<div>On an normal year there is some snow and often LOTS of snow through April in sections B- San Jacinto and Fuller Ridge around Idlewild, C- San Bernadino Mountains around Big Bear & Lake Arrowhead, D- The San Gabriels around Wrightwood and Mt Islip. Last year was an exception with next to zero snow. In 05 - the year of the Flip Flop we had a late winter and lots of difficulty with navigation and icey cold conditions in SoCal through May. All depends on the year.</div> <div> </div> <div>SB<BR><BR><B><I>Greg Kesselring <gkesselr@whidbey.com></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Hi Jon,<BR><BR>I too have pondered the idea of taking longer to do the trail. I hadn't <BR>considered doing it over two seasons, but I'm guessing the "real" <BR>thru-hikers would not consider that a real thru-hike. It would be <BR>considered a section hike, even though
you're splitting the trail into <BR>only two great big sections.<BR><BR>I like the idea of starting earlier than most folks start because that <BR>way you could do the desert portion while it's not too hot. However, I <BR>believe there's a mountain portion that would likely have snow in March <BR>in So. Cal before the Mojave. But the one big show-stopper to starting <BR>early is that you can't get thru the High Sierra till late June at the <BR>earliest. So if you start early you end up sitting around at the base <BR>of the Sierra in May waiting a few weeks for the snow to melt up there.<BR><BR>Besides snow in the Sierra til late June and snow in the North Cascades <BR>in WA until early to mid-July, there's one other thing about a trhu-hike <BR>in one season that feels very challenging to me, and that's the heat and <BR>bugs in the lowlands of Northern California and Oregon in July and <BR>August. September or even October would be the ideal time to hike that <BR>area. With
a two season plan you could time your hiking in each of <BR>these areas so you'd be there during the ideal time.<BR><BR>I guess one other approach where you could hike the entire trail in one <BR>season is to jump around. Do the So. CA portion early, skip the Sierra <BR>and do OR and WA, then go back and do the Sierra and finish up with <BR>Northern CA in the fall when it's cooler there. But I believe the <BR>purists don't consider this a true "thru-hike". Even so, I may opt to <BR>do it this way. Some day...<BR><BR>Greg<BR><BR>Jon Akerman wrote:<BR>> Hi all:<BR>><BR>> Thanks for your replies to my first email. I want to open another can<BR>> of worms: when I first noticed the thru-hikers typical miles per day<BR>> (20, right?), I thought that was a little much for me (because I'd<BR>> really, really like to take my time in this thing, and I'm not an pro<BR>> backpacker). Now, I know the seasons don't really allow us to take too<BR>> much time, and
there is that perfect window b/t May & late September.<BR>> Well, has anyone, or have you heard of anyone, stayed on the trail for<BR>> an extended period of time? As in, hiking half the trail, then<BR>> spending the winter in a trailtown, or when the northern snow melts<BR>> off in late July? As in, hiking 2/3rds of the trail then resting until<BR>> Spring. And, I'm curious to know if the answer for me is to leave<BR>> earlier in the year, so instead of May it would be leaving Campo in,<BR>> say, March -- maybe February -- to give myself plenty of time before<BR>> Winter comes. Oh the questions, the questions...!<BR>><BR>> For now,<BR>><BR>><BR>> Jon<BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Pct-l mailing list<BR>> Pct-l@backcountry.net<BR>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l<BR>><BR>> <BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Pct-l mailing
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