|
|
Post by Joe Hiker on Jun 17, 2019 11:54:58 GMT -8
I was able to secure a few permits for the Keet Seel trail at Navajo National Monument this coming weekend. I hear a variety of horror stories about sand and water...Anyone been within the recent year or two and have an opinion about what type of footwear is going to work best? I don't like the idea of stopping and swapping out a pair of keens or tevas for boots or sturdy shoes every 15 minutes.
Thanks in advance!
|
|
|
|
Post by Joe Hiker on Jun 24, 2019 17:24:20 GMT -8
No hike - we cancelled because of the weather (danger of quicksand and camping in 40-mph winds). Try again next time!
|
|
jazzmom
Trail Wise!
a.k.a. TigerFan
Posts: 3,064 
|
Post by jazzmom on Jun 25, 2019 11:28:22 GMT -8
Joe Hiker, I REALLY wish I'd seen this earlier! :( We were at Navajo NM this past weekend, June 21-23, and it was glorious. Hiked Betatakin (day hike) on Friday and overnighted to Keet Seel Sat-Sun. Weather was perfect, unseasonably cool, and both sites were amazing. The campground at KS is across the creek from the site, really nicely shaded. Can't beat the view. Both of our guides were Navajo and we really appreciated the added insight. We were at Mesa Verde the two days prior and preferred Navajo NM; happy we went in that order. ETA: Re footwear, just wore non-waterproof boots and hiked in and out of the creek. Lost count how many times we crossed the creek. Shoes and socks dried overnight just fine. Ranger told us that quicksand is only a slight issue during monsoon season; we didn't come across any.
|
|
BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 13,000 
|
Post by BigLoad on Jun 26, 2019 10:28:54 GMT -8
We were at Navajo NM this past weekend, June 21-23, and it was glorious. Hiked Betatakin (day hike) on Friday and overnighted to Keet Seel Sat-Sun. Weather was perfect, unseasonably cool, and both sites were amazing. Wow, that's lucky! It bugs me that they're only open to visitation when it's brutally hot. Two years ago I decided to transcend the heat and made the trek out there in season only to learn that they didn't have guide coverage for Betatakin that day. |
|
jazzmom
Trail Wise!
a.k.a. TigerFan
Posts: 3,064
|
Post by jazzmom on Jun 26, 2019 11:57:10 GMT -8
Wow, that's lucky! It bugs me that they're only open to visitation when it's brutally hot. Yeah, that's the reason it took me so long to get there. This was my first ever summer hiking trip to the Southwest. Pure luck that it's been one of the coolest spring/summers they've had in a long time. It dipped down to low-40's at night at Keet Seel; pretty much the same conditions we saw on our GC hike in late-March/early-April. We were the only hikers on the Betatakin hike on Friday, so we got a private tour. It was great. Heard later that there were no Keet Seel hikers that Friday. There were 11 on Saturday when we went. We toured KS in three separate groups and got to spend almost two hours in the site itself. The only bummer was that they strongly discouraged drinking the water in the canyon. Horse and cow poop in the creeks everywhere. Makes for a heavy water load, especially in summer. |
|
