Start Date From Tahoe?

[slims]

So I'm looking to hike the PCT from South Lake Tahoe north to the Oregon border. Currently planning to start the first week of June. I figure by then the snow shouldn't be an issue and I'll have some time before it starts to get too crazy hot.

Just wanting to know if I'm actually right about this and this is a feasible plan. Is the snow usually mostly gone by then?

[Malto]

No way the snow will be over. There is a reason there are ski area around Tahoe. In fact, you will likely be starting at a ski resort. I would push it back to July 1st. The heat is manageable..

[sbhikes]

June 1 will probably be too early this year. How about July 1?

[Dogwood]

So I'm looking to hike the PCT from South Lake Tahoe north to the Oregon border. Currently planning to start the first week of June. I figure by then the snow shouldn't be an issue and I'll have some time before it starts to get too crazy hot.

Just wanting to know if I'm actually right about this and this is a feasible plan. Is the snow usually mostly gone by then?

Uh NO! Have tried that three different yrs SOBO from Chester(Hwy 36) to get in all my PCT miles because sections were closed in 2008 when I thrued the PCT NOBO due to many forest fire closures and at the time I was not inclined to do a 80 mile road walk and then another 35 mile road walk as alternates. As I recall two of those yrs were avg snowfall yrs. One yr it was above avg. There is a lot of heavily shaded above 7k ft elev in your proposed hike. The PCT was flooded at Chester but I managed. Above 7K ft there was no trail the first wk of June, the third wk of June, and then the last wk of June on all those yrs. I aborted all three yrs as I wasn't relying on GPS. I found one PCT blaze all those times as I stood near a tree well looking down. The blaze was three ft below the surface of the snow probably about 5 ft up the tree meaning the snow depth in that spot was still about 8 ft in the last wk of July. More PCTers should have greater regard for the PCT Wilderness Press books in their planning as they describe in detail likely snowpack conditions on various segments at various times.

No way the snow will be over. There is a reason there are ski area around Tahoe. In fact, you will likely be starting at a ski resort. I would push it back to July 1st. The heat is manageable..

June 1 will probably be too early this year. How about July 1?

[lonehiker]

I'm doing the same section with a tentative start date of 21st of June. Will assess the situation as it approaches and adjust if necessary.

[jefals]

I tried to get up to Wrights Lake yesterday (5/16). Still a lot of snow approx 6k; it won't be gone by 6/1. I agree with at least 7/1.
I want to do Brockway to Mt Rose this year, going from 7k to 11k. I'm probably going to wait till last week in July...

[wornoutboots]

Good luck!! I leave sobo from Canada on 4th of July, and I've been watching the snow religiously in case I need to Flip down to the WA/OR border & head sobo due to the snow. It's melting pretty fast in the North but they are calling for rain & snow tonight. It's definitely interesting & much more logistically challenging than the AT for sure! Have a Great Hike!

[Rybir]

I am considering something similar to all of these routes mentioned and really waiting on time I can start (late June or maybe even mid July). And also monitoring snow. It looks like the SWE is all over the place, but the trend points towards the SWE being lower than average, which I really hopes to the snow melting out faster. This would be my first major hike of any sorts.

[Dogwood]

I tried to get up to Wrights Lake yesterday (5/16). Still a lot of snow approx 6k; it won't be gone by 6/1. I agree with at least 7/1.
I want to do Brockway to Mt Rose this year, going from 7k to 11k. I'm probably going to wait till last week in July...

On two of those PCT aborted attempts in the last wk of June I thought the Tahoe Rim Tr was thru-hikable starting on the east side which faces west tending to supposedly melt faster. I thought I could thru the TRT waiting for snow to melt at the above 8k ft PCT level in northern Cali around Bucks Lake. I couldn't hike the TRT two of those avg snowfall yrs because the TRT too was still under feet of snow. Mt Rose can hold snow well into July even Aug at more than 10, 700 ft. Plus Rifle, Relay, Tamarack and Slide Mts can hold snow into July.

[lonehiker]

From the TRT website (PCT portion):

Echo Lakes to Barker Pass: Expect significant snow coverage on the majority of this segment until mid June at least. There are a few trees down north of Richardson Lake. Echo Lakes Road is not plowed during the winter. Parking is available at the SnoPark, permit required (until May 30). Bayview Trailhead and Campground is closed for the season.
Water Sources:
•All Major Lakes within this segment have plenty of water for filtering.

Barker Pass to Tahoe City: Gates at Barker Pass Road are closed. Trail near Barker Pass will still have significant snow for several more weeks. Between Ward Creek Road and Tahoe City the trail is 99% clear of snow. Expect lots of water in Page Meadows.
Water Sources:
•North Fork Blackwood Creek has water.
•There were still several springs crossing the trail north of Barker Pass and south of Twin Peaks.
•Ward Creek is also available as a water source.

The second segment listed, to Tahoe City, only has a few miles of the PCT on it but included it for info purposes. Talked with the TRT association and the person indicated that they have had some nice days recently and that snow is melting fairly rapidly. The rep. seemed to think that it would be ok by later part of June. Based upon this, I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to start my section from Echo Lake to Ashland beginning 23 June. Will continue to monitor and adjust if conditions warrant. If anyone has more specific info a post would be appreciated.

[jefals]

I tried to get up to Wrights Lake yesterday (5/16). Still a lot of snow approx 6k; it won't be gone by 6/1. I agree with at least 7/1.
I want to do Brockway to Mt Rose this year, going from 7k to 11k. I'm probably going to wait till last week in July...

On two of those PCT aborted attempts in the last wk of June I thought the Tahoe Rim Tr was thru-hikable starting on the east side which faces west tending to supposedly melt faster. I thought I could thru the TRT waiting for snow to melt at the above 8k ft PCT level in northern Cali around Bucks Lake. I couldn't hike the TRT two of those avg snowfall yrs because the TRT too was still under feet of snow. Mt Rose can hold snow well into July even Aug at more than 10, 700 ft. Plus Rifle, Relay, Tamarack and Slide Mts can hold snow into July.

What year was that?
I was thinking that also about Mt Rose, and, since planning a mid-July hike there this year, I posed a question if I should take spikes. Most folks said "no". What do you think, Dogwood? Maybe I'll wait another monrh...

[Dogwood]

Trail is decent around and up Mt Rose when it's clear. I wouldn't bring spikes. But I'm comfortable walking on non iced over snow kicking steps if needed. I encountered many ft of snow attempting to start at Tahoe Meadows, supposedly one of the places that frees up from snow early, into late June on two different yrs. Things like how fast and consistently the snow is melting plays an enormous role in trail conditions. Sometimes into mid-late June the snow is more patchy. Other times the snow travel is almost continuous. TRT site does a good job relating current trail conditions and making appropriate recs IMO.

[jefals]

thks, Dogwood. just checked that TRT site. I wasn't aware of it, and it looks like the p l scene to go for current conditions!