Does it rain in the Colorado Trail during the summer?

[Besalu]

I am gearing up for my Colorado Trail next summer 2018 and I would like to know if it rains during the months of July through September? What was your experience this summer? Do I have to bring a poncho?
Thank you.

[MuddyWaters]

I am gearing up for my Colorado Trail next summer 2018 and I would like to know if it rains during the months of July through September? What was your experience this summer? Do I have to bring a poncho?
Thank you.

Only almost every day.

Not just rain, but downpours of hail too above treeline.

September has less I hear, but July and August is monsoon season.

[Besalu]

Did you hike it this summer? Any kind of ultralight rain gear that you may recommend, especially ponchos: I can use them to cover my pack so I do not have to bring a pack cover

[MuddyWaters]

If you get caught in a squall, it blows pretty hard. Id want leg protection.
you always have option to bail off ridge to protected place and wait it out, usually only lasts a little while.

I hiked some in the rain, and then started sitting them out. Getting wet and cold aint fun for me.
I recall one hail squall that started about 2 pm, on off, turned to rain, lasted till 9 pm.
most are an hour or two and moved on

after noon it starts clouding up and you can try to judge where its going. When I thought I was OK, I got hit. When I thought it would hit me, it did then too. It became almost comical that could never escape a storm you could see, no matter what direction the wind/clouds seemed to be moving.

[DuneElliot]

Rain storms are almost like clockwork...you can virtually set your watch by them. I lived and worked in the high country of Colorado for many years so can attest to their reliability.

I hike in capri-style pants and am short so S2S Ultra-Sil poncho is great for covering almost all of me and my pack, and I can tuck it in to secure it...may not work for someone bigger than me. I rarely get more than damp feet even when windy. You are going to want some kind of rain protection in Colorado

[garlic08]

Not only rain, but lightning is a daily occurrence as well. If you're not aware of lightning storm safety precautions above treeline, read up on it. There are some threads here.

I will often pitch my shelter during those storms, eat and take a nap in the afternoon/early evening, then start hiking again when the storm blows over. Once in a while you get an all-day, all-night rain, but that's fairly rare.

I don't carry much raingear, just a homemade silnylon anorak and pants, seven ounces total and packs the size off your fist.

[Besalu]

Is the S2S an eclosed poncho? I do not like the ones open in the sides because they fly when then the wind blows hard.

[Slo-go'en]

I was on the north end of the CT last year for the 1st week of September and only got hit by one thunderstorm and luckily I was down in a protected area when it blew by. Still, I get pelted by heavy rain for 15-20 minutes. I just hunkered down until it passed. No sense trying to hike in it. Of course, once you start getting later into September, you run the risk of getting snowed on. Maybe a lot.

Like Dune said, you can count on T-Storms to come about 2-3 PM every afternoon. The advice given in the CT guide is to be off the exposed ridges and make camp by early afternoon before the storms boil up. Of course, that's easier said then done. If you do get caught exposed during a storm, you also have to think about how not be become a human lightning rod. You could be the tallest thing for miles. What I would do is sit on my pack, poles to the side, with the poncho over me and hunker down. Hope like crazy I don't get zapped.

[Venchka]

Is the S2S an eclosed poncho? I do not like the ones open in the sides because they fly when then the wind blows hard.

The S2S Ultra Sil is open on the sides and had snaps to keep the sides together. It’s a good poncho. A good tarp also.
I was camped near the Colorado Trail outside Leadville, CO at the end of August. I had the pleasure of sitting out a 6 hour rainfall in my tent. I didn’t have any ear plugs. YOU WILL WANT EAR PLUGS!
Good luck.
Wayne


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[saltysack]

Do yourself a favor go in September! Did Collegiate loop last September and attempted CT early this past July...HOT..only had rain once to Breckenridge....will be going back to finish next September....id prefer lil snow over rain...


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[DuneElliot]

As Venchka said...has snaps. I tuck it in to my belt and my pack when the wind blows...has been awesome so far.

[Cookerhiker]

My thru-hike occurred in 2011, SOBO from July 24 to August 30. We had rain but our experience wasn't as bad as others I've read about. For one thing, we never had rain in the morning and thus never had to pack a wet tent in the morning. All mornings except one were sunny. Secondly, we had a stretch of 5-6 days leading up to Salida where we had zero rain, plus we had some rainless days south of Salida.

Of course most days featured rain, after 1:00 in every case except one where the "afternoon" rains hit us atop a pass at 11:30. This was after we had been assured that the southernmost Silverto-to-Durango stretch was drier in late August. Oh well. We also had hail at least twice, once above treeline and once in an aspen forest.

Anyway, I recommend rain pants as well as a jacket or windbreaker. I don't think a poncho alone is sufficient. I hiked in shorts every day and appreciated having the rain pants to put on in camp when we usually had some periods of rain.

There is a stereotype of predictability that rainstorms come in the afternoon and then pass over. Reality: the only thing predictable is the unpredictability of when the rain occurs, if the rain occurs, and the ferquency. On most days, the rain came in waves and didn't simply "pass over." No two days are the same. Some days, the skies turned dark, the wind blew, we'd hear thunder but very few drops felt. Some days, the rain came, followed by sun, followed by more rain, followed by sun, then more rain....Once the rain came at 2:00 AM but we still awoke to sunny skies at 6:00.

Of course my experience was only one year. In 2015 when I spent a month in Colorado marketing my book, there were days were the rain was all day, including the mornings. So you never know for certain. Just make sure you're prepared.

[nsherry61]

. . . poncho? I do not like the ones open in the sides because they fly when then the wind blows hard.

Only if you don't tie a guy-line or other piece of rope or belt around your waste to hold the poncho down under your pack and closed on the sides. A tied down poncho works very well in very high, but not the most extreme winds.
As for height, I am 6'4" and using my S2S Ultrasil poncho/tarp my lower arms and lower legs do get wet, but my core stays dry, my pack stays dry and I don't overheat and sweat out. If I decide to sit out a rainstorm, I can use my poncho like a little tent over me and eat, read, navigate or whatnot under my poncho and out of the rain.

[Redbird2]

My experience in living here in CO for the last 25 years is that it "may" rain during the time you mention. In fact, it "likely" will rain at the higher elevations at some point during the afternoons. Honestly you should always be prepared for it and if it doesn't ... well then that's a bonus.

[lonehiker]

Collegiate Peaks loop July 19th through July 28th 2017, rained every single day at some point.

Have seen many stress rain pants but I've switched to a rain kilt and haven't regretted it a bit. I get wet about mid-calf down but that part of the body doesn't really notice the wet (minus the feet). Also, I have found that a kilt is surprising warm. Two biggest draws for me are that the kilt is much lighter than pants and I am much more likely to wear it especially on those days that it rains off and on for hours. Can put on and take off as I am hiking. Simply store it in my cargo pocket. As far as wearing a kilt in windy conditions; I haven't had any issues. In high winds it doesn't blow up but rather tight against the legs.

[Coffee]

If I recall correctly, there were only three days of zero precipitation of my CT thru which spanned from late July to late August 2014. Since I was hiking a lot of miles, this required some creativity in staying below treeline during storms. I took some risks. You have to judge the clouds as you're approaching treeline and your level of confidence in making it back below treeline before a storm. Some places are above treeline for well over ten miles. I had to get creative a few times and stop for the day much earlier than I wanted followed by super early (like 3am) starts the next morning which I actually came to enjoy. My next ct thru, date/year tbd will likely be NOBO in September to avoid the stormy weather of the monsoon season. This was my favorite and most successful hike despite the weather and I learned a ton about dealing with storms that served me well on other hikes since then.

[carl88]

My recommendation would be to start earlier if possible to avoid the storms. I NOBOed June 15 - July 11 this year. Saw essentially no rain until July 2, then afternoon storms every day. I'll second what others have said about the predictability of storms. I used a $5 dollar poncho and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of gear. Stayed dry and had no issues.

[saltysack]

My recommendation would be to start earlier if possible to avoid the storms. I NOBOed June 15 - July 11 this year. Saw essentially no rain until July 2, then afternoon storms every day. I'll second what others have said about the predictability of storms. I used a $5 dollar poncho and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of gear. Stayed dry and had no issues.

How were the snow levels starting in Durango in June? I’ve thought about picking back up in early June to finish the CT. Did Collegiate loop few years ago and this year did first 100 miles into Breckenridge.


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