snow trip north rim grand canyon

[o8k]

i was up at the north rim one time in winter in my jetta one year right aroubd new years and there was just enough snow to make my exploration of the area limited. the wells book posts some dirt forrest sevice road runs to do up there but rates them as easy, and i agree as ive done a few in my jetta. but with a bit of snow 4wheelin there may be fun.

has or does anyone here ever do snow tips with their 4x4s? north rim in winter is very cool i bet with a bit more snow, it would b quite a site worthy of pictures.

aquaman safty tip:
snow is dangerous, and yes ive heard the donner party story, and its important to know how to be prepaired for things, and if u dont know how to b fully prepared for a trip, find out well in advance to protect yourself good when u get there. for amnone reading this without enough common sense to know better. dont go shotguning into snowy areas i know of dead people 2nd hand who have done this, but its no different than being save in the middle if the desert when its 115 out. ok that was a long aquaman safty tip that time... wheew

 

[Corwyyn]

Only snow my KJ has seen was driving across the Flagstaff area from Albuquerque to Las Vegas - they had a foot or so in the Williams area and the freeway was crap, but the Jeep kept right on going. Got to Kingman and had to knock all the ice build-up off the fenders...

I'd be up for a run to the north rim, say November or so. Should have four days off for Thanksgiving so depending on what everyone's plans are maybe go up that weekend (OK, it was just a thought).

 

[AZKJ]

Where were you exploring the North Rim in January?

I wouldn't recommend a trip up there that time of year. First of all, Highway 67 to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon closes each winter in mid- December due to snow levels and opens again, mid-May, when the Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim re-opens (remember the Shining??? LOL). Most trails in the area can not be reached due to the road closure and would be impassable even if you could reach the trailheads.

The only trail that may be open in the winter is to the Toroweep Overlook. I've done most of the trails in the area as described in the Well's book. They are fun, easy and scenic during the summer months. I would be very hesitant to drive the 60 mile gravel road from Fredonia to the Toroweep Overlook if there was snow on the ground. It is a desolate place with no services. It is a boring drive in the summer along a graded washboard road, but the view from the overlook is spectacular making the trip worthwhile. Less than 5,000 people visit the overlook in a year.

A trip up there in late fall to do some of the trails before the first snowfall, and see the Aspens change colors, would be a nice 3-4 day trip. It's a good six hour drive up there from Phoenix.

Sorry, all my pics of the area are on video tape. Maybe when I get some time, I'll capture a few stills....

 

[o8k]

Ya, I was there late dec. and ya... We got lucky b/c there wasnt much snow there, yes the road to north rim was closed, but we managed to find our way through, as there are forrest service roads there that go all over. Even though national parks close, national forrests dont close!, so we wouldnt be doing anything wrong being on national forrest land. And ya we MAY end up wondering into park boundrys, oopps =D If i could navigate it w/ the jetta, the jeep should be a snap! HOWEVER, w/ the weather being unpredictable, its a crapps shoot for when the window to get in and do it is

but like Corwyyn said, and i agree, if we catch it early in the snow season, it may be worth while. I was up there a few years back and was prolly up there to late into winter so we got lucky but if we planned earlier, it may be fun. Weather monitoring, Execptional planning, the right gear, and the ability to walk away from if it isnt do-able is a must for somthing like this. Ive done a few runs in the snow b4 but it was usually early spring when there were only patches of snow in the shadows ect few snow obsticles was all, it was quite fun, did that up in Kings Canyon, Kings County CA, near seqouea forrest. Did that run in a V10 excurrsion monster truck madness style, only got stuck twice, digging out ice at 7500ft w/ a tire iron, was painfull tho...

Im open to other suggestions too, i just thought doing a snow run would be fun to do, used the only example i could think of to relate it to. Proper coordination is key here but it could be rewarding. Too much snow ISNT fun tho, so ill skipp on it if its too deep, there are trails near SF peaks too that may be fun.... All ideas welcome, the theme is snowy landscape, but not over the top treterous danger. =D

 

[AZKJ]

Im open to other suggestions too, i just thought doing a snow run would be fun to do

Closer to home, the back way to Crown King after a light snowfall, or using Bumble Bee Road to CK, then taking the Senator Highway from CK to Prescott is also interesting and scenic with the white stuff on the ground. Even Four Peaks Road can be a challenge after a snowfall. There are some trails that start out in Superior or the Queen Valley area and end at the Top of the World on US 60 that can be another snow challenge....

 

[o8k]

WoW. didnt know snow came down this far south regularly, cool.... a good 1ft of snow could make back way to crown king easier in some places, harder in others...that would be interesting, may just have to pick a time, and leave the snow radar on and take the trail that matches what we can do safely.

Now that i think about it bradshaw mnts. are quite tall.... Or w/ a set of These:

http://www.mattracks.com/

we can do north rim w/ out blinking =)

 

[o8k]

got a quote from mattrackes.com:

34,000 $ for a set of wheels for the liberty!!! omfg! i cant figure y but oh well, suppose ill have to hit the lotto for those. Oh and they weigh like 350lbs per track, insane heavy!