Frozen Trails & Warm Huts: My First Hike in Katahdin Woods & Waters

Our weekend started the best way possible: a stop at one of my favorite places, Matagamon. While waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, a few of us ordered some epic Red Snappahs. I forgot to snap a photo, but they absolutely deserve an honorable mention. Honestly, I think I might order one every time I’m “just stopping in to chat.”

We got a bit of a later start than planned thanks to placing a little too much trust in GPS. (If you’re venturing into remote Maine, take note: Google Maps is not always your friend.) While unloading in the parking lot, I had a fun first; I met someone who follows me online. They graciously took our group start photo as we prepared to embark on our first trip into

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

The Hike In

With a few jet sleds behind us, we were off. Temperatures hovered around 8 degrees when we started, but once we were moving, it felt like the perfect winter day. There was no wind, the sun was shining, and conditions couldn’t have been better.

The trails are groomed for skiers, so snowshoers are asked to stay to the sides. The trail was wide, flat, and compact; so firm that snowshoes and bare boots left nearly identical impressions. Along the way, we spotted plenty of moose and coyote tracks, a reminder of just how wild this place is.

The distance to Haskell Hut is advertised as 5.5 miles from the winter gate, but both of our GPS units tracked it at an even 5 miles from the parking lot to the hut (confirmed two days in a row). When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised. The hut was in much better shape than expected and still held some warmth from the guests who had stayed the night before.

We unloaded our gear, claimed platform space, and settled in.

Hut Life: Warmth, Food, and Glow Sticks

One of the girls had prepped chop suey and mac and cheese ahead of time—absolute perfection after a winter hike. We fired up my new Jetboil Basecamp system and started warming food, quickly turning the hut into a feast zone. As usual, no one went hungry on this girls’ trip.

Once the wood stove was ripping, the temperature inside climbed to around 84 degrees. Windows were promptly opened, and laughter followed. At some point, a glow stick party broke out..completely ridiculous and completely hilarious. After our dance party, we lined the dark path to the pit toilet with glow sticks, which turned out to be both practical and entertaining.

The evening was filled with bonding activities, more food (shocking, I know), and plenty of laughter. Just as we started talking about bedtime, a mouse trap went off, earning us another solid 40 minutes of entertainment.

Eventually, we settled in for the night, using a red light lantern as a low, sleep-friendly night light.

A Brutally Cold Morning (and a Lesson in Electronics)

The plan was to get up, eat, and be on the trail by 7 a.m. The group crushed it!! We were heading out at 7:04 a.m., after taking photos of a beautiful sunrise that followed us onto the trail.

The temperature read 0 degrees, but according to the forecast on my Garmin, the real feel was around -15 degrees with wind chill. That morning taught me a valuable lesson about cold-weather electronics: every single one of my devices failed.

My body cam crashed. My Insta360 crashed. Even my Garmin gave up.

It was a stark reminder that no matter how “rugged” your electronics are rated, extreme cold can and will win. Thankfully, we were prepared and experienced enough that it was more of an inconvenience than a safety issue, but it’s something worth keeping in mind if you rely heavily on tech in winter conditions.

Despite the cold, we made great time on the hike out. Motivation was high, and thoughts of a big breakfast back at Matagamon kept us moving.

Final Thoughts

This was surprisingly my first trip into Katahdin Woods and Waters. I had learned about these huts last year but missed out because they were fully booked. This year, I marked the reservation opening date on my phone and snagged a single night—just to try it out.

I was completely blown away.

The experience, the setting, and the ease of winter access exceeded every expectation. Before we even left, the girls decided this needs to be an annual trip—and I couldn’t agree more.

Here’s to another great adventure with a bunch of incredible women. And here’s to the next one! 🥂