2025 Winter Grand Canyon

  •   Category Price Weight
  • Water $0.00
    4.41 lb
  • Clothes, Worn $0.00
    0 lb
  • Sleep $531.89
    2.82 lb
  • Clothes, Carried $508.27
    2.56 lb
  • Food $30.00
    2 lb
  • Pack $300.00
    1.46 lb
  • Shelter $261.50
    1.36 lb
  • Electronics $120.94
    0.93 lb
  • Kitchen $161.23
    0.79 lb
  • Ditty $27.42
    0.23 lb
  • Water $2.00
    0.22 lb
  • Toilet $0.00
    0.06 lb
  • Navigation $0.00
    0.03 lb
  • Total $1943.25 16.88
    lb
    • oz
    • lb
    • g
    • kg
  • Consumable 6.65 lb
  • Base Weight 10.22 lb

Grand Canyon, 5 days early Feb. Hermit Trail/West Rim and South Rim. Expect temps 10F-65F. Winter-like conditions on the South Rim, winter-to-spring-like conditions in the canyon. About 12 hours of light from dawn to dusk. Extended dark means extended time at camp.

Goals and food for thought: I am looking for a place I can love, a place that I can return to time and time again and have different experiences. Learn to stretch my comfort into winter-like conditions and see if winter @ GC works for me.

The South Rim will be cold! There will likely be snow on the ground, the upper ~1,000 ft of canyon will be ice. Nights will likely be 20F +/- 10F. Strong winds are likely at times. There may be a snowstorm that drops a foot of snow. Inside the canyon conditions can be highly variable, anywhere from t-shirt weather to rain to whiteout snow.

I need to swap out my three-season shelter and sleep system for more appropriate winter gear so I am safe and comfortable in these conditions. I start with my usual hiking/thru-hiking kit and bump up the low temp comfort, switching to the warmest versions of stuff I own and 3 layers instead of an ultralight 2. This is the most clothing I've ever brought on a trip. Sleeping system and shelter get a serious overhaul. Clothing items containing any spandex get excised as they may not dry: Jolly Gear TCBD, Dirty Girl gaiters, ...

Mail trekking pole, tent stakes, fuel and about 4 days of food to GCV ~10 days ahead.

Fly to FLG, Groome to GCV. Camp 1st night in Mather CG, then hit the market, USPS, backcountry office, and walk west to Hermit's Rest and into the canyon.

Do I need?

  • rain skirt
  • spikes

Guesses:

  • sleep system: there are a couple of different workable options, i think. the simplest is just to bring the warmest thing i have, a 15F Sawatch which should be enough even for the coldest night above the rim, but will probably be overkill below the rim. another option would be to pair either 2 lighter quilts which would be more weight and volume but potentially be more comfortable below the rim, though it adds some complexity with nesting quilts and with hauling around an unused quilt below the rim, and it's also so much volume i'd have to switch to a 50 liter pack. the other reasonable option would be a 30F quilt and a 1 lb winter down jacket which would be comfortable separately below and above the rim but also paired together above the rim. i have a feeling this might actually be the smartest option but i am going with the "simplest" for now, we will see how i goes.
  • shelters: considered several. given the large volume of my gear i wish to reduce the size and weight, but due to potential high winds, snow and rain and extended time camping i really need something i 100% trust. couldn't figure out anything less than a duomid, 1 x 140cm pole and 6 beefy stakes. i seriously considered the LittleStar and although i trust it i always hike with 1 trekking pole and really hate the idea of carrying a second pole to set up the LittleStar with. i also considered a Six Moon Designs Deschutes which I really like, but it is not fully enclosed and in very strong winds or a snow storm it will not be enough.
  • pack: given the above need for more durable and heavyweight gear for the winter, my 41L Pa'lante Desert Pack will likely be 100% maxed out. i still love it though and will go with it, depending on how it performs i may replace it with an MLD Prophet for winter trips. we'll see! i am also curious to see how the Ultra 400 performs both as pack material generally and also in the rain.
  • cook kit: definitely want a
  • water treatment: should be relatively abundant and i will not need to drink the Colorado, bleach should be fine and is less hassle and stress than a filter i need to prevent from freezing

Research:

Grand Canyon Winter Backcountry:

  • Grand Canyon Backcountry Information Center - 2023 Backcountry and River Use Statistics page 12 "Most Common Backcountry Itineraries in 2023" very insightful

  • Backpacking Snow Camping Grand Canyon Backcountry OUHIKE2 gets lots of precip in mid-Feb 2019, they start in rain and get multiple snowstorms over 4 days, including flurries at Phantom Ranch (rare) and heavy snow at Havasupai Gardens on the way out (also rare). They report sliding around in microspikes on the way down, and strong wind gusts that flatten their tent for which they deploy additional guylines. They are experienced and stay calm and safe and make the most of it, taking things as they come, but they are unprepared for extended wet weather and their gear is often soaked and they are sometimes miserable. It turns out the window they chose Feb 14-18 2019 was just exceptionally wet 🤷. They picked pretty much the worst weather window possible. He brings an umbrella and uses it, they could use insulating gloves for cold rain and a more wind-worthy shelter. Her pack cover does not keep its contents dry in extended rain.

  • Grand Canyon Snowstorm GC worker's January dayhikes through a blizzard at the rim into the canyon.

  • Down Hermit Across Tonto Up Bright Angel Jan 17 2020 long dayhike uses all available sunlight.

Winter camping: