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OT: LYTM where to Spring Break
Hello All,
I am hiding this conversation here rather than on a travel forum because I am trying to be sneaky and plan a surprise trip for my wife to the Southwest. We have been talking about going to Grand Canyon for years, and I think our time might be too short to really do 'everything' we want. The idea for GC would be fly into Phoenix on Tuesday night, spend some time in Sedona on Wednesday/Thursday, and get to the Southern Rim after that. We will have to return on Sunday, as we both have to be both back to work on Monday. The alternative is flying into Vegas and doing Zion/Bryce. This looks enticing for different reasons. 2 things I KNOW we cannot do; Angel's landing and the Narrows. My wife cannot get to the 3rd story of a fire tower (heights ) and the Narrows would be too cold to walk in water for hours. We like nicer hotels and food when possible, as well as remote/scenic activities during the day. As an example, for our 1 year anniversary, we explored nearly 40 miles on foot and drove over 200 in 3 days around the greater San Francisco. In other words, vacations are not restful. TLDR; Have you gone to Sedona/CG for 4 days and get it all in? Would you think Zion/Bryce would be more efficient in a short time frame? |
#2
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I understand TLDR, but what does LYTM mean? Just curious....
Yes, I googled it, but could not find applicable context. |
#3
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Her neck/back is easily tweaked after a bad nights sleep and I do not want to experiment with sleeping on the ground in a remote area. Quote:
Bad habits from another forum; I'll have to update the title! Last edited by Zee; 01-09-2018 at 10:01 AM. |
#4
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I haven't been to the Grand Canyon yet but I went to Zion last year and loved it. I did a spontaneous day trip out there. If you can't do Angel's Landing you can do Observation Point as an alternative. It's a little more elevation but does not have steep drop offs.
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#5
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If you like more remote/less traveled destinations, I would save the Grand Canyon for a summer trip and go to the north rim. 10% of the visitors and a completely different experience-in my view much nicer. Much, much nicer. The south rim is crowded and very touristy. Fly to Vegas, drive 3 hours to the north rim. Make reservations for a cabin 6-9 months in advance, eat at the lodge. Great hikes, incredible views, amazing forests and meadows. We went in 2017 the 3rd weekend in July. Temps were in the low 80's during the day and high 50's at night. We were just past peak wildflowers and it was still great.
Sedona as a stand alone from PHX would be a great 4 day weekend. Plenty to do and escape the huddled masses in town. Likewise Zion and Bryce from LAS. Easy drive. If you go to Zion, check out Grafton, a ghost town south of the park entrance and adjacent to Gooseberry Mesa. Gooseberry is also great, though likely better if you have a mountain bike. If it were me, I'd stick with one location in any event for a four day weekend. Plenty to do at all of the locations. |
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When is your spring break? The North Rim is 8300 feet amsl, and still likely to be snowed in until end of March or so, depending on snowpack. That means facilities are closed, open for day use or backcountry primitive camping (permits required). The South Rim stays open all year. Zion/Bryce/Arches will also be open, but I'd expect decent snowpack there as well.
For a 4 day long weekend, pick one of Sedona/Flagstaff/S. Rim (fly in to PHX) or Zion/Bryce/Arches (fly in to LAS). Personally, I like Zion/Bryce/Arches better. Maybe hit the highly underrated Capitol Reef NP as well. |
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Checkout Wildland trekking. Haven’t done any of their Grand Canyon treks, but my son and I did Yellowstone with them and it was superbe.
http://www.wildlandtrekking.com/
__________________
♦️♠️ ♣️♥️ |
#9
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I was in flag and near GC this past weekend and it was 60F during the day and no snow anywhere besides man made at Snowbowl. |
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I don't know how to explain it....it was cool but I guess I expected more somehow given all the superlatives I'd read about the place over the years. I love the outdoors but it just didn't thrill me like other places that I've visited. Perhaps if I'd hiked down inside the Canyon I'd have left feeling different.
__________________
"I am just a blacksmith" - Dario Pegoretti
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#12
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At those elevations though, you are at risk of a big storm anytime between October and April. I remember a few years where crappy early ski seasons turned awesome about mid-February, and a backpacking trip in Grand Staircase -Escalante that got cut short in March some year in the mid-00s. Just don't want the OP to lock himself in to the N. Rim (which is truly amazing, BTW) without knowing all the risks. |
#13
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Can't recommend Sedona enough. Great short hikes. http://www.hikesedona.com/most-popular-hiking-trails/. Good food...if bike rentals, jeep tours... Good hotels. We've stayed here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...a_Arizona.html . We've also stayed at the "Star" but that was just wierd...(they rented us the front desk/caretakers room!)
I've visit the Grand Canyon but only do a day trip. Can't get enough of the view. I've found the family couldn't take more than some hours there. I'd try a side trip to Prescott and "Whiskey Row" or a night in a b&b. The Whiskey Off-Road race is April 27-29th so either avoid or go then! No in-betweens on this choice...crowds... Do all this before May!!!! |
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The South Rim can be done in a single day if you are not going to hike down. If they still show the film at the Imax theater just outside the park, see it first. Before you go to GC, read the book "The Emerald Mile".
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#15
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I've lived (and traveled extensively) in the area.
If you don't like crowds, Sedona/South Rim/Zion are all to be avoided. However, crowds can easily be mitigated at all three -- more or less. For four days on the ground, I'd recommend Sedona for the entire time. Pricey but beautiful hotels, excellent food across the gamut of price ranges. Oak Creek, the town just south, is less expensive. If you start hiking relatively early, the trails will not be crowded, especially on the longer hikes with more elevation gain. Or hike early, come back into town for a nice lunch, and then head back out in the late afternoon. Lots of options for different kinds of hikes, too -- canyon versus ridgeline versus hilltop. The South Rim has great backpacking, but the day-hiking is less varied than Sedona. And the main trails basically drop down into the canyon, then climb right back up out of it. My favorite thing to do at the South Rim is to bicycle the Hermit's Rest road, which is limited to shuttle buses and bikes. Zion has exploded in popularity in the last ten years, with almost all of the visitors in a small section (of a small park). I love it, but it's hard to manage these days. And the best hikes there are problematic if you're afraid of heights. |
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