Category: Kaibab National Forest

17 June 2015

Rainbow Rim Trail from Parissawampitts Point

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.

08 June 2015

Return to Snake Gulch

Return to Snake Gulch, no problem, it’s a beautiful drive.

I met Bill at the trailhead but we didn’t start hiking until 11am, a little late for this open low elevation June desert.

Saw a few flowers like globe mallow, cholla buds, sego lily, prickly poppy.

I’m guessing about 1 1/2 mile hike to the first alcove of petroglyphs in this open canyon with no shade. We crossed the dry wash to soon at what I thought looked like a trail and ended up almost bushwhacking on a slight path, could have been an animal trail, through beautiful yet nasty grasses that stick to your socks.

I see a hunting story in this panel of petroglyphs.

Some of these look like they may have been “embellished” long after the original work. Why do people do this?

Continued about 1/2 mile to another small alcove with nice rock couches but barely any pictographs. Had lunch here then decided to turn back as it was getting warm and Bill had to get home to pack for a trip the next day.

We just didn’t go far enough. Late start, warm day saved from being overly hot by a nice breeze. Later a friend showed me photos of more elaborate pictographs of almost human-size further down the trail. Maybe another time.

I camped at the trailhead thinking I’d get out to try moon and star shots but ended up reading until about 9 and went to bed tired, a good tired.

The next morning I drove very slowly out FR423 looking closely at the rock walls. Used binoculars and saw several possibilities. Looks like a granary or food storage area.

I sure could live here for the beautiful surroundings. When Native Americans were here over 1000 years ago there could have been more rain. But it’s a dry country now.

This deep alcove caught my eye yet with a spillway below it I didn’t figure there would be any signs of human. Then I zoomed way in, and was surprised to see petroglyphs on the well stained recessed wall.

The broken down blocks on a rocky ledge looked like a patio fence. Then looking closer it seemed like a shallow cave with black sooted ceiling. Or maybe it’s my imagination.

There is so much more to see here that several return trips are in order but that may have to wait until fall when the temperatures are cooler.

Arizona, Kaibab National Forest petroglyphs, pictographs, Snake Gulch 18 Comments

25 May 2015

Camping at Snake Gulch trail head

Two days off so made a plan to hike further down Snake Gulch than previously and hopefully find more panels of pictographs and petroglyphs. I figured by camping at Snake Gulch trail head Wednesday night I could get an early start hiking in the morning. This time of year should be cooler than summer when the canyon gets really hot.

I left the Plateau in the afternoon under cloudy skies and drove to Kanab for a few groceries. Figured to be half way there anyway just driving to the trail head.

Plus I could come back on the paved Forest Road 22 most of the way and by then blue sky was showing. The cliff rose, princess plume and mallow were blooming along the way.

The road winds back up onto the Kaibab Plateau through the Juniper and Pinyon woodlands.

Just past the Jacob Lake turn off the road becomes gravel and looked like the Forest Service had recently graded it. Then only a couple miles to the Forest Road 423 turnoff. Because I miss marked my map from the previous drive I continued past the turnoff to Kanab Creek Wilderness and drove 30 minutes out of my way up a narrow, rough and rutted road before realizing my mistake. Finally after about five miles was able to turn around when I got to a another road junction.

Came back to Forest Road 624 and drove the three miles into Snake Gulch to the trail head.

Parked and level before dark but already in the shade of the towering cliffs.

After making dinner it was too late to walk far but I did see the last light glow on the far canyon walls.

And shared the view.

Under a clear cold night full of stars I fell asleep to the coyote’s song. Then woke early in the morning to a gray sky the sun struggled to brighten. The wind kicked in. The Gulch would not be a good place to be in the event of flash flood so I decide not to hike.

Around 10:30 I headed back out of the canyon. I felt a little sad, mad, and disappointed that I came out here and then didn’t hike. Yet I figured to take a nice slow drive back to the North Rim and enjoy this gorgeous canyon on the way.

I stopped in the road to photograph some flowers and another truck drove up towards me. So I backed off the road onto a convenient wide spot.

Also stopped at a small panel of pictographs and petroglyphs that are not in the best of shape due to vandalism. It drives me nuts that people have so little respect. The Mountain Sheep is clearly visible but many others are not. Plus there is a lot of modern graffiti.

Archeologists believe the pictographs are between 2300 and 1200 years old. The rock surface is naturally exfoliating so some of the features are not complete.

By the time I came back across the meadows it began to rain and when I reached the park’s entrance station it started to snow.

By morning the ground was white.

Hopefully I’ll get back to Snake Gulch before the summer temperatures make it unbearable. Yet I think it was a wise choice not to hike this day.

Arizona, Kaibab National Forest Snake Gulch 22 Comments

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Category: Kaibab National Forest

Rainbow Rim Trail from Parissawampitts Point

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Return to Snake Gulch

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Camping at Snake Gulch trail head

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Category: Kaibab National Forest

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