Snow!

And it just keeps snowing! Northern California just got dumped on last weekend and it's still pretty cool up north, which means the snow isn't melting very fast. So what to do? There is still almost three weeks to go before I take off but no one knows what the trail conditions are on the ground. Will there be impassable snow? How many blow downs will there be? I don't guess I'll need to worry much about water for drinking but what about stream crossings?

Washington, south of Packwood Glacier

While this photo was taken in Washington in August, the snow I might encounter in N. Cal would likely be in the trees with an unknown number of down trees blocking the trail. Some smaller and low to the ground which require crawling, some really big like the one L is climbing over here. Either way it gets very tiring trying to hike a trail that isn't yet cleared for the season.

Another option I am considering is to hike north from Southern Oregon where I got off the trail in 2012. There will still be snow on the ground and probably trees down as well, but the trail itself isn't as exposed, meaning less steep and rugged. Let's say, fewer cliffs to fall off of. That part appeals to me somehow. I'm basicly a chicken when it comes to dangerous situations and prefer not to expose myself to unnecessary risk, especially when I am hiking solo.

So I'm on the horns of a dilemma. I have to mail my first resupply box by early next week and where I mail it is dependant on which way I'm gonna hike... north or south. Help!