[Cdt-l] "Big snow year"

[Jeff Braun]

It was not really that big a snow year in Montana, but rather a cool 
spring has delayed the start of the spring run off. Antidotal 
evidence was our highest heating usage for April in 10 years, while 
local precipitation remains below normal.

Montana's snowpack was a little above normal on April 1st, now it 23% 
above normal for the state of Montana. A quick glance through the May 
1st snow surveys along the divide looks about the same - 10% to 25% 
above normal. It has been since 1998 since there was roughly an 
equivalent snowpack along the CDT for May 1st, with the exception of 
2002 for very northern Montana which had a higher snowpack at this time.

To answer your question it would be helpful to know if you are going 
to follow the Divide around Butte. If so, by the time you reach the 
AP you will probably not need ice axe or crampons. I say probably 
since a cool May and June could change that. Even if you take the 
Anaconda cutoff, you doubt you will need the equipment, but you might 
need to cross a few small snowfields, but I cannot think of any right 
now that will cause you problems.

Jeff

At 02:31 PM 5/4/2008, danandgailsc at aol.com wrote:



>I have the same question but for another starting point and for a 
>section hike.  The plan is to begin at Macdonald Pass on June 29, 
>hiking south for 17 days.  Will we need crampons and ice axe in 
>Anaconda-Pinter?
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>Where is everyone?  Already on the trail?   Has everyone migrated to 
>another online CDT forum?
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>------------------------------
>Dand and Gutsy
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>Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 12:27:16 -0700 (PDT)
>From: debi vinson <<mailto:debins97214 at yahoo.com>debins97214 at yahoo.com>
>Subject: [Cdt-l] umm
>To: <mailto:cdt-l at backcountry.net>cdt-l at backcountry.net
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>Alternately,(instead of starting at Glacier in consideration of the big snow
>year,a flip? ) is anyone considering on hiking nb from Rawlins 
>through the Great
>Divide Basin and or Heading sb through the same basin towards Rawlins in  the
>second week in June? Split Gas, Rides, Company, Carpool? There are 
>three of us.
>Anyone?
>
>   Lady, F
>   Debi
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>----------
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