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If you intend to be at the kickoff, the best thing would be to get a lift to Campo after the party, to start your hike properly. That works best if the dates fit in with your schedule. For details of the kick-off, see www.adzpctko.org.

Start date

Ideally you would decide your start date as late as possible, so that you can adjust it depending on snow levels in the High Sierra. Websites given in Appendix B should enable you to keep a check on snow levels throughout the winter. In a high snow year many hikers start too early for the conditions. However, in 2016 the PCTA introduced a daily limit of 50 permits per day from Campo, with online applications accepted from February 1, so early application is recommended.

The key date isn’t when you begin but when you reach Kennedy Meadows at the start of the High Sierra. Ray Jardine’s suggestion is that, in an average snow year, you should leave Kennedy Meadows on June 15, known as Ray Day. You will still find some snow on the higher passes but most of it will have melted and water levels in the creeks will have started to drop. Snow melts extremely quickly at that time of year and even a week’s difference in start date can make a tremendous difference to the snowpack.