March 3-4 day backpacking trip?

[Shirt357]

So, I am trying to fill out my plans for the next few months... at least as far as trips that require a drive, planning, and are multiple days/nights. This month I am headed to Joshua Tree and April I lucked out and got 3 nights of permits in The Needles section of Canyonlands. What I need to find is a good option for March. While I am fine in snow, I am trying to get some place a bit less "white" to backpack for a few days. I live in NM, so really any travel within a state or so each direction will work. From what I can tell CO is pretty heavily covered in snow as is the northern half of Utah and anywhere north of those two states... so anyone with an opinion or direction I can look into? My Jeep can get me most places and I have gear for most situations... so just looking for some good ideas to explore and if need be get permits booked.

Thanks!
Nick

 

[BryanG]

If you are willing to drive out to CA again the Big Sur coast is amazing in March. Backpacking anywhere in the Silver Peak Wilderness or Ventana Wilderness (all within the Los Padres NF) is a treat. Views of the coast, redwood groves, hot springs, wildflowers, it has it all. There will be people though, best time to go is during the week. And the drive up on the 1 freeway is spectacular.

A picture from our 3-day trip in March 2016

 

[slc_dan]

Throw a dart at the map of Southern Utah.

 

[Shirt357]

Throw a dart at the map of Southern Utah.

I had considered someplace in Escalante... it is such a huge place though, so I am reading up on it as much as possible to see what might be the best if I chose that area.

As for California again... Since I am driving, I would probably have to extend the days off since the drive would be longer. However, I have to say looking at that place closer on the FS site does make it tempting.

Thanks to you both!

 

[Venchka]

I'm in east Texas. I'm envious that you are in New Mexico. Look around. Surely you haven't seen everything in New Mexico.
Have fun.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[regehr]

An Allen book would be a great source of inspiration here, esp the Escalante one.

 

[Shirt357]

I'm in east Texas. I'm envious that you are in New Mexico. Look around. Surely you haven't seen everything in New Mexico.

Oh, not by a long shot! But I just did White Sands and the area around Cloudcroft over the holidays, and I snowshoe here in the Pecos Wilderness/Santa Fe N Forest at least every other weekend, so I figured for a multiple day trip I'd see what else I could get into for a change of pace. I do know later this spring I am definitely headed down to the Gila Wilderness. That will take a few trips to see.

Speaking of Texas, I was just down in Guadalupe Mountains N Park... much more than I expected.

 

[gnwatts]

Dominguez Canyon between between Delta and Grand Junction Co is nice then. A little chilly at night.

 

[b.stark]

The Gila Wilderness is a pretty darn neat place. Did a few days there years ago (2008 or 09 maybe?) and really enjoyed it. It was my first trip in a more arid climate, so I wasn't really prepared for it, but all ended up OK and it was a very neat place. We did our trip there in March. Nights were frigid but they days were t-shirt weather. Always have wanted to get back down there, but it's SO far away from me, and there's a lot of good spots closer.