AT in June

[NapalmStickstoKids]

Lease is up at the apt on June 10th. Any final advice for a hike during this time of year? First time doing a big adventure like this. Keep hearing that the final leg of the hike will most likely be shut down due to weather. Anyone know if that is a possibility?

[Blissful]

Start at Harper's Ferry and head north. Flip and head south to Springer.

[Jersey Tim]

I'm assuming you mean you want to do a NOBO thru beginning in the middle of June? If so, you're right about the weather being an issue as fall closes in on New England. Baxter State Park in Maine closes its camping areas on October 15; technically you can stay somewhere outside the park and take a day trip in to climb Katahdin and officially finish, IF the rangers give the all-clear; don't count on it. That all assumes you can make the trip in four months, which is very, very fast indeed.

You might be better suited for a less traditional choice of direction. Consider starting in Maine while the weather's nice and heading SOBO. Or, flip-flop; hike north to Harpers Ferry, then get yourself to Maine and walk back south through New England at the end of the summer, passing all the finishing NOBOs on the way.

[myotheralt]

Come to the dark side! Join me for a MEGA!

[Blissful]

Come to the dark side! Join me for a MEGA!

Yes, hurray! SOBOS unite

[NapalmStickstoKids]

Defiantly want to take my time, so 4 moths to maine is probably a no go lol.

MEGA? North and south together?

[Jersey Tim]

MEGA = ME -->GA. Maine to Georgia. Also called SOBO (southbound).

[NapalmStickstoKids]

The harpers ferry sounds like an idea. Do you have to reserve a ride on boat or how does this work?

[Cookerhiker]

Starting June 10 or a few days later, I'd start further north than Harpers Ferry in order to minimize the hot summer mid-Atlantic hiking.

How about Delaware Water Gap on the PA/NJ border. You can get a bus there from NYC or Philadelphia. By the time you reach Northern New England, the black flies will be gone and you can enjoy the White Mountains.

[Jaybird]

Lease is up at the apt on June 10th. Any final advice for a hike during this time of year? First time doing a big adventure like this. Keep hearing that the final leg of the hike will most likely be shut down due to weather. Anyone know if that is a possibility?

Come on up to NJ/NY...

I'm section hikin' w/ "Piece O' Work" May 28-June 12
DWG NoBo to Kent (maybe Salisbury) CT

[weary]

Starting June 10 or a few days later, I'd start further north than Harpers Ferry in order to minimize the hot summer mid-Atlantic hiking.

How about Delaware Water Gap on the PA/NJ border. You can get a bus there from NYC or Philadelphia. By the time you reach Northern New England, the black flies will be gone and you can enjoy the White Mountains.

It strikes me that Cookerhiker has an even better idea than I was going to propose. My vote is against a southbound starting at Katahdin in June. Early July, maybe. But not starting in June blackflies.

Weary

[NapalmStickstoKids]

I'm assuming you mean you want to do a NOBO thru beginning in the middle of June? If so, you're right about the weather being an issue as fall closes in on New England. Baxter State Park in Maine closes its camping areas on October 15; technically you can stay somewhere outside the park and take a day trip in to climb Katahdin and officially finish, IF the rangers give the all-clear; don't count on it. That all assumes you can make the trip in four months, which is very, very fast indeed.

You might be better suited for a less traditional choice of direction. Consider starting in Maine while the weather's nice and heading SOBO. Or, flip-flop; hike north to Harpers Ferry, then get yourself to Maine and walk back south through New England at the end of the summer, passing all the finishing NOBOs on the way.

So I start in GA, head to harpers ferry, then do a southbound all the way back, with minimal worry of weather? Do you have to make reservations of any kind or just wait to be taken up?

[Jersey Tim]

I believe some clarification is in order. Harpers Ferry is a town in West Virginia, generally considered the AT's midpoint (psychologically, if not actually by mileage). It's not an actual ferry, though it was probably named after one. There's no single easy way to do the transportation in the middle of a flip-flop; some combination of planes, trains and/or buses will get you where you need to go, but the planning is different for everyone.