[cdt-l] Fording rivers on the CDT

[Ginny & Jim Owen]

Northbound, the Gila crossing at Sapillo Creek is the one that hikers in the 
past have had the most problems with in high snow years.  Last year it was 
less than mid-calf on us.  There are many many crossings in the Gila so most 
people either stick with Tevas or wear their trail shoes the entire way and 
just live with wet feet.  Crossings are usually not particularly deep or 
fast, just frequent.

Southbound the biggest crossings are in the Bob Marshall as the snow is 
melting.  Have you seen the McVeigh video?  It can get pretty bad.  In 1999 
we had three river crossings we didn't feel safe making.  The detours were 
not much better.  There were some days where we had a half dozen crossings. 
One of the biggest pleasures of our hike last year was rock hopping all the 
streams that I remembered as high-thigh.  (And there was a bridge over one 
of the worst crossings.) Mostly it was the cold that was the problem in 
June, not the depth.  If you are there before the bridges are in, the 
crossings in Glacier can be bad.  I've read accounts of long detours to get 
around unbridged streams.  We didn't have that problem on our southbound 
hike.

You can get some wide crossings in the Winds as well.  Last year was so dry 
they weren't an issue, but I remember thigh deep crossings from our first 
hike.  But it was so warm, they felt good. As others have said, the outlet 
to Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone is a deep one, especially if you cross where 
the trail seems to cross.  There may be a sandbank upstream or down that is 
much better.  We had a hiker tell us about swimming it, but we crossed knee 
deep about 20 yards upstream.

Ginny

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>From: Karen Somers <kborski at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
>To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: [cdt-l] Fording rivers on the CDT
>Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:40:33 -0700 (PDT)
>
>I have personally posted a question about fords on the
>CDT and have seen a few other hikers do the same.
>There haven't been a whole lot of responses.
>
>The answers I've seen seem to indicate that the fords
>of concern are in Montana, particularly in Glacier,
>and along the Gila in NM, and that they are not much
>to worry over unless there has been unusually heavy
>rainfall.
>
>I just want to provide one more chance for experienced
>hikers to jump in with more info....
>
>I'm buying my gear right now, and I plan to carry a
>very light pair of flip flops for camp shoes and
>fords.  I have heavier Teva sandals that are great for
>swift, dangerous fords, but they are A LOT heavier.
>If I can get away with flip flops and/or socks for
>fords, then that will save me some weight.  For
>comparison, I was able to ford the glacial rivers in
>WA on the PCT in flip flops.....it wasn't pretty, but
>I didn't feel it was a big risk.
>
>As a sobo, I expect to see the worst fords in
>Glacier....with the low snow pack, I also expect that
>the fords will be normal or below normal.
>
>Thanks,
>Nocona
>CDT'07 Can to Mex
>
>
>
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