[Cdt-l] Great Divide Trail

[Alistair and Gail Des Moulins]

Brooks and others

For some historical weather related data use the following link to see the 
variability of weather that you can expect in the Canadian Rockies.
http://www.climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climateData/menu_e.html?timeframe=1&Prov=AB&StationID=9999&Year=2011&Month=2&Day=15

There is data for the towns of Banff and Jasper and also Yoho National Park 
in British Columbia. These places are at around at elevations from 4000' to 
4500' and you'll be travelling across passes at 7500' so some allowances 
will need to be made. You can get the high and low and precipitation for 
each day in any month for many years ( a month at a time ).

I'd not start the trail from the south end before June. Some passes may not 
be snow free before mid July. In early July 1999 the Banff Jasper Highway 
was closed for a day due to a foot of new snow at 6800' Bow Summit!

Alistair

> Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:39:27 -0500
> From: Jim and_or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Cdt-l]  Great Divide Trail
> To: cdt-l <cdt-l at backcountry.net>, <wilson.brooks at gmail.com>
> Message-ID: <SNT120-W23296B19EB7530362251DAA0D20 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> Brooks wrote:
>>Does anyone have a GPX track of the Great Divide Trail? And any
>>recommendations to figure out weather and snow levels in Canada along the
>>trail?
>
> Brooks -
> GDT info here -
> http://spiriteaglehome.com/GDT.html
>
> Guidebook info here -
> http://spiriteaglehome.com/gdt07_navigation.html
>
> Guidebook errata here -
> http://spiriteaglehome.com/gdt07_errata.html
>
> The guidebook has GPS waypoints but I don't know how good they are because 
> we didn't (and still don't)
> use GPS.  I know that a couple of the waypoints in the book are off, but 
> it's usually obvious.  I do, however,
> recommend using a GPS for this trail.
>
> For snow info call the Parcs Canada office at Jasper.   I thought I had 
> the phone # but can't find it
> right now.  You can probably find it online.
>
> BTW - we called them in June to make reservations - call earlier.  We were 
> just plain lucky to
> get what we wanted/needed.
>
> Also - don't plan on leaving too early.  When we called in June there was 
> still 5 ft of snow on the ground in Jasper.
>
> Also - yes, I know some of the links on our website ar dead.  I need to 
> fix that, just haven't gotten there yet.
>
> Jim
>
> PS - If you want to talk about it -  our phone # is 717-496-0468
>
> http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/
>
>