Grand Canyon hike

[Claire]

Any recommendations for a day trip or overnight to the bottom of the canyon for mid-May? We're looking for a new trail: have done rim-to-rim, South Kaibab, Bright Angel, Havasupai.
Also - has anyone hiked Aravaipa Canyon? Looking for opinions or recommendations for this also.
Thanks. All feedback and help greatly appreciated.

[sam_hikes]

mid-May is often the beginning of summer at the GC and it can be quite hot at the bottom.

I like late Oct-April for GC hikes below the rim.

Spent xmas at Phantom Ranch and watched it snow from my cabin window at 2500ft before a hike to the North Rim.

[CatValet]

Aravaipa changes from year to year since the floods recontour the route. There is no trail for the most part, just a route. It's about 14 miles end to end. This is not a speed hike, as most of the fun is meadering and exploring the side canyons. There is a nice campsite at the old Salazar Ranch site, and another about two miles downstream from there. A great side trip is a hike up Hellhole Canyon on the north side. Real narrows in here, and we heard the click of bighorn sheep hooves ahead of us. If there has been any flooding, the debris can slow your progress.

The last time I hiked this, many years ago, we did it just after Thanksgiving. The water that you wade in was very cold. That was before goretex sox. We put our feet in plastic bags and duct taped them shut. When the water is warm, the air is too hot. This is basically a high desert hike.

I also prefer to hike this in the cooler months because portions of the canyon are VERY snakey Numerous reports of Mohave rattlers, which are a more nasty venom of the neurotoxin variety. The snakes can be in the brush debris along the creek as well as on the ground. This is a remote location far from quality trauma centers, and has long approach roads in marginal condition. Not a place I'd want to be evacuated from, so be careful. Not that I've ever seen one there....We have an agreement-they don't bother me, I don't deep fry them and serve with ranch dressing (yum).

Aravaipa is an ideal location to have two groups come in from opposite ends and swap keys.--R

[whereveriroam]

I agree with sam hikes about it being hot down at the bottom at that time of year. Even though the Grandview trail doesn't go to the river it ends up on Horseshoe Mesa which is about 1/2-2/3 of the way down to the river. There are excellent views all around with a perennial water source down at Miner's spring (a.k.a. Page spring) which lies about 3/4's of a mile away at the bottom of the mesa. The Grandview is a pretty short trail of about 3 miles but if it's not too hot you can descend down off the mesa and do a loop hike around the mesa by use of the Tonto trail but I would recommend 2 nights for that. The key thing to remember before doing the loop is if it's warm on the mesa then it's scorching on the Tonto. Also there are several relics and mining caves to explore around the mesa area. To me this is a really interesting area and makes one wonder on how hard people were back in the day as you look around and marvel on how the trail was built and the effort of mining down in the canyon took. One more thing I should add is the campsite is located in a mini forest of junipers so if it gets to hot you can hide under one of them and be miserable.

[Daryl]

Aravipa is one of my favorite places. If you haven't done it, go do it.
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[maryphyl]

The calendar on my wall says highs of 92--lows of 63 for the month of May. Try the Hermit Trail. Be on the trail at first light. Drop some water on the way down--top of the redwall perhaps. Do not hike in the middle of the day if it is too hot--make yourself some shade if you can't find any--umbrellas? Bring a trashy book and read for a few hours. Stay wet during the hottest part of the day. Be sure to eat a little something sweet and something salty every hour or two--this is important--don't blow it off!! Dayhikes from Hermit Camp are up Hermit Creek or down Hermit Creek to the river or over to Monument and to Granite Rapids there. Hope this helps--Mary
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Shikekeh hozhoogo naasha.
I walk in beauty.

[desertgirl]

I'd vote for

1) Grandview
2) Hermit
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