Ideas for Colorado low country in early May?

Do you want one trip for the whole eight days, or will you be doing multiple trips?

And are you set on Colorado? Frankly, if you can't do something in the mountains and you're looking for something in the west of Colorado you may as well consider stuff in Utah. Fly into Salt Lake or Grand Junction. I'm planning something in southeast Utah for a little later in May- Dark Canyon, probably, but I've also been looking at the Escalante River gorge, Grand Gulch, and Coyote Gulch. Dark Canyon is very remote infrequently visited, so if you want solitude that could be it. And you could give me info on which water sources are running. :) Grand Gulch is very densely packed with Anasazi ruins if you're into stuff anthropological. Paria River gorge is beautiful, but is one of the most popular spots in Utah.

Dinosaur and Colorado National Monuments are, I think, hard places to find water so you have to carry it all. Canyonlands is also very dry. But that early in the season there may well be decent water around everywhere.

Mee & Knowles would be good that time of year.
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/17/mee-knowles-canyons

MY list was for people who happen to be in the Denver area. I honestly do get those questions every year…hence why I wrote the article. :)

While the trip listed are certainly lovely, Utah is going to be much majestic IMO.

If I was flying in anyway, and renting a car, SLC (or Grand Junction if you can find a reasonable price) and the wonders of canyon country are going to be better.

The Moab area (Canyonlands and Arches among other places) is the most accessible. May be a trifle warm, but doable.

Of course the other area suggested above in Utah work well, too.

+1 for Mee/Knowles.

Is there reliable water in Mee/Knowles, other than the Colorado?

I may put it on my list for "some day"…

Should be plenty in spring or fall except in especially dry times. Upper Mee has water year round. Knowles is dryer but there should still be some water during times of year you'd actually want to do the loop.

Mid-May?

Any springs, or are they all potholes?

I've been there in early April and early May. Both times there was running water in both canyons. Don't know how this year will compare, but I think things are generally about average. Water might be slim up top.

Thanks for everyone's ideas so far! It sounds like the Mee/Knowles Canyons could be a perfect option.

I'm flying into Denver because I got a $60 flight from DC. I had a flight voucher that was about to expire, which made this trip a no-brainer. I have a friend in Glenwood Springs, so I'll be heading west no matter what. I'm hoping to move to Denver in the next 6 months, so this will be a good chance to experience that drive anyway. Mee/Knowles is only 6 hours away and will be a fun road trip, cranking some tunes and enjoying the landscape.

Paul- thanks for putting together your list and for the added clarification here. Your list helped me pull the trigger on my trip as a whole, even if I do end up in UT instead of CO. Do you know which places in your list might have water at that time of year?

So.. Mee/Knowles, Moab, Paul's list. It sounds like I have some research to do. Any additional ideas are always welcome!

Awesome. Can I ask a favor? If you do Mee/Knowles please PM me when you get back and let me know what the water situation is like there? There is always a possibility we may do that instead of Dark Canyon- especially if we can get better info on water there- and we're starting on the 18th of May.

As a general answer on the water question- water in this region is abundant at the spring snowmelt, and after rains. (Duh, right?) Summer is "monsoon" season, and thus there is a flash-flood danger if you get caught in the rain, but OTOH immediately after a rain there will be potholes full of water all around. Likewise, in the fall you expect there to be some residual from the summer rains. Early summer- long after the snowmelt but before the monsoon- is the bad time for water.

The problem this year is that it has been so odd for snowfall, so no one has a good feel for when things will start drying up. If you look at the SNOTEL data, through most of this region it has been a very average year for total snowfall (in contrast to California) but the pattern over time has been peculiar and perhaps not much is currently accumulated.

Hey Dean,

I'm planning to complete Mee in the earlier part of May. I think we're packrafting down the river to Knowles, then hiking up the canyon for camp. Taking out (or hike depending on wind) at Westwater.

A couple years ago I was on a group rafting trip and we hiked up Knowles for a few miles. I recall it being completely bone dry … haven't been to the head of the canyon yet though.

I'll try and remember to fill you in on the water sitch. There was a pretty decent stream all the way to the confluence of the Colorado (mouth of Mee canyon) when I went on another rafting trip there last year.

Dean you should look into doing lower Dark Canyon. I haven't been in the upper end but the lower end is fantastic and there's a perennial stream and fantastic pools. You can do a loop with Youngs/Lean-to. Loads o water.

Yeah, I have read that Mee has more water, in my brief research. Ideally, I guess, descend Knowles and ascend Mee?

The Youngs/Lean-To loop is another backup that I have investigated in case the Woodenshoe/Peavine loop in Dark Canyon is too dry. (I plan to inquire with the rangers.) I have maps to cover both.

Thanks. I have water paranoia.

Dean, I'll keep you posted about water once I finish the Mee/Knowles loop. I'm going to research this before I head out too, as I don't really want to carry extra water if I don't have to.

Based on everyone's guidance, I'm going to spend two nights on the Big D/Little D loop in Dominguez Canyon, two nights on the Mee/Knowles loop, and three nights in Arches.

Any Arches recommendations? I'm thinking 50-60 miles.

The only thing I know about hiking in Arches is that the Hayduke Trail starts there. :)