sueoz

I am thinking of a trip to the Grand Canyon in March of 04. I have been reading conflicting opinions about the weather. Is the norm snow? We don't mind 40's to hike but would not enjoy freezing. Also - how fast does it warm up as you go into the canyon even a little ways?

Second question - we plan to do a lot of hiking - how many days at Grand Canyon would you advise? If not a full week - what would be another side trip to fill out the week.

Thanks!

ALF

I think that on the South Rim you should be prepared for temps at night to fall to the low 30s. There will be some snow on the ground, and you will probably have to cross some snow on the uppermost parts of the trails. Temps will increase rapidly as you descend, with a 15-20 degree increase from top to bottom. I think that this is a delightful time to go all the way down, as it won't be too hot at the river.

How about a side trip to Havasu Canyon, a tributary to the Grand? The waterfalls (Havasu and Mooney) below the town of Havasupai have to be some of the most beautiful in the world. Its a long walk down and up, but again, this would be a good time of year to do it.

Other fun side trips would be Sunset Crater (a volcanic cinder cone) and the small Wupatki ruins, both right next to each other just outside of Flagstaff.

Connie

My sister did the hike to the bottom of the canyon on Jan 1st (a few years ago). She said there was some ice on the top of the trail but there were NO people. She loved it.

DaleM

We just hiked from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch and back Jan. 6-8. Overnight temps were in the upper teens and were maybe 30 when we started hiking. There was snowpack on the trail (South Kaibab) for maybe the first quarter of a mile, tops, but you can get some cheap crampons at the general store which will do the trick. The beginning of the trail is shaded, but I tended to warm up quickly and within an hour I had already stripped off one layer. The bottom of the canyon reached the low 60's in the afternoon. South Kaibab trail is a little steeper, so it's suggested for a downhill hike with a return on the Bright Angel Trail if you're going all the way to the bottom. The NPS advises against hiking to the river and back in the same day, although we passed a couple of people doing it, but they were young. Elevation at the South Rim is over 7,000 feet, so there's a good chance there may be snow on the ground. Check the NPS.gov for more info on trails.

sueoz

Thanks for the replies. My husband and I are 52 and have done hiking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire of the 3 to 5 hour type. We are in decent shape but not 25 year old shape. Do you think the hike to Phantom Ranch would be doable for us?

MFNYC

We were there last march. There was a terrible snow storm the day we arrived. Poor visible, wind, snow, and cold. It left about 5 inches and icey trails. You were only allowed on the trails with special spiked shoes. The next day it did clear up and was lovely but still chilly. The high may have been 40. I think that time of the year the weather could vary. Years before we were there at the end of February and also had snow.