[pct-l] How much of (calif) section A-F is do'able in January

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Aug 3, 2010, at 3:48 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> I'm hoping to be a thru in 2011...  but in dropping said hint at work,
> getting that much time off in one piece might not be possible. So  
> instead of
> a "true thru" (Apr->Oct, Mex->Can), my plan B would be a "thru in a  
> year",
> ie, do pieces or all of A-F in January and March, and then pick up  
> in early
> June where I left off. So, my question is: when does winter come to  
> the
> south? When (nominally) does Baden-Powell become snow covered; or  
> asked
> differently: what parts are still doable (meaning trail walking, not
> snowshoe'ing) in January, and again, in March?
> thanks - TheDuck

You might consider a plan C which is to do as much as you can in the  
time you have and not worry about whether it's the whole trail.

In my opinion as a life-long So Cal resident, at the elevations  
you'll be at, you won't be able to do much of So Cal in January or  
March. You could probably do Section A and the beginning of Section B  
in March. You may also be able to do some of Section E, but probably  
not the part in the Tehachapi mountains. It may be possible to do the  
same pieces in January if it's a warm, dry January. But the rest of  
So Cal will have snow and some sections are very dangerous (such as  
Baden-Powell and San Jacinto). People die there or get rescued with  
serious injuries all the time.

So your question: when does winter come to the south? Whenever it  
wants to, but generally between November and April. So Cal isn't all  
sunshine and bikinis by any means. You'd be surprised at the number  
of people who drop out of their hikes in So Cal because the weather  
is just too extreme.


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