Pacific Crest Trail Southern California Snowpack Map (click to enlarge)

Despite it’s reputation Southern California is not all beaches and deserts. After a heavy winter northbound thru hikers can sometimes expect to encounter snow in the mountains of SoCal as late as May or June.

This elevation map shows the areas on the Southern California Pacific Crest Trail above 5,500 ft where you might encounter heavy snowpack in the Spring following a big winter.

Note: 2010 is already stacking up to be a big snow year in Southern and Central California.

Hiking in Snow:

Here are some tips for how you can be prepared for deep snow on the trail:

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I just finished filling out my permit applications to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail again this year. Here is some information about the various permits you will need to backpack the Pacific Crest Trail:

Thru hiking permit

Thru hikers can get a permit that covers camping in all of the different jurisdictions the Pacific Crest Trail passes through from the Pacific Crest Trail Association. A thru-hiking permit is free to PCTA members. They suggest a $5 donation for non-members. Thru Hiking Permit application (PCTA).

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Here is a tool I designed to help you plan out your gear list:

Please wait for video to load (download link is below)…

Maildrops vs. Buy as you go

There are two methods of getting supplies on the trail.

You can buy everything in advance, package it up before you leave home, and recruit someone to mail the packages out to towns along the way so you can pick them up. Maildrops are typically sent “General Delivery” to Post Offices in trail towns where hikers can claim them with a valid ID. Some trail angels and businesses near the PCT also accept maildrops and occasionally they may need to be sent by UPS or Fedex.

The second method, known as “buy as you go” involves purchasing food and supplies from stores in trail-towns or purchasing items online (when an internet connection is available) and having them sent to upcoming resupply stops.

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The thru-hiking window

There is a relatively short “window” of good weather during which it is possible to complete a thru-hike on the entire Pacific Crest Trail.

For northbound thru-hikers this window is the six months from the beginning of April to the end of September. If you leave too early you may encounter impassable snow in the High Sierra (and sometimes even the mountains of Southern California). If you leave too late you will suffer from oppressive heat and dried up water sources in the desert, and risk not making it to Canada before early season storms start to dump snow in the North Cascades.

For southbound thru-hikers this window is the five months from mid-June through mid-November. If you leave too early you may encounter impassable snow in the North Cascades and if you take too long you risk being caught in early season snowstorms in the High Sierra.

These recommendations are approximate and will vary from year to year depending on snowpack and weather activity… but it is not wise to plan to take longer than five months for your thru-hike. Every day that you extend your hike beyond this window you run the risk of encountering bad weather that can force you off the trail against your will… and imagine how disappointed you will be if you hike all that way and aren’t able to finish.

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