[JakeKelley]

Hey all my family and I are going backpacking for around 2 1/2 days on the Merritt Draw Loop trail this coming June. I have everything planned and it looks like a beautiful area to go and escape the desert heat in the summer months. I have only one concern and that being water. I was looking at the different trip logs for the area as well as the photos and it seems there are a couple streams and springs as well as the occasional pool of water through out the entire hike. But I would hate to go there and realize we didn't bring enough water for three days because we were counting on the streams and springs and they were all dry. Does anyone know if there would be water in early June. Also bringing up another subject, what is the weather like in early June up there, the weather report websites only show strawberry,az weather and not the Mogollon rim which is a little higher than strawberry. We have backpacked all of Arizona besides the Mogollon rim so I thought this would be as good of a place as any to do a nice and easy outing.

[Grasshopper]

I was looking at the different trip logs for the area as well as the photos and it seems there are a couple streams and springs as well as the occasional pool of water through out the entire hike.

For an early June'12 backpack trip, you can expect the same as above. Along the hiking route for this option.. http://hikearizona.com/map.php?QX=1694 , Merritt Spring & Drift Fence Spring are "perennial". There are also other perennial springs along the Merritt Draw Upper Loop option; As far as weather is concerned, as you get closer to your departure dates, here is the HAZ Trailhead NWS point forecast link for your planned backpack in this area--> http://hikearizona.com/forecast.php?e=T ... RnNU1ESTA= A good family backpack area choice!

Jake, be sure to read all my 7/17/11 information notes posted against this above linked GPS Route.

[JakeKelley]

Thank you very much! I look forward to going out on this trip, I absolutely love backpacking and I pack and repack my backpack almost every day resorting things in it, making it as light as possible but bringing everything I need, what fun! I saw the photos of the area and it looked drop dead gorgeous so I said "oh mom I know where we are going backpacking this summer!" I think I reread all the triplogs and looked at the photosets at least 20 times each! I hope this trip is as fun as the photos and triplogs describe it as.

[JakeKelley]

WOW! The trimble outdoors is such a great program! I had once read about it in backpacker magazine but had forgotten about it! What a useful tool!

[chumley]

The weather on the rim in general is quite pleasant in early June. There's little chance of any rain and ahead of the monsoon it will likely be warm and sunny during the day (80s) and cool at night (30s-40s). You can expect the area to be under fire restrictions in June. It would be very unusual for fires to be permitted, though some spring snows or rains could change that, it's just unlikely.