View Full Version : CDT SoBo 2013
NeanderJoel
10-10-2012, 01:43
Just wondering if anyone else on here is planning a SoBo thru hike for next year? If so, what time are you planning on starting? From what I've read, mid June seems to be the earliest people start, depending on the weather.
One other question - is there any other CDT forums that people frequent? The only other active one I know about is the CDT-l message board and that thing confuses me..
Can't answer the initial questions, but CDT-L (and PCT-L, etc) isn't that tough to figure out. If you post a specific question or issue about using it, you'll likely get some help.
Recently it seems like per-class-year facebook pages are getting a lot of use. On the CDT last year that was a good thing to check --- much more pertinent than CDT-L, as it was just posts by or at least closely related to people hiking in that particular year. So for example, there's a "CDT 2012" group that you can search for and ask to join, perhaps there's already one for 2013.
NeanderJoel
10-10-2012, 04:47
Cool thanks, I didn't think of that.
Slo-go'en
10-10-2012, 10:27
I started a SOBO CDT section hike in Glacier with some others July 1st this summer and didn't get far (but that's another story).
Although last winter was a low snow year, they got a lot of late season snow which was a problem for us. The Highland route from Waterton was bascially impassable and was closed for much of this summer. We took the Chief Mountian route and still had to skip over a section due to some dangerous high water stream crossings, which we were not prepared to attempt to cross. We later learned it just got worse and more dangerous higher up that trail.
I have since learned that it isn't until mid-July that you can count on getting all the way through Glacier without a lot of trouble or running into impassable sections. (YMMV, depending on conditions, your experiance level and equipment)
The CDT journals over at trailjournals.com can be informative.
Oh, and be sure to bring or get a wide brim hat. There is NO shade to speak of and walking all day in the hot sun without a proper hat is not good. Trust me, as I didn't have a proper hat.
NeanderJoel
10-10-2012, 22:50
that's a bit of a worry! I guess if worst comes to worst, I can just road walk for the snowed out sections. Thanks for the tips
Slo-go'en
10-11-2012, 13:11
that's a bit of a worry! I guess if worst comes to worst, I can just road walk for the snowed out sections. Thanks for the tips
No, that is not really an option unless your willing to walk a 100 miles on roads to skip 15-20 miles of trail. However, there is a shuttle service which can be used. But only in Glacier NP. Once your south of the park, your commited no matter what. You either slog ahead or turn back the way you came.
From the research i've done on the SOBO CDT i'm planning it snows the least in the MONTANA mountains in JULY/AUGUST.
Montana also holds the record the largest change in temp. in a single day -49 at night and +54 during daytime.
For general CDT info You definitely should check out Yogi's and Mag's CDT Guides as well as the links they mention. Spirit Eagle's resupply info is very good too.
I started SOBO on June 27 2010 at the Canadian border and ran into 6 ft of snow covering the trail almost immediately. Drifts were much deeper. Trail was a total white out. Navigation by map and compass (no GPS) was slow for me under those conditions. Ptarmagin Tunnel was closed still and the Highline Trail was super dangerous(two ice axes and full in step crampons needed!) in Glacier NP. The alternates and a bit of the "official" CDT route I took in the "BOB" still had drifts of up to 7 ft I had to navigate. This yr, as I met up with some of the CDT SOBOers in Colorado while I was thru-hiking the Colorado Trail(the two trails share the same tread for about 235 milkes) they told me of similiar conditions when they started at GNP in July.
You DEFINITELY should be aware of trail conditions before starting out. I find it a shame that so many CDTers choose to short-cut sections of this beautiful trail/route by mistiming their start dates which makes for a hurried I need to to chop off hiking miles mindset!
SunnyWalker
10-11-2012, 20:31
SOBO, try The Sgt at Hiker HQ, and Trailjournals.com I'll be going north starting in May. Unless snow is a bad year.