Revising a thruhike schedule...

[Pooja Blue]

... which would technically make it not a thruhike, I know.

I'm off the trail recovering from some plantar faciitis. I started on March 17th, I left at the midway point in PA June 30th and plan to get back on at the end of this month (July). My original plan was to summit Katahdin mid-October, but I don't think I'm going to make it by then having been off the trail this long. I don't have any constraints as to when I have to be done with the hike, by the way - except the weather. I want to summit when there's still a chance I can get up there.

I'm trying to figure out how to keep hiking NOBO for as much of the hike as possible. Is there a section I could/should skip over and then back and do after I summit? For example, I could get back on the trail where I would have been around August 1st, summit when I'd intended, then go back and do the section I'd skipped over.

Keeping in mind I'm going to be hiking the skipped section in the last half of October and the first half of November, is there a good section on the north half of the trail to hike during that part of the year? (I am not from that part of the country so suggestions and experiences are welcome.)

Or, should I just get back on where I got off and take a chance on Katahdin in November?

[Tin Man]

Why not flip-flop and get back on at Katahdin and finish southbound? You don't say when you will start, but you need to plan to get through Baxter State Park in ME by early October, because they close the park. The White's in New Hampshire is another area that you do not want to be past mid-September. Flip-floping may be the best bet. If you are still hung-up on going NOBO, then start as far south as timing will allow you to summit Katahdin by the first week of October. Good luck!

[Lone Wolf]

Start back up at the Mass./Vt. border in North Adams, Mass.

[tribes]

Why not skip ahead to North Adams, MA at the end of the month?? You will be running New England with alot of NOBOs still and you will probably summit with them on big K. After wards return to finish PA-MA NOBO in October-November when all the fall colors are kicking in the Mid Atlantic. It may not be the most magical way to finish your thru, but it is very practical for your situation. You could finish on Greylock or something.

[tribes]

Start back up at the Mass./Vt. border in North Adams, Mass.

Yeah what Wolf said...

[Mala]

Good advice, Wolfy.

[TedB]

I'll agree with everyone else on North Adams. To get an idea of the climate in western Mass, here are the climate normals for Great Barrington, MA:

http://ggweather.com/normals/index.htm



City:GREAT BARRINGTON, MA
Lat:42.09N Long:073.25W Elev: 817
Normal Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Maximum 31.6 33.9 43.4 56.0 68.2 76.4 81.2 79.0 70.8 59.5 47.9 36.4 57.0
Minimum 10.5 12.3 22.0 31.9 42.7 51.6 55.9 53.9 45.6 34.0 27.5 17.3 33.8
Mean 21.1 23.1 32.7 44.0 55.5 64.0 68.6 66.5 58.2 46.8 37.7 26.9 45.4
Precip. 3.70 3.03 3.60 3.85 5.00 4.18 4.16 4.63 4.07 4.00 4.12 3.64 47.98

[Pooja Blue]

Thanks, everyone, that was exactly the kind of suggestion I was looking for!

What will the trail be like PA-MA in October and November, cold and lonely? I don't need to be around other hikers all the time. I usually spend my days hiking alone and I tend to tent away from shelters, but I do enjoy meeting and seeing other hikers, particularly at the end of the day at a shelter for dinner and chat! Since I'm hiking alone I also like knowing there are others around *somewhere* if I should need help in an emergency. Will there be anyone else on the trail around then, or in the shelters?

[Jack Tarlin]

Pooja---

It'll be getting chilly in the evenings in Massachusetts then, and also in the mornings. And it can be wet. But it's unlikely you'll see any snow---maybe some flurries in the higher elevations towards the end of November, but maybe not even then.

You will have the Traill pretty much to yourself; so much the better if the weather turns on you, as you'll always have shelter space. However, this is "leaf-peeper" season, so there will be other folks out there, especially on weekends.

In terms of clothing or gear, you'll likely see some wet weather, so make sure your pack cover is in good shape, that you have decent raingear, that your tent ot tarp is up to the task, and that you always keep something warm and dry to change into at the end of the day. An extra pair of socks and extra lightweight gloves might not hurt, either.

Lastly, while this isn't big hunting country (tho you might see John Kerry out there with a shotgun hoping for a photo op that'll play well out West), you still might be around hunters at this time of year, so some Blaze orange is probably a good idea. Wal-Mart has a good collection of cheap useful orange stuff, including fleece gloves and hats.

October and November can be really nice in MA and Connecticut, so other than the solitude---which is not necessarily a bad thing---I think you'll be just fine.