Snow in June? - The Colorado Trail

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#1

May sound dumb, but I am thru-hiking the CT starting in the first week of June (Denver-Durango)with my 16 yr old daughter. Will I need an Ice Axe??? or will our Leki’s get us by?

Deacon Blues

#2

hopefuly someone with more experience with june hiking in colorado can offer advice. you will need an ice axe for sure and crampons. hiking poles will also be necassary.
look at the sierra snow strategy thread on the PCT forum for some helpful advice. you will be facing similar conditions.

you will also need very good navigation skills/maps as there will be alot of snow.

:cheers

squeaky

#3

I would seriously reconsider thru-hiking the CT starting in early June. Northern colorado (more or less where the CT starts) has higher snow level thsi year. If you do not have experience hiking in snow and don’t like postholing, you may want consider waiting until the end of June or even early July. Think you and your daughter will find the trip much more enjoyable over all. Not that can be done, but not sure if you want to do it this way.

Paul Mags

#4

Snowshoes and baskets for the poles would be better tools than an ice ax and crampons. There is not a lot of steep places or places that you might need to self arrest. The snow will be pretty soft early in the day, but small snowshoes should float you.

I have plans to hike Segment 6 on 6/17-19. I will be carrying snowshoes.

The Department of Agriculture has not updated the snowpack since our last snowfall on April 24-25.

food

#5

Even with snowshoes, though, the exertion level will be high.

Again, not saying that it can’t be done…just a matter of what kind of trip you want. The mileage will be a bit lower if snowshoes are being used.

Paul Mags

#6

I should be too early for the mountain bikers. WooHoo!!!

Later in the year that is a 2 day hike. That early I am planning 3 days and may still have to bail out to the road to make my ride.

Wet and sloppy is worse than packed snow.

food

#7

I’d imagine you’d be good until Georgia Pass, but from there to Marshall Pass snow will be an issue in June this year.

Don’t know the conditions, but is Northbounbd a possibility?

Joihn Betts

#8

I through hiked the CT last summer and there was consderable snow on Georgia Pass the first week of June. Also, lots of snow in the Holy Cross / Mt Massive section. It went ok with trekking poles and just kicking steps, though. There is more snow this year in the north and less in the south. Best thing is to begin in Denver the last week of June or early July. Consider that Breckenridge ski area just closed last week and that the trail goes above the ski area.

A GPS is helpful in long snow sections where the trail is completely covered.

Jerry Brown

#9

A friend from another set of forums who routinely hikes sections of the CT mentioned maildropping snowshoes in Jefferson (just before hitting section 6 and Georgia Pass) and mailing them out after section 13 would probably cover me for substantial snowpack as I am looking to start early in the second week of June myself.

Bearpaw

#10

The heat wave of the last 3 or so weeks has really zapped the CT’s snowpack. There is basically NO snow at Georgia Pas by now (there was very little last Tuesday when I got there). There are patches that are steep and a bit sketchy on the east slope of the 10-mile range (section 7 on Thursday). I made it with just poles, but I am pretty experienced with kicking steps and feet/elbow self-arrest. The Elk Ridge area (section 8 on Saturday) has patches, but very little that actually covers the trail. There was a large area that covered the switchbacks in the western section of section 9 (I did this part today), but it was fairly easy to go around til found the trail again on the far ridgeline. Lack of water in the first 3 or 4 sections has been a much bigger issue than snow thus far.

Bearpaw