Definitely you are going to be eaten alive in NH in early June unless you are wearing a full bug suit. AT in NJ is a far better fit
I agree with peakbagger - unless we have some really freak weather, mud and bugs will be awful on the Cohos in early June. I did twice, starting in late July the first time. and then mid-August and it was plenty swampy and a bit buggy even then.Originally Posted by peakbagger
a winter thru of the cohos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47YwNozdnFk
Hey everyone. I have the month of June + the first week in July off between school and work next year, and I’m looking for a backpacking trip during that time. The Cohos is currently #1 on my radar, and I’m curious how bad the bugs really are in mid to late June. I just finished my AT thru-hike and hit some pretty bad bugs in the mid-Atlantic (think constant kamikazes straight into your eyeballs + clouds of mosquitoes), but nothing that wasn’t manageable for me with bug spray and a head net. I hit the Whites in July, and there were hardly any bugs to speak of. I’m considering just going for the Cohos because the other trails I’m looking into (LT, JMT, Tahoe Rim) also reportedly have horrendous bugs during June. If anyone who is from the NH/VT/ME area could give me some insights on the bug situation in mid to late June, I’d really appreciate it.
One issue with the Cohos trail that I haven't run into on other trails is that in the northern half, the trail makes use of snowmobile trails and other pre-existing trails which are not really built for summer hiking. What this means is that water doesn't run off well and you can get areas of swampy unmoving water on and along the trail. The Cohos Trail Association has been doing incredible work in mitigating this, but as of my second CT hike, there was still a long way to go and in the wrong conditions this can make for wet swampy walking that will keep hiking shoes and trail runners soaked and provide great breeding for mosquitos. Unless late Spring has been very warm, this may not be a problem yet in June. In the Northeast overall, June can have massive quantities of black flies.
Overall, I think the bug situation on the CT would be comparable to the bug situation in the Northern LT. Generally, bug wise, September is likely to be better than August, August better than July, and July better than June - but things can vary radically year to year.
Anywhere you go in New England can have bad bugs in June. It can be highly variable due to local conditions and what the weather in May was like. In general, it's a good idea to avoid this area in June. After July 4th is a good rule of thumb. OTOH, finding water along the Cohos trail can be an issue, so it could be better to go when it's wet.
Follow slogoen on Instagram.
If you are on facebook, you might see what people have to say if you ask them at Friends of the Cohos Trail:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/153039451407973/
Thanks for your input! I just joined this facebook group so that I can stay up to date going forward. I'm debating trying to peakbag the NH 48 4000 footers or perhaps the NE 67 4000 footers instead of a thru-hike, as my AT crew mostly lived in Connecticut and Maine and could join in on day trips.
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