Читать книгу The Pacific Crest Trail. Hiking the PCT from Mexico to Canada онлайн

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Another consideration will be snow conditions in the San Jacinto Mountains, which you reach during your second week. The trail contours on steep north- and east-facing slopes, where snow can persist into late April. Those who start the PCT in early to mid-April might find dangerous conditions on those steep slopes and navigation can be very difficult if the snowpack is continuous. However, in a low snow year, the trail could be clear by early April.

Hiking north-to-south

Only a few hikers attempt to thru’-hike from north to south each year. In an average snow year the PCT in Washington won’t be free of snow until late June, even later in a high snow year. In North Washington the trail often contours on steep slopes, the most difficult and dangerous terrain to cross in snow conditions. Crossing creeks in North Washington can also be a serious problem if you start too early.

If you are considering hiking south, therefore, you should consider starting about July 1 so that you finish by the end of November. That means tackling Washington in July, Oregon in August and Northern California in September, which is fine. You would then pass through the High Sierra in October, a time when you might expect some storms. You would be unlucky to have the first heavy winter snow but you would be cutting it rather fine. You will have supply problems because most of the facilities in the High Sierra will have closed and you might need to hike into the night occasionally to get in your mileage, which will certainly test your navigational skills. November could be a good time for hiking in Southern California, as long as you’ve had rain to replenish the creeks and springs and as long as you haven’t got deep snow in the higher mountains.