Hey Colorado Folks

I plan a run through the Rocky's and was wondering when in the spring is a good time to run the Rocky's and camping?

 

Most everything at high altitude will still be snowed in during the Spring. So, scratch that off the list.

What do you want to accomplish as part of running the Rocky's (besides camping, which can be done at any time with the right gear)?

 

If by Spring you mean mid to late June/July that would be the time.

 

Depends on how much snow we get. General rule of thumb, as has already been mentioned, is late June early July. If we don't get a lot of snow April/May? If we get a ton of snow, August... or maybe the next year? Animas Forks near silverton didn't open till early August(?) this year due to all the snow and avalanches.

 

All the trails down there were open in mid-July when I was there with the exception of the West side of Engineer (Animas Forks to Silverton but you could take it from there to Lake City) and Black Bear. BB opened about two weeks after.

For OP Spring ends in the 3rd week of June, That would be my starting point for a high pass trip.

 

I wasn't able to get up around there at all this summer despite only being about an hour away. I just know that they got animas forks totally cleared well after they initally expected to.
I think BB was only open a couple days before some guy in a 4runner rolled on the trial.

 

Yep, they finally got that West portion of Engineer open for the last few weeks of the season but that was 2 months later than normal. I remember seeing that 4R on here, dude was saved by his rtt. Without it he likely rolls of the damn cliff.

 

Really camping and trailing the Rocky's. I'm also into gold panning.

 

Yaa, wait till June for best results.

 

June - July would be excellent, it's when the southeast is burning @ about 90-100*. Generally want to run the Rocky's for a week to 10days and do things not available in the Southeast.

 

Can I still get into the snow in June-July? Let's say June 2020?

 

Two trip report posts from this year, mid July and a weekish later:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/colorado-trip-reports.250254/page-227#post-21082026
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/colorado-trip-reports.250254/page-229#post-21155806

Few years back I was one of the first through a trail that had only opened up the day before during the first week of August, and the other trail one valley over (the two eventually meet) was still closed due to a 20' deep section. Trail opened for a total of two weeks in September that year, and that was it.

It is entirely dependent on what kind of winter we have as to how soon things will open up.

 

One of my favorite trails in the state never opened this year due to snow.

It's a crapshoot. I wouldn't plan a trip in June.

 

Yeah there’s really a lot of variables. Winter snow pack, how late into the spring/summer it snows. (We got a considerable amount of snow in early June this past year.) How warm it gets once it warms up, how consistently it is warm. Also trails can be quite a bit more sketchy when sloppy wet or snow covered, something to think about. Crowds are also something to think about.

 

Above 10k feet anything is possible. I've been snowed on up there in June for sure.

 

lol, Above 9K I have been snowed on every month of the summer but that's a unique situation and never stays more than an hour after sunrise max.

 

That depends on how late our winter goes. But, usually you can find some snow up above 12-13K if you want in June on most years.

 

Forgot about that one

 

BTW is it alright if I carry a rifle? If I'm in the woods camping I always carry my lever action 44mag, not sure about the laws in that area.

 

thank you
In4aride