[pct-l] Why Manning by mid-September

[Len Glassner]

On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 1:13 PM,  <ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com> wrote:

> What research I did by talking with PNW Rangers and Park Administrators indicated that if I didn't get to Canada by early September, the usual early snow storms would bring my dreams of a PCT completion to an abrupt end. Since then, hiker testimonies and trail journals show exactly that happening to many.
>
> So, rather than hiking for 5 months only to be stopped short of the goal, I decided to start "early,"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Snow is not an obstacle if realistically planned for.

Why did snow storm potential dictate your start date?  I would have
thought your skills could have handled such a situation.

As for the concept of 'dry trail' if you start in late April, maybe at
the higher elevations in SoCal, but there will be lots to walk on in
the Sierra.  The CDEC snow plots make it look like the snow was all
gone after mid/late June the last couple of years, but that certainly
wasn't the case.