[cdt-l] San Juans sans ice axe

[Ginny & Jim Owen]

Caryl wrote:
>What would be the normal date when you could enter Colorado from the south 
>and expect not to need ice axe or crampons in the San Juans?

In a "normal" snow year, the South San Juans generally open up around June 
15.  Last year was a "low snow year."  Sorta - but not quite.  There were 
specific places (like Blue Lake) that had higher snowpack levels.  Low snow 
does NOT mean "no snow."  I think the average snowpack at Wolf Creek Pass is 
480 inches - that takes a while to melt out.

What apparently escaped the attention of most hikers last year was that 
north of Lake City the snow levels were either normal or above-normal.  So 
leaving the border early and hurrying to get through New Mexico and the "low 
snow" in southern Colorado just got them into a normal-to-high  snow year in 
northern Colorado - several weeks early.  Which is pretty much the 
equivalent of a "high snow year" from a hikers standpoint.

It was interesting to watch.  We left Cumbres Pass on June 5 and we were a 
week or two behind the pack.  And where they had fields of snow, we had 
fields of flowers.  Not that we had "no snow," but we didn't have a lot of 
postholing - just small patches.  Nor did we have nearly as much mud as some 
of them had.  Timing is everything.  <g>

It'll be interesting to see what the Class of '07 does with the snowpack 
they find.

Hmm - ice axe and crampons - assuming "normal" (100%) snowpack and leaving 
Cumbres Pass on June 15, I wouldn't take either one.  If leaving Cumbres 
much earlier - I'd take the ice axe.  I consider the crampons useless if the 
snow is such that you're postholing.  Snowshoes might be better - but I 
doubt it. YMMV

Walk softly,
Jim

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