From: Brian Gannon (bgannon@cox.rr.com)
Date: Thu Mar 07 2002 - 23:36:01 CST
Replying to a couple of questions here...
If you are trekking during the first couple weeks of June, you can definitely
expect cooler weather. The days will be mild, but temps at night in the
backcountry can dip down to around freezing, particularly at the higher camps
(such as Phillips). I specifically remember taking a Mountain Trek over Baldy
in mid-June of 1999 and encountering snow drifts that were several feet deep.
The next week, I happened to be with a Mountain Trek going over Mount Phillips
and there were scattered snow drifts there as well (enough for a good snowball
fight!). Two weeks earlier (the first week of the camping season), I
experienced the worst hail storm I had ever seen as we approached Tooth Ridge
Camp. It struck very suddenly without warning and when it was finally over,
there was a solid two inches of marble-sized hail covering the ground. It
struck just as we got into camp, so we had to dive for cover under whatever we
could find as we hadn't had a chance to set up tents. There were a couple of
boys who were dangerously close to hypothermic.
Anyway, they say mountain weather is fickle - anything can and will happen.
Expect mild days and chilly nights. Rain is possible every afternoon (usually
mid to late afternoon) during the summer. Usually, storms last only an hour or
so before moving on - some hail or sleet mixed in is possible. "Monsoon season"
typically begins around the beginning of August. Oftentimes during monsoon
season there may be several consecutive cloudy, rainy days. Basically, you need
to be prepared for just about anything weather-wise. Expect some cold nights
and expect some heavy rain. If you're properly prepared, you'll be ready to
deal with it.
And with our good friend "El Nino" making a comeback, who knows what will happen
this summer....
------
Brian Gannon
ASM, T-1113 - Fairfax, VA
Philmont Ranger 1997-2000
718G 2002
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