Solo Hiker--First time at BIBE

[Smack]

Hey There Folks,
 My name is Sean and I am in the midst of a Xcountry trip and plan on visiting many of the wonderful national parks of the South West. Big Bend being the first, in about mid-April. I hail from the northeast and have done plenty of hiking and camping in the lush green hills of the east coast from Maine to Gerogia. I am, however, rather green when it comes to the desert backcountry. I am 25 and in good shape. I am travelling alone in a honda civic and I am on a somewhat limited budget; ie. I cant spend alot on lodging. I have read up and done a lot of research in the hopes of preparing myself, and then I stumbled upon this site.
  Where should/can I go? I want to spend between 3-5 days and had planned to try a couple 1-2 night backountry hikes with a stay at a place to regroup in between. I like to be "off of the beaten path", but I also know that my lack of experience will limit my opportunities.
Any and All suggestions for a newcomer from the east would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks!

[sleepy]

april begins the hot dry season.  if you have only  a few days, probably best to stick to the Chisos.  Day hikes include Lost Mine Tail, Window Trail and Basin Loop.  The S. Rim and attended hikes can be done as 2-3 day trips.   Some of the S. Rim will be limited due to Perigrine Falcon nesting closures.  Still you can experience vast expanses of desert views from the trails mentioned.  Boot Canyon is good.  Check out Lawrence Parent's book as a good guide. 

A Honda Civic may preclude you from enjoying many of the back country oppourtunities available.  However, pick up the guides to paved and improved roads available at the park or get them from an online source prior.  Check out the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and Santa Elena Canyon.  It's like driving on another planet.  Don't know your route, but head west on 170 toward Presidio, if you can.  One of the most scenic drives in all America.  You won't regret it.

I'm sure others will have  more to say.  Have a swell trip.  What other spots do you have in mind?

p.s.  be sure to give us a report and pics.

[Roy]

Welcome, Smack.
Sleepy's right about the heat;  make sure you've got plenty of water.
Even in if it's getting serioulsy hot, there are a number of 1/2 day hikes into the desert that are worth doing.  Just make sure you get going at sunrise and get back to your car before the heat sets in.  Dog Canyon, Mule Ears Spring, Top of Burro Mesa, The Chimneys are all 4-6 miles round trip and would give you a good taste of the desert.  Somewhat longer, 8-10 miles, are Apache Canyon, Slickrock Canyon.  Definitely take the time to drive the roads like Sleepy said, you'll be glad you did.
I'd stay at Chisos Mining Companhy/Easter Egg Valley just west of the park in Study butte.  Pretty basic but close by and clean.

[Smack]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input. After peruzing the trail maps available at nps.org, i guess i will center my stay around the Chisos Basin area. My current plan (subject to change at any given moment,  of course  ) is to try to do a 1-nighter on one of the nearby trails to get a sense of the area, "regroup" at the chisos basin campground for a night  and then do the south rim, depending on the closures that Sleepy spoke of. I guess I will find that out when I get there. There is potable water and a place to purchase supplies, if necessary, at the campground, right? and what is the likliehood of not being able to get a campsite? i'm ballparking between 4/15-4/20 but I can't commit to any date right now...it goes against the spirit of the trip, ya know what I mean?
 Also, thanks again for the driving tips, Sleepy. My next stop is probably to visit friends in Silver City, NM so I will definetly take rt 170 out of the park. To answer your question, I'm gonna shoot for Mesa Verde, Canyonlands, Lake Powell, Zion, then to Joshua Tree and up the PCH to Redwood,  Or until the money runs out...

[sleepy]

here is the info on falcon closures.

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/bc_camping-closures.htm

Water and supplies some supplies are available at the Basin store, as well as the store at Panther Junction. 
You will have no trouble getting a camp site, promise.  Being able to change plans on a whim is great.  Always let someone know of your itinerary before you set out on foot, though.  You will have to get back country permits (camping on the trail) at Panther Junction. 

I've been to Canyonlands and Joshua Tree.   loved them.  Zion can be a zoo.  They have a bus system inside the park as the only way to travel on main road.  Like most parks, if you get off the major trails, it will be more quiet.  I did Angels Landing and it was crowded, but really cool.  Steep and precipitous. 

Roy is right on with day hikes.

[Roy]

I would recommend a day at the Navajo Park at Monument Valley, to the point of missing Zion, if necessary.  The scenery is incredible.  The road is dirt, which might make you think twice in that Honda, but I got in (and out) in a Toyota Corolla.

Their web site:

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm

[sleepy]

Valley of the Gods in Southern Utah is also worth considering.  It is on BLM land and you can camp just about anywhere you like. 

here is a link of a photo gallery.

http://www.pbase.com/kleb7842/valley_of_the_gods

[aggiehiker]

I was in Silver City last summer passing through. Needed a haircut and asked a cop sitting in the shade where a good place was. The barber told me of a scenic route to take through the Red River valley. What a drive-goes right by the huge Boy Scout campgound-never knew it was so big!

Mesa Verde is fantastic! I hiked the loop instead of driving and really enjoyed it. Be sure to take a couple of tours as they are well worth it. If time and money allow, swing by Chaco Canyon. It's a long way down a dirt road through some of the most desolate land I've ever seen, but again it is well worth it. You can visit all the places on your own, unlike Mesa Verde. It's really neat to compare the two sites and see the similarities.

[jeffblaylock]

On your Utah swing, don't forget Capitol Reef. Many people just drive through it as it's between Arches and Bryce. Once off the main road, it's big and empty and beautiful, like Big Bend, only redder.









The campground at Fruita is terrific. I got a site right beside the rushing Fremont River. Best night sleep I've ever had camping.

[presidio]

I hail from the northeast and have done plenty of hiking and camping in the lush green hills of the east coast from Maine to Gerogia. I am, however, rather green when it comes to the desert backcountry.

If you have not spent time in the desert, or in the west generally, there are several things of which you need to be aware.

1) Water. Most important, as others have noted. You will be in areas far hotter and dryer than what you are used to. This is true even early in the spring. However, due to the typically far lower humidity, it is easy to become dehydrated as you are losing water without really being aware of it since you will feel relatively comfortable in the low humidity. By the time you actually feel thirsty, you will be seriously dehydrated, so regularly drink. The gallon-a-day rule is really a minimum and would apply even if you think you are not exerting yourself all that much. 

2) Altitude. Again, in general, you will be at higher altitudes than you may be familiar with. Things to be aware of...
a) sun...from the standpoint of dehydration, sunburn and possible overheating. Drink, use sunscreen and wear a hat. Many experienced desert travelers fully cover with long pants and long sleeve shirts to preclude sunburn and excessive water loss. People running around in tanktops, shorts and flipflops are more likely to experience discomfort. Shade frequently is what you provide.
b) elevation...dependi ng on where you live you may need to acclimate to higher altitude. If you go rapidly from low to very high altitudes HAPE or HACE (look them up) can occur; it's a rare condition, but if it occurs it's life-threatening and the only immediate solution is to go to lower elevation. Cases can occur as low as 6500' but usually occur above 8000'. It's easy to get and stay above 7000' in the west.
3) Distance. It can be a long way between services, keep that in mind when looking at your gas gauge. More importantly, the clear air and open views can distort your sense of scale. Things will be a lot farther apart than you may realize. Something to keep in mind when hiking. One example for your car: unless things have changed in the last few years, there is a stretch of I-70 in central Utah where there are no services of any kind for slightly over 100 miles. While that's pretty extreme, it's a situation that has no parallel in the east (certainly on a major highway), and there are lots of places between 50 and 100 miles that are in the same situation.

[elhombre]

While in Big Bend, a must in my book is to drive down to the Hot Springs.  The road is fine for most all cars.  IF you get down the Hot  SPrings road and don't like the way it looks, you can park at a turn around spot right before the road splits and walk the 5 mins down to the parking lot.  The dirt road down to the turn-around is basically pavement.

On a differnet note, the road through Utah from Bryce Canyon NP to Capital reef NP is one of the most spectacular roads is the US.  Especially from Escalante to Boulder.

[Al]

I hail from the northeast and have done plenty of hiking and camping in the lush green hills of the east coast from Maine to Gerogia. I am, however, rather green when it comes to the desert backcountry.

If you have not spent time in the desert, or in the west generally, there are several things of which you need to be aware.

1) Water. Most important, as others have noted. You will be in areas far hotter and dryer than what you are used to. This is true even early in the spring. However, due to the typically far lower humidity, it is easy to become dehydrated as you are losing water without really being aware of it since you will feel relatively comfortable in the low humidity. By the time you actually feel thirsty, you will be seriously dehydrated, so regularly drink. The gallon-a-day rule is really a minimum and would apply even if you think you are not exerting yourself all that much. 

2) Altitude. Again, in general, you will be at higher altitudes than you may be familiar with. Things to be aware of...
a) sun...from the standpoint of dehydration, sunburn and possible overheating. Drink, use sunscreen and wear a hat. Many experienced desert travelers fully cover with long pants and long sleeve shirts to preclude sunburn and excessive water loss. People running around in tanktops, shorts and flipflops are more likely to experience discomfort. Shade frequently is what you provide.
b) elevation...dependi ng on where you live you may need to acclimate to higher altitude. If you go rapidly from low to very high altitudes HAPE or HACE (look them up) can occur; it's a rare condition, but if it occurs it's life-threatening and the only immediate solution is to go to lower elevation. Cases can occur as low as 6500' but usually occur above 8000'. It's easy to get and stay above 7000' in the west.
3) Distance. It can be a long way between services, keep that in mind when looking at your gas gauge. More importantly, the clear air and open views can distort your sense of scale. Things will be a lot farther apart than you may realize. Something to keep in mind when hiking. One example for your car: unless things have changed in the last few years, there is a stretch of I-70 in central Utah where there are no services of any kind for slightly over 100 miles. While that's pretty extreme, it's a situation that has no parallel in the east (certainly on a major highway), and there are lots of places between 50 and 100 miles that are in the same situation.

Plus every thing out there wants to poke, stick or bite you.  So you have to watch where you are going and what you are doing at all times.

Al

[Smack]

Thanks to all of you. This is great stuff that most of which I may have never found on my own. Presidio, thank you ecspecially for the sound advice. Though I haven't spent much time in the desert backcountry, I have spent some time in the west and had some brief visits to Mesa Verde, Zion and Death Valley years ago. Beleive me when I say, I have no intention of underestimating that desert sun or my needing to acclamate to it. I am ambitious and excited, but well aware that those things paired with carelessness and unpreparedness can equal tragedy, so I plan on being cautious.
 Also, does any one have any info on Glen Canyon/Lake Powell. I would love to be able to camp a couple nights on the lakeshore. So, to anyone who might know; Is it possible to hike to the shoreline and camp? If so, where should I drive to/park/leave from?... or... Is it possible to rent a canoe or kayak from a marina and paddle out with my pack to a campsite on the shore? I am just having trouble getting an idea of how it works over there. Anyone with some experience and/or advice help me out.
 I hope I'm not pestering , but this board and all of you who post on it are a huge resource, plus I get the feeling you guys enjoy helpin' out a newbie like myself...

[Roy]

Link to Glen Canyon web site:
http://www.nps.gov/glca/
Don't know if it'll tell you exactly what you want, but there's plenty of ways to contact them.

If you don't already have it, this is the link to the main Nat'l Park Service site.  Very handy.
http://www.nps.gov/

[Smack]

 Thanks, Roy. I have spent so much time at the NPS website recently, I might as well work for their IT department. I still did not get a lot of clarity as to wether not I could just pull up, park my car, fill out a permit and hike to the shore. Or park at a marina, rent a kayak, and paddle out from there to a site on the shore. Perhaps, I missed something...but i was just hoping to hear from someone who had been there...