Hike on the IAT (International Appalachian Trail) along the East Branch of the Penobscot River on September 21, 2024, submitted by Milt Stein

It was a perfect autumn day. Partly Sunny with temps in the 60’s. A wonderful day for a leisurely hike along the East Branch of the Penobscot River in The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monumnent. The foliage was beginning to change to red, yellow, and orange. Passed two fly fishermen on the bridge by the Matagamon Wilderness Campground just before taking the turn to enter The Monument. The gravel road to the Haskell Gate, known as the Messer Pond Road or the New River Road, is in excellent shape and easily passable in any type of vehicle. Went by the Old River Road Loop and the Oxbow Road. I recalled Cross Country skiing there last winter. Excellent conditions, well-groomed by the rangers, splendid views of the mountains at the north end of Baxter Park and of the river. Profoundly wild. A great idea for a day hike on another trip. I continued to the dead-end parking area near the Haskell Gate for the start of our hike.

We ran into a ranger and spoke briefly as we headed out. This part of the International Appalachian Trail is a wide and flat tote road that has an excellent treadway and minimal elevation change. We walked through the woods enjoying conversation on topics of interest, exchanging notes on various places we like to hike and organizations that protect and maintain wild places like this. We observed the many varieties of trees and plants as we walked, and we made our first stop to see the Haskell Hut. The hut is only open for winter camping, but it’s located in a beautiful, quiet spot on a bluff above the East Branch. We saw a bald eagle glide lazily across the river there. And a large skull, presumably a moose, was propped up on a log for our review.

Moose Skull

From there we continued to Haskell Deadwater and inspected the campsite and portage trail. Another beautiful, quiet location next to a slow, wide spot on the river, with a view of Bald Mountain in the distance. A little farther along we reached Haskell Rock Pitch and stopped to admire the rips and to take a look at Haskell Rock. We kept meandering along the trail marveling at the quiet beauty and solitude of this place, enjoying the company and the conversation as we walked. We stopped for lunch at the Pond Pitch West campsite, right on the river next to the pitch. Another clean, beautiful campsite. We wanted to keep going, as it was a pleasant, leisurely walk, but based on our mileage, we were looking at a total trip of 7-8 miles and decided to head back after lunch.

On the way back we ran into two backpackers heading in and spoke to them for a few minutes. One of them had camped previously at the Wassataquoik Lean To and the Esker Tent site on the IAT in the southern part of The Monument. He was very enthusiastic about camping along this section of the IAT. He related that the campsites are very well set up and scenic and very wild. As we finished up, we were treated to a view of The Traveler, the tallest mountain in the north end of Baxter State Park. When we got back to our cars we had gone about 7.75 miles in about five hours, including breaks. It passed by very quickly. We were living in the moment, taking it all in. An absolutely beautiful walk in an easily accessible and remote wilderness.

An Interview with Lil Buddha

Lil Buddha's Pangea Traverse
Lil-Buddha-Southernmost-Terminus-of-the-ECT_Pangaea-Traverse
Lil Buddha at the Southernmost Terminus of the ECT

This summer, I had the pleasure of speaking with thru-hiker Lo Phong La Kiatoukaysy, known on trail as Lil’ Buddha. Through our conversation, I was able to glean some insight into Lil’ Buddha’s experience on the IAT and his plans to complete the hiking route that he is pioneering, the Pangaea Traverse.

Lil’ Buddha grew up in Kansas in a Hmong-American family. When asked how he first got into thru-hiking, Lil’ Buddha noted that he was always hiking, backpacking, and camping with extended family, especially out in Colorado. Lil’ Buddha embarked on his first thru-hike at the age of 19. Two months before the fall semester at the University of Kansas, Lil’ Buddha decided to hike the John Muir Trail, which he learned about by reading Ray Jardine’s Pacific Crest Trail Hiker’s Handbook. (Jardine was the first person to popularize using homemade lightweight gear and techniques, including early start times with longer days and more mileage at a slower pace. Lil’ Buddha was part of the first generation of ultralight backpackers following Jardine.) Later in life, after moving to New York City, working in corporate America, and surviving the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers, Lil’ Buddha used his free time and sabbaticals to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), and the Eastern Continental Trail (ECT). He has since hiked each of the trail systems three times each, making him the first known Asian American and Hmong-American to achieve the Triple Triple Crown thru-hiker status.

Lil’ Buddha first encountered the IAT in 2010, after hiking the PCT and following legendary thru-hiker Nimblewill Nomad. That year, he embarked on a northbound hike of the ECT, which includes the IAT. In 2019, he completed a southbound hike of the ECT, beginning at Cap Gaspé. Finally, in 2023, Lil’ Buddha thru-hiked the ECT for the third time, from Florida to the tip of Newfoundland. This hike, completed in October 2023, marked the beginning of Lil’ Buddha’s endeavor to hike the Pangaea Traverse, “a multi-year, transatlantic expedition across the geographically separated spine of the ancient Central Pangea Mountains, from Key West, Florida, to Mount Toubkal, Atlas Mountains, Morocco.”

Lil’ Buddha noted that the concept of the Pangaea Traverse is inspired, in many ways, by the IAT. However, whereas the IAT’s trails are geographically disconnected, the Pangaea Traverse seeks to piece together the remnants of the Central Pangaea Mountains as continuously as possible. Many of the trails that make up the Pangaea Traverse (an additional 8,000-9,000 miles) are not officially part of the IAT but have been co-branded as “possible” by the organization. According to Lil’ Buddha, “since Pangea no longer exists and is now split into the continents we know today, a Pangea Traverse is not possible in the literal sense. The hypothetical route is an amalgamation of several established thru-hiking trails, backcountry routes, a cross-network of walking and cycling paths, and route planning.” Lil’ Buddha’s hike of the Pangaea Traverse has been divided into three sections, each spanning approximately 6,000 miles (the Pangaea Traverse totals about 17,500 miles).

After his 2023 hike of the North American section of the Pangaea Traverse, Lil’ Buddha planned to complete the second section of the hike – Greenland, Iceland, and the UK – this summer. However, a leg injury has kept him off trail. Lil’ Buddha will return to the Pangaea Traverse once he is fully recovered and said that he has not felt pressed for time, since this will be the most extensive hike of his career.

Lil Buddha's Pangea Traverse
Lil Buddha's Pangea Traverse

When asked what he has found most special about his experience hiking the ECT/IAT/North American section of the Pangaea Traverse, Lil’ Buddha emphasized both the transition through various landscapes and peoples, and the sense of connectivity across the North American landscape.

At the southernmost point of the ECT in Florida, there is a great deal of biodiversity with the wetlands, and there are beautiful sunsets and cloudscapes. Lil’ Buddha noted that at Flagg Mountain in Alabama, the first 1,000-foot mountain of the North American section, one begins to get a sense of the Appalachian Mountains that gradually increase all the way past Katahdin (along the IAT). Such gradual changes in the landscape provide a feeling of connectivity. Additionally, Lil’ Buddha pointed out that the ECT runs from the Atlantic to the Atlantic – when he reached the northernmost terminus in Newfoundland in 2023, it was the first time he had seen saltwater in five months, since the beginning of his hike.

The ECT also passes through several peoples across North America. In particular, Lil’ Buddha noticed the changes in dialects and language, from Southern American English to Appalachian English to Québécois French to Newfoundland French. But Lil’ Buddha also recognized peoples’ hospitality towards thru-hikers in all parts of the continent.

According to Lil’ Buddha, although East Coast hiking is often overlooked, the IAT is a precious trail in the U.S. and Canada. Importantly, the IAT and its routing along roads, in particular, put thru-hikers in touch with the peoples of the most northeastern corner of North America.

Read more about Lil’ Buddha’s hiking experience and about the Pangaea Traverse on his website, https://lilbuddhahikes.org/home, or take a look at his Instagram, @lilbuddhahikes.