Suggestions for Zion in May?

[Spiderzak]

Can anyone share their experiences in Zion in May? My brother's planning a visit in May and we'd like to go down one or two technical canyons. I've only been in Zion in the fall, so I'm looking for suggestions on canyons that don't generally hold much water or that otherwise have characteristics that would make them suitable for the season. I've heard talk of higher canyons still being closed due to snow at that time, and the narrows also being closed. Thank you!

[earwig654]

I really only know the east mesa. If the Narrows are to high then there is a few. Without wet-suits there is hidden canyon and employee canyon. With wet-suits you have pine creek, keyhole, spry, and echo will probably be open. my favorite is on the west mesa, Behunin i'd shoot for that one.

[deathtointernet]

Oh you have lots of options in May, especially towards the end. Not a big snow year so things should be pretty good by then. I've had Birch Hollow be nothing more than a trickle of water and a few muddy spots by the start of May. Keyhole, Pine Creek will be wetsuits and watery, Spry should be fine, Behunin fine. I've found Misery to be warm enough for no wetsuits by mid-May (depends on how you do in cold water, I know a lot of people will go earlier!), but of course that one depends on the East Fork meltoff which usually subsides earlier than the North Fork. Did Right Fork in mid-May last year in wetsuits and that was borderline overkill, really just wanted them for the Black Pool. Narrows didn't close long last year, I was hiking it by mid-May with just an extra fleece layer. Thinking it should be similar this year so maybe that opens Mystery and whatnot for you.

[joeb]

Pine Creek and Keyhole can be VERY cold in the springtime and I mean dangerous cold! - we usually pack 5mm fullsuits with gloves & booties for springtime outtings as it is better to be overprepared than not. Of course, if there is alot of warm weather and you go in late May, the canyons may not need this level of protection but better safe than sorry.

[Spiderzak]

Dangerous cold is what I'm worried about, and even if not dangerous, I don't want to make my brother miserable. I like the suggestion of Hidden Canyon, and will look into that. Thanks for the replies!

[joeb]

If you are flexible, just keep checking this site, candition.com and yahoo canyoneering group site for trip reports right up to the time you head out. Of course, springtime is always fickle. Last April we started driving over to the Lava point area to start a Subway descent and by the time we started hiking the sunny skies disappeared and heavy snow started falling! With that disclaimer in place, you may consider Spry, Behunin and Fat Man's misery if they dry up enough by the time you go (assuming you are both comfortable with this level of canyon)