Harpers Ferry North in sept.

[paul f]

First of all, sorry to those that have helped me with my posts in the past. I was planning to do this walk into ny at the end of March, but my outdoor activities company are opening a centre in Australia and taking me with them. Someone's got to do it. Now I want to do it in September. So:

1) I've checked average temps, and possible highs, but taking into account other weather implications what are the chances it'll be uncomfortable?

2) Water. P.A is known to get a bit dry, is this still the case in sept?

3) Any bug/plant issues that they don't tell you on weather websites.

4) I imagine most nobos will have passed this point in sept, but how busy should I expect it to be??

thanks in advance!

[Happy44]

in 2012 i went from duncannon pa, to pearsburg va, from aug 22 -sept 29 the poison ivy is all gone once i hit shenandoah national park and south, temps were great for hiking and water lvl's where fine, you will see a few people hear and there but no crowds

besides a few cold mornings,
few warm days
chiggers and horse flys are out in full
poison ivy was a small problem but it didnt effect me after a week
good luck on your hike

[Kerosene]

September is a great time to hike any section of the AT, just be prepared for a wide range of day and nighttime temperatures, and there's a higher probability of cold rain or even a bit of snow at higher elevations. Shouldn't be a problem in southern PA though. Water levels can vary widely year-to-year, and many springs don't fully recharge until winter. Ask about water levels a week or so before you head out.

[gwb]

My favorite time to hike this area. When I would take a week off from work to hike I always went in mid September. As others said temps vary from year to year, same with water. You wouldn't need winter gear, but you would need a warm layer. I would typically carry a 32 degree bag, some years a 40 degree quilt is ok. I would recommend something Blaze orange, a hat or vest due to hunters. A lot of the trail goes through state game lands in Pa. Bugs are not too bad at this time of the year. You will see SOBOs' but it's not like there will be a crowd. These sections have easy road access so on the weekends you'll see folks out enjoying the trail.

[LIhikers]

Depending on how fast you hike and the weather, and changing of seasons you might hit peak leaf season which can be quite beautiful.

[Spirit Walker]

How far do you intend to hike?

September and October are great months to be hiking the AT. You'll still have ticks, but otherwise bugs shouldn't be a problem. If it's a dry year, water can be a problem then. There will be water, but you may have to go farther to get it. (i.e. sometimes there is a spring at 1/4 mi and another at 1/2 mi. Or the stream near the shelter may be dry, but if you go upstream 100 yards there will be a good pool of water.) You could run into SOBOs or flip-floppers if you are out long enough. You could run into a lot of school groups and scouts and weekenders.

[paul f]

Thanks everyone, can't buy this sort of knowledge to plan a trip.

I was thinking about finishing at the commemorative path just off bear mountain in ny, which is a tad under 400 miles. Imagine, all things going smoothly, this would take me around a month.