Snowpack passable when..?
What’s below is not a sure thing as it varies year to year. But Colorado Trail experience gives the CTF some guidance on the ‘good most years’ segment melt-off dates and when each might become passable. This ‘snowpack passable,’ to us, means not overly arduous or hazardous due to remaining snowpack.
- Segs 1, 2, 3 early May
- Seg 4 mid June
- Seg 5 late May
- Segs 6, 7, 8 early July
- Seg 9 late June
- Seg 10 mid June
- Seg 11 late May
- Segs 12, 13 mid June
- Seg 14 early June
- Seg 15 early July
- Segs 16, 17 late June
- Seg 18 late May
- Seg 19 late May (creek ford possibly fast & deep until, say, mid June)
- Segs 20, 21 late June
- Segs 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 early July
- Seg CW01 early July
- Seg CW02 mid July
- Segs CW03, CW04, CW05 early July
Exceptions worth noting include the low elevation portions of Segments 13 and 28 that melt ‘passable’ well before the entire segment. Other exceptions pertain to accessible south-facing big hillsides in Segments 12, 13 and CW01 that melt ‘passable’ before the balance of each segment.
