GDMBR - snow depth Indiana Pass (CO)

[BillBekay]

Where can I find information about the current snow depth at Indiana Pass (CO)? Will it be passable in mid-June 2026?

Tailwinds, Bill

[jamawani]

Here's the USDA website -

https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/nwcc/site?sitenum=946

In most years, mid June would be way too early.
I've had to dig thru deep snowbanks in late June on lower passes.
But this winter has been one of record low snowfall and record high temps.

Right now the gauge indicates 57 inches or just under 5 feet.
They got  another foot of snow this week.
All of us out west are hoping for a snowy spring. Who knows?

Most years there is still 2-3 feet of snow in early June but it melts out fast.
Usually by mid June the gauging station shows no snow, but the ground is saturated.
Meaning mud, ice at night, and standing water in daytime.
Also, areas of shade approaching the pass will have snow well after mid June.
I have found the worst snow just below the passes - even when the pass is snow-free.
(In my younger years I did some ridiculous high pass routes in the early season.)

I suspect you would like to know, now.
But spring snow will determine the final situation.
Precipitation in the Southern Rockies increases dramatically in spring.
Most of Colorado's biggest snowstorms occur in spring.
Flexibility is the key to planning.

[BillBekay]

Thank you for your detailed response, jamawani. The link mistakenly refers to Indian Pass in Alaska. I searched further on the USDA website and saw that there is actually very little snow on Indiana Pass this year. There is even talk of a snow drought. Or am I mistaken? Please see: https://nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/awdb/site-plots/POR/SNWD/CO/Grayback.html

[jamawani]

Sorry about the link.

Yes, this year is the warmest and driest winter on record in huge areas of the West.
100+ years for most.
The issue will not be snow, but fire.
We had our first fire in the Bighorn foothills in late February.
Normal fire season doesn't start until late July or August.
It is beyond insane.

I'm guessing you might be from the Netherlands.
(You used "de" instead of "the" in one of your posts - - just once I think.)
Also, I'm guessing from your many posts that you intend to do the GDMBR with a few variations.
I have been caught in the Backcountry by fires during the Yellowstone Fires year - 1988.
I ended up helping the caterer serve meals to the fire crews. Change of plans for sure.

Unless we get some intense spring snows in the mountains and rain in late spring
it may be the worst fire year in history - the Canadian West has had bad fires the past few years.
Inciweb is the U.S. govt. website for fire reporting.

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/

The fires showing up now are prescribed burns - but I hope they stop soon.
There was a huge prescribed burn that got out of hand at Yosemite a few years ago.
When there is high fire risk - large sections of national forest are closed to entry.

Two of the challenges of long tours in the West are snow in late spring and fires in late summer.
Not to mention the remoteness & lack of services. Europeans sometimes find it hard to believe.
Also, cell phone service is hardly guaranteed. In fact, coverage is limited.

I know you have to make final plans and purchase tickets, get tourist visa, etc.
My bet would be mid-May to mid-July - if you are planning 8 weeks for the GDMBR.
That would put you in Southern Colorado in the first week of June.

[BillBekay]

Thanks for the reply, jamawani. I’m indeed working on plans to ride the GDMBR (NOBO). Maybe this year, maybe next year. I remember a large prescribed burn in 2022 in New Mexico, the Black Fire in the Gila National Forest. It got out of control. A large section between My Own Landing Strip and Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch (~13 miles on the GDMBR) was completely scorched, visible on Google Satellite as a large brown patch. Sufficient water supplies have always been a concern (especially in NM), and now, with the drought, even more so, I understand.

The plan is to start in El Paso in mid-May, and I expect to be at Brazos Ridge around mid-June and at Indiana Pass a few days later. If there isn’t much snow this year, would that be possible?

Another point of interest is the America the Beautiful Pass. I’m definitely going to visit at least three national parks (Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier), so it’s worth buying. I want to buy it on-site; I understand that it’s available at BLM offices such as the BLM District Office in Las Cruces, NM. Is that correct? Or would you recommend another way to purchase it?

Tailwinds, Bill

[mathieu]

The annual Tour Divide race starts in the second week of June. Most participants start in the north, but there is a small group starting at the US-Mexican border. These NOBOs reach the Indiana Pass about one week later. I have rarely heard of them finding substantial snow on Indiana Pass. In the second half of June it is mostly snow-free, except for an occasional bad weather period. It is the south-bound bunch that in some years meets extensive snow coverage in the Canadian Flathead and in northern Colorado.

Worth to mention that Indiana Pass is a fancy name, probably coined by Mike McCoy, for the highest point on the Summitville Rd between Del Norte and Platoro, near Grayback Mountain. You will not find the name on Google Maps or on the Garmin US topo. Even many locals didn't recognize the name.

[BillBekay]

Thanks for the reply, Mattheu. I saw that Indiana Pass is listed as such on OpenStreetMap. It’s true that it’s not an official USGS name. But within the GDMBR community, it’s a well-known term.

I’m trying to find a middle ground between the heat in New Mexico (at this moment over 86 °F in El Paso) and snow or slush (mud) on high elevations like Brazos Ridge, Indiana Pass, or Boreas Pass. As far as I understand, there doesn’t seem to be much snow in Colorado this year.  The entire state has been experiencing a snow drought with a record-low snowpack. But the weather has become so unpredictable—who knows, maybe we’ll get a decent amount of snow at the last minute after all. I’m afraid the snow drought will also lead to a water shortage, which is a major issue for cyclists.

[jamawani]

Bill -

You could probably start May 1 as bad as the winter has been with almost no snow and little rain further south.
I expect it will be a brutal year for forest fires in the West this year.
Of course, in the Southwest, the monsoon could come early and change things.
On the GDMBR, the monsoon turns the desert caliche clays into sticky cement
(It's always something, isn't it?)

Further north, there could be good spring moisture,
but every indication is that the severe drought will continue.
Many areas of the northern Rockies already are under high fire danger.
Even if you don't have fires in your area, the smoke can be bad.

There have already been some big fires in the West. In March?!?!
And a huge fire in the Nebraska Sandhills.
This year could be a really difficult year.

If you don't have to stick to every single mile of the GDMBR
and are willing to detour - even to pavement (!!!!!) -
then you could do it with only minor to moderate disruptions.

That is my best guess in late March from Wyoming.

Best - J

[BillBekay]

Another point of interest is the America the Beautiful Pass. I’m definitely going to visit at least three national parks (Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier), so it’s worth buying. I want to buy it on-site; I understand that it’s available at BLM offices such as the BLM District Office in Las Cruces, NM. Is that correct? Or would you recommend another way to purchase it?

Tailwinds, Bill