Hanover to Katahdin Flip-Flop?

[tlbj6142]

Just got off the phone with my brother. He's in NY now (29-Jul-04) at NY52. For various reasons he is thinking about fliping up to Katahdin once he reaches Hanover and then hiking south to Hanover to finish his thru-hike.

He has these questions:

What is the cheapest way to get from Hanover to Baxtor park?
What is the fastest?
He thinks he'll be in the Whites mid-to-late September. Does it close? [I don't think it does, but I'll ask anyway.]
Is the weather especially bad in the Whites that time of year?
Any other concerns he should have?

BTW, I warned him about Elwood. He's been dropping notes in shelters for the past few days.

[Footslogger]

Was considering the same thing on my thru last year but ended up going straight through northbound. Can't comment on the quickest/cheapest tranportation between Hanover and Baxter.

Can tell you that the "Whites" per se don't close but the huts above tree line generally close around September 15th. I passed by Lakes of the Clouds and Madison Huts the weekend they closed. Wasn't a biggie for me as I didn't plan on staying at the huts anyway.

By mid/late September the weather in the Whites can get dicey. I got lucky and was able to clear Mt Washington on a clear day with moderate winds but it was REALLY COLD !!. Ironically, after clearing the Whites I had some great weather for about a week or so and then all hell broke loose. It started as cold rain and then turned into snow. I went through the Bigelows in knee deep snow at the end of September.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Tramper Al]

The Whites never close, that's for sure. We hike them all winter long, but of course you do have to be careful and you have to know what you are doing.

The high mountain huts (Madison and Lakes) will be closed starting on Sept 19th this year. Others like Mizpah, Zealand, Galehead, and Greenleaf are open until Oct 10th. But most thru-hikers don't want to use the huts anyway, right?

So, yes, the weather can be a real factor in the Whites in late September. He will have to be better equipped for cold/bad weather than he has had to be anywhere else on the trail. He may have to wait out bad weather as well, staying put in town until it passes.

The thought I had, was, why wait until Hanover to flip? If he wants to take advantage of summer weather for the most difficult areas under winter conditions (Baxter and the Whites), why not flip now? Or very soon? The AT in VT, MA and CT is beautiful in early and mid fall, and there is much less to worry about in terms of weather precautions and dangers. If it were me, I might come off the trail at that train station in NY, and head up to Baxter from there. The transportation will be easier than from Hanover (my home town), I think.

[One Leg]

Take Greyhound from Hanover to Bangor. In Bangor, take Vermont Transit, it will drop you as close as Medway, Maine, which is about 10 miles outside of Millinocket....In Millinocket, take Minuteman Taxi Service.. They'll take him straight to Baxter State Park for about $20 or less. The cab will pick him up in Medway....The phone numbers are in the thruhiker's companion. Will dig around and see if I can locate the numbers for you.

I used this route last week, and here are the costs as best as I remember them:

Minuteman Taxi from Millinocket to Medway: $12
Busfare from Medway to Bangor: $10.50 (On Vermont Transit)

Phone number(s):
Minuteman Taxi (207) 723-2000
Cyr Buslines 207-927-2335 Bus leaves Bangor at 6:00pm and arrives at Medway at 7:40pm. $10.50/one-way

[tlbj6142]

The thought I had, was, why wait until Hanover to flip?He wants to flip for logistical reasons. It has nothing to do with the weather.

He has several friends in Hanover which can help him get home from his hike. And he has another friend that is currently in Alaska that wants to hike with him in the Whites, by doing the flip he gives that friend more time to finish up his work.


Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Tramper Al]

He wants to flip for logistical reasons. It has nothing to do with the weather.
He has several friends in Hanover which can help him get home from his hike.

Ah, I understand. Hanover it a nice town, I have to say.

Now the answer to your first two questions seems very obvious. Cheapest and fastest way from Hanover to Baxter is to get one of his several Hanover friends to drive him!

[Jack Tarlin]

My guess is your brother will get here (Hanover) the around the middle of August.

Katahdin to Hanover takes most people 35-42 days, depending on what sort of weather they encounter. Meaning if he leaves from Katahdin around the 20th-25th of August, he should be back here in late September or early October.

I'll be here til around the 20th of August; if your brother or anyone else in his party needs any help with anything when they get here, by all means have them get in touch with me.

[tlbj6142]

I'll be here til around the 20th of August; if your brother or anyone else in his party needs any help with anything when they get here, by all means have them get in touch with me.Excellent. I'll pass the word.

Thanks in advance for any help you provide.


PS I assume you're easy to find in Hanover?

[Scaper]

He still has about 75 days to finish. Why waste a day and some money to flip flop? Unless he is very slow 75 days should be plenty of time to make it from New York to Katahdin. On my thru-hike I was In Harpers Ferry on July 29 and still took 9 zero days on my way from Harpers Ferry to Mt. Katahdin which I reached on Oct. 9 Jim

[TJ aka Teej]

Minuteman Taxi from Millinocket to Medway: $12
Busfare from Medway to Bangor: $10.50 (On Vermont Transit)

Phone number(s):
Minuteman Taxi (207) 723-2000
Cyr Buslines 207-927-2335 Bus leaves Bangor at 6:00pm and arrives at Medway at 7:40pm. $10.50/one-wayGood info, OneLeg.

The bus gets into Medway a little before 8PM, and the Taxi will drop you off just outside the Park entrance to stealth camp. (this means you MUST have your supplies ready for the 100 Mile!) You can to hitch through the Gate and then the several miles up the gravel Perimeter road to the AT trailhead the next morning. I strongly suggest calling the Park and trying to reserve a campsite/leanto (Flippers can't stay at the Birches!) for the night after your climb. The store at Abol Bridge has only short term resupply stuffs, so pack a couple of fresh subs into the woods with you.

A 'better' way to do this is to stay at a motel the night you get in, and reserve a leanto (it rains, y'know) for two nights at Katahdin Stream Campground.

Teej