Pariah Canyon 4/10-4/14. WEATHER ADVICE needed

[TOETAG77]

Hi,
My name is Roy and I am new to this site as you can see. Looking for some advice on a trip I have scheduled this coming Sunday. Me and a friend have planned to do Pariah Canyon entering Wire Pass and exiting Lee's Ferry. Currently the weather says it might possibly snow until Saturday night and then shows sunny from then on. We have done several hikes including Arravaipa, Superstitions, Havasupai, West Clear Creek, Fossil Springs, etc... So we are not new to backpacking but we are not experts either. We have nice gear and are prepared for the trip, but we've never been in 30 degree weather tromping through water for 4 days either.....

Hoping someone with expeirience could chime in. Is it too cold to go in right after the snow? Will it be warmer in the canyon than the weather report shows since we will be lower elevation? The water flowing will stir up the sediment so it seems like filtering the water will be more challenging than normal...... Any advice? Anyone done this trip in cold weather? Lows expected to be low-mid 30's and highs 60-70....

Thanks a bunch!

[chumley]

Hi Roy- I'm not the best person to pipe in with advice, but I will give you a resource if you haven't yet found it.

If you go to the TrailDex Map here on HAZ and center the cross on where your hike is going to be, you can then get the point-forecast from the National Weather Service for exactly that spot. It's nice for canyons because it takes into account the elevation change and is pretty accurate. Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider, but knowing the approximate temperature and rainfall forecast helps a lot with your decision making.

I've linked to the TrailDex map for the Lee's Ferry end of the canyon here. If you right-click, a menu pops up and you can select forecast. (or you can click alt-w or option-w on a mac). Move the map up the canyon to check the forecast at the higher elevations.
http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?QX=592

The last forecast I read indicated that the weekend storm was slowing down, and trending toward Friday night and Saturday, with more clearing and warmer weather coming Sunday and into next week. The NWS Forecast Discussions are updated 4x daily and are worth reading to get an idea of what the forecast models are saying.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecasts/displ ... &version=0

[Sun_Ray]

Thank you!! I did not know that. Very cool.

[TOETAG77]

Planning to start in on Sunday morning via Wire Pass and exiting wed-thurs at Lee's Ferry. Temperature looks pretty intimedating at the moment and was hoping someone with expeirience in this are could chime in. Of course if the storm lingers past Saturday we will probably find a different destination. Low temp expected around 30. We're calling for a final update from the ranger station today and are watching the weather closley. Anyone care to chime in? Thanks!

[chumley]

We have done several hikes including Arravaipa, Superstitions, Havasupai, West Clear Creek, Fossil Springs, etc... So we are not new to backpacking but we are not experts either. We have nice gear and are prepared for the trip, but we've never been in 30 degree weather tromping through water for 4 days either.....

The hikes you mention having been on are most frequently hiked during warm-weather. What's the lowest temperature you've ever backpacked in previously? What's the most number of nights you've backpacked before? The forecast up there doesn't look particularly daunting for somebody with the correct gear and experience. But you have to be a judge of your own capability and experience. I personally don't have the gear or experience to be comfortable on a 4-night trip in the 30s. But you might.

I'm not a psychologist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night... ;) and my initial feeling is that you are seeking advice here because your natural senses are telling you it might not be a good idea for you.

I'm not familiar with Paria Canyon and have never hiked there. It's possible that somebody else here has, but it's unlikely anybody is going to tell you "go for it!, you'll be fine" or something similar. If you're not sure that you're prepared for it, perhaps you should try another option. Test your gear on a wet winter hike close to home in cooler temperatures before embarking on a multi-day journey in the middle of nowhere.

But if you feel prepared and choose to do it, please report back. We'd love to see photos and read a triplog.

[azbackpackr]

Isn't Pariah Canyon on Federal Land? You are probably not going to be able to do that trip, or any trip on Federal land, this weekend.

[chumley]

Isn't Pariah Canyon on Federal Land? You are probably not going to be able to do that trip, or any trip on Federal land, this weekend.

Elizabeth - Not all federal lands would be closed in the event of a government shutdown. National Forests, as an example would still be open (except for campgrounds and other managed sites). But National Parks and Monuments would be closed. I believe that BLM land will be accessible, except for "managed" sites which will be closed.

It's certainly worthy of a call to the BLM Field Office in Kanab to ask about the Wire Pass TH. Obviously Lee's Ferry is in the National Park, but I would think that they can't stop anybody from hiking OUT at that point. What are they going to do, tell you that you have to hike back the way you came?

[azbackpackr]

Good point. It's sort of a long walk from Lonely Dell to 89A, though. I did hear that we still will be able to access the National Forest. Which would be nice, if I had time for it.