I did an earlier tour from St. Albans to Philly in 2018, with a stop at my 35th high school reunion in MA. That was in early June. The trail was closed due to damage caused by a freak storm in May: I was pissed. Glad it was open in 2021, but there was no ferry service on the Monday I rode out to the gap because it was in September. Ferry only runs on weekends after Labor Day.