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October, 7th
Somewhere On The Paria Plateau
Brian:
After arriving at House Rock Valley Rd just before dusk, Amity
and I met up with my buddy Brandt for the second half of
our shuttle to Wire Pass Trailhead. This is where we intended
to begin our AZT hike...Buckskin Gulch which is often considered
the longest slot canyon (~12 miles) in the world. Sadly,
there was a very daunting puddle which we decided could not
be crossed with Brandt's van. Fortunately we had already
formed a back up plan...head a bit east and start at the
White House Trailhead of the Paria Canyon Wilderness. So,
that is where our journey began at ~8am Thursday morning.
Brandt spent most of the day hiking with us and his knowledge
and stories of the region made the first 3 hours fly by.
At this point we reached the confluence with Buckskin Gulch,
dropped our packs and headed up canyon for a 2.0 hr side
trip. Along the way we encountered all sorts of mud...jelly
mud, bubbly mud, red mud, grey mud, and the king of all muds...quicksand!
We all had a chance to momentarily sink to our knees, panic,
and then muscle our way out of the muck. Although the allure
of `the next bend' had all of us wishing we had more daylight
hours to work with, we finally headed back down canyon to
the confluence, retrieved our packs, and found a sunny spot
to have lunch.
My writing
skills are such that I know for certain that I cannot give
due justice to the Paria Canyon. My recommendation is
to visit your favorite search engine and simply type in `Paria
Canyon.' The images you see will better explain what we saw
during our time in the Canyon than my attempts to do so. Anyway,
after lunch we continued downstream, walking in the actual
river most the time. Eventually we came to `Big Spring' and
filled some of our bottles -- ~2.5 gallons each for the remainder
of the day, and for our supply for the next day across the
Paria Plateau. Another hour after the spring, we came to our
exit point...the Adams Trail. The Adams Trail is the result
of an abandoned attempt of cattlemen to get their stock down
to the Paria River from the Paria Plateau, ~2,000 ft above
the canyon floor. The term `Trail' should be used loosely,
if at all, `route' would be more applicable. As evening approached,
we squeezed our way up a tight sandstone ramp until gaining a sandy,
cactus covered slope which climbed straight up toward a cliffband.
Once at the base
of the cliffband, we slowly picked our way through and up
a talus field to a series of improved ledges. At times the
ledges were no more than 8 inches wide, moderately exposed, and left
me with the sense that the ranchers had a lot more work to do if cattle
were ever going to make it down to the river bottom. After our arduous
ascent, we quickly got to a high point and developed a general
sense of our whereabouts and our direction of travel for tomorrow.
As the night sky darkened, we found a nice sandy spot, slightly protected
from the wind, to camp. The Milky Way is very visible, and
besides the occasional airplane it is incredibly quiet. It
has been awhile since I have seen a night sky as good as tonight...truly
a `in-the-middle-of-no-where' kind of sky...and at this moment I can't
think of a better place to be. Total hiking time for the day was ~11 hrs. Thanks for reading.
Amity:
A spectacular day of novelty and variety, total calm and an occasional
rush of panicked adrenaline. The day began with a walk down the Paria,
a pleasant river stroll, as much in it as beside it. Once we reached
the confluence with Buckskin Gulch we ditched our packs for a sightseeing
trip up the canyon.
Down Buckskin we went, soon encountering large patched of jelly mud and
quicksand, reminders of the recent flash flood. How exciting it was and
how my heart raced as my legs were suddenly swallowed up to the knee
with a feeling that nothing was supporting my feet. Panic, of course,
only digs a person deeper. So calmly one pulls a leg out quickly followed
by the next a sort of slow motion, deliberate running until one has regained
firm ground.
Slot canyons are addictive places, drawing one on through play of light
and simple curiosity. How many times we mentioned the passing of time
and the words, "Time
to turn around?" before we actually did so. Someone would inevitably reply, "Well,
let's just see what's around the bend," and who could disagree as
the slice of bluest sky narrowed and widened above our heads and the
walls rippled in black and then red and various fissures in the rock
cast shadows in soothing patterns?
Narrow with knee/thigh deep water, mud often sucking at one's shoes and
then suddenly the canyon would open and a grove of trees and the invasive
tamarisk would create a green jungle, a perfect bandit hideaway. And
when all stood still, a quiet filed only with the musical play of water
reminiscent of the Alhambra with its gentle fountains.
We returned to the Paria and on it wound, smooth wall amphitheaters to
craggy tilted walls. With late afternoon we found the Adams Trail to
take us out of the river canyon and onto the Plateau. The trail is a
rough thing, laid into the cliff side requiring cautious footing and
a comfort with heights.
October 8th
Navigation by Dung - Across the Paria Plateau
Brian:
We awoke early to get a good start on the day and immediately
began to climb up to some higher country above our camp. Continual
scrambling over sandstone ledges, and sandy slopes eventually
got us into a dry wash which we could follow southeast. Eventually
we climbed out of the wash and into the morning sun. Amazingly
blue skies provided a stunning contrast to the surrounding
sandstone. Generally we did our best to stay out of the sun,
but obviously it was unavoidable across open desert country.
Gaining a high point, we took a quick bearing and set off
southbound with the intention of hiking across the entire
plateau in one day (~23 miles). Normally 23 miles is nothing
to cause concern, but as our entire route was cross-country
travel and map and compass navigation, we anticipated a challenging
day. Cattle used to be run pretty regularly on the Plateau
so a number of cow paths provided us with relatively easy
walking. Cows, like humans, are inherently lazy beasts and
will generally take the path of least resistance. As long
as the path was going along our bearing, we stuck with it.
The other advantage to following the cowpaths was the off
chance to find some water. We were carrying enough for the
day, but anytime you find water in the desert it is best
to drink up. The only real concern in following the cowpaths
was petrified dung, or the tendency to get lazy ourselves
and not pay attention to our compass bearing.
Around
mid-morning, we came over small rise and noticed an old abandoned
ranch house, juniper corral, water tank, and barn. We poked
around for a few minutes but no artifacts of historical interest
were found. Continuing southward, we followed an abandoned
two-track up a slight incline to what appeared to be another
corral. As we walked closer, the ground dropped away and a
reservoir ~100 ft long, and 20 ft wide reflected the surrounding
sandstone formations. Both of these discoveries surprised
us as neither were marked on our map. Leaving the reservoir,
we hiked SE along along an old two-track. Eventually we came to
a recently tracked dirt road, and followed it briefly until we spotted
the welcoming shade of large juniper tree and decided to
stop for lunch. After lunch we continued on a southward
bearing towards what we believed to be Middle Knoll. Occasionally
Jackrabbits would dart from the underbrush. Other than
the rabbits, an occasional lizard, or a soaring bird, the
rest of the wildlife we saw consisted of their bleached
bones. California Condors were at one time introduced to
the Paria Plateau, but we did not see any.
Wandering southward again,
and following the occasional cowpath, we wrapped around
the eastern flank of The Big Knoll and took another bearing towards
a distant ridge. At this point we were a bit confused
as to our specific direction, as some map features just were not
panning out when compared to the surrounding landscape.
Despite our blossoming anxiety, we continued on a southwesterly
bearing with the intention of ending up on the south rim of the
plateau near our planned exit point before nightfall, and possibly
locating one (of only two) possible routes through the
Vermillion Cliffs. Once we dropped down into the lower country of
the plateau, navigation difficulty increased significantly. Essentially
no high points exist, and the juniper trees greatly decreased
my line of sight. Both of these factors led to our increasing
levels of uncertainty in regard to our exact whereabouts.
As early evening crept in, we crossed a few sandy two-tracks
and a barb wire fence. Regardless of these notable landmarks,
our position was still uncertain. We had been walking
nearly six hours since lunch with the anticipation of finding the
plateau rim in half that time. It seemed that both Amity
and I were less than enthusiastic with our situation, and our
patience was growing short for each other, our route,
and the day in general. Just before nightfall we stopped and found
a decent camp spot.
Physically
and mentally exhausted, I cooked my
dinner, tended to my feet, and went to sleep. Little
discussion in regard to our day or our route tomorrow took
place. I was quite frustrated that we were unable to make it to
the rim and began to question our ability to complete our alternative
route as planned. Total hiking time: ~11.5
hrs. Thanks for
reading.
Amity:
I hope tomorrow is not a continuation of today and
I almost wish I could wake up anywhere but here with
the morning.
The day turned poor at aprox. 11:00 AM, soon after the delightful,
unexpected discovery of an abandoned home and barn. Nearby
was a stunning little lake pressed into the oddest hexagonally
shaped pillowy grey/white rocks. A notable contrast to the
standard red sandstone.
It was the "Red Knolls" that threw us and from which
we have yet to recover in our cross country trek to the Vermillion
Cliffs. Whether Little Knoll was Middle, or Middle was Big, or
whether we had them all pinned perfectly is the question of the
day. Either way, many miles later, our destination of Hancock
Spring feels no closer and tomorrow's journey is a question mark.
Thankfully we have enough water for the unexpected detour and in addition
to the lake we have seen 2 stock pools - somewhat unappealing, but wet
with as much as a foot of water, perfectly filterable if need be. Tomorrow
will resolve the situation or crush us, depending on time and water.
Today life is not at stake.
Two hopes for tomorrow: That we find the cliffs and a way down earlier
rather than later in the day and that we both are better rested with
better sense of humor for our situation.
October 9th
Off the Rim, Through the Cliffs
Brian:
After waking and packing up, we backtracked a little ways to a
cattle pond I had noticed the evening before. Both of our dispositions
were a bit sullen as we thought about the uncertainty of the
day ahead. Once we had both filtered 6 liters apiece, we set
out on a direct south bearing, hopeful to find the rim in a few
hours. As it turned out, we walked to the edge of the Vermillion
Cliffs in about 20 minutes. Immediately our moods improved and
all of our anxiousness was swept away in a brief moment of relief.
We set the maps out to try to orient ourselves with the landscape
2,000 ft below, and Amity headed east along the rim to try to
seek out a possible decent route.
Amity returned in about 30 minutes with no good news. So, we switched
roles and I headed east along the rim to see if I could locate
one of two possible routes through the Vermillion Cliffs. Basically
I was looking for a small break in the cliffs that would allow
us to get to the canyon floor. In addition, according to our pre-trip
planning the route had some Indian petroglyphs on the east wall
of the descent route. Essentially this meant that I needed to check
each crack that appeared as I traversed eastward along the rim
--- not a quick task. Eventually, about 1 hour away from where
we originally came to the plateau rim, I looked down into a break
in the cliffs and noticed some rock art. Intrigued, I traversed
down and around to the entrance of the break. Looking down, it
appeared that the route might go all the way to the canyon floor
but I could not see beyond a large chockstone. I decided to descend
the route before claiming victory, and soon found the going technically
challenging, and near impossible with a heavy pack. After down
climbing about 40 ft of crumbly sandstone, I set foot on a wide
ledge. Just above me were a few petroglyphs I had spotted from
above. Encouraged, I continued cautiously down the sandy, and
rock filled gully to the first of two chockstones. With some basic
stemming I was able to maneuver around the first. The second proved
much more challenging as I had to move a few rocks from beneath it to make
room to wiggle through. At this point I was pretty certain that even if this
was the correct route, it would not be passable with loaded packs without some
technical rock gear. Anyway, I wiggled through the small opening successfully
but I was disappointed to find yet another series of chockstones that were
more daunting that first two. So after descending a ~1,000 ft, I reversed my
direction and climbed back up to the plateau rim. After wandering around a
bit longer, I headed back.
While
I was trying to find a route down, Amity had taken a few bearings
and located our approximate location on on the plateau rim. In
retrospect this would been the best thing to do first, but our
excitement got the better of us. Based on her plotting, we were
only ~1/4 mile from our second choice for descent off the cliffs
and well west of our first choice, which we had tried to locate.
So off we set to try to find the other descent route. In the
meantime we had decided that if we could not find the route in
a timely manner, we would head NW across the remainder of the
Paria Plateau, and join up with the official Arizona Trail. We
were not excited about this idea but water would be running low
as well as our food, if we did not get off the plateau shortly.
Fortunately we found the second descent route after crossing
a two track and following it to an old corral and 2 concrete
troughs. Just the landmarks we needed to locate our route through
the cliffs! We carefully descended the sandy, talus filled gully,
lowering packs to one another when the route demanded it. Slowly
we made our way down through a series of ledges and ramps to
the base of the Vermillion Cliffs and traversed west along the
base to a series of springs that we were counting on to be running.
Eventually
we found Bonelli Spring. Bonelli Spring has been enhanced by ranchers trying
to get water down to the canyon floor for their stock.As such a 4 x 4 x
15 ft rectangular chunk of sandstone has been removed from the
sandstone cliff face, and a 1" poly pipe attached
to an outlet tube. We spent a good deal of time at the spring filling up
with 2.5 gallons each as our next water stop was ~30 miles south
and the temps were quite warm. Descending from the spring was really
tough as our packs were heavy and the footing was treacherous...loose
boulders, unstable sand, and very steep slopes. Essentially we
just followed the poly pipe from the spring down to the canyon
floor, skirting obstructions where necessary. We were both relieved
to have not only found our descent route, but to have made it down from
the base of the cliffs without incident. We continued to follow
the poly pipe along an old 4wd road until we came upon 3 large
cattle tanks. Amazingly the poly pipe that was attached to the
spring more than 1,000 ft above and at least a mile distant, was
actually filling the tanks! Strangely it appeared as the area had
not seen any bovine visitors in years. We took some time to clean
up, and left the tanks feeling refreshed and re-energized.
We followed a few
dirt roads out to HWY 89A, crossed the Hwy, and headed southward along
BLM rd 8910 and into the House Rock Wildlife Area. We got a few
miles in before dark and found a decent camp spot up and away from
the dirt road. Sleep came easily for me as the day was mentally
and physically tough. Our only concern as the moon rose was that
we were a day behind schedule and our food supply would need to
be rationed a bit to get us to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Regardless, we felt great about seeing our original plans through. ~10
hrs hiking time.
Amity:
Almost a full day behind schedule but the day was worth it. Definitely
a sense of satisfaction as we discovered our route and saw it through,
dropping through a fissure in the Vermillion Cliffs to the valley below.
We began the day by finding a cattle pool Brian had spotted the night
before and filling up without any idea of how far we would have to go
before seeing water again. Within 20 minutes of departing the pond we
arrived at the rim of the cliffs, dropping sheer away to the foothills
and the rising heat of the valley. Victory! What a satisfying feeling,
suddenly the wonder and thrill of the desert renewed.
The next project was to find one of the only two breaches in the wall
to get down. Brian headed off on a scouting expedition while I played
with compass and map, plotting our location within 1/4 mile. He returned
discouraged, but we knew we had to be close to one of the routes down.
A
little discouraged, we decided to head west along the rim with
the idea we might have to skirt the entire cliff band, bailing
towards a road quite a way west and somewhat north. Within a
short distance, however, we came across 4wd track and a clear
cattle path. We followed these to the rim and Voila! As described,
there were 3 troughs and the remains of a coral. We started down
a rocky defile, finding the spring and a pipe from it. We spent
a good while tanking up, perched at the base of the cliff wall,
well above the foothills. Down we continued, never easy, always
physically demanding. Sandstone on sandstone is the ultimate in
lubricated slide and sand itself is not designed for firm footing.
We followed pipe to a 4wd track and out in to the valley, coming miraculously
to a striking series of tanks full from the spring waters. Unbelievable to look
up and see the spring high above, the arid cactus covered land between, knowing
the journey of the water. That the pipe was whole and complete, intact, is a
wonder in itself. The tanks were full of clean untouched water. No evidence of
recent cattle. Water today was ample! A little cleaner we set off, a spring in
our step even though the time was nearing 17:00 and we still had an hour to the
hwy. Reaching the road was pleasant, good to see some easy non-thinking walking.
Both of our spirits are higher and the delay in schedule seems meaningless. For
we have succeeded on a little used route, scouted probably by native people as
indicated by petroglyphs along the cliff, and we made it across the plateau despite
the may bones scattered beneath the juniper trees, which yesterday seemed to
spell a grimmer future.
October 10th
Brian:
The day largely consisted of a dirt road walk along BLM 8910 to
and through the House Rock Valley Wildlife Area. Strangely enough
we saw no wildlife, although the pamphlet we picked up at the
roadway trailhead mentioned buffalo, antelope, and mule deer.
No such sightings for us, just a pleasant walk through open desert.
The day was much cooler than we expected and it began to sprinkle
a bit. It felt great to get into stride and have some easy mileage.
Eventually we came our junction with BLM 631 and began to head
west toward North Canyon and the Saddle Mountain Wilderness.
The route through North Canyon would take us up to the Kaibab
Plateau and then south to the Grand Canyon. The trail was well
maintained and an easy grade as it climbed upward. I was surprised
at the diversity of the vegetation along the trail...Doug Fir,
Ponderosa Pine, Pinyon Pine, Juniper, Maple, Oak, and Aspen.
The aspen, oak, and maple were all changing color, so the contrast
with the evergreen background was quite stunning. The canyon
climbed steadily, but the only steep part was near the top
as the trail switchbacked past North Canyon Springs and to a low
saddle between two sandstone buttes. The rain had stopped but it was still
quite cool as we continued southward.
After exiting North Canyon we joined the
official AZT and continued on it for a few miles until camping
for the evening on a high point above a grassy meadow. It was long
day and my legs were anxious for a break. ~27 miles and ~11
hrs of
hiking time.
Amity:
A very cold wet evening and afternoon. The temperature significantly chillier
here on the North Kaibab than below in the House Rock Valley. The sense of
chill is compounded by the lack of food today. I began with less food than
I should have and with our little delay I am down to a few last crumbs.
As for the route today, all maintained roads and easy walking. The North Canyon
Trail was attractive and made for a well-graded climb to the rim and a quick
meeting with the Arizona Trial, our first steps on official trail. Brian did
a great job planning this alternative and it has come together beautifully,
a route I would recommend to anyone seeking to avoid what seems to be a rather
dull start to the AZT.
The canyon was attractive, fall colors just beginning. I was running low on
energy and my appreciation for the scenery was diminishing with the icy drizzle.
Also, until we reached more coniferous forest the vegetation of the canyon
bottom had the odor of a pet store rodent cage.
I am tired and worn out, looking forward to the North Rim of the Grand tomorrow,
and go to sleep thinking of a hot shower and a steaming mug of hot chocolate
with a cloud of whip cream.
October 11th
Kickin' it at the North Rim
Brian:
We awoke this morning to very damp and cold skies. A good layer
of frost/ice coated our tarps and convincing myself to get out
of the sleeping bag was a challenge. Since we were running low
on food, it only took a few spoonfuls to finish breakfast before
we hit the trail. The rain from the previous night had left the
grass and other vegetation damp and icy, and the low meadows where
the trail was were quite cold. It took me a good half hour to warm
up, and I started off the day at too quick a pace...yesterdays
aches and pains were awakened early. We had about 12 miles to get
to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where our first food drop
was waiting. The trail all morning was pretty unspectacular. We
were generally following utility repair roads or hiking through
areas that the park service was getting ready for prescribed burns.
In addition, the trail essentially paralleled highway 89, so road
noise and associated smells were commonplace throughout the morning.
On a positive note, the Aspen were golden and the trail tread
made for pretty easy walking. We managed the mileage in about
3 hours and arrived hungry at the North Rim. We checked in about
obtaining a permit for a night in the canyon, but the cancellations
had already been filled by others earlier in the day. So Plan
B was put into effect: stay the evening at the campground, do
laundry, shower, and other chores and then hike the Grand Canyon
tomorrow as a Rim-to-Rim hike. As Ranger G.K. Sprinkle said, "Day
hikers do not need a permit. Any stopping will result in a $250
dollar fine." Welcome to your National Parks. Unconvinced
that we could actually hike the 23 miles from the N to S Rim,
Ranger Sprinkle kept offering other alternatives for an overnight
camp in the Grand Canyon, but we thanked her for the suggestions
and promptly left. So, we are now cleaned up, well feed, and
in good spirits as we lounge on leather sofas in the North Rim
Lodge. Tomorrow should find us in warmer climates as we head
down canyon and then back up to the South Rim. Thanks for reading.
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