A bit disappointed about the trail conditions this year. The fires, the low snow, the tree blowdowns, the fire ban-- wish I would have just done my hike last summer!
Any ideas if things will improve by late july/august with monsoon season? My start date is july 18th. Hopefully thing will be green, seasonal streams will flow, and the wildflowers will bloom!
Andrew M
As much as I like green vegetation and wildflowers, one thing that comes with the monsoon is lightning. I have greeted the monsoon with the lightning above treeline twice while section-hiking, and it’s NO fun at all.
I experienced three hail storms within a few hours while hiking in the La Garita Mountains last year during Independence Day weekend. From the trail journals I’ve read from last year, the monsoon was particularly bad along the southern portion of the CT in the San Juans, extending well into August.
After the day-long rains I experienced in 2009 and early 2010, I consider myself “rain-proof.” Still haven’t found a way to be lightning-proof at altitude though! 
Safe Travels!
Bernard
Come on, now…
I’ve thru-hiked the CT a bunch of times and I would consider this to be a good year to do it. Carrying an extra bottle of water occasionally is a lot easier than postholing deep snow for miles or hiking for days on end with a two pound tent that weighs ten because it never stops raining.
bearcreek
Every year is different, every segment is different, and that’s the beauty of the CT. SJ Ron
San Juan Ron