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Let me preface this by saying I have very little experience hiking in the Canyon. I've only been about a mile down Bright Angel Trail, and it was in December of 2014. (Hope to change this soon.)

Me and my cousin are considering a large section hike from Mormon Lake to the UT border starting around June 1st. The inner gorge is only segment we are concerned about. Looking at Phantom Ranch averages for June, this site (http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azphan) says 102 on average. Going Nobo means we probably wouldn't hit the inner gorge til at least the second week of June. Everything else looks ok for June.

The options I'm looking at right now are:

#1: Hike it before June, then shuttle around the canyon when we reach it in June.
#2: Go SoBo from the UT border and hit the inner gorge earlier in June.
#3: Start very early when we hit it going NoBo down SK, break at Phantom Ranch during the afternoon til the sun goes down, night hike the rest of the way out.

Hoping someone familiar with the Canyon around this time of the year could give me some advise or thoughts on my current options, and/or give me options I haven't considered.

#1 is the safest option, it's the only one I'd recommend

Can't really argue with Joe on this one.

But in the heat, I would try to be in the lower elevations only in the 8pm-10am timeframe. Some people tolerate heat more than I do. June 20 is the full moon. It's relatively easy night-hiking in the corridor on any night, but with a moon you won't even need a headlamp.

If you must hike it in June, the lowest temperatures would be if you begin in late evening (9-10pm). You'll be far enough up the north rim when it warms up in the morning that elevation will be on your side.

But I'd make sure you are familiar with how your body handles backpacking in heat before you make the decision.

I vote with the above, avoid the heat down in the canyon.

joe bartels wrote:#1 is the safest option, it's the only one I'd recommend

I agree with the consensus that #1 is the best option. I also know that I have been at Bright Angel campground in late May and it was 115degrees.

The section of the North Kaibab Trail south of Cottonwood Campground and north of Phantom Ranch is called "The Box". It is narrow and deep in the schist. The rocks heat up, radiate heat, and retain the heat into the evening. Many people who hike it in the summer refer to it as "The Pizza Oven".

Depends on the shape you are in I would hike into Bright Angel spend the night and then hike out the next morning at like 3:30 or 4:00 am. Also going Northbound if you are taking the Kaibab trail the whole way you should have several nice spots to stop and drink water and relax if need be on the way out.