What's the best time to start & can I just take off & have no concerns for water or do I need to cache my own? My only concern is the availability of water so any info on that is greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!
What's the best time to start & can I just take off & have no concerns for water or do I need to cache my own? My only concern is the availability of water so any info on that is greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!
Take Time to Watch the Trees Dance with The Wind........Then Join In........
Most thruhikers start the last two weeks of April which is good to avoid the excessive heat and drought of May as well as the worst of the snow and snowmelt, in a normal year. Given the crowds, that can be a problem, especially with the new registration system that only allows 50 people per day. In a high snow year (as 2016 may be thanks to el nino) you may want to start later or hike slowly to avoid getting to the Sierras before mid to late June. Water varies each year, but fortunately there are water reports that give current status of springs, streams and water caches. Given the huge crowds, don't count on the caches to be full when you get there, but they can be good to top off your water if there is enough.
Thanks!! Are the water reports "on trail" ) like trail registers like on the AT? not even sure there are such a thing on the PCT?) or where can these be found? I really don't want to use an I-Phone or tech gadgets unless nearing a town..
Take Time to Watch the Trees Dance with The Wind........Then Join In........
The optimal time to start varies from year to year depending on weather and snow levels.
pctwater.com
The water report for Southern CA is updated very frequently during the peak thru hiker season. It was only out of date at one point when conditions changed after I started a segment. And even then, although the trough at Willow Springs was polluted by a dead animal, I was able to get water above the trough at a holding tank/cistern. In general water was better than I thought it would be from mid April to mid May this year and it was a dry year.
As others have stated, it really depends on weather conditions. In 2015 I started in the last week of April, and I wish that I had started a bit earlier just to have a little extra time making it to Canada before it snowed. 2016 is going to be a wet year, and so you might want to start a bit later to make it through the Sierra. What is your budget and time availability look like? If money was no object I would be cool with camping out before the Sierra for an extra week, or taking my time to get there.
Thanks everyone!!! Still processing if this is the 2016 hike for me.
Take Time to Watch the Trees Dance with The Wind........Then Join In........