Turing 30!!! Vegas - Death Valley - Sequoia/Kings Canyon - Yosemite Trip

[jennipurrr]

Hey Western US'ers - I am hitting the big Three-Oh in July and am trying to plan a trip. I would have preferred better arrival/departure destinations, but there are still some FF seats left on routes to Vegas, which is how we can afford it, so we will rent a car when we get there and make a loop.

Does this route look doable? We have a week. I've read the internet and found a couple other people interested in this route but not a lot of talk about it. We did a similar trip in 09 between Yellowstone and Glacier. I read Greg44's thread about Yosemite and got some good info there. Looks like we will be heading over the Tioga Pass which sounds kind of scary but we did the Going to the Sun road in Glacier...similar?

Any recommendations how long to stay in each place? And lodging recommendations? We aren't planning to haul our camping gear this time so we're looking for budget-ish lodging with maybe one fabulous park lodge thrown in. I want to do a day or so in Vegas just to say I've been there (see a show, pull a slot machine) but we're really going for the parks. Everything I read says Death Valley in July is just an inside the car, drive by activity (although I am used to running in 100 degrees plus humidity at that time of year, so I am likely feeling overconfident about the dry 115). Should we skip that section and spend more time in the other parks? The trip starts July 4 and I have heard to avoid Yosemite then, so we may do the loop starting with the other places. Any advice is GREATLY appreciated. Also any recommendations for guidebooks, day hike books, etc are also appreciated.

[Spartana]

I would seriously avoid death Valley in summer where temps can go as high as 120 plus. It's a miserable time to go. Save that for another time. I would actually avoid Vegas to for the same reasons if you plan to do outside activities. The casinos, etc. are all air conditioned but the desert heat is pretty opressive. If you do decide to go that way irregardless of the heat, then make a stop on your way to Yosemite in Mammoth Mt - a nice ski resort town - and check out the Devils Postpile Nat. Monument. Do the June Lake loop road (nice little drive), and stop by Mono Lake. If you have time, a trip out the dirt road to the Ghost Town of Bodie (a Nat. Historic site) is pretty neat. There is also a natural hot springs just outside of Mammoth that's fun to visit for a soak. Take the Tioga Pass over to Yosemite for a sepectacular view. It will be nearly impossible to find lodging in Yosemite Valley - either hotel or campsites - unless you have advanced reservations. Many are booked up a year in advance. Same with Sequoia and Kings Canyon. But Mariposa and some of the other small towns just out the western entrance often have places available but they will be expensive that time of year as well as hard to come by so you'll still need advanced reservations. I usually stay in the town of Three Rivers when going to Sequoia but, if you are coming from the north, you can probably find a place in Fresno. Again, both Nat parks witll be crowded (no cars allowed in Yosemite Valley either but they have shuttle buses which is actually nice), hot that time of year and very very expensive.

You may want to consider going to somewhere like the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Nat. Parks instead of Yosemite if you are flying into Vegas.You can do that as a loop - Vegas to the Lake Mead Nat Recreation area and Valley of Fire State Park (nice drive east and north of Vegas) to Zion Nat. Park (lots of lodging in St. george and Springdale just outside the gate) to Bryce Canyon Nat. Park (maybe a side trip to Cedar Breaks Nat. Monument and Brianhead ski area if not too far) then either to Escalante Nat Park further east or head back to Kanab, Utah (and the Coral Pink Sands State Park) then down to the North side of the Grand Canyon. Then backtrack a bit and head south east on Hwy 89 to Cameron, AZ then to south side of the Grand canyon to Flaggstaff (nice drive, mountains, pine forests), then a short trip to Sedona, et al, and then back to Vegas, with a stop at Hoover Dam, for your return flight.

All those places are closer to Vegas and at a high elevations so stay cooler in summer. Of course, like Yosemite, any of the Nat Parks will be mega packed and lodging nearby will be extremely expensive and hard to get. So you may want to book a place early. When I go to the Grand Canyon I usually stay at an inexpensive Motel 6 in Flaggstaff (a nice town) and am a hour or two beautiful drive from not only the Grand Canyon, but the Sedona area, Sunset Crater Nat Park, and several other great areas nearby - many that have Anasazi ruins.

[loosechickens]

Boy, I agree with Spartana....we've been to most of the places she describes, and ALL would be a better choice than Death Valley in the summertime. You're not really talking 115 degrees of dry heat (that's Phoenix and sometimes Las Vegas itself). In Death Valley, you may be looking at temps well over 120 degrees, and extreme danger to life if the car breaks down, not to mention it being too hot to get out of the car to enjoy anything. Death Valley is definitely a Nov-Mar sort of place.......

Elevation is everything in the West......it's hard to beat all the hot springs and hiking around the Mammoth area, Yosemite is wonderful, Flagstaff and a visit to the Grand Canyon (the perfect time of year to go to the much more beautiful and less visited North Rim of the Canyon, where the views will be just as spectacular, with about 10% of the tourists at the South Rim....... )

have a good time wherever you go, but if you insist on Death Valley or similar areas, please read up on survival in hot, desert conditions, make sure you have lots and lots of water, and stay on the main roads.

[Spartana]

I agree with LC agreeing with me - great minds think alike :-)! I would actually stick to the North rim of the GC rather than head to the south rim. Rob (AKA Give me the simple life) can chime in here since he worked at the north rim all last summer and fall. It is MUCH MUCH less crowded and even more beautiful then the south rim IMHO. I really like the drive from Kanab to the north rim (and check out the Best Friends Animal Sancuray in Kanab too). If you tour around Southern Utah there are so many great places to vsist, it's stunningly beautiful, much less people and much cooler weather then the deserts of Nevada and Calif. Plus it's a shorter drive so you'll be able to spend you week doing more but driving less. You could even drive up hwy 89 to Salt Lake City area and visit places in the Wasatch Mt's like Park City, Sundance, etc... Beautiful - and cool - mountain areas that aren't very crowded in summer.
Some info and photos for you:

www.zion-national-park.info/photos.htm

www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index30.htm -

www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.bryce-canyon.html

[jennipurrr]

ok you guys have convinced me to skip Death Valley! And given me lots to think about. DH and I eventually want to hit most of the National Parks and have only been out west twice, so we are definitely open to changing plans.

The Grand Canyon was my first thought...I really want time to enjoy it and do a lot of hiking/outdoorsing there and the internet says the fall and spring are best for it? A friend went out to Utah last summer and it was really hot so I kinda skipped over those also. I figured the Sequoias and Yosemite would be a cooler climate...we're just getting started planning so I definitely appreciate all the ideas!!! Definitely considering changing the the Utah/Canyon loop...

Also would be totally excited to see Best Friends! I have read a lot about the work they do.

[Spartana]

If you can change your flight plans to fly to San Francisco or San Jose then I'd suggest Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon - assuming you can find lodging near by - or maybe visit Tahoe and Lassen. But with only a week and having to drive from Vegas and back at that time of year would be torturous IMHO. A very long hot and, in some cases dangerous, drive thru some of the hottest and remotest places on earth. I drove thru Death Valley in july once and it was close to 130 mid day. Absolutely terrible. Plus no one was around if you broke down and needed help. Yosemite also gets pretty hot in summer - 90's and above in the Valley. Better than the desert but still can be miserable. North Rim of the Grand Canyon is above 8,000 ft I believe - same with Bryce at between 8,000 to 9,000 ft and Zion at 4,000 ft at the bottom and rising higher - so that whole area stays alot cooler than the surrounding parts of Utah and Northern AZ. Only the bottom of the canyon get hot - probably in the 90's and above. But unless you are planning to hike to the bottom and campout down there, then this isn't really a problem. Also the river is there for cooling off if you do hike to the bottom.

[Spartana]

Just looked at the weather stats and it said the average high in Bryce in July was 78. Zion was 95. North Rim of the GC was 77 and south Rim was 85. Other places in Utah are pretty hot but cool down at nigh into the 60s (common in the dry desert air), and the mountain areas around Salt Lake City usually stay in the 70's. Alot of the plus of doing this is just the shorter drive time. get to see several Nat Parks in a very short distance from each other and Vegas - especially if you don't go all the way to the South Rim but just visit the North Rim.

Another place to visit if you can fly into Denver is the Rocky Mt Nat Park. Awesome place with much less people. The surrounding mountain/ski towns are also god places to stay/visit as it's low season in ski resorts.

[jennipurrr]

Thanks for the info Spartana. Sadly, most of the FF flights are booked up for other cities, I am just not on my game here - I am usually a way over board planner. We kind of just decided this trip the past month or so as we have been thinking about possibly starting a family and so we wouldn't be able to plan a trip across the country, kind of a last couple-y hurrah for awhile.

One thing I really wanted to do at the Grand Canyon is hike to the bottom and back up. Going in July really scared me about that. DH and I are decent hikers...but we aren't hard core. The most we have done is about 10 mi in a day and we were WORE OUT...and that was in super comfortable perfect weather at Glacier NP, and then the next day we totally vegged. Even if we physically/mentally prepare for it, I think I may have missed the opportunity to get reservations at the ranch at the bottom. I don't think I am up for it with gear and staying in a tent, heh. Will see...you guys have given me all kinds of things to investigate!

[Spartana]

The hike to the bottom of the canyon - at least from the south rim and probably the same from the north rim - is long, steep, very hot at the bottom and a knee killer. Probably a better hike in spring or fall. They do have mule rides to the bottom but I've never done those. Same with river rafting - lots of day or multi-day rafting trips you can take on the Colorado thru the canyon.

Another thing is that you said you would be arriving in Vegas on 4th of July. Vegas is a complete mad house then and it's one of the biggest crowds of the year. So you will need to have reservations somewhere there before arriving.

Another idea you might want to try is to fly into Reno, NV., rent a car there and go to Tahoe (do the loop around the lake but stay on the south shore at Stateline for entertainment. gambling, shows, as well as great hiking (Heavenly Valley ski lifts still run and you can ride up and hike down), etc...). From there you can drive down hwy 89 to hwy 395 thru the Sierras to the Tioga Pass (a good 2 lane road that is mostly meadow on either side without a lot of steep drop offs like the Going to the Sun Road) to Yosemite. There is a nice Sequoia grove on the way to the valley then, after visiting the valley, head up to Glacier point and then to the Wawona area south exit for another nice Sequoia grove. Lots of great hiking and sightseeing all thru Yosemite. Then you can head back to Reno for your return flight via Hwy 49 to Auburn and I-80. Hwy 49 a very scenic road that goes thru some nice old gold rush towns. It'll be hot in that area but not too bad. Anyways, it's a thought!

[ljevtich]

As a park ranger working on the south rim in the summer, I can give you some tips (as well as living in Las Vegas during the winter!) Seasonal employment ahh, so fun.

The hike to the bottom of the canyon - at least from the south rim and probably the same from the north rim - is long, steep, very hot at the bottom and a knee killer. Probably a better hike in spring or fall. They do have mule rides to the bottom but I've never done those. Same with river rafting - lots of day or multi-day rafting trips you can take on the Colorado thru the canyon.

Another thing is that you said you would be arriving in Vegas on 4th of July. Vegas is a complete mad house then and it's one of the biggest crowds of the year. So you will need to have reservations somewhere there before arriving.


If you only have a week: Fly into Las Vegas, sure, it is cheap. Get a hotel room off of the strip, in Henderson or other areas. Heck, there is the Hacienda on Rt 93 (going towards the Hoover Dam) that is $20 a night Sunday-Thursday. Go to Lake Mead NRA and rent Kayaks in Willow Beach area to get your exercise and be on the water.

Go to the Grand Canyon south rim. It is at ~ 7000 to 7500 foot elevation. So while it was around 80-85 along the rim, at night it is thirty degrees cooler, and quite beautiful. From Las Vegas to Grand Canyon is five and a half hours. Definitely see the new bridge at sunset if you can, it is beautiful.


...
One thing I really wanted to do at the Grand Canyon is hike to the bottom and back up. Going in July really scared me about that. DH and I are decent hikers...but we aren't hard core. The most we have done is about 10 mi in a day and we were WORE OUT...and that was in super comfortable perfect weather at Glacier NP, and then the next day we totally vegged. Even if we physically/mentally prepare for it, I think I may have missed the opportunity to get reservations at the ranch at the bottom. I don't think I am up for it with gear and staying in a tent, heh. Will see...you guys have given me all kinds of things to investigate!
I would strongly suggest NOT going down into the canyon. Each 1000 feet down gets ~ 5 degrees warmer, and of course, it is easier going down 5000 feet in elevation than going up. OF course that is vertical distance, the mileage is of course much longer. And you have waited too long to get a reservation either camping or at the ranch, they usually have reservations over a year out. But that is OK, Flagstaff is home of the $50 a night hotel rooms (as their cheapest rooms).

You might find a room at Maswik Lodge, it is not on the rim, but within the park, but I would suggest Flagstaff. Then you could head down to Sedona or out to Petrified Forest and Painted Desert both beautiful.

I would definitely spend time going up to Page, AZ and into Kanab, Utah. Go to Natural Bridges (cooler and higher elevation) and Canyonlands NP or Arches in Moab. At this point you will have done your week. Distances are HUGE out here. So you kind of have to figure on what you really want to see. Have fun!

(I have worked at Canyonlands NP and Grand Canyon NP, plus volunteering now at Lake Mead NRA, so I kind of know the area.)

[Selah]

If you do end up going to Death Valley, there is a resort in the valley itself, and also a very interesting and historic hotel called the Amargosa Opera House. I used to work at a boarding school about five miles from the place and would pass it every day, coming and going from work. There is also a casino/resort in Amargosa Valley that has modern rooms. But like all the other posters here, I would advise NOT going anywhere near southern Nevada or Death Valley during the summer. It is impossibly hot and the heat would just spoil your enjoyment of it all. May is nice, though, as is October and November.

[jennipurrr]

Thanks ljevtich and everyone for your replies! Very helpful info!!!

Well, the accommodations at the bottom of the canyon were booked up so that little adventure likely won't materialize. It would have certainly gotten me in training mode! My BIL has been trying to get me to train for a 1/2 marathon, but I have been totally slacking. The way the holidays have been going I don't know if I could even run a 5k through. I had to walk 3 floors and back a couple times this weekend up and down (chasing paperwork for school) and thought, woo this is a workout...then thought, woo I bet this is nothing compared to the GC, haha.

Right now, we have decided to do the loop flying into Vegas, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion NP then back to Vegas for my bday. I think we will get to see some beautiful places and have a 90% nature, 10% sin trip :)

[ljevtich]

Jennipurr - you will be spending all of your time driving and not getting to see anything. Map of all parks (http://g.co/maps/q9jcs). IT is a long trip to do in a week with not much down time. Quite a bit of that time is driving through the Navajo Reservation which has few hotel options, and then part of it is in southern Utah which has even lesser options for staying cheap. Page is one expensive town, Kanab not too bad. Bryce is at an elevation of 9000 feet. Zion is much less and would put you back on the road to Vegas.

I would still suggest checking out Lake Mead NRA and the new bridge, even though it will be hot. Major dry heat means chapped lips, sun glare, and dehydration before you know what hit you. Lots of chapstick, sunglasses and hats, and a water bottle constantly with you and you drinking it. I would still get into some sort of shape, because distances walking are LONG even in the parks. And you will be probably up in higher elevations than you are used to, so being physically fit will give you more enjoyment for the long trek you are planning.

If you click on the link above, I show the southern route - it is spectacular. We went up to Kanab, Ut this way and the scenery was absolutely stunning. Part of the time you will be in higher elevations, so not as hot.

http://www.laura-n-sasha.com/August2011.html We took (from the Grand Canyon, Desert View (which is the eastern part of the south rim - 25 miles from Grand Canyon Village)) a similar route to what I am suggesting to you. We went in August instead of July and it was hot. We camped in the National Forest which was at higher elevations than down in Page area which was WAY TOO HOT!

You can see more pictures here with our road trip (http://www.laura-n-sasha.com/August2011RoadTrip.html).

[Spartana]

I agree with Laura - if you do the BIG loop from Vegas to South Rim to Page to Kanab to Bryce to Zion and back to Vegas you'll be spending a HUGE amount of time driving - in very very hot conditions. If Laura's suggestion isn't what you want my alternate suggestion would be Vegas, Lake Mead NRA (and Valley of Fire State Park), Zion, Bryce and then back to Vegas for your 30th B-Day blow out booze-a-thon :cool: saving the GC (either Rim) for another time. Or if you have extra time sticking to the north rim. Both Zion and Bryce are small Nat Parks but with lots to see and some really great hikes that aren't too tough to do and there are some cooler forested areas near by both (cedar Breaks www.utah.com/nationalsites/cedar_breaks.htm , Brian Head ski resort www.utah.com/ski/resorts/brian_head.htm ) if you need a break from the heat. There's lots of hotels around Zion at both entrances and also a few around Bryce and you could probably even stay in one place and just day-trip between areas as the distances aren't very far. The Utah State vistors guide book has tons and tons of great info and you can probably find it online or order one to be mailed to you. Lots of discounted hotel offers all over that area of southern Utah.

ETA: Also many car rental places only allow you to take the car within certain states so make sure if you rent a car in Nevada that you are allowed to go to Utah and AZ too.

[jennipurrr]

Thanks so much for the replies. Looks like I am still trying to overdo it! I see all the gorgeous sights and want to hit everything, since I live so far away. Definitely going to consider the options you guys presented and likely do a less ambitious route. I really do appreciate all the suggestions...we would not have nearly as good of a plan without you all!!!

[RosieTR]

Jennipurr, we had friends who basically did the trip you first mentioned for a week in July 2010. Fly into Vegas, drive through Death Valley to Lone Pine, visit Kings Canyon (climbed Whitney which requires a permit but there are other high hikes in the area), drove up to Bishop, climbed a mtn in Nevada, drove to Lee Vining and did Half Dome in Yosemite. It was fine, though we camped in Yosemite and had to make those reservations something like 4mo in advance. We drove from Phoenix but pretty much the same trip other than the Death Valley part. You won't be doing any hikes but it might be fun to drive through because it's pretty much between Vegas and Kings Canyon.

The Utah Parks might be hot at that time of year, esp in the southern part. We were in Arches in May and it was near 90F. Keep in mind if you're from a hot and humid place: the desert has very little shade, and it makes a huge difference. I'll take 95F + 95% humidity in the shade vs 110F + 10% humidity but no shade. Phoenix is hotter than Houston; I've lived in both and gone running in both. Phoenix was brutal, Houston was nasty but tolerable. YMMV but I'd avoid any sort of desert hiking other than a super-quick stop in Death Valley just because you want to see it and it's your chance. Double-check that your plans don't coincide with the Badwater Ultra either; that would create delays you don't want to deal with.

As for lodging, we stayed in Lone Pine then drove up to Lee Vining which is right outside Yosemite. There are several motels and it's a decent small town. The rooms were reasonable, restaurants were not fancy but I was fine with that. Reservations were made something like 4 mo in advance.
Tioga Pass is not a problem in high summer. You would do best to go into Yosemite early in the morning and expect traffic on the way out. Because it's not too late to get campground reservations, if you're willing to camp you can check out the camping reservations and that way you can hang out drinking beer in the evening rather than fight traffic. All food has to be kept in bear lockers in most of those park campgrounds, but they are provided with the campsite. An extra $50 for a bag on a flight would be less than a night in a motel, if you ordinarily like camping and have the gear.
Yosemite is totally beautiful and well worth going to if you are a nature-lover and going to be in the area. Like most National Parks, getting a mile or two in from a trailhead ensures the crowds thin way out so just pick one or two longer hikes rather than a bunch of short hikes. Also pick more challenging/steep hikes if you can take it and start as early as you can stand to get up.

As for Grand Canyon, July is a beast if you would like to get below about 5000 ft. There are a couple of stopping points on the North Kaibab trail at OK altitudes, mostly water stops and one pretty waterfall. If you are in fantastic hiking and heat shape and want to punish yourself you could make it to the river and back (something like 20 miles round trip with 6000 ft elevation loss and then gain) but you'd want to time it so you're hiking overnight in the dark for the considerable amount of low stuff. Otherwise the heat will potentially kill you. If you're not interested in that kind of sufferfest, a visit to the N Rim is still worthwhile but again you'll need to start looking now for lodging and check the deadlines if you plan to camp at all inside the park. Flagstaff is a great place to stay but also something like 5+ hours from the North Rim. There is dispersed camping outside the park that would be easier to handle, if you are willing to bring the gear. I'm a camper and I would totally do that...you'll never have seen so many stars in your life. I don't know as you would want or be able to do a G Canyon plus Yosemite/Kings/Sequoia trip in a week without spending most of the time driving through boring desert scrub, though. If it were me, since your bday is in July and you have the tix planned, I'd do the California trip this time and plan a desert Parks trip in spring or fall which would be much more enjoyable, esp spring if there were wildflowers.

All that said, have a great trip!

[Spartana]

Fly into Vegas, drive through Death Valley to Lone Pine, visit Kings Canyon (climbed Whitney which requires a permit but there are other high hikes in the area), drove up to Bishop, climbed a mtn in Nevada, drove to Lee Vining and did Half Dome in Yosemite. It was fine, though we camped in Yosemite and had to make those reservations something like 4mo in advance. We drove from Phoenix but pretty much the same trip other than the Death Valley part. You won't be doing any hikes but it might be fun to drive through because it's pretty much between Vegas and Kings Canyon


Unfortunately you can't get to Kings Canyon or Sequoia Nat Parks from the east side of the Sierras unless you hike in (like you did) and I assumed that Jennipurr wanted to drive in from the west side. That meant a long drive from Vegas thru death Valley (and I assumed she'd want to visit Badwater, etc...) over the Tioga Pass thru Yosemite, down to Fresno and then over to Kings Canyon and back thru Sequoia Nat Park before heading back to Vegas via Bakersfield and Barstow - a long hot (and boring IMHO) drive thru the Mojave desert. That whole trip would be over 1,000 miles, most thru very hot desert areas, and it seemed like alot of time in the car rather than "doing stuff". Especially if she wanted to celebrate her B-Day with a couple of days in Vegas. It's doable but would be lots and lots of driving in hot area. But it would be a great trip if she didn't mind the drive. And of course the Sierras - especially around Mammoth and June Lakes - is great that time of year. Of course I'm partial to mountain areas and NOT a desert person at all, or like to do lots of driving in a short period of time, so my 2 cents worth of advice is very biased :-)! So i still stick by my "southern Utah" route idea. Over 10,000 ft in many places there so cool.

Jennipurr - I can't remember the name of the town off hand (will look it up) but there was a really cute lodge just outside the east entrance to Zion Nat Park that would be a good central location to stay to do day trips of Bryce, Zion and North Rim of the CG as well as Cedar breaks and Brianhead area and Kanab. It was really nice but not too expensive. I'll see if I can find it. Also, there is a cool place near Vegas called Red Rocks State Park www.redrock.org that is worth seeing if it's not too hot - same with Lake Mead Nat Rec area and Valley of Fire State Park www.americansouthwest.net/.../valley_of_fire/state_park.html and Hoover Dam. You can also go on kayak trips on the colorado just outside of Vegas and they have really interessting caves and other places that you can't get to by road. www.kayaklasvegas.com

[San Onofre Guy]

Also check out what I found in 2002 which was a surprisingly good micro brew in Utah, a state not typically known for beer. The brew was called Polygamy Porter. Their slogan "Because you need more than one!"

[Spartana]

Beer? In Utah? I don't believe it! Like the name and slogan though ;-)!

Jennipurr - Another option is to stay in Vegas (tons and tons of stuff to do and see there) but mosey around to the local areas. You can even go up to the mountains (Mt. Charleston, a ski resort at almost 12,000 ft and only 35 miles from Vegas) and get some scenic hiking in. Theres a cute lodge there too: www.mtcharlestonlodge.com

[jennipurrr]

Ok, guys...I think you are going to call me crazy...but spots opened up in Phantom Ranch, so we went ahead and booked them. My coworker, who lived in AZ and has done it before, is really encouraging me to do the hike even though its going to be blazing hot. She sent me all the info about hydration and best stuff to use. Of course will will start VERY early and take all necessary precautions. I am probably just a glutton for punishment but I am super excited. DH and I started training this weekend. We went on a 6 mi hike here (would have gone 8 but had to get back for the super bowl :/ ) and plan to build up to where we can do the local 13 mile loop...not a lot of change in altitude but its the best we have. Also, I learned that there is a basketball arena here that lets you come do their stairs as long as there are no practices going on...so we are planning to do those on a regular basis and get to the point we can do them with our packs on for a good while. And I am still running 2-3 times a week. So I think I can do it! OK, I know I'm crazy...but I really have this nebulous feeling I have something to prove going into my 30s, and this would be a great way to do it.

[Spartana]

That sounds great jennipurr. I'd love to do that some day but never have - yet! It'll be hot and crowded but once you get to the bottom you'll have the river to cool off in. make sure and take lots of photos and post them here!

[San Onofre Guy]

I've been to Phantom Ranch twice, but each time I was camping. I did however enjoy going into the ranch and purchasing a cold beer!

First trip was Thanksgiving 1988. Camped at South Rim after driving there, woke up in the morning to 17 degrees. Hiked to the river camped hiked halfway out and camped hiked back to the rim to find six inches of snow on the car.

Second trip October 2002, on arrival could not get campground reservation so day hiked day one, day two hiked halfway into canyon and camped, day two to the river and camped, day three hiked back to the rim.

I love hiking in the Grand Canyon, the good thing about the Bright Angel trail as the water source for the south rim facilities is north of Phantom Ranch and the water pipe follows the trail and thus you can refill water bottles at various spots, but make certain to carry more water than you think you need as in all seasons the dry air will dehydrate you quickly

[ljevtich]

To get into training mode: Find a 50 story building. Figure each story is 10 feet, so 50 stories is 500 feet. So go up, take the elevator back down, and then go up again. Do that 10 times. That is almost the full amount for hiking back up from Phantom Ranch. Then do it again from the top, going down the stairs, taking the elevator up, and go back down. and do it again 10 times. Go with your pack, hiking boots, and walking sticks. And like San Onofre Guy says, do make sure to have more water. At least a two liter water pack plus another liter water container. (because you will fill up at each water station.) You can go on Bright Angel trail with that, but if you are going on South Kaibab trail, that will not be enough, you will need at least a gallon and a half per person. and that will be heavy. Make sure to have salty snacks too.

Make sure you have a headlamp, as you will be doing most of your hiking at night. Starting down around 3:30-4 am is a good way to go, and you might be able to get down in about 6 hours. It will take you about 8 to 12 hours to get back up. So if you start again at 3:30/4 am the next morning, you will be hiking in the heat of the day, or you can stop at Indian Gardens, wait out the heat (from 10 am to 4 pm) then hike the rest of the way back up.

[jennipurrr]

Hey Laura, I just saw your last post - sounds unbelievable when you put it into stories! Also, too bad for me the tallest building in my town is 11 stories, so I guess I would need to do that nearly 50 times, haha.

We've been training. This weekend we built up to an 11 mile hike on Saturday. It made me wonder if I really want to do this, LOL. It took A LOT out of us. It was about 93 degrees and wicked humidity, but slow rolling hills, nothing like we will see at GC. DH and I spent most of Sunday just laying around...although I did manage to walk 3.5 miles with my mom at the park. But, we will have to be able to distance + up/down back to back...so we have a ways to go. I am going to make a back up itinerary in case we just aren't physically prepared for it.

[Jake M]

I am thinking about making this same loop because I found good deals on Discount Rooms Las Vegas (http://lasvegas.nyctourist.com/discount-rooms-las-vegas). Would you recommend doing the drive? If so, do you have any cool advice or tips before I go ahead and plan a similar journey? It sounds like a good time. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[jennipurrr]

I mentioned the trip briefly in a blog post...http://mortgageburningpartyinthemaking.blogspot.com/#!/2012/08/summer-update.html

The route we had planned was too much of an undertaking. We ended up choosing between Bryce and Zion because we wanted to have quality time at one. The parks were awesome. Vegas, ehhh, not so much. It wasn't my thing, but the show we saw was neat. I would have liked to stay in/closer to Zion, but everything was booked up by the time we got our final plans together. I wish we had kept our reservation at Phantom Ranch but I think it would have been too much for my husband.

The drive between the Grand Canyon and Zion is lonnnnnnnnnnng and sparse. There are few gas stations and or places to use the restroom/snacks so plan accordingly! There are absolutely no places to eat lunch. We had figured we would see something...anything and it was not so. We ate granola bars that day for lunch from our stash.

Somewhere in between is Best Friends Animal Society which I didn't realize until we were already past. Oh well I would have liked to go to that.

In the summer you definitely did not need a special car. We got a small one at it was fine. Not sure about different times of the year, but the roads didn't seem like they would be hard to navigate.

My favorite thing was The Narrows at Zion. You can rent special water shoes and a stick from one of the nearby outfitters. I think they were worth it, but some people made it without them. I think I would have slipped a lot though.

[Spartana]

Hey Jennipurr - Glad you enjoyed your trip (loved your blog!!). Yes going thru the southwest in summer is difficult. Many people of the east or mid-west have no idea of the vast, empty distances to get from one place to the next. And in the 100 plus heat too. Good that you shortened the trip to a more manageable size (and even that was a big slice of the southwest pie!). Can you imagine what your original trip plans would have been like? YIKES! And the drives between those places were even longer and more desolate. But Southwest Utah is great. I love that area - Zion, Bryce, Escalante, Cedar Breaks - and would recommend that trip to anyone. Even the drive down to the north rim of the GC is nice in spring (too dry and hot in summer, too snowy and cold in winter) and a stop at Best Friends is always great - just be prepared to bring a little critter home with you :-)!.