Snow above Breckenridge

imported
#1

I am not hiking the CT this year, as I did in 2009 during a low snow year. I live in the front range of Colorado, and had a question for people.

In hiking the PCT last year, lots of snow and route finding was required for hundreds of miles throughout the Sierra. This year on the PCT is even worse. Post holing was common in the afternoon, up to our waists. Map reading skills were essential. I did not encounter too many people using GPS. The hikers that entered the Sierra early had to chop out footholds with their ice axes to get over most of the passes.

Why isn’t this feasible on the CT this year?

I may be heading up there on Tuesday or Wednesday to guide my friends over who started at the Platte yesterday.

Catch Up

#2

Short story. It’s feasible and I passed through the impassable sections after a lot of effort. I used a map and compass for navigation and carefully kicked steps and used snowshoes as appropriate. There are possibly 2 or 3 others that have done the same ahead of me. That brought me through what is probably the worst of it. My educated guess is that most CTers just want a nice summer hike with their very light packs - not that there is anything wrong with that. Several places along the trail have been more akin to mountaineering than hiking and if that isn’t your bag then you’ll look to do something else or wait and do it later.

Hardcore

#3

I hiked Georgia pass on June 20, 2009 in what would have been an average, if not below-average snow year, and still post-holed about 2 miles on the west side of the pass. I consider my time on the CT to be a great learning experience, and look forward to the learning opportunities waiting for me on the remainder of the trail.

trail journals dot com/entry.cfm?id=278898

Bernard