Cdt nobo start dates

imported
#1

What is the latest recommended start date for nobos on the CDT? Would May 20th be too late? Is the heat in NM comparable to the heat on the PCT?

Also, does anyone know how the snow levels are looking in CO and Montana this year?

Thanks!

lost

#2

If you can’t start until after school is out, but you don’t want to wait until late June for a SOBO, you could start in Grants and hike north from there. If you want, you could return to Grants after you reach Canada and hike south.

Starting at the Mexican border May 20th would be hot and you would really have to push to finish in Montana before winter sets in.

There are a lot of sites, both official and not, that analyze the current and historic snow levels. There are several listed on the Links page at spiriteaglehome. com. I prefer the weather service sites at

ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/co.txt
and
ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/mt.txt

Ginny

#3

if “my friend” wanted to hike the new mexico section, and maybe into colorado, how late could “my friend” start a nobo hike and not die from heat exaustion?
thanks :cheers

a friend of a friend

#4

We started April 23rd last year and it was hot. Probably high 80’s to low 90’s for a couple of days. The real problem is there is absolutely nothing taller than four feet out there for the first week. No shade unless you can catch a boulder and squeeze into the foot long section of shade. There was no rain last year and all was dry. This year they are having a great bloom of wildflowers. I would not recommend starting in May.

Robocop