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My wife and I are planning our first Grand Canyon backpack for the end of November. We do a fair amount of hiking and backpacking and think we're in reasonably good condition for our ages (early-mid 50's), plus we'll be kicking up the training as November approaches, but we live at ~600' elevation so altitude may be an issue. We will be flying into PHX six days before we hit the trailhead in GC and we're looking for some dayhikes and/or short backpacks to help us with the acclimation process. All trailheads will need to be accessible by a rented sedan and reasonably safe. We'd rather not have to dry camp. Overnight temperatures around freezing are OK; not much lower if we're sleeping out. Scenery is, of course, a plus.

One option I've thought of is the Sedona area; over Sterling Pass to Vultee Arch and beyond. Can we hit reliable water in late November if we follow Dry Creek or the Bear Sign trail up enough? Other thoughts are the Pine area, or Glen Canyon from the south. I thought hard about a backpack up Paria from Lees Ferry but decided to save that for a future trip when we're doing the North Rim and/or southern Utah.

Anyway, we'd greatly appreciate any advice from the experts on this board.

Thanks,
Will

If you are in reasonably good shape, hiking regularly, and are planning to add more fitness-building activities to your routine, the relatively low altitudes at Canyon rim (6800) should not pose much of a problem. I live at 7100 feet, and regularly hike with people coming up from Calif and the low deserts, and only when they get above around 9,000 do I hear them start complaining about the altitude. This is IF they have been hiking regularly.

Find the steepest hills and trails in your area and climb them a lot, and try to keep hiking them faster, so you get winded, and also hike with your multiday packs part of the time for your trainings, get your legs good and sore a few times, and you ought to be fine.

Just my 2c worth.

Thanks, azbackpackr. I appreciate the perspective. On our previous trips we've spent a week with my parents at 4100' before trying anything ambitious but this time we're doing the hiking first and the visiting after.

We will still be looking for some awesome hikes, though.

i would agree with getting in some hikes with elevation gain, and not worry so much about altitude
i'm in phoenix, (1100 feet?) and was able to do a rim to rim without too much trouble as i hike a variety of terrain and distances on a regular basis
although the hike out on south kaibab wasn't easy and i was a little sore for a couple days
the altitude was not the limiting factor
camelback is a good workout, and there are unlimited choices for your training hikes
payson, prescott and sedona would offer moderate altitude and moderate temps at that time of year
that's my two cents worth

If you've had issues with altitude in the past you can expect it to recur, unfortunately. If not, it's a crap shoot. Some very fit young men have issues while older couch potatoes do not on the same ascent. Hydration and taking the ascent or decent slowly seem to be the best prevention.

I don't find anything below 7000 feet to be an elevation issue. Once I get up around 8000+, then I start to feel the tiring effects of altitude. November should offer some good hiking weather. Then again, in this state, its always good hiking weather somewhere.

PA Hiker wrote:Can we hit reliable water in late November if we follow Dry Creek or the Bear Sign trail up enough

I have not hiked those trails specifically (due to the passenger car access issue), but in my experience in the "7 canyons" area, I wouldn't expect to find reliable water up in there being October and November being typically dry months. Sedona is beautiful, and really a "must-see" if your coming all the way from Pennsylvania, but it is not really a primo backpacking area, especially if you are looking to avoid dry camping. I would definitely recommend Sedona for some dayhiking, especially with November being a great month to do so. Bear Mountain and Wilson Mountain would definitely get you into shape for climbing out of the canyon, maybe a trip up Cathedral Rock or Soldier Pass first to give the heart and lungs a test drive at 5,000 feet. As for backpacking, you might have better luck in the Pine area (maybe Horton Creek or Christopher Creek?).

PA Hiker wrote: Can we hit reliable water in late November if we follow Dry Creek or the Bear Sign trail up enough?

definitely no water
It would be a good October option with Autumn, otherwise I'd pass

Albeit lower in the state, Bassett is an excellent early November destination.

Consider these results too TrailDEX Map - Nov - Backpacking - 6+ miles.