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Thinking of doing a couple of nights backpacking in Aravaipa over the Christmas break with my family (wife and couple of teens--all experienced). Never been to there. I understand it will be chilly. I'm not really deterred by the cold, per se, but also don't want to go if it's likely to be miserable. I did see that there are a lot of triplogs there in December. Any words of wisdom from those with experience? Suggestions for other, good 2-night backpacking trips in AZ that time of year?

The triplogs in December tend to be in the first week or two because historically that's when the fall colors are best. Over the holidays, it will be a little bit bare and dull in the canyon as far as the flora goes.

My advice is to plan on having cold feet. Make sure you have dry socks and camp shoes for when you're done exploring for the day. Good gear and a fire should keep you warm at night.

But you will have to put on cold, wet shoes in the morning when it's in the 20s or 30s and step into that water again. It's a bit of a shock to the system! My feet are usually fine as long as I'm moving. But if you're somebody who traditionally has cold hands and feet, it can be difficult to overcome the chill regardless of what you're wearing on the rest of your body.

I've always used thick wool socks there. It works for me, and a good amount of sand and gravel can be in my shoes without bothering me. Others swear by neoprene socks. Some people wear wool over neoprene! You'll probably want to rinse the sand out of whatever you wear periodically.

It is impossible to hike there without getting your feet wet. I recommend neoprene socks, and be sure to trim your toenails. The East end is the best.

get knee-high neoprene socks. usually sold at places that carry duck hunting gear - or diving / scuba socks. there are really good 2mm neoprene compression socks sold for less than $25. last time I hiked there, a few areas were waist deep pools, but can be avoided with some out of creek scrambling.

chumley wrote:But you will have to put on cold, wet shoes in the morning when it's in the 20s or 30s and step into that water again. It's a bit of a shock to the system!

Wet socks and boots in the morning are a shock! But the water will feel almost warm.
Dual wool socks, roll the outer pair down over my mid height boot to seal out sand.... well sort of anyways.

Gaiters to eliminate gravel intrusion.

We have a secret camp spot up one of the draws where Negative Nancy - Icky Vicky will never find you.
Lots of wood for fires and fed by springs for water. PM for GPS location if interested.

@Peter_Medal I forget which is which. Is Nancy the curious mountain lion and Vicky the problem black bear, or the other way around?

@chumley
The park ranger person named Vicki.... who is a "debbie downer"