Northbound Completion

[Chappy]

What should be the goal to arrive at Kathadin in order to feel secure about being able to ascend the mountain and complete your thru hike? I know weather will change from year to year, but is there a "date certain" to be in Baxter State Park?

[TJ aka Teej]

What should be the goal to arrive at Kathadin in order to feel secure about being able to ascend the mountain and complete your thru hike? I know weather will change from year to year, but is there a "date certain" to be in Baxter State Park?

Nothing's certain about Maine weather, but I still caution people to get to Baxter by September 30th. If your planned finish is in early September, you'll have great hiking conditions in New Hampshire and Maine.

[nero]

What about starting say... February 25th or so... is that too early?

[Frosty]

What about starting say... February 25th or so... is that too early?

Depends on how fast you walk, man.

[Spirit Walker]

The earlier you start, the more bad weather you are likely to have at the beginning of the hike. How comfortable are you with winter conditions? If you go to town every time a cold front goes through, you really won't be saving any time in the long run. Also, since it gets dark at 5:00 or so in February, you end up doing shorter days (and spending some very long nights in the shelters.)

I started April 2, averaged less than 12 miles a day, and finished September 23. I had a lot of zero days in there and never felt pressed. It really isn't necessary to start early. If you are in good shape before you start, you can do moderate mileage from the start and increase your daily mileage as you become more comfortable with hiking all day every day. The only time it is really necessary to start early is a total neophyte who has never walked a mile or worn a pack and can only do a few miles a day to start. But that is preventable.

[TankHiker]

Baxter State Park "closes" on October 15th. So, that will be your latest date. (It is still do-able after that date, but you have to hike in and out of the park as well as summit, which makes for a LONG day). Even before that in the fall they have many days that you can't climb because of bad conditions. I would also use Sept. 30th as a deadline, then you have about 2 weeks worth of buffer.

[Peaks]

It's the campgrounds that close October 15. The mountain will still be open as long as it is safe to climb. That frequently allows to climb until the end of the month, but don't count on it.

Planning to finish by September 30 is good advice. You need a buffer.