Sedona, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Page/Big Water, UT in March

[ependydad]

Start tomorrow and over the next few weeks (all of March), I'll be in the following places:

• Sedona
• Grand Canyon
• Zion
• Page/Big Water, UT

Let me know if you're around and would like to visit/meet up!

And, please let me know any ideas for stuff to do. We're planning on boondocking the entire time and sort of have places picked out to go.

[CHICKDOE]

i think you have been in quartzsite so you have already experienced some of our colder weather. all of the places you plan to visit are at higher elevations so expect some more cold weather. expect some snow tomorrow. our local forecast has us getting at least 6 inches tomorrow.

i don't know what you like but you might want to consider:
walking down the street in williams and looking at the shops
lowell observatory in flagstaff
any of the indian ruins throughout the area
a hike down into the grand canyon
the church on the side of the mountain is sedona
all the shops in sedona (they have a replica of a mexican plaza full of shops)
a side trip up to jerome (it is south of sedona)
a drive through oak creek canyon (runs between sedona and flagstaff)
possible side trip to meteor crater (winslow area)

[CedarCreekWoody]

When in the Zion area be sure to visit on of the slot canyons. You will likely need to hire a local guide to get to one but the entire family will love it. We hired on in Kanab. I'm sure you know your rig is too tall for the Zion tunnel. Bryce Canyon is nearby as well.

[ppine]

Pretty big snow year. The amount of snow around is elevation dependent. GC is one of the highest places on your list. I have spent a lot of time on the Colorado Plateau in the past Great place to wander around. There are slot canyons where a guide is not required like Paria R. I drive around Sedona now. The Native American sites are some of the most interesting places to visit even the small ones like Montezuma's Well and Tuzigoot.

[dr911]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Start tomorrow and over the next few weeks (all of March), I'll be in the following places:

• Sedona
• Grand Canyon
• Zion
• Page/Big Water, UT

Let me know if you're around and would like to visit/meet up!

And, please let me know any ideas for stuff to do. We're planning on boondocking the entire time and sort of have places picked out to go.

Antelope Canyon near Paige and "The Wave" between Paige and Kanab shouldn't be missed. The animal sanctuary in Kanab (can't think of the name) is also a great stop.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by dr911

Antelope Canyon near Paige and "The Wave" between Paige and Kanab shouldn't be missed. The animal sanctuary in Kanab (can't think of the name) is also a great stop.

Yeah, we did Antelope Canyon a few years back. But my daughter is talking about driving in from CA and bringing her boyfriend. If they come, we’ll do it again.

And The Wave, permits are harder than hard to get BUT that’s the whole reason we are in this vicinity. I won a set back in December!

I hadn’t thought about the animal sanctuary. That’s a good one.

[dr911]

Originally Posted by ependydad

Yeah, we did Antelope Canyon a few years back. But my daughter is talking about driving in from CA and bringing her boyfriend. If they come, we’ll do it again.

And The Wave, permits are harder than hard to get BUT that’s the whole reason we are in this vicinity. I won a set back in December!

I hadn’t thought about the animal sanctuary. That’s a good one.

It's great you won The Wave lottery. When the BLM office was at Big Water we were the first pick in the daily lottery in 2007 and they won the online lottery for another visit in 2014. Take plenty of water, food and a camera. It's such a beautiful place and surprising that so few Americans know of it, but a lot of foreigners do. Back in 2007 if you went to the daily lottery and didn't get picked you would get 2 chances if you came back the next day and 3 the day after that and so on. There was a Geman guy there who was back for his 6th try and with 6 chances he still didn't win a slot. Enjoy your trip!

[ependydad]

All setup in Sedona.







It's raining today. I'm just hoping we don't see snow tonight. Or maybe I am... we'll see how I feel about it! But, if it gets much wetter, it'll be muddy.






And this link has those same pics but also a walk-around video of the campsite:

https://imgur.com/gallery/xl0OolD

[HangDiver]

You're in a beautiful spot. I just checked the weather as a winter storm is moving through the southwest. Sedona looks to be in an area that will receive about .3 of an inch of moisture tonight. Some may fall as snow above 3,800ft elevation but any accumulation won't last and will melt from underneath as the ground is warm. The image below is valid for around midnight tonight.

[HangDiver]

Depending on your exact location you might be far enough north to miss the heaviest precip.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by HangDiver

Depending on your exact location you might be far enough north to miss the heaviest precip.

It’s been raining all day but above freezing. Tonight, I think we’ll end up with some snowflakes but I don’t think it’ll be much since it’s the last of it.

My wife has a natural spa appointment tomorrow that I think is definitely going to test the new tires and truck’s 4x4 with the mud.

[ependydad]

We ended up getting snow last night. I'm going to guess a total of about 4". It started with HUGE flakes.



We then lost internet. I had always seen the "snow melt" feature of Starlink but had never turned it on. And here's the irony- you have to be authenticated in the app in order to turn it on/off which requires Internet to make happen ... which my Internet was the Dish that was currently unable to get Internet because it was covered in snow. It finally all started working, snow melt on, and warmed up enough to actually melt the snow, after I got it uncovered 3x.




On my first trip out, I'd say it was a good 2-knuckler.




My son was very excited. I think this is the first time he's ever seen a real proper snow. He tried catching snow on his tongue but got tired of getting pelted in the face with the big flakes. There's a video here, if you're so inclined:

https://imgur.com/gallery/rHtG7Sj


Fortunately, we're here until Tuesday and it's supposed to be dry between now and then. The parking area should dry out so we can pull out. And it's warmed up today already- I'm just starting to see some solar production (ok, just barely any) but I'm sure as heck not going up on the roof to clear the panels unless I have to.

[HangDiver]

I enjoyed your photos and video. Its great when you get to experience the snow followed by a rapid warm-up.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by HangDiver

I enjoyed your photos and video. Its great when you get to experience the snow followed by a rapid warm-up.

That's the only way to enjoy snow, IMO!

[markb5900]

We are going to be at Sand Hollow for a few days starting the 12th

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by markb5900

We are going to be at Sand Hollow for a few days starting the 12th

Nice! We get to Raptor Ranch for the Grand Canyon on the 12th. We're sticking around Sedona for another week before we head out.

And then we'll get up to Springdale, UT or thereabouts for some boondocking, hopefully. Will you still be at Sand Hollow on the 16th?

[fanrgs]

We were in Flagstaff on March 1 and there was 2' of snow along I-40. Likely more at Grand Canyon as the South Rim is even higher than Flagstaff's 7,000'. We boondocked just outside the East Entrance last fall on USFS land, but right now those roads may be buried by snow.

[210flyer]

Make sure to go to Bryce Canyon since you're "in the area". Seeing it in the summer is one thing, in the winter the contrast of the red and yellow hoodoos and the white snow is stunning.

Our summer property backs up to the west side of the plateau Bryce Canyon was formed from, and is at 8000 elevation. Just noting this because we presently have about 5 feet of snow on our property (security cameras). Check the road conditions before you go. The state usually keeps them in good shape, so try to make it if it fits your schedule.

[fanrgs]

Our son lives in Las Vegas and took his kids to Bryce Canyon over the MLK school holiday. He has a 4wd SUV, so had no problems getting there and back. The kids loved the snow because they had boots and warm clothes. They hiked along the rim, but didn't take any hikes into the canyon.

We attempted (for the second time!) to visit Cedar Breaks NM last Thanksgiving. But the north entrance gate was closed and 3' of snow covered the roads inside the monument. When we drove down the mountain through the Brian's Head ski area, it was packed with holiday skiers enjoying all that fresh snow! The last time we tried to visit CBNM was over the Memorial Day weekend of 2015. When we got to the south entrance, it was closed due to a whiteout. The last weekend in May! Needless to say, getting the fifth wheel down to Cedar City was a white-knuckle experience. Thank goodness for diesel exhaust brakes!

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by fanrgs

We were in Flagstaff on March 1 and there was 2' of snow along I-40. Likely more at Grand Canyon as the South Rim is even higher than Flagstaff's 7,000'. We boondocked just outside the East Entrance last fall on USFS land, but right now those roads may be buried by snow.

Yeah, it seems like there's a lot of snow all over. I'd love to boondock and save me the $50/night but... yeah.

I just saw a post on the Grand Canyon National Park's FB page that basically said, "spring breakers, expect snowy conditions and super busy/long waits." I completely forgot it was spring break and am not excited for the crowd levels. Sedona has been bad enough.

Originally Posted by 210flyer

Make sure to go to Bryce Canyon since you're "in the area". Seeing it in the summer is one thing, in the winter the contrast of the red and yellow hoodoos and the white snow is stunning.

Our summer property backs up to the west side of the plateau Bryce Canyon was formed from, and is at 8000 elevation. Just noting this because we presently have about 5 feet of snow on our property (security cameras). Check the road conditions before you go. The state usually keeps them in good shape, so try to make it if it fits your schedule.

It's killing me to miss Bryce Canyon this time around. The problem is, I've got friends joining me in Zion and we have a hike planned in Kanab/Page and then I have to beat feet to make it to Oklahoma City as quickly as possible.

So, next time 'round.

Originally Posted by fanrgs

Our son lives in Las Vegas and took his kids to Bryce Canyon over the MLK school holiday. He has a 4wd SUV, so had no problems getting there and back. The kids loved the snow because they had boots and warm clothes. They hiked along the rim, but didn't take any hikes into the canyon.

We attempted (for the second time!) to visit Cedar Breaks NM last Thanksgiving. But the north entrance gate was closed and 3' of snow covered the roads inside the monument. When we drove down the mountain through the Brian's Head ski area, it was packed with holiday skiers enjoying all that fresh snow! The last time we tried to visit CBNM was over the Memorial Day weekend of 2015. When we got to the south entrance, it was closed due to a whiteout. The last weekend in May! Needless to say, getting the fifth wheel down to Cedar City was a white-knuckle experience. Thank goodness for diesel exhaust brakes!

Sounds exciting!