For those who've never visited the Gila National Forest in the springtime, knowing a few things before heading out hiking or camping could save some frustration. Spring is not my favorite season for hiking here, for two simple reasons, weather and water.
Take today for example, it's a sunny, warm 80º F afternoon and gorgeous. Great! let's go camping! Not so fast little trekker. Tonight temps will probably dip into the low 40º range, and they are predicting the possibility of snow for tomorrow. That's OK if you've got the right equipment and two or three retrievers, or another person, to snuggle up with for warmth. Layers are a must. You can have all four seasons in the span of a couple of hours sometimes in the spring. This changeability of the weather is probably why I mostly dayhike instead of backpack these days. My creaky body likes its creature comforts after a day on the trail. Click here for an hour by hour forecast for the GNF from the weather channel.
Another weather issue in the springtime is the wind. It can be brutal once it starts to blow, and it seems to blow, often gale force winds, from the beginning of April through the end of June continuously. The wind can be avoided by only hiking in the mornings or in the evenings after it dies down to a breeze, if that happens before it's too dark to see the trail.
Issue number two with spring hiking here, water. Always call ahead to check the weather and water conditions before heading out for any extended hiking. Once you're away from the river, it's pretty hard to find water in the spring. You've got to pack it in and if you've got dogs, you're going to have to pack it in for them too. Retrievers like their water, lots of it. Doggy packs for water are a must if you want to pack anything other than water.Take today for example, it's a sunny, warm 80º F afternoon and gorgeous. Great! let's go camping! Not so fast little trekker. Tonight temps will probably dip into the low 40º range, and they are predicting the possibility of snow for tomorrow. That's OK if you've got the right equipment and two or three retrievers, or another person, to snuggle up with for warmth. Layers are a must. You can have all four seasons in the span of a couple of hours sometimes in the spring. This changeability of the weather is probably why I mostly dayhike instead of backpack these days. My creaky body likes its creature comforts after a day on the trail. Click here for an hour by hour forecast for the GNF from the weather channel.
Another weather issue in the springtime is the wind. It can be brutal once it starts to blow, and it seems to blow, often gale force winds, from the beginning of April through the end of June continuously. The wind can be avoided by only hiking in the mornings or in the evenings after it dies down to a breeze, if that happens before it's too dark to see the trail.
One nice easy trail where you will find water is the Catwalk Recreation Area, near Glenwood, New Mexico. Any of the trails along the Gila River itself will also have plenty of water, but also will involve multiple stream crossings, which could be uncomfortable in colder weather.
I try to pick my trails based upon the availability of fresh water for the dogs. That way, I avoid having to deal with carrying in lots of water. But, sometimes a trail calls and there's no choice but to load up the water bladders and go.
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