Notice to CT hikers.....be ready for the HEAT!

[saltysack]

Segments 1-2 are brutally hot as of 7/3....I'm currently at Lynwood park hostel in Bailey after carrying my pup the last 5 miles out of segment 3 at mile 40 on mid day 2. Currently shutting my pup up to Breck to a kennel as his pads got recked after 1.5 days..normally no issues back east with higher mpd...Lynwood park picks up hikers free if staying there...very nice place and folks with good resupply only about 8 miles from trailhead...free rides to and from TH......prophet no so comfortable with 45lbs!!!


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[Slo-go'en]

But it's a dry heat. Which sucks you dry of water in no time.

I found last half of section 2 to be brutal the first week of September. I hit it in the afternoon. No shade, no water for 10 miles. I ran out of water well before the fire station and didn't get there until after sun down.

[Dogwood]

Yeah of course it's hot. The direction and timing of your itinerary plays into this. It's UPHILL from some of (the) lowest CT elevations, it's July(what did you think CO is always cool?), and there are miles of unshaded hiking on SEG 1 directly over the route. CT Guidebook tells us this! You'll have many more miles of unshaded hiking but it'll be at greater cooler elev when you're more in the groove. My perception has been for miles but much more inconsistently all the way to Kenosha Pass has always seemed dry and hot to me. You're just starting out too likely not in 500 mile trail thru-hiker shape. Why are you hauling 45 lbs? Is some of it dog gear and food?... Extra water for those dry segments or are you carrying extra water?


FWIW, I bone headed got sun burned ONE FALL DESCENDING Waterton Canyon walking the road. It can be HOT going through Roxborough SP too...only without a pooch to lick your face.

Here's the flip side. You'll zoom down into Durango for many miles, water issues are generally much better although there are some sections to be logistically more water aware,


Nice to know Lynwood PK shuttles. Do you have to stay to arrange a shuttle?

[Venchka]

I went to Lynwood Park online. Nothing on their web pages mentions anything resembling a hostel.
What is the secret handshake to reveal the hostel portion of the property?
Cheers!
Wayne


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[Slo-go'en]

Get ready for the wild fires too. I hear there is one by Breckenridge and a few other sections.

[hikeandbike5]

hiked a bit of section 3 the morning/afternoon of the 4th, was looking for a salty hiker and a lil jrt!

[MuddyWaters]

Yup
Hot, dry, like hiking in an oven in july
It gets better when get to 9000+ ft

I drank 3 L after cameling up on the 10 mi stretch to firestation, and I was pretty dehydrated when got there.

Breathing in the dry hot air sucks the water out of you.

[powhound]

The fire north of Breck is right by Section 7, so that is closed, at least on the Breck side. The CT foundation is recommending you just take the bus to Copper and go to Section 8. It may be possible to use the Wheeler Trail from near Spruce Creek TH, south of Breck, if you still want to hike up and over the Ten Mile Range. Probably want to check with the Forest Service first though.

[Dogwood]

OR get a shuttle to the Torrey Greys Peaks TH and summit those.

[Malto]

Hope Tucker gets better soon. I'm glad I'm not hiking until early August when the heat will be all gone. I do believe I have an interesting starting plan. I should arrive at Waterton at about 10pm and I'm going to hike in till about mile six that night under an 88% moon. Then before the crack of dawn, I head up and will try to outrun the heat.

There is also a bike trail that goes around the closure. Doubtful it will still be in effect in a month but I will do that vs. a bus any day. I will be walkin to Durango.

[StubbleJumper]

Yep, I've left Denver with the temps 90+ degrees. It's danged hot for the first 4 or 5 days until you get some altitude.

I have to say that I felt completely silly carrying a 32-degree bag, a puffy jacket, and capilene-3 long underwear for those first 4 or 5 days. I'm pretty sure that the temperature never dropped below 70 degrees at night for those first few days, and I was seriously questioning the wisdom of carrying 3 or 4 pounds of colder weather gear (but ultimately it's needed!).

[Tipi Walter]

Yep, I've left Denver with the temps 90+ degrees. It's danged hot for the first 4 or 5 days until you get some altitude.

I have to say that I felt completely silly carrying a 32-degree bag, a puffy jacket, and capilene-3 long underwear for those first 4 or 5 days. I'm pretty sure that the temperature never dropped below 70 degrees at night for those first few days, and I was seriously questioning the wisdom of carrying 3 or 4 pounds of colder weather gear (but ultimately it's needed!).

About 4 years ago we here in the Southeast had the hottest March on record and yet I was on a trip with my standard winter kit---but I even needed my bug headnet which I didn't have. I felt pretty stupid shaking out my down parka and down pants and down bag in camp when it was 89F.

[Dogwood]

Yep, I've left Denver with the temps 90+ degrees. It's danged hot for the first 4 or 5 days until you get some altitude.

I have to say that I felt completely silly carrying a 32-degree bag, a puffy jacket, and capilene-3 long underwear for those first 4 or 5 days. I'm pretty sure that the temperature never dropped below 70 degrees at night for those first few days, and I was seriously questioning the wisdom of carrying 3 or 4 pounds of colder weather gear (but ultimately it's needed!).

Situations like that a quilt can shine. It's a typical climbing mountaineering scenario.

[Dogwood]

Yep, I've left Denver with the temps 90+ degrees. It's danged hot for the first 4 or 5 days until you get some altitude.

I have to say that I felt completely silly carrying a 32-degree bag, a puffy jacket, and capilene-3 long underwear for those first 4 or 5 days. I'm pretty sure that the temperature never dropped below 70 degrees at night for those first few days, and I was seriously questioning the wisdom of carrying 3 or 4 pounds of colder weather gear (but ultimately it's needed!).

Situations like that a quilt can shine. It's a typical climbing mountaineering scenario.

[Dogwood]

It's really cool reversing hiking direction going towards Big D night hiking as in several places on Segs 1 and 2 and maybe Seg 3 you can see Denver at night.

[Dogwood]

This info is in the official CT Guidebook for sure and quite possibly at the CT Website describing segment conditions. I found reading the guidebook through pre first CT thru hike was great prep in hqving a more fulfilling CT experience. I guess reading in depth from books is not what...nevermind.

[MuddyWaters]

Yep, I've left Denver with the temps 90+ degrees. It's danged hot for the first 4 or 5 days until you get some altitude.

).

Even at altitude it can feel pretty hot with sun strong, no breeze, sparse trees that provide no shade.

Big hat, long sleeves, etc are a must
Or a gallon of sunscreen

Many times your in the trees, but no shade, they just break the breezes. Ground radiates heat even 10 or 11000 ft. Still much better than 6000 though.

[StubbleJumper]

Even at altitude it can feel pretty hot with sun strong, no breeze, sparse trees that provide no shade.

Big hat, long sleeves, etc are a must
Or a gallon of sunscreen

Many times your in the trees, but no shade, they just break the breezes. Ground radiates heat even 10 or 11000 ft. Still much better than 6000 though.

Yep. I recall that segment 6 (is that the one right before Breck?) felt pretty hot because much of it had been cut due to a pine beetle infestation. You're right that it's probably ~9,000 feet and it still felt hot. I found that things cooled down considerable after Breck as altitudes were pretty consistently >10,000 feet and there were long stretches above the tree line, which provides a nice breeze. A nice sunny day, low humidity, 70-degrees and a light breeze is a fabulous day for a hike...and the CT seems to have a great many days like that (or at least it's like that until the daily 4pm thunderstorm!).

[handlebar]

OR get a shuttle to the Torrey Greys Peaks TH and summit those.

or you can hike the CDT from Georgia Pass to Greys and Torreys Peaks then continue on the CDT to Jones Pass and take the trail from there over to Ptarmigan Pass then down to Silverthorne for resupply and continue on what used to be the Jonathan Ley red (main) route up to Eccles Pass and over to Uneva Pass thence down to Copper. Adds a 100 miles to the CT thru but very scenic. Some pics in my CT trailjournal at www.trailjournals.com/handlebar, June 27-July3. You should be able to pickup appropriate maps in Breck.

[Venchka]

The easy way :
Visit the Rockies between the last week of August and the first week of October. That plan has been working for me from Santa Fe to Mt. Robson Provincial Park since 1964.
Cheers!
Wayne


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