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.