• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Hit the Trail

Hit the Trail

Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Sedona, & the Southwest

  • Home
  • Hikers Guide
    • Equipment
      • Backcountry Food
      • Backcountry Kitchen Gear
      • Backpacking Stoves
      • Backpacks
      • Boots & Footwear
      • Clothing
      • Equipment Guide
      • Equipment Rentals/Purchase
      • Flashlights and Lanterns
      • Seat Pads
      • Sleeping Bags
      • Sleeping Pads
      • Socks
      • Tents
      • The Wonder Bucket
      • Walking Sticks
      • Water Purification
    • Trails & Campgrounds
      • Bright Angel Campground
      • Cottonwood Camp
      • Desert View
      • Grand Canyon’s Corridor Trails
      • Grand Canyon Trail Descriptions
      • Havasu and Mooney Falls
      • Indian Garden Campground
      • North Rim Campgrounds
      • North Rim Day Hikes
      • North Rim Yurt
      • Pack Hauling Service
      • Phantom Ranch/BA Day Hikes
      • Phantom Ranch Area Map
      • Phantom Ranch FAQs
      • Phantom Ranch Lodging/Dining
      • South Rim Campgrounds
      • South Rim Day Hikes
      • Sedona/Verde Valley Trails
      • Toroweap & Tuweep
      • Trip Reports and Resources
      • Trip Reports – Baja
    • Safety, Resources & Training
      • Acrophobia/Fear of Heights
      • Arizona Hiking Clubs
      • Backcountry 911
      • Backcountry Etiquette
      • Backcountry Permits
      • Bubonic Plague
      • Heat Strain
      • Hiker FAQs
      • Hiker’s Links/Resources
      • Lightning Strikes/Safety Tips
      • Monsoon Facts
      • Rabies
      • Training/Physical Fitness
    • Tips & Tricks
      • Author’s Tips & Tricks
      • Boot Lacing Technique
      • Phantom Ranch Tips & Tricks
      • Readers’ Tips & Tricks
      • Rest Step for Uphill Hiking
      • Summertime Hiking Tips
      • Winter Hiking Tips
      • Women’s Tips & Tricks
  • Visitors Guide
    • General Information
      • Entrance Fees/Park Brochures
      • Events Calendar
      • Fishing Regulations
      • Fires/Smoke in Park
      • Fishing Regulations
      • Grand Canyon Distances
      • Grand Canyon Park Links
      • Grand Canyon Trivia/Facts
      • Grand Canyon Weather
      • Havasu and Mooney Falls
      • Hiking Guides
      • Indian Reservations
      • Photo Galleries
      • Ranger Programs
    • South Rim
      • Desert View
      • Havasu and Mooney Falls
      • South Rim Campgrounds
      • South Rim Day Hikes
      • South Rim Lodging
      • South Rim Mule Rides
      • South Rim Restaurants/Cafés
      • South Rim Services
      • South Rim Transportation
    • Phantom Ranch
      • Pack Hauling/Duffel Service
      • Phantom Ranch Area Map
      • Phantom Ranch/BA Day Hikes
      • Phantom Ranch FAQs
      • Phantom Ranch Human History
      • Phantom Ranch Lodging/Dining
      • Phantom Mule Ride Gallery
      • Phantom Ranch Mule Rides
      • Phantom Ranch Tips & Tricks
    • North Rim
      • North Rim Campgrounds
      • North Rim Day Hikes
      • North Rim Dining/Food Service
      • North Rim Lodging
      • North Rim Mule Rides
      • North Rim Services
      • North Rim Yurt
      • Toroweap & Tuweep
    • Sedona
      • Permitted Guide Services
      • Red Rock Pass
      • Sedona Geology
      • Sedona Information
      • Sedona Photography
      • Sedona/Verde Valley Area Trails
      • Visitor Centers
  • Mules, Guides & River Trips
    • Commercial River Trips
    • Hiking Guides
    • Horseback Rides
    • Mule Ride Gallery
    • North Rim Mule Rides
    • Pack Hauling/Duffel Service
    • Phantom Ranch Mule Rides
    • Private River Trips
    • River Trip Safety
    • South Rim Mule Rides
  • Explore
    • Natural History
      • Bats
      • Canyon Treefrogs
      • Condors at Grand Canyon
      • Ravens
      • Scorpions
      • Snakes
      • Squirrels & Rodents
      • Tarantulas/Other Spiders
    • Human History
      • Civilian Conservation Corps
      • Phantom Ranch History
      • Pre-Park Era
      • NPS Era
    • Grand Canyon Geology
      • Intro to Grand Canyon Geology
      • Kaibab Limestone to Supai Formation
      • Redwall Limestone to Tapeats Sandstone
      • The Supergroup
      • The Inner Gorge
    • Lake Powell Geology
      • Introduction
      • The Back Story
      • Rock Layers
      • Monoclines
      • Prominent Rock Units
      • Striking Landscape
      • Laccoliths
      • Future of Lake Powell
    • Sedona Geology
      • Introduction
      • Prelude to the Red Rocks
      • Sedona’s Red Rocks, Part 1
      • Sedona’s Red Rocks, Part 2
      • Deposition, Uplift, and Erosion
      • House Mountain Volcano
      • Verde Valley and Verde Lake
      • Carving Oak Creek Canyon
  • Books & Videos
    • Hiking Guides
      • Apps, Maps & Hiking DVDs
      • Arizona Hiking
      • Canyon Country Hiking
      • Grand Canyon Hiking
      • Utah Hiking
    • Hiker Safety/Skills
      • Backcountry Skills
      • Camper’s Cookbooks
      • Search and Rescue
      • Wilderness First Aid
    • Natural/Human History
      • Grand Canyon Human History
      • Grand Canyon Legends
      • Natural History & Geology Guides
    • Colorado Plateau
      • Exploring Arizona
      • Exploring Utah
      • Regional Guides
      • Scenic Photography Books
  • Blog
    • Canyon Posts
    • Canyon Archives
    • Trip Reports
    • Baja Trip Archive – Baja
    • Site Contributors
Home/Hikers Column/Spring Hiking in the Canyon

Spring Hiking in the Canyon

Spring is the perfect time for hiking along the Tonto | Photo by Denise Traver
Spring is the perfect time for hiking along the Tonto | Photo by Denise Traver

Some recommended products below may include affiliate links for which I may receive a commission if purchased when clicking through. Please note that I only recommend products that I feel are worthy, and you will not pay any extra when purchasing through these links. Click here to read the full disclosure statement.

April in the Canyon. Prickly pear, hedgehog cactus, and wildflowers are in bloom, and the winter storms have filled up the springs and seeps. Long days, mild temps, and everything is brand new again. But with the season also comes the wind. Weather conditions can be extremely variable as well, so it’s even more important to be thorough in your hiking plans. Here are a few things to keep in mind when packing and planning.

Wind is a fact of life during the spring. Sand and grit is everywhere. But so are flowers, lovely weather and longer, gorgeous days, so it’s worth dealing with the wind!

If you wear contacts, it is wise to carry a pair of eyeglasses in case the grit becomes unbearable and you need to give your eyes a break. Also, wear good sunglasses; they protect your eyes against ultraviolet (UV) rays, grit and other trail hazards as well as help prevent or slow the formation of cataracts later in life.

Don’t forget the sunscreen. I’ve had two different friends in the last month diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (cancer – see page on WebMD) on the face. One of them had much of her nose removed and is in the process of facial reconstruction. Truly, don’t forget the sunscreen. If you don’t like cream, use the spray.

Wear a hat with a chin strap or use a hat leash. There are some excellent hats that are lightweight and have an adjustable chin strap. My favorite is made by Sunday Afternoon, but Columbia Sportswear and many other outdoor manufacturers make some good hats. A hat leash is something that attaches to the back of your hat or cap and has a little clamp that attaches to the collar of your shirt. However you do it, it is very wise to have one of these methods for keeping your hat on your head. I can’t tell you how many hats are below all of the view points and high cliffs!

Use walking sticks—two for the most stability. Walking with a pack on Grand Canyon’s rocky trails can already make a person feel wobbly. Combine that with a strong gust of wind and you could be feeling a bit exposed along, say, Windy Ridge! Those cliffs can seem a lot higher when you are teetering with a heavy backpack on the trail. Walking sticks will give you the extra confidence and stability to keep you on the trail and lessen the wear on your joints.

For stove cooking, be sure to have some sort of a wind screen to protect the flame. Even a simple piece of foil will do wonders at keeping the majority of the wind out of your fire. This will help prevent heat loss and also cut down on the amount of fuel needed for cooking.

A lid or another piece of foil for the top of your cooking pot will help keep the dirt out of your meal. Dirt is not considered nutritious fiber no matter what the camp cook tells you!

Stake or tie down your gear and especially the tents. I always have to chuckle watching the tents rolling around the campgrounds in the wind because they aren’t secured. Dome tents are especially prone to be turned into bowling balls and rolling away from camp. When I recommend staking or tying down a tent, I don’t mean halfheartedly either. Use rocks the size of which you will have to truly grunt to pick up. Seriously! Many stakes are pretty worthless in the Canyon. Don’t even bother with the freebies that come with tents. Leave them at home since they will be wasted weight. Get yourself some serious tents stakes like MSR GroundHog Tent Stakes, MSR Carbon Core, or Kelty J-stakes, and even then you’ll need to bring some line to be able to tie to rocks for those places you simply cannot stake.

Weather can change on a dime during the spring. It can be in the 70s and 80s one day and snowing the next. For one such trip, read the Clear Creek Saga where our group started out in sunshine and near 80 degree weather and ended up in snow on the Tonto!

Some form of shelter is a very good idea during the spring. If you are only going to use a tarp, know how to use it. Tarps are completely useless in the wind if you cannot tie it down properly and tautly to keep the weather out. Imagine winds in excess of 50 MPH and being sandblasted all night long with the tarp flapping loudly and driving you mad. Saving all that weight won’t do you a bit of good if you can’t get a decent night’s sleep. Better to use a lightweight bivy or solo tent and be sheltered from the elements.

To end this post, my last recommendation is that you carry some form of water treatment with you. It is always a good idea to have a backup form of treatment even if you are counting on using treated water in the canyon. Until at least the end of July, the Trans-Canyon Pipeline is being replaced at Phantom Ranch. Potable water will be affected until the project is done. It is imperative to have some form of water treatment with you. To keep informed of the status of the pipeline project and the availability of treated water, visit Grand Canyon’s Critical Backcountry Updates: Including Trail Closures and Restrictions page.

Spring is a great time of year for hiking the Grand Canyon. Being prepared will make sure that you have that perfect trip.

Published on: April 20, 2015

Categories: Hikers ColumnTags: being prepared, hats, spring hike, sunscreen, walking sticks, wind

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent News

Havasu Creek | Photo by Mike Buchheit

Important Updates – and Fascinating Stuff Too!

Fire Restrictions Going Into Effect Friday, May 14 The Kaibab National Forest (the national …

Continue Reading about Important Updates – and Fascinating Stuff Too!

Important Inner Canyon Closures and East Entrance Opening

Temporary Closures Along the Silver Bridge and Bright Angel Trail The Grand Canyon announced …

Continue Reading about Important Inner Canyon Closures and East Entrance Opening

Archives

  • Hit the Trail Returns with New Partnership
  • Hit the Trail Resumes with Limited Updates
  • Important Updates for Park

Newsletter

Sign up for email updates. You can stop at any time and your information will never be shared.

Footer

Copyright © 1998–2023 · Hit the Trail: Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Sedona and the Southwest

All Rights Reserved · All photos credit NPS unless stated otherwise

Newsletter

Sign up for email updates. You can stop at any time and your information will never be shared.

  • Contact
  • About
  • Sitemap
  • Affiliate Disclaimer