Family Backpacking Suggestions

[BlakeC]

Looking for some good places to get the kids introduced into backpacking.

I took my 8 year old up the back side of Whitney this last year (6 days) and he did great. We are planning on taking his sister (turns 8 in March) and my wife up Whitney this coming August and are looking for some good preparatory hike suggestions.

We live in Northern Utah and this time of year always feels so claustrophobic Winter backpacking is fun, but sometimes hard to keep the little ones warm without spoiling the experience. I've taken them to the Cub River Guard Station every year with great success.

We go to Moab, Zions / Duck Creek & Bryce a couple of times a year, so we're pretty familiar with those areas.

I have never done much in Coyote Gulch, but have heard that it would be a great place, and was wondering if anyone knew if it would be too cold around April / May.


Any suggestions on what would be open the earliest? Thanks!!!

[DesertDuke]

Cool nights maybe but I don't think too cold will be a problem then. The problem that time of year is that it ends up being too hot for people when they hike out the 800 ft dune at the end. Backpackers get up early and head out at 6 am that time of year trying to avoid the middle of the day heat for that last hike out.

It might be wise to go there soon. I expect this will be the next place that ends up requiring hikers to pack their own poop out. But, if you hiked Whitney you are already used to that.

There are TRs posted.

[BlakeC]

Thanks for the quick response I think we'll give it a go sometime in April.
I think the rain is what mostly concerns me, I've heard the hike out can be a bit sketchy with a pack.

Oh yes, thanks for bringing back the wag-bag memories :)

Happy to report that the 2 times I've hiked Whitney, we made it through the Whitney zone without incident :)

[erial]

Boulder Mail Trail might be a good one. You could go in at either end and camp out at Mamie Creek and return or just do it as a thru hike and hitch a ride back to your car. Been a while since I hiked it, but I do recall it being well cairned. Mid April to early May ought to be weather favorable. The airstrip near the north TH is also alien landing favorable as well.