A Day on the Traveler Loop
June 10, 2024
The Traveler Loop was a long overdue hike for me. I’ve been coming to Baxter State Park for years and never found the right time to hike it. I’d only heard great things about it: that it’s one of the best hikes in the Park besides Katahdin, you’re very likely to see a moose or two, and it’s a good challenge.
A weekday in early June meant the Park's north end was a bit quiet. I didn’t mind, however. I never saw a single person in all of the 10 miles – it was just the right amount of peace and quiet I didn’t know I needed then. A day in the north Maine woods of Baxter, hiking over some beautiful, rugged peaks.
The weather was all over the place. One minute, it was sunny and calm; the next, it was pouring rain; and the next, it was cloudy with 40+ mph winds. It went back and forth. I got rained on probably four separate times, but the sun would always peek back out in between. My puffy and rain jackets came on and off repeatedly. I wasn’t complaining, though. The continuous shift in weather conditions made it more exciting!
After passing over the summit of North Traveler, the trail got a bit harder to follow, as it was pretty overgrown in some sections and probably not maintained since last season. I sang out loud to the moose, hoping I wouldn’t startle one since I sometimes couldn’t see around the thick brush. I saw plenty of moose poop, but alas, no actual moose. The trail was marked above treeline with cairns, but it still required some thinking here and there, squinting and scanning the talus fields ahead for the next visible marker.
Peak of the Ridges marked the third and final summit of the day and was one of the most beautiful spots. I didn’t want to hike down, I was really enjoying being above treeline and looking out over the vibrant greenness of the park. It was my first big hike since winter, and I had missed the warmth and the wonderful smells of summer in the woods. Flowers were blooming, and rain clouds passed in all directions, casting small shadows over the forests while the sun shone everywhere else.
The Traver Loop was even more spectacular than I thought it would be, and was indeed a good challenge! I later found out that it is recommended to hike it counterclockwise to avoid descending Center Ridge Trail, which is very steep and has quite a bit of loose rock. I definitely was nervous going down since it had rained and was slippery, but I made it just fine, and I don’t regret going clockwise at all. In total, it took me about six hours to complete, and it made for such a lovely day!
