400 % Snow Level on the PCT

Worse than 2017?

One of the main reasons for me to choose to hike the PCT southbound was to avoid the crazy snow amounts and floods that often hit the Sierra Nevada in the spring and summer. 2017 class was one of many that had to battle with crazy and scary snow amounts. Two hikers even lost their lives in the flooding rivers of Yosemite National Park.

Walking southbound through Washington has often been described as lovely meandering through flowery fields and almost no rain, while still being able to walk the Sierra Nevada without the snow fields that the NOBOs encounter if you can make it to California fast enough. But this year might be something else for the SOBOs.

Flip-flopping, skipping, or a very late start?

As all 2020 class NoGos learned things don’t always go as planned. During the spring the snow levels in Washington hit record levels and it has been slow to melt. New snow came as late as the 13th of June and the snow levels have been higher than average. Currently, the snow level is 388 % of the average in the last 30 years. The snow level at Hart’s Pass, which is recommended to be zero two weeks before one starts hiking, is currently 45 inches or 114 centimeters, which means that is even higher at higher altitudes.

This has of course awoken a lot of fear and nervousness among SOBO hikers. Many are planning to flip-flop (jump to another part of the trail and do the first part later), some as far as California since the snow levels are high even in Oregon. Some are planning to postpone the start, some have tried to start the trail but turned back already on the first day. A couple of hikers have taken an alternative route to the Canadian border where the PCT starts for southbounders and managed to start the hike that way. I myself am not keen to flip-flop or skip any parts, but walking the trail with an even shorter amount of time than first planned seems almost impossible. Can the snow amount really be so bad it will scare away somebody from Northern Finland?

Whatever I decide to do, I will not start walking the trail on my own with this crazy amount of snow. The steep hills are dangerous enough even without the snow, and the pace will be much slower postholing in deep snow.

Until I get to test it myself I’ll keep on training at lower elevations.