When to start PCT NOBO

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#1

Hi everyone,

at first sorry for my sometimes bad English. I’m from Germany ;-)… I’m planing to start PCT thru hike next Year in 2014 after my graduation. Has anyone ever startet quite late? I want to start at about 1. June…

thanks for response

Alex Lerach

LerachA

#2

Hi Alex, It could be very HOT by June in southern CA. But, if you are determined to hike it & you are a fast hiker (the weather typically gets ‘wintry’ in northern Washington by October), then go for it and maybe hike the hotter desert sections @ night.

Another option would be to head SOBO in late June/early July. If its a VERY light snow year (check Postholer.com), you could start in early June without too much winter mountaineering.

I have thru-hiked the PCT 3X, but I always start in March or April @ Campo.

Happy Trails,
freebird

freebird

#3

thank you freebird,

i think i head nobo just cause I’ve planed nearly everything for it :slight_smile:

greez Alex

LerachA

#4

If you can’t start until June, you might want to start farther north than the border - at Agua Dulce for example or Mojave - and hike to Canada, then, if there’s time, come back to hike the southern part in the Fall. This will allow you to hike through the Sierras with other thruhikers and there will be less of a rush to reach Washington before the snows start. The snow generally starts in September.

If you don’t start the trail until June, trying to do all 2700 miles in three or four months can be very difficult, especially when the heat makes you want to rest in the shade during the middle of the day.

Ginny

#5

As Freebird talked there are two big variables.

  1. weather. Some years a late start works great. I did the PCT in 2011 and I started may 21st. I could have easily started June 1st that year because it was a wet season. The later start would have also helped keep me from walking through as much snow.
  2. pace. I did a 98 day hike and at that pace June 1st would have given me an Sep finish, well before snow falls in Wa. If you are doing a fast hike, less than 4 months then a June 1st start could work for you. But I would suggest coming to campo is great trail condition to get through SoCal quickly. For perspective I hit Kennedy Meadows on Day 25 so I missed the real heat in SoCal.

So bottom line, not impossible but it would be a far different hike than the typical PCT thru. Good luck.

Malto

#6

@ Malto,

where can I see, iff the upcomming season will be a wet or a dry one. If it is a dry one i will start at Palm Springs I think. But then its no thru hike :bawling

LerachA

#7

If you are doing a late start then just monitor the hikers that start earlier than you. If you read about dry water sources, its likely a dry year. Water coming from the mountains everywhere, extremely wet year. Generally you can also get an indication from news stories about San Jacinto snow that will give you some indication.

Malto

#8

Hey Alex,
www.postholer.com has very good PCT snowpack info.

Also,the desert sections in SoCal are sporadic – you are in & out of the mountains: up into the snow & down into the high desert like a rollercoaster. So if you are a fast hiker, you will only be in the heat for one or two days at a time before you get back up to elevation.

So… if you are a fast hiker & have some common sense, then you will probably be OK withe the late start. If its a very dry year, you will have to carry more water & maybe hike some at night. You might get lucky with an unseaonably wet & cool June like Malto did in '11.
Have a great hike!
Happy Trails,
freebird

freebird

#9

I just booked my flight to LA. Will start @ Agua Dulce at May 29. If I’ll have the condition, I’ll come back to Campo at Oktober to hike the rest to Agua Dulce
:tongue

Thanks for all your goot tips

LerachA