The difference on the High Sierra Trail after the 2023 snowpack was wild

I hiked it in late August 2022 and it was mostly dry, just some small creeks. Went back this past July after that record winter and the river crossings, especially the Big Arroyo, were totally different beasts. The flow was way higher and colder, took way more time to find safe spots to cross. Anyone else deal with a route changing that much in just one season?

3 comments

3 Comments

noah_black28d ago

Man that sounds intense. I had a similar thing happen on a section of the Colorado Trail after a big rain season, totally changed the creek beds. What worked for me was scouting way further upstream than usual to find a wider, shallower spot, even if it added extra miles. It's like what @felixdixon said about the PCT reroute, you just have to accept the old way is gone and figure out the new path. Makes you respect how powerful a single season can be.

riley_singh1mo ago

It's crazy how fast a trail's whole personality can change... makes you wonder what it'll look like next year. That kind of snowpack just rewrites the map.

felixdixon1mo ago

Remember when that fire rerouted the PCT for like 40 miles, felt like a whole new trail by the time they reopened it.