Partner for CT-ME hike NOBO starting mid march

[native tenor]

Good day to y'all.

I am thru hiking from Kent, CT to Katahdin starting mid-March (exact date will be determined Jan. 2012) and I would enjoy the company of someone doing the same. I am very flexible and can start/end at almost any date that will fit to the other person, as well as start in a different location not south of CT. Age is 22, male and very experienced in thru-hiking, and I don't care about the potential partner's age, gender, or experience.

I am not expecting any response, since I know there is practically no one available this time of year, but its worth a shot. Any questions I will answer.

[takethisbread]

I think you might not get a response bc your depart time . Mid march from ct puts you in the white mtns by mid April and Maine by may 1. Still very deep snow and hordes of Black Flies. Ct south to Georgia would make a lot more sense. Jmo.

[native tenor]

Thats why I have snowshoes.

[Tom Murphy]

You are going to hit mud season in Vermont, monorail season in NH, and black flies everywhere.

It is going to be a mess....ugh.

You might be better off starting at Hanover in early March and making it a winter hike through NH and ME.

[jakedatc]

not sure how much of this carries over to the AT section but the sentiments are the same.
http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=60

"The State of Vermont closes all trails on state land including those on Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield from mid-April until Memorial Day weekend. Please do not hike in these fragile areas.

• Also avoid: Stratton Mountain, Killington Peak, Lincoln Ridge (Mount Ellen to Appalachian Gap), Jay Peak."

[Mags]

Snowshoes or no showshoes, there will still be some snow well into May in NH for most years. The AT is not a Nordic trail, and not well marked for winter activities.

FWIW, Brian Robinson of Triple Crown in a year fame, had to stop in Vermont in March due to the amount of snow. He ended up going to New Mexico IIRC.

Now the Catamount Trail in March sounds like fun if you are into snowshoeing (or skiing)
http://www.catamounttrail.org/

A much more fun challenge it looks like....

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Bati]

Actually the southern AT is well marked for winter. Due to the switchbacks, it may not make a lot of sense to follow it when there's a lot of snow on the ground, but you can usually find a blaze or a some other clue within 15 minutes of searching if you're in the approximate correct spot on the map.

However, my experiences on the AT in the North have been more difficult as the snow is generally far deeper. In the south, the snow is rarely high enough to cover a blaze, but at elevation in the North, most of the blazes set only 5 feet off the ground will be buried in the snow by the end of the winter. They do not have a second set of blazes for skiers, nor do they trim the branches to help when the snowpack is high. (This also makes the trail difficult to find when the snow is deep.)

Since you'd like to do the Northern part, you should plan on serious difficulties, assuming this winter and spring are typical. You'll also probably find few hiker services, as you may be perceived to have a negative impact on the trail.

[Mags]

Actually the southern AT is well marked for winter.

The OP is hiking CT>ME starting in mid-March.

New England is generally considered the north.

OTOH, mid-March in the south would probably be more enjoyable...or better yet, the Benton MacKaye Trail is you want to avoid crowds. Hike back SOUTH along the AT to make a 500+ mile loop.

[Blissful]

You can get snow in CT and VT too in March. Awful water crossings too in Maine. Wait for a better time or do an alternate route.

[native tenor]

_{I would like to go south, but I don't think I have the time to do it. If I start at NJ and end at springer, it will take me about three months to do, and I'm afraid I only have six weeks that start at march and end in may. Plus I don't want to buy all the guidebooks and maps; they are expensive.}

[Mags]

_{I would like to go south, but I don't think I have the time to do it. If I start at NJ and end at springer, it will take me about three months to do, and I'm afraid I only have six weeks that start at march and end in may. Plus I don't want to buy all the guidebooks and maps; they are expensive.}

Do the BMT/AT loop. At 500 or so miles, it is about right for the time frame you have (6 wks) at a moderate pace. Better weather, great experience, and and it may be easier to find a partner. Good chance you'll be seeing southern App wildflowers, too! Awesome....


http://www.bmta.org/BMT-ATLoops.htm

Look at the 'figure 8'.

If you need more info about the BMT, let us know!

[Alaskanhkr23]

Im so down!

[canoehead]

Mid March is messy. It's White Water Kayaking & Canoeing season in this area (NE) at that time. So expect anything, Snow, Ice, High Water ( Hurricane Irene blew out a lot of bridges that won't get repaired till spring or summer) if they can. You'll still have deep snow /ice in the Whites till May/June. Sounds more like a wicked hard adventure. Good luck try to stay dry.

[Slo-go'en]

North from CT in March? Ha, for all the reasons listed above, you will not get far. If you only have a few months to go hiking and at that time of year, do what everyone else does, start from Springer. You still may not get far, but you have a much better chance.

[Driver8]

I have a friend who's thru'd the AT and is an expert hiker, lots of climbing and other outdoor experience. He successfully negotiated the CT section last March 13-18, from Race Brook Falls Trail just north of Mass border. So CT is doable for highly skilled and well-equipped hikers/outdoors folk that time of year. I am much less expert and less well equipped, and I've enjoyed, this past winter, playing about Race Brook Falls that time of year and in late February. But I didn't try, however, to cover longer distances.

Depending on your skill level, fitness and equipment, and depending on conditions, CT and Mass might be doable that time of year, New York and New Jersey, too. Once you get north of Rt. 9 in Vermont, though, I'd say all bets are off in all but the mildest winters, and you're chancing it even then. I'd say, too, that due to their proximity to the seaboard and their relatively low elevation (expect for the Greylock Range), these state on the AT might not be much worse than NC, TN and SW VA that time of year.

If you wish to be relatively north for a good stretch, might make sense to start either at Duncannon or Delaware River Gap and work NOBO from there. Might even, by late April to early May, be able to work northward as far as Hanover, even Glencliff. The Whites and Maine are a different story, though if you timed it right and started far enough south, you could follow the melting snow.

[CTGuy]

As mentioned above do not mess with mud/black fly season I too underestimated this section. Was supposed to do an 80 mile section last May starting at route 4 in Vermont to just before Glencilff, NH and the mud was so unbelievable my boots were completely soaked the whole trip and ended up falling apart after 40 miles. As well as few good spills slicing up my legs pretty good,the whole soles came apart plus there were a few nasty river crossing we ended up bailing out in West Hartford, VT right before Hanover NH. O plus lots of ticks which i never really got until then. Still an awesome time ended up hammocking in some super nice spots. So be warned if you still decide to do that.

[RWheeler]

Considering how we haven't gotten any snow since that freak storm around Halloween, it seems like it may be a very delayed, sporadic winter in this area. If you do end up doing this, I may join you for a few days before I get my stuff ready and go down to Springer, but I certainly won't be maintaining NOBO from CT that early.