Heavy snowfall is blocking Sierra trail
If crossing mountain passes buried under 5 feet of snow with a full pack and an ice ax isn’t your vision of thru-hiking this summer, think again. It might be the only way to get past an enormous Sierra snowpack blocking the Pacific Crest Trail between Cottonwood Pass and Sonora Pass, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Assn.
The snow depth on 11,050-foot Cottonwood Pass is 62.7 inches, state agencies report.
“It is very possible that sections of the trail will not melt out this year,” says Mike Dawson of the trail association.
Thru-hikers should make plans to bypass the blocked sections of the trail. The trail spans 2,650 miles between the Canada and Mexico borders. For information, go to www.pcta.org.
-- Leslie Carlson
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
