Southern New England in May

[saralyn]

My husband and I are looking to get on the AT for about a week starting this Sunday - we are kind of winging it since I have an unexpected vacation that came up with a job change.

We live in Central Massachusetts and are looking for a good section to hike that is no more than 5 hours from our home. For reference, it takes just under two hours to reach Mount Greylock in the Berkshires.

I'm imagine that for 5 days we'd be looking at about 60-70 miles or so.

Will it be too cold in the evenings to be in New England in May? We both have +25 sleeping bags.

[lemon b]

Still using my zero bag in the Berkshires. Maybe from Undermountain Road Northbound to Dalton. Or JugEnd Road Southbound. The woods are real nice this time of year and I've only run into the blackflys once.

[jakedatc]

I used my +20 bag with a puffy jacket on in CT last week. but that got down to low 30s. depends how you sleep and what you wear. not many bugs and they weren't biting yet.

doesn't really cover the AT specifically but you can find mountains near it or at the same level.
http://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/

[Dakota Skye]

My husband and I are looking to get on the AT for about a week starting this Sunday - we are kind of winging it since I have an unexpected vacation that came up with a job change.

We live in Central Massachusetts and are looking for a good section to hike that is no more than 5 hours from our home. For reference, it takes just under two hours to reach Mount Greylock in the Berkshires.

I'm imagine that for 5 days we'd be looking at about 60-70 miles or so.

Will it be too cold in the evenings to be in New England in May? We both have +25 sleeping bags.

,

Hi Sara

I live about 15 miles from you and your husband. I was in Great Barrington over the weekend and spoke to a couple of section hikers; they mentioned it still a bit cold at night.

We are getting ready to section hike the LT this summer.

Dick

[Monkeywrench]

You could start at Rt 55 in CT and head north to Jug End in MA. That should be about the right distance, and would keep you further south and at lower elevations where it's a bit warmer.

[Chaco Taco]

Id say, compared to a usual New England May, you are fine. Just be prepared for rain. Its forecasted in some way, shape or form, for the next 10 days. Some of the higher elevation of NH may see a little snow. Obviously, dont hikein vermont til after Memorial Day. I knwo its been a low snowfall season but there is still issues from Irene with erosion that still need to be addressed. Id imagine the Berks to be beautiful. The Whites are also beautiful right now if you can squeeze in betwen the cloud cover.

[adamkrz]

Overnighted the last 5 weekends, All in southern Mass, Last Sat. night it was maybe 27 degrees but was good with my 40 degree down bag and long underwear on. No bugs makes it my favorite time of the year to camp - No crowds either.


Saw the first thru hiker of the year also ( scooter).

[saralyn]

Looks like we decided on going from Jug End Road to just south of Kent, CT - Bulls Bridge Road. Hopefully we see some other hikers!
A little nervous, this is my first hike of substantial distance and time, but I can't wait

[gumball]

Have fun, expect to smell, and enjoy the solitude of nature. Also, our friend Dreamer is out doing a month long section in that area--if you see him, say "hi" for me!!! Gum

[jakedatc]

saralyn, I did almost that same hike last week. 5 days is plenty for that hike. The streams are running fine, especially with this week's rain so you'll have no problem with water. The river at Guinea Brook is pretty high, if you are not experienced with crossing I would suggest the road walk detour. see my report for pictures.

If you haven't got it already, the AT Guide by AWOL is a great resource. I copied the 3 pages for that section and is all I needed. It is pretty damn accurate for landmarks, streams etc.

short trip report
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...hread_id=63509

[saralyn]

Awesome! That's great. Thank you for sharing.
In CT, you can only stay at the shelters and designated campsites, correct? We were a little concerned about the distances between shelters, but I'm sure it will all work itself out. Everything I've been reading for research says not to itinerize a ton and just go with the flow.

[jakedatc]

Awesome! That's great. Thank you for sharing.
In CT, you can only stay at the shelters and designated campsites, correct? We were a little concerned about the distances between shelters, but I'm sure it will all work itself out. Everything I've been reading for research says not to itinerize a ton and just go with the flow.

I don't believe so, maybe someone will correct me if i'm wrong.

keeping your options open is definitely good. I originally gave myself 5 days and would have been done in 3.5-4 if my knee didn't act up. There are bumpy parts but you can really cruise on the flatter sections. one observation was that Limestone shelter is a ways down there. Also, if you saw Goody's thread, really watch out for ticks especially on the field crossings i had like 5 across one field :P sneaky evil things.

have fun! i wish i had been able to make it to Kent.

[Amanita]

Last year I did a section starting at RPH in NY on may 7th. I did up through CT to around Great Barrington MA. It's super nice in the spring, lots of flowers out and everything growing

1. 25+ should be fine, as long as your bag is true to rating. I had a 30 degree and some warm clothes which worked well.
2. Unless you need to just get some food, don't stop in Kent, CT. No laundry, and many services I used were very rude to me because I was a hiker (library, pizza place, one of the cafes). DO stop in Salsbury, I stayed in one of the homes with rooms for hiker rent there, shower and a clean bed for way less than a hotel.
3. Distance between shelters in that area is completely manageable even straight off the couch. I stayed in a shelter every night and often passed 1 or 2 over the course of the day.
4. It's not very busy, the only shelter I found full was a group of college students on some "team building" exercise. Most nights I was the only one in the shelter.
5. Water is plentiful. Don't stress out about, there was at least one seasonal stream every mile or so. Most of these dry up in the summer though.

I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time, best of luck.