Hello, I won’t be able to start heading for Maine until about the 2cnd week or so in June. I also heard that Maine closes the trail around Oct. or Nov. Can anyone give me the skinny and/or advice on starting so late and what I might be able to expect. Thanks so much.
JTtheWolf
My advice about starting the 2nd week in June… Dont. Unless you are some sort of Norse Deity, you won’t finish. One of the most important things that enables hikers to actually pull off 5 or 6 months of pain, sweat, toil, and accomplishment is the companionship of other hikers…and from your post, I’m guessing you plan on hiking alone. Since the majority of thru-hikers start around March or April, you’re companionship may be scarce. But then again if this is absolutely the only time you will ever have to try to hike the trail, then what the heck. The worst that can happen is you don’t make it.
Mad Max
If you can’t start until June, think about starting in Maine and going south. We SOBOs have to wait until June since they don’t open the Hunt trail up to Mt Katahdin until June 1st or so (they have to wait for the snow to melt). Georgia in November is a whole lot more pleasant than Maine in November!
Bear Bag Hanger
Companionship is not a problem, MadMax, but thanx for your input. Norse Diety??,close! grin but no. However, I am very used to solitude in remote areas for very extended lengths of time. (one time I even had to learn how to talk with humans again!) More what I was looking for was about the trail closure. I didn’t figure that I would make it this season. In another post I mentioned this and so was figuring on wintering in a town up there and picking up some work to bide me through the winter. The other reason, Bear Bag hanger, that I want to go north is that I have an idea of doing the Sea to Sea west then picking up the PCT going south. A couple years on the trail yes, but has anybody done that yet?? Might make for a pretty good book when done eh??
JTtheWolf
Here’s a link to the Baxter State Park web site with the info you’re looking for about the fall deadline for climbing Katahdin: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/hiking/thru-hiking.html.
Snowbird
From what I read Baxter closes it’s campgrounds around Oct 15th. This doesn’t mean you can’t climb Katahdin, you just can’t stay at Katahdin base camp. It means a long hiking day from the last shelter on forest land to the summit and back in a day. I have heard of folks stealth camping or hiking until after dark and just sleeping beside the trail somewhere before msking the climb. The only trick I can see would be making your way out of the park. you could alwasy turn tail and hike back to Monson, or if the weather is still favorable the folks at White House Landing may give you a ride back to town. I guess the whole deal is weather dependent that late in the season.
Good luck!
Cheers
Cheers