If you start Aug 1st you will have to average 21 miles a day to get over Forester Pass by Nov 1st. The later you start the less likely it is that small resorts will be open. Resupply options will be limited in the Sierra...Tuolumne Meadows will be closed and you will have to hitch a long way, Vermillion Valley Resort will be closed, Muir Trail Ranch will be closed...so you will have to hike additional miles to get to over Bishop Pass, to Onion Valley etc. Even if you don't get snow, cold freezing rain in the Sierra will suck. If you start Aug 1st you need to be realistic and be in phenomenal shape and planning to do a sub 4 month thruhike.
Okay, okay, I guess I'll look more into SoBo for my Jan 1 start date haha. I didn't want to be in the desert in the late spring, but it's sounding like it would be more treacherous to be in the Cascades in late spring. I'll also be looking to up my ski skills since most mountaineering people I've talked with say the snowshoes just require too much effort in the end.
Nice dog 😊 thanks for the info
I'm going NB trying to finish early Oct.
South bounders also have to worry about 1st snow further south of the Sierra's in the San Bernardino Mts.
If you start Aug 1st you will have to average 21 miles a day to get over Forester Pass by Nov 1st. The later you start the less likely it is that small resorts will be open. Resupply options will be limited in the Sierra...Tuolumne Meadows will be closed and you will have to hitch a long way, Vermillion Valley Resort will be closed, Muir Trail Ranch will be closed...so you will have to hike additional miles to get to over Bishop Pass, to Onion Valley etc. Even if you don't get snow, cold freezing rain in the Sierra will suck. If you start Aug 1st you need to be realistic and be in phenomenal shape and planning to do a sub 4 month thruhike.
I like your mid- June start and will need to watch the winter snow reports to determine an even earlier start.
Okay, okay, I guess I'll look more into SoBo for my Jan 1 start date haha. I didn't want to be in the desert in the late spring, but it's sounding like it would be more treacherous to be in the Cascades in late spring. I'll also be looking to up my ski skills since most mountaineering people I've talked with say the snowshoes just require too much effort in the end.
The Cascades start at Chester, CA. The Sierra goes well beyond Donner Pass.
Definitely not dry winter anywhere