Snow
Travel
Spring season
hikers may occasionally encounter snowpack in forested terrain above
8000 feet in elevation. Although a potential concern over only a limited
portion of the 700+ mile route, this residual winter snowpack can
occasionally be deep and prevalent enough to warrant careful consideration
before attempting to negotiate it.
In heavier snow
years, the best strategy may be to delay the start of your thru-hike
in order to allow the snowpack more time to coalesce and melt, which
will decrease both its depth and area of coverage, making any snow
travel less laborious and time consuming. Consider starting eastbound
from Phoenix in early April, and taking a full 2 months to complete
your trek. Don't begin too late, though, in order to avoid prolonged
stretches of hot, dry conditions in the low country.
The following
table shows where along the route you may encounter snow when thru-hiking
eastbound during spring seasons of average to somewhat above
average snowpack.
|
Milepoint
/
[Tr.Segment]
|
Range
|
Area
of Potential Concern
|
Elevation
|
Prevalence
of Snowpack
|
Bypass
/ Detour
Worthwhile?
|
|
194 [10]
|
Pinalenos
|
10-12
mi
|
to
10,100'
|
more
continuous
|
sometimes
|
|
348
[20]
|
Mogollons
|
10-15
mi
|
to
10,770'
|
more
continuous
|
often
|
|
419
[23,24]
|
Black
Range
|
0-10
mi
|
to
9,800'
|
less
continuous
|
rarely
|
|
495
[28,29]
|
San
Mateos
|
0-13
mi
|
to
10,300'
|
less
continuous
|
rarely
|
|
546
[31]
|
Magdalenas
|
0-5
mi
|
to
10,400'
|
less
continuous
|
sometimes
|
|
652
[35]
|
Manzanos
|
0-12
mi
|
to
10,100'
|
patches
|
rarely
|
|
716
[38,39]
|
Sandias
|
0-7
mi
|
to
10,650'
|
patches
|
rarely
|
 |
| Snowpack
coverage map - click to view |
With the exception
of the Pinaleno Range, note that the Arizona G.E.T. would be expected
free of snow concerns during a springtime, eastbound thru-hike. Only
in the high country of New Mexico could snow again become a factor,
and then generally diminish in concern as you proceed east and the snowpack
continues to melt.
Detouring
to Avoid Spring Snowpack
When considering
whether to skip a snowy section of the route, keep in mind that all
snow isn't necessarily a problem. By its nature, melting spring snowpack
is a ready source of drinking water. It feeds creeks and springs on
the mountain ranges, and can itself be melted over a campfire or stove
to provide drinking water. In this respect, snow can be your ally
in an otherwise arid land, in addition to providing a wonderful contrast
in scenery and experience.
 |
| Discernable
only as a corridor through the trees, trail at 9500' in the Mogollon
Mtns lies buried in 2.5 feet of hard, sloping snow, late April
'05 |
Snow becomes an
issue wherever it is deep, steep, or prevalent over a large area.
Spring snowpack in the Southwest tends to be inconsistent in its ability
to bear loads, and deep snow can sometimes cause you to posthole laboriously.
Where hardpacked or frozen snow occurs in steeper terrain, exposure
to sliding accidents may become a concern, particularly in open forest
environments (cirques and headwalls are not present in this region,
nor is avalanche danger in spring). In addition, most forest trails
that the G.E.T. uses are not marked for winter use, and you may have
trouble following them in untracked snow.
The guidebook
describes specific snowpack concerns and alternate routes to take
in each region. Suffice it to say here that you probably will only
need to consider detouring around portions of two ranges -
the Pinalenos (Seg 10) and Mogollons (Seg 20) - and a mile of trail
on the north slope of South Baldy in the Magdalena Mountains (Seg
31). All other regions you can ordinarily expect will be passable,
with only short snowbound sections or patches of snow that can be
circumvented if necessary.
Use
of Crampons and Ice Axe
Spring thru-hikers
should consider bringing lightweight instep crampons or "ice
walkers" when heading into snowbound segments of the route. These
will improve traction on steep, hard snow, and allow you to follow
a trail's line as it switchbacks or contours along steeper slopes.
Unless snowpack is determined to be minimal, carry crampons over the
Pinalenos, Mogollons, and Black Range. Consider mailing them home
from Monticello, or at Magdalena if South Baldy may pose a concern.
An ice axe would
only be warranted if traversing the snowbound Mogollon Range (guidebook
segment 20), rather than detouring around it. Unless you have prior
experience with high altitude snow travel and routefinding, this is
the one range to strongly consider avoiding in a snowy spring. The
Mogollons are tall, rugged, and remote, and you will need to rely
on map, compass, GPS, and guidebook to determine where the snowbound
trail in fact goes. Due to the steepness of mountain slopes, you will
face some moderate exposure and should be practiced in self-arrest
techniques. Mail an ice axe to Glenwood,
and carry it as far as Monticello,
for a total distance of about 150 miles. (Or divest yourself of it
at Gila Hot Springs if
you can find someone willing to mail it for you.) Otherwise, walk
around the worst of the snowpack and come back to enjoy the Mogollons
later in the season.
Current
Snowpack Conditions
The USDA National
Water and Climate Center maintains snowpack data for western states
including Arizona
and New
Mexico. "Snotel" sites monitor snowpack conditions in
real time, and this data is made available on the NWCC website, offering
a snapshot of regional conditions at given elevations. In particular,
Silver
Creek Divide snotel offers an idea of what to expect in New Mexico's
Mogollon Mountains, while McKnight
Cabin and Lookout
Mountain offer perspective on the Black Range. Use this information
to get a feel for the type of snow season (and in turn water season)
that is unfolding across the region.
 |
| Old snow
patches pose minimal concern at 10k on Manzano Peak, mid-May '05 |
