The Knife's Edge and Katahdin
Well, I did it. I doubt I will try it again, but I did it. Hiking up Katahdin and doing the Knife's Edge had been calling me since the last time I hiked up Katahdin.
Baxter State Park (the location of Katahdin) is the only place I know where they accurately estimate the time and difficulty of a trail, and to my thought (perhaps my age, perhaps my condition), they underestimated it.
The last time I was so physically exhausted was the first time I climbed Katahdin.
Of course, one must get to the approach routes. I was proud of myself this time, the 3.2 mile hike up the hill required no rest stops, thanks to all the walking I have been doing. I call it a hill, but in any other setting, it is a mountain climb to Chimney Pond from the Roaring Brook campground. Beautiful scenery along the way, all on short side routes off of the trail.
I went up the Cathedral route, an accomplishment in itself. I have
always liked rock scrambling and rock climbing, but this trail gave more meaning
to both phrases. I wore short pants, a big mistake; I have scrapes,
scratches, and other wounds to attest to this. There were multiple pull
ups, hand holds, and generally it wasn't a trail, it was a climb. Hand
holds and foot holds were paramount; one had to be careful, while one slip of
any foot or hand perhaps generally might not mean death, it surely could result
in serious injury. 
And as always on many mountain trails, it was never
ending, interminable uphill; jeese will I ever get to the top uphill. Well, I
did.
And then came the Knife Edge trail.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so intimidating if one weren't so tired as one began the crossing. It runs from Katahdin to Pamola peak.
Don't let any one fool you, it ISN'T a
trail, it is a rock scramble. As one should do, I read everything about
the trail I could find. It didn't prepare me for the butt slides, the
clinging for dear life to the rocks that one hoped would hold one, the sheer
drops (I mean they said 1500 feet on each side, but I had envisioned a path, a
trail, somewhere to WALK!!). 
The easiest part was pick your step carefully; the rest was don't lose your grip!! Each had grip was a thought out decision, after one had decided on the foothold, and sometimes two or three in advance.
And then, as one nears the end at Pamola peak, one comes to "the notch." Too late (too tired) to turn back, it has to be negotiated.
I suspect people have spent the night there, too tired to turn back, too timid to push on. I would guess it is about 35-40 feet, possibly more, straight down, and then straight up again. I threw my pack ahead of me as I negotiated each 10-15 foot drop, and I was glad my water bottles weren't busted by the impact--the cherries didn't fare so well.
If there was a path down from there, I would have taken it, but there wasn't, so I didn't. My batteries failed, I took a couple more pictures of the Knife's Edge, but they didn't show up, apparently the batteries didn't have enough power to save them. They say a picture is worth a thousand words--I don't have the pictures, and words hardly do it justice, so I will spare you that.
Allow me also to tell you about one unadvertised hazard, the black flies!!! They are tiny insects, but most insidious. They don't even try to get away from your swatting, but if you miss one, the oozing itching bites last for weeks, they swell up bigger than the biggest mosquito bite you have ever had--it actually looks like a boil, and they leave scars for months to years!!