NOBO Flip-Flop Suggestions?

[Colter]

After doing some studying I've decided to NOBO on the CDT probably starting in April. I've decided to NOBO because I'd prefer to finish at the north end. And I'd like to start early to hedge my bets and give myself as much time as possible to complete the trail, with the goal of completing the trail by mid October.

If things go well early, it sounds as if I'm likely to hit deep snow in the San Juans if not before. I'd like to have a flip-flop planned out for the likelihood of that happening. Keeping in mind that I'd like to start at the south end and finish at the north end, whilst staying high and avoiding deep snow as much as possible, what are some good options for flipping?

I'm considering hiking until I have deep snow just ahead of me (e.g. Cuba), then flipping up to South Pass and heading south, in a similar fashion to what Fiddlehead did in '98.

Thanks!

Colter

[kayak karl]

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.848729/k.6FA1/Alternative_Itineraries.htm
this might help

[A-Train]

Do you have Yogi's CDT handbook? I'm pretty sure she covers several different flipping scenarios.

[kayak karl]

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.848729/k.6FA1/Alternative_Itineraries.htm
this might help
didnt see CDT. sorry:)

[ARambler]

I posted this question on the cdt list and did not get much of a response. Let me know if you come up with any good ideas. I think the snow south of Chama is manageable. However, I could not find any bus service to Chama or Cuba. There is service to Grants, NM. Grants is pretty far south, but I'm considering it.

Of course, a problem with bad flip points is that it is two problems. One, getting out of Cuba the first time, and again getting back to continue north (or getting out a second time.)

I can hike at a good pace, and get the trail done in a normal year. However, the safety and enjoyment of avoiding snow at both ends of the season is worth a lot of logistical effort for me. I would also like to be in Rawlins, WY the first week of August, and am thinking of flipping to Rawlins.
Rambler

[Spirit Walker]

In New Mexico, you may run into snow at Mt. Taylor (near Grants), in the San Pedro Wilderness (near Cuba) and in the Carson NF (south of Chama). Possibly in the Gila in a high snow year ,but that is more likely to be a snow melt problem than a snow problem.

Flipping is always a dilemma. It really depends on what the actual snow levels are at the time you flip. If you flip to Rawlins, it is only about 5 days to South Pass - then you head into the Winds (10,000+ feet). Not a good option. Flipping to Encampment instead of Rawlins adds another couple of days in the desert, but not much.

In early to mid-June, I personally would flip to Butte and hike north. The mountains there are lower and a lot of the trail is on jeep road. We hiked north from Anaconda starting May 31 in 1999. We had a lot of snow and serious snowmelt in the Bob Marshall, but it was gorgeous and it was doable. This looks like a heavy snow year in the far north, but so was 1999. When we reached Glacier, we flipped back south and hiked south again.

If you can make it to Chama, you can hitch to Antonito and catch a bus to Denver and from there to Butte. It would be long and slow, but you'd get there eventually. Antonito is a flag stop, I think. Not on the schedule, but the bus passes thru in the middle of the night.

Leaving the trail in Grants gets you close to Albuquerque, but then you'd likely be there in mid-May, which is too early to flip to anywhere. Can you hole up for a couple of weeks?