Hi everyone!
I'm working on a spreadsheet of the best and worst times to be on certain parts of the trail so that I can figure out what hike would work out best for me. Hopefully it's something that would be useful to others too!
I've been doing a lot of research about temperatures, bugs, mud, etc, but it has been difficult to gather all the information. I have a rough draft below, can you all help me complete it?
Screenshot.png
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing
Note: I currently have it set with ideal hiking temperature ranging from 45-70F. I can run the script with other values if you'd like to see how it changes.
I have marked the busy NoBo start, VT mud season, New England black fly season, some hunting that I read was a concern, and tentatively marked when I thought the river crossings in Maine would be more difficult. I've also put in rough markers for where NoBo and SoBo could be, along with a flip-flop I'm considering that jumps from Damascus to Maine. Is there some time-dependent challenge I'm missing? Is my weather data not what you'd expect for some portion? When/where do the short-distance hikers swamp the trails? When are your favorite and least favorite times to be out on these segments?
The V-shape for the ideal temperatures is about what I'd expect based on time of year and latitude. The ideal Spring temperatures in the North are spoiled by bugs and mud, though, so early Fall looks like the best time to be there. From what I can tell the NoBo's have to suffer through more heat, while the SoBo's have to deal with more cold unless they can finish quickly.
Any feedback is appreciated - thanks in advance for your help!
-Brad