What are your spring plans?

[Daymoth]

I need a vacation. But its too hot for desert and the mountains still have snow, so fantasizing about potential adventures.

What you guys up to?

[shane]

Just returned from backpacking in the Grand Canyon, it’s warm but not too hot there yet.

[MojaveGeek]

This is a tough time of year. Sierra foothills? A relatively low snow year there I think. A friend in Mammoth posts about low elevation hikes with tons of wildflowers these days. Some of the Nevada ranges? The high ones still have snow, but maybe not much. There is a good snow observation tool here, that I use all the time:
https://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html
I do not know where that data comes from. There are also maps some place of "snow water equivalent" for each river drainage, on a state by state basis.

At this time of year I tend to stay in New England. My next trip is the very very beginning of July, to Montana. I have some fears of snow, as they have had a bunch of late season snow after a dry winter, so I am working out some lower elevation (7-8K) places to go if there is still high snow. The flip side is that late melt out means better flowers in July.

[DAW89446]

The northernmost tip of the valley. North and east of Crankshaft Crossing. Oriental Wash. Gold Mountain. Tule Canyon. Cucomungo Spring. Gold Point. From creosote desert to piñon forests in the matter of a few miles. Ghost towns. Might be some nice wildflowers between Crankshaft Crossing to the mouth of Tule Canyon.

[TacoLand]

This time of the year I'd usually be in northern Nevada on the Oregon border, stomping around eastern Oregon, or out on the coast. Sierra foothills are hit or miss depending on snow, and while it was a dry winter we just got hit with a storm making everything soupy. I've also been in DV this time of the year and stick to higher elevations which allowed for longer hikes with more daylight this time of year.

[Bluegreen kayak]

Very timely topic. I'll be in St George Utah over Memorial Day weekend with my son. We'll go to the north rim of the Grand Canyon one day, per his request, but I don't have a plan for the other day yet, so I'd be interested in suggestions. We have already hiked the Kolob Canyons of Zion, so something else. Not Bryce either - I like it, but we've done it a lot.

I have a campsite in Arches for the week after; I've only been part of a day there before, so I'm hoping to see a lot more. I expect heat may be a challenge, but since I'm in the park, I can get going early, and spend the afternoons with my feet in a tub of water.

[MojaveGeek]

Very timely topic. I'll be in St George Utah over Memorial Day weekend with my son. We'll go to the north rim of the Grand Canyon one day, per his request, but I don't have a plan for the other day yet, so I'd be interested in suggestions. We have already hiked the Kolob Canyons of Zion, so something else. Not Bryce either - I like it, but we've done it a lot.

Since the North Rim will be a long drive day, I'll suggest Red Mountain, just north of Snow Canyon state park.  The trail is in the P/J forest so usually some shade near at hand.  The first few miles, to a spur where there is a very nice view down into Snow Canyon, are relatively popular. But the trails goes on.  After a while you can see a large white slickrock area off to the left - it is just a bit off trail.  If you wander over to its high point you get another very nice view into Snow Canyon.  I saw only one party after the spur.  (I was alone at the viewpoint on the spur I mentioned above for a while, then a large group from a local 'fitness / health resort' showed up, very chatty).  That's about 10 miles but I can check if you're interested.


Another option is Yant Flat (aka the Candy Cliffs).  You get there by a forest service road out of Leeds that goes by Swedish (?) Ranch.  Maybe 1.5 mile walk level through sand, then some pretty cool sandstone formations that my son and I call the "bacon blobs".  There are trees on the sandy part.  Go early for the best light.



 
The Pine Valley mountains are scenic but probably will still be snowy.   You can go up the Kolob Terrace road (it goes north just before Rockville, up into the park.).   Lava Point will likely still be snowed in but if not you can hike the West Rim and look down into Zion.  A bit lower, East Northgate Peak is a walkup, and will be snow free - nice views over toward the Guardian Angels.

[John Morrow]

I need a vacation. But its too hot for desert and the mountains still have snow, so fantasizing about potential adventures.

What you guys up to?

Ah, when that is the case then you simply need to go to desert mountains!  Not being facetious here.  On the contrary, just think higher elevation in the desert:  Cottonwood Mtns, Panamints, Inyos, Centenials, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Basin and Range Natl Mon, and similar will have snowfree areas that are high enough altitude to be cooler than the desert valleys below.

Like MojaveGeek mentions: on the Colorado Plateau get up over 6500 feet on the Kolob Terrace of Zion, or 50 mile Mtn south of Escalante, Dark Canyon Wilderness or hike wet canyons that are too cold in April: Zion Narrows, Death Hollow in Escalante, Parunaweep.

If you do find it hot take afternoon siestas and hike morn and eve.  I wish I was still in southern Utah.  If I didn't have to work I'd feel comfortable finding locations to hike until the third week of May before I'd likely depart the desert SW altogether for higher latitudes or altitudes.

[netllama]

I need a vacation. But its too hot for desert and the mountains still have snow, so fantasizing about potential adventures.

What you guys up to?

I'm less than 60 days from departing for an adventure around southeast Africa. Going to be driving from South Africa, across eSwatini, up Mozambique, through Malawi, and finishing off in Zambia. It'll likely be over 4000 miles over 3 weeks.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Looking forward to your excellent Instagram trip report photos!