Latest Colorado Trail start?

[steve hiker]

Generally, what's the latest you could start the Colorado Trail and make it all the way through without being stopped by deep snow? I've heard it can snow on the higher portions in September, but is it really impassible, or just early season snow that you can plow through? I actually like a little snow and I don't mind cold wheather as long as it doesn't get below zero. And I love the fall season. Assuming an average pace, what's generally the cutoff date for starting in Denver and heading to Durango?

[Mags]

Call an average pace five weeks. Generally speaking you do not want to be in the San Juans after Oct 1st or so as that is when the big snow storms come...and can stay!

If I had to give a gut answer, I'd say the last week of August, MAYBE the first week of September. By mid-October, you are really rolling the dice with three-season hiking in the San Juans. If you read Spur and Apple Pie's CDT journals, you will note they had to find a lower elevation alterntive to the San Juans due to the amount of snow received by October.

There was a freak snowstorm on Labor Day weekend for me, but within a day the snow was all melted. That would not have been the case in Oct.

[Smooth03]

Mags:
Have you done the spur trail??

Is it worth checking out while on a CT thru-hike?
Thanks!

[ARambler]

Agree with Mags, after third week in August, bad weather becomes a greater risk.
If you are pushing it at all, I recommend hiking northeast bound. Not only is the east side drier, but there are more /better escape points to town.
I section hiked all east bound and recommend going against the grain. Sure the east end from Kenosha Pass to Denver is more anti-climatic than Missouri Pass to Durango, but going down hill and being in better shape (and being 5 weeks cooler for you), I enjoyed this section much more than I would have in the other direction. Early in the season, west bound may be best.

[Mags]

Mags:
Have you done the spur trail??

Is it worth checking out while on a CT thru-hike?
Thanks!

Which spur trail? There is the one after Hope Pass (Gunnison Spur) that the CDT follow for a while. I don't belive it is too well marked after it splits from the CDT. Currentlyt the spur ends 50 miles later at a college

The other major spur trail is the Mancos Spur which ends in the small town of Mancos. I am not familiar with this spur at all. I do know the USFS forest service has explored and mapped it a bit. The Colorado Trail guidebook mentions contact info.

The CTF has this info about both spurs:
http://www.coloradotrail.org/Ctfaq.h...Mancos%20Spus?

Nate Oliver (Tha Wookie) has done survery work for the CTF (in fact the data book uses data he collected). He may know more details about the spur trails as well. He is active on White Blaze.

[Mags]

If you are pushing it at all, I recommend hiking northeast bound. Not only is the east side drier, but there are more /better escape points to town.
I section hiked all east bound and recommend going against the grain.

A Durango start? That's an excellent idea! If time is an issue, getting out of the San Juans and down into the lower elevations of the Denver Metro area might be a good compromise. In which case, you could probably start as late as the first week of September. Though the San Juans are higher, Kenosha pass IS at 10k feet, so snowstorms can happen there, too. But, once you are past Kenosha/Lost Creek wilderness, you are at much lower elevations.

The down side is that while thet trails around Denver metro are pretty they are nothing too dramatic. The trails are better graded for mtn bikes than hiking. Still, you may get some end of trail magic from teh mtn bikers. I found the mtn bikers to be very polite and courteous. Who knows...maybe you can yogi a ride from the Waterton Canyon trailhead to a place near the aiport or however you are getting home.

I'd offer a ride, but not having a car that might be difficult for me.