View Full Version : Black Flies - Weather in NH in Mid May
Hi all, pressing hard to complete my section hike. Black Flies & Weather..........what's it like from Wildcat Mountain North ......... Mid May and later?
I prefer colder weather than hot
Thoughts, how early in May could I go on a 50 mile hike North?
Puddlefish
07-30-2017, 18:14
Go as late as possible to avoid the mud and additional trail damage.
Wildcat mountain north? Still can be rotten snow. Postholing sucks. Horrible time to hike over 4000 footers.
Slo-go'en
07-30-2017, 20:11
Trust me, you don't want to be here in May. Wildcat north? A real mess.
Thanks, so when are the black flies gone?
Middle of July, August they become tolerable. Gone by the first frost early September.
Slo-go'en
08-01-2017, 16:56
June is the worst. By July their pretty tolerable. Haven't noticed any recently Even the tics have finally went away. They were really bad in late May and most of June this year - another reason to avoid the woods that time of year.
Thanks Slo-go-en, here is my dilemma, have 200 miles to complete my section hike, based on my age (58) + recovering from back surgery right now, thinking about 3 hikes, 50,50 & 100............Wildcat North for 50 miles, have been average over 12 miles per day, calculating 8 for next 2 hikes, so that would be 6 days of hiking + travel time, then come back and do the next 50, then in Sept 100 miles to Monson then shuttle to Katahdin, done.
I live in the Philadelphia area, so getting back and forth is not a huge issue. I could break this into two 100 mile hikes, maybe July & Sept vs trying to get our earlier.
Thoughts?
Old Hillwalker
08-02-2017, 06:25
June is the worst. By July their pretty tolerable. Haven't noticed any recently Even the tics have finally went away. They were really bad in late May and most of June this year - another reason to avoid the woods that time of year.
The Ticks haven,t gone away, they have just picked up their summer hosts so are not questing aggressively right now. Pity the poor other small mammals which act as walking smorgasbords for these wee nasties.
i cant speak about may, but as far as black flies go i have gone hiking in the whites in early june several times and have never had an issue.
Slo-go'en
08-02-2017, 11:51
i cant speak about may, but as far as black flies go i have gone hiking in the whites in early june several times and have never had an issue.
The extent is highly variable from year to year depending on the type of winter and spring we have. This year was more "normal" then the last couple. Most of my bug bite wounds from June have finally healed over, though I still have a few to pick at.
The Mahoosuc range is exceptionally difficult. There are places with serious rock scrambles, bordering on technical. You need a lot of agility to get through this section.
Late June/early July is a good time to tackle the Mahoosucs as the trail isn't as muddy or buggy or slippery as it would have been 4 weeks earlier and there is less risk of thunderstorms which are more common in late July and early August. With very few exceptions, camping is only possible at the designated sites and shelters due to the very rugged terrain, so plan to go shelter to shelter.
Thanks, this is very helpful............I will go in June and yes, will have to be ready for a lot of really rough trail situations. Sure wish that I had tackled these sections years ago when I was younger!
DelQ from Wildcat Mountain northward in mid-May expect bugs to be ferocious at lower elevations, not much of a problem up high. Instead, when you are up high (i.e. over 3500 feet) you may be post holing in snow that is more than knee deep. once you get into June, snow should be either gone or going quickly. But you can expect mud season. It can rain a lot or it can be nice. Nights will probably be chilly. Bring a sleeping bag rated for 10 F or lower. How far north to you plan to go? is it Pinkham to Gorham? the Mahoosics?