I Would Appreciate Any Advice As To When I Should Begin My Trip From Hanover Nh To Mt K. Please Advise. Also, What Am I Likely To Experience Weather-wise???
Thanks In Advance,
Kh

You live in Etna so presumably you know the weather around those parts, no? Early fall is my favorite time for hiking. But you should plan for five or six weeks or thereabouts, unless you're in top condition. From Labor Day onwards, snow can fall in the Whites (and the mtns. of Maine.)

just stay out of the wave of NOBO thru-hikers

By mid to late June the black flies should be pretty much gone. I'd want to be up Katahdin by the last week in Sept. Allowing 6 weeks to reach Katahdin, that would make an ideal start window between the last week in June and the first week in August. Great time to hike up here anywhere in that time window.

By mid to late June the black flies should be pretty much gone. I'd want to be up Katahdin by the last week in Sept. Allowing 6 weeks to reach Katahdin, that would make an ideal start window between the last week in June and the first week in August. Great time to hike up here anywhere in that time window.
If you start any later than the last week of May your likely to find yourself in a large group of NOBOs. The weather should be on your side by then.
Enjoy your hike and a day at Shaws in Monson is always good before heading into the 100 mile on your way to Katahdin.
Peace:)

Hiking in Maine is quite nice in late August and through September.

Kirby

If you start any later than the last week of May your likely to find yourself in a large group of NOBOs. The weather should be on your side by then.
Enjoy your hike and a day at Shaws in Monson is always good before heading into the 100 mile on your way to Katahdin.
Peace:)

OTOH, if you start any earlier, you'll run into mud, snow, closed trails, blackflies (well, you're stuck with them no matter what). Personally, I'd go SOBO, and start at Katahdin in early- to mid-August. You'll always be hiking homeward.

I think a late June start in Hanover would be ahead of most of the thru-hikers.

OTOH, if you start any earlier, you'll run into mud, snow, closed trails, blackflies (well, you're stuck with them no matter what). Personally, I'd go SOBO, and start at Katahdin in early- to mid-August. You'll always be hiking homeward.
Yes, that's why I picked late May. If you do it SOBO though at the time you say you will still be inundated by NOBOs for much of the hike.

I think a late June start in Hanover would be ahead of most of the thru-hikers.
I would think then you would encounter the main group of SOBOs. Depends on if he wants alot of people around or not.

If you start any later than the last week of May your likely to find yourself in a large group of NOBOs.

No way. May 15 most nobo thrus are in Damascus, and the speedsters are in northern Virginia.

I also question whether there's really much of a "wave" of nobos once you're in Hanover. By that point the numbers have thinned considerably, and they're spread out over several hundred miles. Nothing at all like the starting gate in Georgia.

Hiking in Maine is quite nice in late August and through September.

Agree, but I've seen snow in the 100-mile in mid-September.

No way. May 15 most nobo thrus are in Damascus, and the speedsters are in northern Virginia.

I also question whether there's really much of a "wave" of nobos once you're in Hanover. By that point the numbers have thinned considerably, and they're spread out over several hundred miles. Nothing at all like the starting gate in Georgia.
I've started at Katahdin the last two Junes and by July the NOBO crowds increased almost daily.

I've started at Katahdin the last two Junes and by July the NOBO crowds increased almost daily.

Sorry, that's complete bull. Do the math, Wargy.

The stats are pretty consistent: folks start in March-April, and finish in August-September. There's no way the center of the wave is anywhere near New Hampshire on June 1.

Let's call the "typical" start date March 15, and let's call the typical hiking speed 14 miles per day (long-term average.) By June 1, those hikers have had roughly 10 weeks, or 70 days on the trail. 70 x 14 = 980 miles, which puts them ... in northern Virginia, almost to Maryland. Hanover's another 750 miles up the road.

I believe you, no doubt. Maybe it's that NOBOs think of a big group differently than SOBOs. For sure by the time they get to the north east they've thinned out from what you know them to be in the south.
But for a SOBO that starts with very little or no company for days at a time, four then five, six and more constitutes the beginning of the head of NOBOs from my perception. You may be thinking 20 to 25 hikers is a crowd. For SOBOs, much less than that is a crowd.
No harm intended. It's just looking at the same picture from a different angle. Perception.
Peace:)

I believe you, no doubt. Maybe it's that NOBOs think of a big group differently than SOBOs. For sure by the time they get to the north east they've thinned out from what you know them to be in the south.

I've spent the last ten years or so doing sections, working my way southward from Monson. I always hike in late summer... usually August or September, though in 2005 I foolishly hiked from Bear Mtn. to Great Barrington in mid-June. I've met a few NOBO thrus on those hikes, but hardly enough to constitute a "wave." The closest I saw to such a "wave" was while hiking SOBO from Hanover, starting early August 2002 -- at a couple of shelters in VT, and on the summit of Bromley (a small crowd had gathered to watch the meteor shower.) On the 2005 hike, in June, I met maybe ten NOBO thrus over the course of eight days (~100 miles.) Opa, Sen. Daniel, and Shades of Blue among them.

These last two years my sections were also late-summer, and south of Bear Mtn. -- and I saw less than a handful of thrus (either NOBO or SOBO) over the course of 700 miles or so.

I would think then you would encounter the main group of SOBOs. Depends on if he wants alot of people around or not.
How big is the entire annual entourage of SOBO's? Does it even constitute a "main group"? Regardless, as soon as the weather breaks and the trail dries a bit the AT in New England will be "crowded." Local, section, and tourist hikers will outnumber thru-hikers(of either direction) 100 to 1, especially in the Whites between Franconia and Gorham. The OP asked about weather as well, and honestly, May isn't the best time to hike in NH(cold, wet, mud - then flies). April and May are mud season. It's when the local hospitality business owners take their vacations. Mid June thru mid Sept is probably the nicest time weather wise.

4eyedbuzzard makes some good points, and why I wait till late summer for my hiking in New England. I've tried to hike on Memorial day off the Kancamagus, and had to turn back because of deep, wet snow and high water. Memorial day is also when you'll find 1000 or more gung-ho skiers at Tuckermans ravine.

For most of the summer, day-hikers and weekenders will out-number thrus by a huge margin, whenever the weather's halfway decent in the Whites. The crowds thin out considerably south of Franconia Notch (or Moosilauke) and north of Pinkham Notch.

I was section hiking in mid August on Lincon Mt. w/thur-hikers & in erly Sept. this seams about the time for NOBO.

It will be VERY challenging....esp if you don't have your hiker legs. If you want to start in New England, I would start in CT so you have time to build up for this tough part. JMO.

Thanks To All Of You. I Have Got To Take Care Of My Thru Hikers, First And Formost ( I Am Tigger's Treehouse). So, Given That, Please Advise As To Wheather I Should Be A Nobo Or A Sobo And At What Time, Month, Given That I Have Got To Take Care Of My Thru Hikers.
Kh ( Aka Tigger)

when do you have the bigger numbers of thru's at your place?? Start with that, then go from there....decide whether you want to hike before or after the "crowds" come through your place that you want to take care of...if they are generally there in August, then I'd say go earlier in the summer, but keep in mind you may deal with black flies and other things that people have already mentioned.

And to those who were debateing NOBO "crowds" in New England....it can happen, maybe unlikely, but it can happen. During my Thru in 02, we had about 30 NOBO's and one SOBO sectioner at the first shelter in Maine....

Thanks To All Of You. I Have Got To Take Care Of My Thru Hikers, First And Formost ( I Am Tigger's Treehouse). So, Given That, Please Advise As To Wheather I Should Be A Nobo Or A Sobo And At What Time, Month, Given That I Have Got To Take Care Of My Thru Hikers.
Kh ( Aka Tigger)

You shouldn't see any real thru-hiker traffic until June, at least. (There may be a few, but not that many. Just clearly and plainly announce your opening date for the season before you take off hiking). If I were you, I would start in May. If you don't get back by July, you will definitely miss some business.

One thing to keep in mind is that in the early summer (which is seems you might have to), you'll see a lot of black flies and the water may be higher, making fording more difficult. I would bring long sleeves, long pants, a headnet, some DEET, and some crocs or similar for fording streams, etc., and take it slow for the first week or two.

Hiking in Maine is quite nice in late August and through September.

Kirby

Wait, are you serious? I thought it was MISERABLE. I got absolutely mangled by noseeums in Maine. I basically didn't sleep for the last 200 miles of the hike. It's a shame, because it's so beautiful.

Wait, are you serious? I thought it was MISERABLE. I got absolutely mangled by noseeums in Maine. I basically didn't sleep for the last 200 miles of the hike. It's a shame, because it's so beautiful.

You just got the late season hatch of normal bugs, and perhaps a secondary blackfly hatch. If you thought that was bad, late April through early June would make you run for your life.

4eyedbuzzard is right. If you though late August and september was bad, don't hike in Maine June through July, it is miserable.

I would think the main NOBO pack would be going through the Whites in mid to late July in anticipation of finishing either in late August or early September.

Kirby

Thanks guys, you are making me feel so good about my decision to start from Big K on June 10th!

You just got the late season hatch of normal bugs, and perhaps a secondary blackfly hatch. If you thought that was bad, late April through early June would make you run for your life.

Indeed it would. Why would anyone ever hike SOBO?

Time!!!

Hmmm. Seems all the thruhikers lately are pushing the traditional start times by up to two months. Used to be April 1 to 15 for NOBO's and June 15 to July 1 for SOBOS. Now we've got people leaving Springer Feb 15 and then zeroing for snowstorms, icy trails, etc. And people trying to leave Katadhin May 15, and getting eaten by flies in the ME and NH.

There were some good reasons former hikers chose those approximate starting dates. Not that they can't be moved based upon short term forecasts/conditions. But people are planning months out to leave way too early on a lot of hikes.

Buzzard I completely agree, but I have to be back from my long section by the middle of July, this is the best case scenario for me as there are more places for me to get off the trail closer to Gorham than Katahdin if for some reason i run out of time. People have been surviving the blackflies for centuries up there, I'll suffer a little but I'll live!

There were some good reasons former hikers chose those approximate starting dates. Not that they can't be moved based upon short term forecasts/conditions. But people are planning months out to leave way too early on a lot of hikes.

Not only that... but the early starts yield diminished returns. Heavier load, shorter days, icy trail (with attendant falls, sprains...) etc. More zero days. Late starters frequently catch up with early starters. Happens all the time.

My comment wasn't directed directly at you - I understand your time constraints for your section hike. I was more just making an observation on more and more thru-hikers in particular planning really early start dates and THEN wondering if their 20 degree bag will be warm enough and whether or not they'll need yaktraks, stabilicers, etc so they don't break their necks on icy trails.:-? ;)

Not only that... but the early starts yield diminished returns. Heavier load, shorter days, icy trail (with attendant falls, sprains...) etc. More zero days. Late starters frequently catch up with early starters. Happens all the time.

Yeah, I wonder about that. I can see if you have the time and the weather/conditions are good leaving early and then bailing for a few weeks if winter returns to the south. I hiked through(out of) the Smokies in the ice and snow years ago and it wasn't fun - or safe. Maybe I'm just gettin' too old and set in my ways - just doesn't sound like "walking with Spring" to me.

No guys I completely agree with you, the opposite is I was just on TJ and there was a man starting June 10th, I thought, "Hey a guy starting the same day as me!" Until I saw he was starting from Springer figuring he'll make Katahdin by October 15th, I don't think he's planning a flip-flop, but he'll probably have to. People rushing or thinking starting earlier is better. Just hike and if you don't have the time...just do what you can and enjoy it out there!

No guys I completely agree with you, the opposite is I was just on TJ and there was a man starting June 10th, I thought, "Hey a guy starting the same day as me!" Until I saw he was starting from Springer figuring he'll make Katahdin by October 15th, I don't think he's planning a flip-flop, but he'll probably have to. People rushing or thinking starting earlier is better. Just hike and if you don't have the time...just do what you can and enjoy it out there!

The AT up Katahdin should be open by the 10th, I hear a common SOBO start date is the 1st of june.

Kirby

Indeed it would. Why would anyone ever hike SOBO?
Give it a whirl. . . you'll see.:sun