Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm definitely going north to south, to save the best (San Juans) for last. Also I like the idea of flying into and hiking out of Denver into the mountains. <br><br>I've read a few journals of CT hikers who started in late August, and although they all mention snow in the San Juans it was never very deep. I don't understand the phobia of light snowfall with so many hikers. I like snow and I like cold, so as long as there are not 4-foot drifts and I can break trail without extensive postholing, I'll be in my element. <br><br><b><i>"Kenneth E. Baldrey" <keneb@adaes.com></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2912" name="GENERATOR"> <div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="302300115-10072006"><font
color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">The only serious bail-off problems on the CT are in the San Juans if winter sets in early. There will be normal snows from early September on but usually for just a day or two and it melts quickly. And you could get lucky and have a two week blue sky stretch with no lightning or storms at all in September. That's the sweet spot for Colorado mountaineering and thru-hiking. Maybe start Durango to Waterton around Labor Day, that way you clear the high San Juan early and the aspens will be hitting full bloom from Copper Mountain on. We've had drought in Colorado but just recently the monsoons have hit with a vengeance, it's unpredictable. </font></span></div><br> <div class="OutlookMessageHeader" dir="ltr" align="left" lang="en-us"> <hr tabindex="-1"> <font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b> cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Dust<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 07, 2006 11:06 PM<br><b>To:</b> cdt-l@mailman.backcountry.net<br><b>Subject:</b> [cdt-l] Colorado Trail -- late start questions<br></font><br></div> <div></div><pre><tt><tt>Wise ones:<br><br>I'm planning an early fall CT hike this year that would have<br>me on the trail when the aspens are turning. I've been to <br>Colorado before and generally, the aspens don't hit peak <br>until the third week of September. So I want to start as <br>late as I can without putting myself at serious risk of <br>getting trapped if there's an early snowfall up high.<br><br>Couple questions:<br><br>1. How late do you think I reasonably can start, to catch <br>the turning aspens on the CT? I've hiked (postholed) in <br>snow before and don't mind it for a short while. If an <br>early September snowstorm hits, can you get down to lower <br>elevations safely if you don't mind trudging through <br>some cool sno?<br><br>2. I've been following
the SNOTEL site and it looks like a <br>pretty severe drought has taken hold of Colorado this year.<br>How hard do you think it will be to find water? I have the <br>Data Book and am wondering if the "cup FULL"<br> sources will be<br>reliable this year.<br><br>3. I'm looking to bring some "Rocky Mountain High" with me <br>and am wondering what type John Denver smoked and where he<br>got high.<br><br>Thanks folks. Your wise comments are welcome. </tt></tt></pre> <div> </div><hr size="1"> Sneak preview the <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=40762/*http://www.yahoo.com/preview">all-new Yahoo.com</a>. It's not radically different. Just radically better. _______________________________________________<br>cdt-l mailing list<br>cdt-l@backcountry.net<br>http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/cdt-l<br></blockquote><br><p> 
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