Church's 1860 paintingTwilight (Katahdin) for $3.1 million.
Elizabeth Oakes Smith "climbed Mount Katahdin in 1849—reportedly the first white woman to do so".[16]
As the northern terminus of theAppalachian Trail and southern terminus of theInternational Appalachian Trail, Katahdin is a popular hiking and backpacking destination and the centerpiece ofBaxter State Park. Baxter State Park is open year-round, though strictly regulated in winter. The overnight camping season is, weather permitting, from May 15 to October 15 each year, with some campgrounds staying open until October 22. Capacity limits have been placed on day-use parking at the trailheads to minimize the overuse of trails.[17]
Mt. Katahdin has several trails leading up to Baxter, Pamola, or Hamlin Peaks[18] These trails start right up the mountain, but each trail on the mountain ends up taking eight to ten hours round-trip depending on ability. Even for experienced hikers, Katahdin is often considered one of the most challenging hikes in the entireAppalachian Mountain range.[19][20][21] The rest of the trails go up the north side or west side of the mountain. These are accessed from the Chimney Pond Trail. For these trails, hikers must park at the Roaring Brook Campground and hike in. All trails are maintained by the Baxter State Park Authority, which runs the State Park. All of the trails on the mountain are classified as very strenuous, the highest classification the Park Authority gives, except for Saddle (strenuous), Hamlin Ridge trail (moderate), and Chimney Pond (moderate).[18]
The most famous hike to the summit goes along Knife Edge, a glacialarête which traverses the ridge between Pamola Peak and Baxter Peak. There have been more than 60 deaths on Katahdin since 1933 including October 8 and 9, 2020.[22] The park as a whole typically sees a need for roughly 40 search-and-rescue events per year (1 in 2,000 hikers), with a peak of 70 in 2013. The vast majority of incidents occur in the summer months, and the primary causes are leg injury, exhaustion, dehydration and disorientation.[23] Because of this, Katahdin and New Hampshire'sMount Washington are routinely near the top of the most deadly "low mountains" on Earth, with more fatalities per foot of elevation gained than some much higher mountains in theHimalayas.
Year designated: 1967
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clickingCoordinates (underLocation); copyLatitude andLongitude figures from top of table; clickZoom to location; clickPrecipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click30-year normals, 1991-2020; click800m; clickRetrieve Time Series button.
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