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I was thinking of a North - South traverse of the Black Hills in mid March.....has anyone done this in early season? Any info would be appreciated. Planning on doing the 105 miles in 3 days.....conditions permitting if course.

I have been on it end of March 2000. Moderate snow on north end, snowless about 20 miles north of Mt. Rushmore. Typically, north west side of the Black Hills is the snowiest with snowfall decreasing as you move southeast.

BigMitch wrote:I have been on it end of March 2000. Moderate snow on north end, snowless about 20 miles north of Mt. Rushmore. Typically, north west side of the Black Hills is the snowiest with snowfall decreasing as you move southeast.

Thanks. Was the trail still easy to follow despite the snow cover?

I did not have any problem following the trail. The trail was blazed and the snow only a few inches.

Whether you would take snowshoes or not can only be determined when you see the actual conditions.