Snowy conditions on the Abol Trail on Katahdin. (Ranger Mike Winslow/Baxter State Park Facebook Photo)
Officials at Maine’s Baxter State Park have closed all trails leading up Katahdin as winter conditions have set in on the mountain.
The news is likely heartbreaking to any remaining Appalachian Trail thru-hikers still on the trail, some of whom were reportedly getting close to Katahdin.
On their Facebook page, Baxter State Park officials said all Katahdin Trails and the Traveler Loop Trail are closed at the trailhead.
“Hikers arriving now are not prepared for the conditions at elevation and sensitive habitats are more endangered by errant footsteps,” officials said in the statement on Facebook. “The forecast suggests a bigger dose of winter is on the way.”