we were planning to start a thru hike from Baxter State Park on May 15. Lady answering the phone at Baxter State park didnt sound very encouraging that the trails to the top of Mt Katahdin will be opening on the 15th. any comments would be welcome
Lucy
May 15 would be an unusually early date for Katahdin to be open. If it is imperative that you start on May 15, you may want to consider a sort of flip-flop - start your hike on the 100 mile wilderness at Abol Bridge, then once you reach Monson, just have the Shaws shuttle you to Katahdin.
If you need help with a shuttle, feel free to email me, as I live just north of Monson and know the area well.
Kineo Kid
Hi Lucy,
Kineo’s right, it’s too early to count on being able to climb the Mountain. There’s still snow on Katahdin. I’m heading up this afternoon, will hike into Hurd Brook and hike into the Park from Abol Bridge on Weds. I’ll post about the conditions when I get back on Thursday.
Last year the AT opened on May 24th, an average date over the last several years.
Katahdin Stream Campground will be open on the 15th, and I’ll be up there in a lean-to that weekend. Spring is my favorite time of year in Baxter.
TJ aka Teej
check out Budder Ball and Zowakii;s AT journal from 2002. They started in mid-may and hit a couple feet of snow in the wilderness and lots of bugs. They climbed Katahdin after hiking to georgia.
A-train
Wow, thats early. The only reason to leave that early is that you like the snow, and the bugs! I left on July 2 and finished Dec. 13 last year with my wife. We finished with a couple of thruhikers who left May 26 and 28 (There were 2 of them who finished on Dec. 14 {Fisher King, Squirrel Meat}). The big advantage for them was that they got to take it super easy and make tons of side trips and still finish in december. We hiked a pretty enjoyable hike though. They did have some killer stories about difficulties at the begginning. If you start to hike that early, make sure that you realize it will be slow goings at times and you will get frustrated. But don’t let it knock you off the trail, b/c you’ll get plenty of Spring time rewards!
Mike Sanwald
I’m thinking about leaving SOBO on 5/15 also. I was on Mount Liberty in NH this Monday and did not encounter snow until about 4000’. There was no snow on open rocky areas, even at about 4400’. This may bode well for an early opening on Katahdin.
FWIW, I contacted the owner of White House Landing and he was very surprised that I was thinking of such an early start. He said he never got hikers much before Memorial Day. But he will be open, and he promised to put the air horn in the tree across the lake in case I’m there on 5/19.
I’m also a little concerned about the stream crossings that early as there may be a lot of snowmelt. But let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Bob
There’s still snow on top, not too much though for this time of year. Do not count on the AT opening early - a Ranger needs to check it out in person, and they have other things to do opening weekend. Streams are down, inside their banks, with the footbridges in fine shape from Abol Bridge to Nesowadnehunk Stream. Hurd Brook was crossed with dry feet. Still cold, frost Weds morning, ice under the bog bridges. Woods were pretty dry, fire danger ‘high’ said Smoky. Lots of Moose on the roadside, be careful driving up 95 and Rte 11.
Take note: Abol Bridge will NOT be open to cars until Memorial Day weekend, the repairs are taking much longer than expected, hikers can still cross in foot. No blackflies - yet!
TJ aka Teej
TJ aka Teej Thank you for the update. We are going with our plans to start May 15. If the trails to Katahdin do not open we will head SOBO and pick up Katahdin at a later date as Kineo Kid suggested.
Lucy
Hell yea, just do it…the worst that’s going to happen is you have to take a zero in the woods (I can think of worse places to do that than Baxter). Truth is, if you really want to, you can hike Katahdin regardless of conditions: all you gotta do is outwit the rangers…there’s a daunting task. If you do, I recommend using the AT to go up and down (the Abol Trail is no picnic, even in decent conditions).
Poncho