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  1. #1
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    Default Conditions on Katahdin

    Hi;
    Can anyone give me a rough guestimate of when Katahdin summit will be reachable via the A.T.? I have been hearing/reading about the higher than normal snowfall for the area, so would expect that date to be later this year than "normal".

    Additionally, when does the Katahdin hiker shuttle start running?

    Thanks

    Arden

  2. #2

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    Start with reading this stickee which gives historical opening dates https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthr...t=#post2137296

  3. #3

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    The snow conditions this past winter were not really higher than normal, they were just higher than the recent normal I.E. the last two years had lower than normal snow. The snow melt is mostly impacted by the weather in May. I believe the AT shuttle will start running when there is somewhere to shuttle to.

    Looking at the sticky it sure looks like June 1st is the conservative date based on past history with May 15th being very optimistic. The limiting factor some years is not the trails up the mountain rather its how quickly the snow melts on the perimeter road. The road is used as a snowmachine trail in the winter which packs it down into ice. The park road has almost a full canopy over it so the sun never gets into it which delays melting and even when the ice is gone there can be deep frost that needs to thaw out before the road can dry out. The campgrounds are not open until the road is open and the trails are not open until the campground is open.

  4. #4
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    Thanks guys;
    I think I'm going to wait a bit anyway. The reason I was asking about early season is that I will be in Burlington Vermont running the Vermont City Marathon on Memorial Day weekend. I was thinking about hiking Katahdin on the same trip. But after running 18 miles today and feeling how tired I am, I don't think doing such a strenuous hike so soon after a marathon would work out too well. So maybe I'll try Katahdin later, like early September? After Labor day might be a good time - after the kids go back to school...

  5. #5

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    I'd expect first week of June this year. However us mariners have had an easy April.
    "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

  6. #6

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    Supposed to say mainers but phone hates me
    "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

  7. #7

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    The spring thaw is starting in the Maine Woods http://bangordailynews.com/2017/05/0...d-millinocket/. It looks like a weather front is moving into the region and stalling starting tomorrow (May 5th) and hanging around for week. I expect all of the stream crossings through Maine are probably dangerous and will be for awhile. The rain will burn out a lot of the snow but for those itching to get an early start south, this is why the park usually doesn't open in May and anyone contemplating heading into the 100 MW is probably in some pretty wet hiking.

  8. #8

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    They posted an update to FB yesterday saying in part "At 10 am on Thursday May 4, Togue Gate will be opened and visitors will be able to travel by motor vehicle up to the foot of Abol Hill and on down to Abol Pond." They also said the Roaring Brook section needs a lot of work so will be a while. No word on the north end, but that gets used heavily as a snowmobile trail so likely still has a lot of ice. Roads should be open in a few weeks, but with extended wet weather forecast the tablelands won't be drying out any time soon.
    “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau

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  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by peakbagger View Post
    The spring thaw is starting in the Maine Woods http://bangordailynews.com/2017/05/0...d-millinocket/.
    That's not about a thaw, it's about the Rip Dam owners increasing the flow from 2000 cfs to 23000 cfs over a few hours.
    Quote Originally Posted by peakbagger View Post
    his is why the park usually doesn't open in May
    The Park always opens in May, and a Katahdin summit trail has opened in May every year, except once, for the last 20 years.
    Teej

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

  10. #10

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    There was just a rescue of a hiker in the Whites, it appears he was off the side of the AT on the Franconia Ridge section. He got caught in waist deep snow that was in the shade. Generally the snow condition on Katahdin lag the whites by a couple of weeks.

    From a distance the above treeline sections and exposed slopes look like they are melting nicely which leads folks to false sense of security, what they cant see is how much snow is in the woods. RMC in NH has snow stake near treeline on the north side of the AT near Adams and they report 21 inches of snow.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by LoneStranger View Post
    They posted an update to FB yesterday saying in part "At 10 am on Thursday May 4, Togue Gate will be opened and visitors will be able to travel by motor vehicle up to the foot of Abol Hill and on down to Abol Pond." They also said the Roaring Brook section needs a lot of work so will be a while. No word on the north end, but that gets used heavily as a snowmobile trail so likely still has a lot of ice. Roads should be open in a few weeks, but with extended wet weather forecast the tablelands won't be drying out any time soon.
    I expect Abol and Katahdin Stream campgrounds to open on schedule on May 15th. Up north, the snow is almost gone from the SFMA. Summit trails, well - that'll have to wait.
    Teej

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

  12. #12

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    We traditionally make our first reservation of the year for the end of the week before Memorial Day. Five/Fowler Ponds area or K Lake so we see mud and bugs but no worries about snow since we stay down low. Got rained out one year by a deluge in the forecast, but other than that we've been just fine as long as we remember to lift the headnet before putting the spork in the mouth
    “The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait until that other is ready...”~Henry David Thoreau

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  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej View Post
    That's not about a thaw, it's about the Rip Dam owners increasing the flow from 2000 cfs to 23000 cfs over a few hours.

    The Park always opens in May, and a Katahdin summit trail has opened in May every year, except once, for the last 20 years.
    Sorry for the misstatement, I agree some parts of the park will be open in May. Its the trails to the summit most likely may not be which are of the most interest to thruhikers. In the past didn't Abol open up first with Hunt usually second?

    Brookfield doesn't usually open their dams unless they anticipate a lot of water getting ready to drain through their system. Its still a good indication that there is plenty of water be it via snowpack or precipitation in the woods in that region.

  14. #14
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    Default

    Things are definitely messy up near Katahdin right now. Parts of the Golden Road were reported to be under water yesterday. That was due to Rip Dam having to let loose of some water (spring thaw, plus recent rain, plus anticipated rain). I saw that White House Landing posted on Facebook today (Appalachian Trail SOBO 2017 group). It pretty much summed things up for current trail conditions.

    " White House landing camps here , we walked out to the AT from here yesterday and there is a lot of water and snow still on ground . Plus many trees are down on trail. With the rain coming for tonight and all week SOBOs may think twice before starting for awhile https://www.facebook.com/images/emoj...1/16/1f641.png unless we get some pretty warm weather by June . Right now the water has no place to go ."

  15. #15
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    That was a sad face emoji that apparently did not paste within the previous post...

  16. #16

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    Anyone who tries to start before June 1st is an idiot and a wise person will wait until at least mid June. This is shaping up to be a traditional wet spring, something we haven't had in a while, so it's easy to forget how miserable and messy a northern New England spring can be like.
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  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by peakbagger View Post
    Its the trails to the summit most likely may not be which are of the most interest to thruhikers. In the past didn't Abol open up first with Hunt usually second?
    Some years, the Abol Trail to Baxter Peak opens before the Hunt,
    and is accepted as an alternate route by the ATC if the Hunt is closed.
    With the re-route of Abol, I don't know if it'll open before Hunt any more.
    In the past (unofficial opinion here) the condition of the trails up seemed to be the determining factor.
    For the last decade or so, focus has been on the conditions on the Tablelands, which is a good thing.

    My list of dates for when a trail to Baxter Peak opened:

    ’16 The Hunt Trail opened on May 27th
    ’15 Park delayed opening some campgrounds. Hunt open May 22nd. (Summit snow on the 23rd!)
    ’14 Park delayed opening some campgrounds until May 22nd. Hunt open May 29th.
    ’13 May 24th
    ’12 May 20th
    ’11 Park canceled traditional May 15th opening, Abol open Memorial day weekend.
    ’10 May 25th
    ’09 May 20th for both Hunt and Abol.
    ’08 Park canceled traditional May 15th opening, Abol and Hunt open May 29th.
    ’07 May 31st
    Teej

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

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