Knowing Jim and Gayle like to hike I suggested the Rainbow Rim Trail from Parissawampitts Point out on the Kaibab National Forest. I hadn’t been to this point so it would be a new adventure for us all. We met Bill at the Kaibab Country Store where he left his truck and we piled into Jim and Gayle’s Subaru and took off on the gravel Forest Road 22 west. It’s a good gravel road through the forest.
With a nice view of the canyon teasing us we started off on a spur that appeared to go to a point but with much steep downhill changed our minds and returned to the Rainbow Rim trail. Did get a nice view at the beginning but that was it.
Although a nice forest to walk through the name “rim” is rather deceiving due to the gullies that run into side canyons. Gayle set a good pace, but then she wasn’t gabbing as much as the rest of us. Not that we didn’t stop along the way. After hiking without a canyon view for a couple hours we stopped for lunch and turned around. This is a multiple use trail and we were passed by four mountain bikers, both ways.
I took up the tail and tried some flower shots without much success. I really need to practice manual focus for close-ups as the camera doesn’t read my mind.
Back to the view after 7 miles round trip with a bit of up and down.
We stopped on the way back at Dry Park Fire Lookout Tower. Jim was the only one to climb the 120 feet all the way to the top, where he reported “sqeezing” into the lookout with the young man stationed there for the summer. I’m thinking this could be a lonely job five days a week, even though he said he has a Verizon signal. I’d climbed it before.
Dry Park Lookout is the tallest fire tower on the Kaibab National Forest located at an elevation of 8710 feet. Built in 1944, the Aermotor tower replaced an earlier tower constructed in the 1930s. The groundhouse and support buildings were established in 1936 and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Several lookouts on the Kaibab National Forest are listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.
Was a fun time but don’t think I’ll be hiking the Rainbow Rim Trail again any time soon as I like to really be along the rim with views.
How to get there
On the Kaibab National Forest North Rim from Forest Road (FR) 22 from the north right on FR206; from SR67 west on FR22, right on FR270, left on FR222 and right on FR206; both routes west on FR214.
The 18 mile (29 k) Rainbow Rim Trail #10 connects five points extending west into Grand Canyon on the North Rim: Parissawampitts, Fence, Locust, North Timp and Timp.
This is a dog friendly multiple use trail allowing hiking, mountain biking and horses. Free dispersed camping is allowed up to 14 days in the Kaibab National Forest. There are no bathrooms or water so be prepared for primitive camping.
With views like that it has to be worth the hike. That tower is something else though. Wow, what a climb and like you said, must be a lonely life. Laptop, internet would keep me busy though.
It was a nice hike even if the canyon views were few. Not sure I could handle an entire summer mostly alone in a watch tower.
Sorry the trail didn’t turn out to be what you’d hoped but you certainly had good company. I’m wondering how far into the canyon Jim and Gail will hike.
It was still a good hike with great company. Gayle hiked down, and up, two miles.
That was a most enjoyable day! With sure good company we didn’t need views.
It was a good hike. Guess I’m just spoiled and want to see the canyon.
Hiking on your day “off?” It looks very lush along that trail. I imagine you’re busy at the rim – Breckenridge is booming. I’m always amazed at all the people when I go into town.
Need to hike on my days off because I don’t when I’m working. And yes, we are busy. It’s summer touron season for sure.
It looks like a fun hike to me. I love the fire tower.
It was a good hike. Would you climb the tower?
Yep, I would climb the tower. I’ve climbed to the top of distillation columns. I’ve actually climbed firetowers. When we lived in Payson, Arizona there was a fire tower on the Forest that dad worked in and the tenders were friends of the family so I went up a couple of times and checked it out. Going down was harder than going up.
Hey! I’ve been there before! I love that walk and that tower is a bit scary but the area surrounding it is FULL of Broad-tailed Hummingbirds! Like a billion!:)
The guy working the tower had hummingbird feeders all over the place. I finally got some sugar in town so will put my feeder up.
Wish I could still hike like that. and then your friend had energy to spare to climb to the top of that tower. Tired thinking of it.
Other than the fact that I’d already climbed this tower, I was too tired for that extra on the legs.
That tower is really something. I think I agree it would be a lonely job and I don’t know how often they have to climb up/down those stairs, but man… that’s a climb!
The guy told Jim he comes down for lunch then back up so he definitely gets his exercise.