WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Results 1 to 13 of 13
  1. #1
    Registered User ldsailor's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-25-2016
    Location
    St. Petersburg, FL
    Age
    74
    Posts
    774

    Default Mud Season in May

    Now that Maine is open to those who are vaccinated, I'm thinking of heading that way to finish up the AT. So, questions.

    Any estimate from the Maine locals when mud season will be over?

    How about those black flies? When do they thin out?

    I'm finished up to Andover, so that's where I'm going to start this year.
    Trail Name - Slapshot
    "One step at a time."
    Blog - www.tonysadventure.com

  2. #2

    Default

    Dry Spring so far, but lots of snow up top still. About the time that fades and the mud starts drying is when the BFs bloom. Scattered flies now, just a few here and there, but they are coming already. I wouldn't rush it because of the snow. I heard several feet deep up high in the Bigelows the other day. Might as well come prepared for bugs whenever you come
    “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau

    http://lesstraveledby.net
    YouTube Channel
    Trailspace Reviews

  3. #3
    Registered User ldsailor's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-25-2016
    Location
    St. Petersburg, FL
    Age
    74
    Posts
    774

    Default

    I'm very flexible with my timeline, but I'd still like to get up there sooner rather than later. Any guess on the conditions mid to end of June? I'm trying to plan now especially since getting to Andover is not easy.

  4. #4

    Default

    Less mud, little or no snow up top with BFs going from thick to fading as skeeters begin to come into season It is Maine after all.

    Will you be finishing on Katahdin? No word yet on when they will open the high peaks, but so far it is looking like it won't be late.
    “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau

    http://lesstraveledby.net
    YouTube Channel
    Trailspace Reviews

  5. #5

    Default

    Wicked dry right now, Hurd Brook and Abol Stream were low. Wildfires all over the state. Baxter's on track to open for camping May 15th, and I expect a trail up Katahdin to open before June.
    Teej

    "[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej View Post
    Wicked dry right now, Hurd Brook and Abol Stream were low. Wildfires all over the state. Baxter's on track to open for camping May 15th, and I expect a trail up Katahdin to open before June.
    We put down a bet that Traveler would open for Memorial Day. Two nights at USB
    “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau

    http://lesstraveledby.net
    YouTube Channel
    Trailspace Reviews

  7. #7

    Default

    We're probably a good 3 weeks earlier then "normal" in spring conditions. Last year at this time the snow was just thinking about melting - and there was a lot of it. This year it's pretty much gone except for the high peaks.

    If it stays fairly dry for May, mud and black flies will be mostly gone by June instead of July, but it's really hard to predict these things.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  8. #8

    Default

    This is a current report posted by someone near the Bigelows today:

    Snow is gone most everywhere (except for cold, always shaded areas) below 2400’...above 2400’ there is still plenty of WINTER in regards to snow with 4-6” of rotting snow starting there and getting deeper as you go up.


    I would like to say that winter is gone for good up here — but Sugarloaf/Bigelows got 6-8” this past week and Eustis saw 10” and we’ve had many of mornings and evenings where it hits the 20s.
    The valleys are drying out, but the mountains are still melting.
    “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau

    http://lesstraveledby.net
    YouTube Channel
    Trailspace Reviews

  9. #9
    Registered User ldsailor's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-25-2016
    Location
    St. Petersburg, FL
    Age
    74
    Posts
    774

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by LoneStranger View Post
    Will you be finishing on Katahdin? No word yet on when they will open the high peaks, but so far it is looking like it won't be late.
    Katahdin is the plan. I've been trying to finish since 2018. Of course last year was a washout for obvious reasons.

    Thanks for the input, guys. I think I'll shoot for sometime in the last week of June.

  10. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-30-2006
    Location
    Bozeman, MT
    Age
    62
    Posts
    613
    Images
    6

    Default

    August 1st!

  11. #11

    Default

    Looks like the spring monsoons have finally arrived and it seems I developed a leak in my roof someplace, err.

    Looks like it will rain on and off for at least the next week and if that extends another week, we'd be in mid May. Traditionally, May and early June can be very wet.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    Looks like the spring monsoons have finally arrived and it seems I developed a leak in my roof someplace, err.

    Looks like it will rain on and off for at least the next week and if that extends another week, we'd be in mid May. Traditionally, May and early June can be very wet.
    But at least there will be plenty of water to drink and cook with.
    The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
    Richard Ewell, CSA General


  13. #13
    Registered User somers515's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-02-2014
    Location
    Millstone Township, NJ
    Age
    51
    Posts
    559
    AT Flip Flop (HF to ME, HF to GA) Thru Hike 2023; LT End-to-Ender 2017; NH 48/48 2015-2021; 21 of 159usForests.com

++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •