I’ll be in Reno for a conference in mid-October this fall so I’ve decided that’s a good excuse to do the TRT while I’m in that neck of the woods. I plan to take about a week and a half for it. My schedule is still flexible and I’m trying to decide whether to hike roughly October 7-18 or roughly October 22 - Nov 1. For purely hiking purposes, I would prefer the earlier option, but other logistics make that slightly less appealing (preparing and practicing my talk, having a hard deadline to finish the hike and thinking about giving the talk, etc.). I have a few questions for anyone familiar with the area:
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Would I catch any autumn aspen action by choosing the earlier option?
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I can probably expect to see a little snow at some point. What are the chances of more significant snowfall?
I am well acquainted with “it can snow anytime in the mountains” weather and I’ll be prepared to handle light/moderate snowfall, but I would like to keep the likelihood of needing to bail due to a big storm relatively low. (For reference, I’m more familiar with the Washington Cascades and the Northeast.)
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What water situation can I expect? I understand the trail dries out over the course of the summer. Is water still an issue in October? Will a 2-weeks-later start (and a little rain/snow) improve my water supply?
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What else should I know for an October TRT thru-hike? Any thoughts appreciated.
BPW