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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>+1 on doing the high route. 72 miles to Wolf Creek, 84 more to Stony Pass near Silverton, then 33 more to Spring Creek Pass near Creede. It is a fantastic hike in spectacular terrain. I consider it the best hike in Colorado. You won’t be disappointed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>You will likely encounter some sizable patches of snow in June. I would consider an ice axe and hiker type lightweight crampons to be very helpful but not so much snowshoes. They weigh a lot and most of the tricky spots are on steep sidehills where they won’t work. The Weminuche has more of these than the South San Juans, but there are steep snow crossings in both. You can send the gear home once you get to Silverton. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Take some tall gaiters for when you do have to posthole across something. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>best wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Jerry Brown (bearcreek)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Gps Mapping Specialist<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The Continental Divide Trail Alliance<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:bcss@bresnan.net">mailto:bcss@bresnan.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="www.bearcreeksurvey.com">www.bearcreeksurvey.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net [mailto:cdt-l-bounces@backcountry.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>nathanael lintner<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 09, 2011 6:15 AM<br><b>To:</b> cdt-l@backcountry.net<br><b>Subject:</b> [Cdt-l] Reccomend snowshoes in San Juans?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Hi Everyone,<br><br>Question for people who have hiked the CDT northbound: Do you think it would be worth carrying snowshoes north of Charma, NM? Our tenative schedule for this summer has us leaving Charma on June 16th and we are considering whether to send ourselves snowshoes, crampons and/or iceaxes. We know that there will be lots of snow but what we would like to know from previous NOBO hikers, was the snow generally the soft type that you posthole in or was it generally hard snow that you can stay on top of? Approximately what percentage of the trail would you say was snowcovered? Did you carry snowshoes? Did you wish you did? How about iceaxes; were there lots of steep traverses where it would be good to have one? We would really like to do the whole San Juan loop and not the Creede cutoff.<br><br clear=all>Nathanael Lintner<br><br><br><br><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>