Late Season Hike of Doubletop
by Mitchel Stapleton
October 27, 2024
For some reason I always seem to be hiking some of Baxter State Park's highest peaks in the latter part of the season. I can remember many times in college summiting Katahdin the final weekends the mountain was open. I think the park has an entirely different allure to it in late October. The leaves have fallen, the camping season has passed and all that's left are miles of frosty trails and early sunsets.
This Sunday adventure would start at Nesowdnehunk Field, where Kaylin and I would summit Doubletop. The sun was shining and the temperature at the campground was around 34 degrees.
The first couple of miles were gradual, walking through large, old growth maple stands and listening to water flowing down the Nesowdnehunk Stream. A relatively steep climb began after crossing a small run off stream that started from the steep pitches on the west side of Doubletop.
Soon after navigating steep pitches, drawn out sections of beautiful green moss under softwood trees and a few boulders, we reached the summit. Quickly noticing dramatic views of the Tablelands and new perspectives of Mount OJI, The Brothers, Mount Coe and The Owl. It was a perfect day. The sun was high and there wasn't a breath of wind.
As a Ranger for the Maine Forest Service, anytime I get the chance to stand where one of our fire lookout towers once stood, I can't help but feel this history and a connection to the watchman that once stood in the same place looking at the same landscape checking for smokes. Doubletop was no exception. Large anchor points still remain at the summit where a tower once was. I immediately thought to myself that there probably wasn't a prettier spot in Maine to sit and stare for hours into the horizon. So we got our watchman and watchwomen on and did just that.
Within 30 minutes of being at the summit, we noticed a large bank of clouds moving in from the southwest. It looked like snow and wind were headed our way. As we gradually started making our way downhill, we both were excited for the chance of snowfall while we were hiking. Within two miles left to reaching our vehicle, snowflakes started flying through the air. A delightful surprise. We reached the trailhead, excited to slowly navigate our way out of the park and get back to town to eat dinner at The Sawmill after an eventful day.
