ADT through Colorado

imported
#1

Hello everybody
I’m planning to thru hike the ADT in 2018. To hit my best weather conditions I’m thinking a start in May-June. However, this means I might hit colorado in deep winter. I understand it’s not so hospitable round then.
Does anyone have any advice?
Is there a smarter pass further south? or would one just wait the snow out? It would be a shame to miss the Rockies, but I’m not so into a winter start and freezing in Delaware either…
I’m British so from way out of town and fairly ignorant at this stage. Feel free to take me down a peg or two!
What would You do?

Alys

#3

Hi Alys! I actually live in Colorado. It is STRONGLY suggested to not start your hike no earlier than the beginning of June and no later than September. With that being said, the BEST time to hike the trail is July and August! Good Luck! You can also check out the official website at www.ColoradoTrail.org

Barb L

#4

You could stay on the lowest highways and find your way across somehow, but starting in May-June sounds like a miserable hike. Bugs at the start, hiking through the low states in the high heat of summer (lots of days in the 90s (farenheit) with bad humidity, then hitting the Rockies in winter and (if you’re still alive) making it to the west coast for the middle of wet season. The worst of the worst. Good reasons why people don’t hike the trail in that time frame.

I think you’ll want to reconsider. Maybe if you go especially fast and don’t mind ending in winter in some of the prettiest parts of the trail, you could start in April. Personally, i’d start in March.

markv

#5

Or maybe February. Really, you should post this on the ADT board on this site. There is one, but navigating around here takes some fishing

markv