Hiking Maine

[hiker13901]

I am thinking of hiking all those 4,000 foot peaks on the Appalachian Trail in Southwestern Maine, close to the New Hampshire border the 2nd week of May. I know there are a lot of big ski resorts near there. I just don't want to be hiking in 4 foot of snow. How are the conditions now on top of the mountains now and what do I expect in early to mid May?? I would like nice, clean , trails.

Thanks for your help.

 

[DayTrip]

I am thinking of hiking all those 4,000 foot peaks on the Appalachian Trail in Southwestern Maine, close to the New Hampshire border the 2nd week of May. I know there are a lot of big ski resorts near there. I just don't want to be hiking in 4 foot of snow. How are the conditions now on top of the mountains now and what do I expect in early to mid May?? I would like nice, clean , trails.

Thanks for your help.

Nice, clean trails in early May in New England 4k's? <Insert laughter here> I would expect lots of mud, mosquitos and rotten monorail/snow in early May barring an epic warming and drying spell.

 

[peakbagger]

Add 30 to 60 days to your estimated start date. The black flies are generally intolerable in May and the many streams you need to cross may be uncrossable. Some of the logging roads you need to access may not be open.

 

[egilbe]

Two years ago was similar to this year. 2nd weekend in May still had 3 to four feet of rotten snow above 3200 feet on the AT going over Old Speck. Expect the same.

 

[Ken MacGray]

I think you meant to say mid-June and not mid-May. There is a LOT of snow here right now. Unless we get a heat wave, it will be staying around for a while.

 

[peakbagger]

I think folks got spoiled due to a few warm/low snow years so they are looking at the recent past and hoping to project it to this spring. If you look at Sugarloaf they are projecting a closing date of 4/30 this year. That's a pretty good indication that they still expect snow in the woods until then. Generally what happens is south facing slopes may be green and dry but north slopes with softwood cover will retain the snow for longer periods. The Western Maine peaks get significantly less traffic so the dreaded monorail is going to be less prevalent. I do remember years in this area where there was significant deep snowpack in shaded high altitude areas well until mid May.

 

[Snowflea]

And even though last winter was lacking in significant snowpack, the ICE lasted almost into June!!

To the OP, I would never consider the trails to Maine's 4k's as "nice and clean."

 

[ChrisB]

I am thinking of hiking all those 4,000 foot peaks on the Appalachian Trail in Southwestern Maine, close to the New Hampshire border the 2nd week of May.....

I have (not so) fond memories of a mid-May hike in the Whites: I am post-holing (in shorts) in very cold and soft wet snow, sweating bullets, while being eaten alive by black flies due to my snail's pace.

And then we camped for the night.

Never again.

cb

 

[dug]

Same story ChrisB, and it was over Memorial Day. Worst of both worlds. Add to it the inconsiderate moose who was ahead of me to ensure that trail was in ruins, and I really thought I'd die...

 

[TJsName]

Same story ChrisB, and it was over Memorial Day. Worst of both worlds. Add to it the inconsiderate moose who was ahead of me to ensure that trail was in ruins, and I really thought I'd die...

Spring hiking requires strategy as you wind through different 'layers' (dry, mud, snow/ice) on the mountains. It sounds like you want to avoid that altogether, which is a pretty sound strategy! Second week of May will likely be bad. There were probably be snow/ice on the upper portions of any 4k trails, especially with northern exposure, until late May. Memorial Day to Father's day can be peak for black flies, so perhaps later June would make you happiest. If you don't already, following trip reports on trailsnh.com (it's pulls in from a bunch of sources) and you can easily look at historical information on the newenglandtrailconditions.com website too. Good luck!

 

[sierra]

I am thinking of hiking all those 4,000 foot peaks on the Appalachian Trail in Southwestern Maine, close to the New Hampshire border the 2nd week of May. I know there are a lot of big ski resorts near there. I just don't want to be hiking in 4 foot of snow. How are the conditions now on top of the mountains now and what do I expect in early to mid May?? I would like nice, clean , trails.

Thanks for your help.

I'd like to meet a hiking female who just wants to bivi in the back of my truck and hike all the time . Maybe we will both get lucky, but I doubt it.

 

[egilbe]

I'd like to meet a hiking female who just wants to bivi in the back of my truck and hike all the time . Maybe we will both get lucky, but I doubt it.

I met her. She does exist. Seems more likely than clean trails in the mountains in May.

 

[wardsgirl]

Perhaps VFTT needs a singles thread for when mud/monorail/black fly season keeps us out of the woods?

 

[ChrisB]

Perhaps VFTT needs a singles thread for when mud/monorail/black fly season keeps us out of the woods?

I think there's already an outdoors Meetup Group for that!! (with a long waitlist)

cb

 

[peakbagger]

Heck back when we had Gatherings, it was definitely one of the secondary goals of events.