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Middle Fork of Gila in March, too early?
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Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › Middle Fork of Gila in March, too early?
- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 1 month ago by Roque P.
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Jan 20, 2023 at 4:22 pm #3770949
Hi everyone,
Planning a backpacking trip mid-March and looking at the Gila Wilderness, with an eye on a 35-40 mile loop from the TJ Corral or Middle Fork trailhead. I spoke with a ranger this week who noted that there has been decent snow this year, which got me thinking that the many river crossings might be too high by the time our trip rolls around. What do people think? Am I setting us up for failure? Are there alternate routes in the Gila that make more sense (ideally with frequent access to water)? Any input greatly appreciated.Feb 4, 2023 at 9:58 am #3772237Have you checked with the visitor’s center? I’ve only been to the Gila in March once, and I don’t recall the water levels being too high, but obviously this is going to vary considerably from year to year. I think there could easily be a lot of runoff that time of year. As with any backpacking trip, it will pay to have a plan b and c.
For a possible alternate route through the Gila, here is a link to a report of a shuttle hike I did some years back. It would fit the bill for your description, with very few crossings of the Gila, but lots of water availability, from Turkey Creek, Little Spring, etc.
Feb 4, 2023 at 2:47 pm #3772264Thanks, David, much appreciated! I did speak with the visitor’s center, but they told me that it wouldn’t really be possible to know until around the week of the trip, and to just monitor the USGS data until then. This looks like a great template for a plan B, thanks!
Feb 4, 2023 at 6:31 pm #3772287I went there in March two years ago. We got lucky with weather. 60s and sunny during the days. 20s at night in the canyon. Still a little snow higher up in the canyon, but not too bad. Water levels low enough that we made all crossings without too much trouble. But I think it could have easily gone hard for us with different weather, different year.
Feb 5, 2023 at 2:14 pm #3772430Thanks! We’ll be keeping an eye on it. How high were the crossings the year you went?
Feb 6, 2023 at 11:11 am #3772522Is the USGS realtime flow rate useful?
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/09430500/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D
Feb 6, 2023 at 7:42 pm #3772565Yes, I have been checking in on it. Thanks!
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