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Tramper Al
12-04-2003, 10:52
I am always looking for a challenging New England hike, and am starting to consider section hiking from the NY/CT border to Katahdin in calendar Winter. This would take me several years, and I would probably jump around a bit, depending on what sort of hike I wanted to do at any given time. The Housatonic River Walk and Mahoosuc Notch would be rather different endeavors, I imagine. I have climbed nearly all the NH peaks in Winter, so I have some idea of what to expect.
There is a nice trip report on the ME AMC site from a section in Maine. I also recall reading here recently about Mahoosuc Notch adventures.
Does anyone have any experience in attempting to cover long miles of the AT in Winter, in northern NE or southern NE? Any advice? Anybody interested in a section or two?
Thanks in advance.

Frosty
12-04-2003, 13:16
I am always looking for a challenging New England hike, and am starting to consider section hiking from the NY/CT border to Katahdin in calendar Winter. This would take me several years, and I would probably jump around a bit, depending on what sort of hike I wanted to do at any given time. The Housatonic River Walk and Mahoosuc Notch would be rather different endeavors, I imagine. I have climbed nearly all the NH peaks in Winter, so I have some idea of what to expect.
There is a nice trip report on the ME AMC site from a section in Maine. I also recall reading here recently about Mahoosuc Notch adventures.
Does anyone have any experience in attempting to cover long miles of the AT in Winter, in northern NE or southern NE? Any advice? Anybody interested in a section or two?


I've hiked a bit of the AT in winter in NE. Mass was the best part (less snow), though when I did CHeshire to Dalton I was exhausted. There was about a foot of very old snow, and the top layer had melted and refrozen many times. It almost but not quite held my weight. Each step took several seconds as I'd place my foot, put on weight and then mid-stride Iwould fall through. Then I'd have to lift my foot straight out because the crust was too strong for my toe to push through. ( 8-9 miles of that. Whew!)

I think CT and MA is very doable in winter, and probalby most of so VT and sw NH. The problem will be in the high-snow areas. You've done most of the NH peaks, so you know what happens to blazes when the snow cover exceeds six feet. The trail is pretty hard to find sometimes.

I once tried to break a new trail to Mt Tom after a two-foot storm using a GPS but failed. I didn't use enough waypoints and couldn't remember enough of the trail to find my way. Eventually gave up and clkmbed Pierce where folks smarter than me had broken trail.

I've got a lot going on in Dec and Jan, but if you are interested in section hiking in Feb/Mar I'd be interested in going along. If you want to do some high snow areas, I can do a better job with the GPS I'm sure.