Arizona/Grand Canyon May 2011

[lam396]

I'm a long time lurker here but this is my first time posting. I have really enjoyed seeing how many people are getting their kids out and enjoying outdoor activities with them.

I am looking for a little advice/help with a trip plan. I was going to put this in the adventure planning section but since I will be travelling with my wife and son who will be 10 months old, I thought it appropriate to post in the family section. We are wanting to go on a trip to the Grand Canyon and do some camping. The tenative plan is to be at the NR around the 22nd of May. I have to be back at work on the 31st so we have a bit of time to play to with. Most (or all) of the Canyon part of the trip will be at the North Rim and we are wanting to camp at Point Sublime and possibly torroweap too.

From there I have a couple of questions. I have been wanting to do the first part of the North Kaibab hike to roaring springs, is that a resonable hike with a baby ( I will have a Deuter child carrier)? And we are also looking for other things to do or places to go. I was thinking we could go up to S. Utah and see Zion or one of the parks there. I would really like to go into a slot canyon and be able to take some pictures and maybe some neat hikes that are doable with a baby, particulalry hikes to waterfalls (the wife loves waterfalls) but I guess what I'm looking for is recomendations and advice on what is practical for having a baby along. We want to camp as much as possible but if we have to grab a cheap hotel one night that will be fine. And we are not limited to N. AZ, I was just thinking that reducing the amount of drive time with the baby would be best if we can fill our time with things in the relative area. I would really appreciate any advice or hidden gems that you would be willing to share. Oh, and I also wanted to go to the Mexican Hat, swinging steak grill, is that a family friendly place?

I have a fullsize chevy 4x4 with 255/80's so I will be limited to terrain that a big truck can go over.

 

[Bogo]

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hours.htm
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/tuweep.htm

It'll be cold. Also some of the more primitive roads around the North Rim will likely still be closed due to snow cover and or mud.

There are allot of interesting spots along the North Rim. and in the lands north of the canyon.

 

[lam396]

Wow, I guess I hadnt realized how cold it could get at night. Maybe I will reconsider the time frame and push it back a month or so. Thanks for the heads up.

Still kinda curious if the North Kaibab trail to roaring springs is doable with a baby. I will dig into the NP websites a little more but I find them lacking substance. I have bookmarked a couple threads from here detailling N. AZ but its hard to tell how it will be with a baby. My wife has never been to AZ and it has been nearly a decade since I have been out there.

Thanks in advance for any info

 

[Desert Dan]

Bing some bug spray/ repellant just in case

I was out on the North Rim AZ Strip in May-June and and an encounter with no see-ums.

 

[lam396]

"Bing some bug spray/ repellant just in case"

Bug spray-check. Its on the packing list, thanks for the heads up. What kind of temps did you run into?

 

[ThomD]

"Bing some bug spray/ repellant just in case"

Bug spray-check. Its on the packing list, thanks for the heads up. What kind of temps did you run into?

Mid June 2010. The North Rim is around 8000 feet. The next day (and week), temps were in the 40s (L) and 60s (H). Plan for anything.

Average temps are listed here http://www.grand.canyon.national-park.com/weather.htm

 

[sjk99]

Check around on this site: http://hikearizona.com/dex2/index.php

The "triplog" link at the top leads to hike descriptions organized by trail name so "N" for North Kaibab for instance. HAZForum link for the forums. And of course search.

 

[Lichen]

As far as taking a baby, when I was in graduate school I was working at the GC. My professor and his wife decided to take their baby to the bottom. We hiked down the South Kaibab, spent a couple of nights, and they hiked out the same trail (I went up on the Bright Angel). So if you're up to the task of carrying the kid, it's completely doable. Just don't slip and fall!

 

[lam396]

Just don't slip and fall!

HAHA that is my wifes fear (and mine but I wont tell her). That is really what I wanted to hear, that I wouldn't be the first person to take their baby below the rim. I think the other trails in the area will be no problem but I just wanted a little confirmation on this one.

We are discussing schedules and may be pushing it back to late June but really not sure yet. We may just take the gamble and bring warm clothes and an extra sleeping bag partly because I get 2 free days off work if we keep the current timeline and partly becuase we want to beat the crowds.

Maybe I should also post in the planning section regarding additional plans in the area?

 

[lamontagne]

Wieght wise, carring a kid is of little difference to carring a full pack. If you are in reasonable shape it should be no problem.

The big difference though, is a pack doesn't squirm, require food and fluids, or needs to be protected from the elements. I have hiked both the north and south rim to the bottom and the Bright Angel trail is the only one that provides any kind of shade. The North and South Kiabab trails are almost full exposure all the way down.

If you take your toddler with, be prepared for an 8 hour hike to Roaring Springs and back. Also be warned that the first 2 or 3 miles of trail will still be covered (or patchy) with snow and ice well into May.

Zoin in May is beautiful. It will be cool, but not so cold as the North Rim. And the it wont have too many visitors yet. One thing to be mindful about in Zions slot canyons is May is the beginning of flash flood season (snow melt and spring storms).

 

[lam396]

Wieght wise, carring a kid is of little difference to carring a full pack. If you are in reasonable shape it should be no problem.

The big difference though, is a pack doesn't squirm, require food and fluids, or needs to be protected from the elements. I have hiked both the north and south rim to the bottom and the Bright Angel trail is the only one that provides any kind of shade. The North and South Kiabab trails are almost full exposure all the way down.

If you take your toddler with, be prepared for an 8 hour hike to Roaring Springs and back. Also be warned that the first 2 or 3 miles of trail will still be covered (or patchy) with snow and ice well into May.

Zoin in May is beautiful. It will be cool, but not so cold as the North Rim. And the it wont have too many visitors yet. One thing to be mindful about in Zions slot canyons is May is the beginning of flash flood season (snow melt and spring storms).

Thanks for the insight. I didn't realize there would still be snow on the upper parts of the trails. And I will definatly look into the Bright Angel Trail since it provides some shaded areas.

I think we have decided to push it back to mid to end of June. I'm working on putting together a schedule/plan and we are debating on whether or not to stay in Arizona or go to S. Utah. Our other options are to go to the Sedona area. Can't seem to make up our mind. We will be coming into the area from I-70 and then I-15 South. After that I was thinking it would be cool to keep it all dirt roads (or as much as possible).

 

[lam396]

If we are in Zion in mid to late June, do we still have to worry as much about the flash floods? I think we may have pushed it back to June 18-25th. I hope that should mitigate the cold weather some (hope fully the chance of snow at least) but not put us to close the the 4th of July crowds. Altought it would be awesome to find some great fireworks displays. We were in Silverton CO for the 4th a cple years ago and that was awesome. Maybe I need to reconsider dealing with the crowds!

 

[Lichen]

If you're waiting until mid-June, I would go to the North Rim as the South will be packed with tourists.

 

[lam396]

If you're waiting until mid-June, I would go to the North Rim as the South will be packed with tourists.

Yeah, the plan is to see the North Rim. I don't think the S. Rim is really a consideration at this point. I am still trying to decide where the trip will take us. We are planning on Sublime Point and Torroweap and a couple other main points on the N. RIm

The trouble is where to spend the remainder of the time. We are pretty flexible but I am thinking of staying north and east of the N. Rim. I have several threads bookmarked that I have been going through for recomendations. They are:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42122&highlight=Toroweap
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17291&highlight=Toroweap
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15013
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42162&highlight=Toroweap
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48157

Most of these were found using Toroweap as the key word on the portal. I'm still combing through them and looking for more. Any suggestions on places to go and camp would be great. I just have to keep in mind I'm in a fullsize and camping with a 10 month old.

 

[BLKNBLU]

Hmm... I'm always hesitant to give Grand Canyon hiking advice to folks I don't know. I've seen fat people do OK and marathoners die so it's a crap shoot. If your a strong hiker and have carried your child before or can practice it before the trip, you should be alright. Just use your common sense and remember you are going downhill first so the self limiting factor of "climbing" is not there. As far as the weather, yes, it can snow in May. It is unlikely to pose a problem though. I've been there twice with snow in May:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14895

http://www.yotatech.com/f100/arizona-strip-grand-canyon-southern-utah-central-nevada-trip-212020/

...and both times it was a non issue. More of an interesting aside. The main hwy 67 from Jacob Lake to the GCNP is closed until May 15th so that gives you an idea. The powers that be are very conservative/cautious in that respect. As far as spots to go, it looks like you already have some really good threads and recommendations on tap. Where will you be travelling to/from?

Also, a nice site with lots of good trail info.
http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/bc/gc_trail.htm#north