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Why does nobody say to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim in October instead of May?
I nearly quit 6 miles into the Bright Angel Trail on a May trip, dry heaving at Indian Garden while a ranger kept asking if I had enough water. Came back in October with the same pack and gear, same 3 day permit, and did the whole 24 miles to the North Rim without once feeling like death. Is October just the obvious move for this route and people keep quiet about it, or did I pick a weird year?
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eva90820d ago
The heat is only part of it. In May the water situation gets rough too because some of the seasonal sources on the North Rim side are still questionable or shut off, so you end up hauling way more weight than you need to. October usually means the water is flowing and the temps on the exposed sections like the Devil's Corkscrew are way more bearable. Plus the North Rim services close around mid October, so you get the quiet without the full winter shutdown. Crowds thin out a lot too since most people plan their trip around spring break and early summer. Sounds less like a weird year and more like you just found the smart window.
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