Cody McEwen grew up with Katahdin.

He’s climbed the mountain dozens of times over the years as an individual and as a registered Maine guide. He’s seen the stunning beauty it offers at its best — and the danger that looms when conditions go bad.

“Katahdin isn’t just a walk in the woods,” McEwen said. “It is a beast in its own right.”

The deaths of two New York hikers this week offer a tragic reminder that attempting to summit Maine’s tallest peak is a high-stakes challenge for even experienced mountaineers. Sometimes underestimated, Katahdin’s combination of challenging terrain and unpredictable weather have contributed to the more than 60 reported deaths on the mountain since officials began tracking that data in 1933.

Despite the risks, climbing Katahdin remains a bucket list item for many Mainers. Those interested in attempting to summit the 5,267-foot peak shouldn’t take the challenge lightly, McEwen said. Here’s how they can do it as safely as possible.

PLAN FOR A LONG DAY

Summiting Katahdin is doable for most physically fit people, said Kev Murray, who has hiked the mountain and works near Baxter. But it’s easy for no one.

“It’s all difficult,” he said. “It’s just degrees of difficulties.”

Some seasoned hikers from other parts of the country, especially the Mountain West, see that the Abol Trail is under 5 miles long and assume they’ll be able to reach the summit in a couple of hours, said Aaron Megquier, executive director of the Friends of Baxter State Park. Their mistake is that they’re expecting a hike, when they’re really in store for a scramble.

“There’s not a single way up the mountain where you don’t have to use your hands,” Megquier said.

There are basically five ways up the mountain accessible to day hikers — two from the West and three from the East — and each has tricky spots that require visitors to hop between boulders. The footing, already precarious, can get especially problematic when rain slicks the lichen-covered granite, forcing hikers to slow down as they pay attention to every step.

It’s not a task for the faint of heart. Each year, mountain staff respond to an average of 45-50 so-called “search and rescue incidents,” the vast majority of which involve a hiker who isn’t lost but who needs help after suffering an injury or a condition like dehydration, according to park Director Kevin Adam.

“People come down that are battered from that mountain,” said Megquier, who typically recommends the Abol Trail or the Saddle Trail for first-time guests.

PREPARE FOR THE WORST

If all goes well, a hiker might be able to reach the top of Katahdin and return to the bottom in anywhere from eight to 12 hours. That doesn’t always happen.

In the “alpine zone,” the treeless terrain above 4,000 feet, temperatures can be 20 or 30 degrees lower than at the base of the mountain. Cloudy weather can turn into a storm with little warning.

Murray, who said he felt the teeth-chattering effects of pre-hypothermia on his third and most-recent climb to the summit, said guests should track the weather carefully.

Apps like Mountain Pro can help hikers track conditions at the top of high-altitude trails. Baxter Park Rangers can also provide updated forecasts, Adam said.

But things can change fast.

If conditions are good, hikers should be prepared for them to get sketchy in a hurray, McEwen said. That means extra layers, a pair of good hiking boots that can handle slick rocks, and a winter hat; at the top of Katahdin, it can snow any month of the year.

If conditions are bad, climbers need to understand that they could get worse and that they could get stuck on the mountain for much longer than they planned.

Before setting out, hikers should share their expected return time with both a ranger and a loved one so that they can call for a search quickly if things go wrong. They can also consider buying a GPS locator device with an SOS function, as cell service is often poor around the mountain.

Even if park staff know the location of someone who needs aid, it may take several hours or even longer for help to arrive, Adam said. For that reason, experts recommend that everyone who attempts Katahdin have enough food, water and clothing to get them through 24 hours in the wilderness.

KNOW WHEN TO TURN BACK

McEwen knows how hard it can be to turn around when you’re near the summit. There have been times when he’s forged ahead in bad conditions and lived to tell the tale.

It’s not the smart thing to do, he says. Given the mercurial weather near the Katahdin’s peak, conditions that are just barely manageable one minute can be dangerous the next. A sprained ankle too close to dark can turn into an emergency.

McEwen and other experts say it’s important to set a turnaround time that will ensure a hiker has enough daylight to make it to a safe area, whether a campsite or the bottom of the mountain.

“It’s OK to turn around,” said Murray. “The mountain is always going to be there.”

Megquier recalled a favorite saying of former longtime park director Jensen Bissell, who retired in 2017: “Your destination isn’t the summit. It’s your safe return to the trailhead at the end of the day,” he said. “It’s better to make it home safely and hike another day.”