Howdy all! This is my first post here. I'm soliciting suggestions for a 3 day/2 night backpacking trip in northern Arizona/southern Utah. A mountain biking buddy from PA will be visiting me in Phoenix mid-October and I'd like to take him somewhere that's NOT in the Canyon. I'm an experienced desert hiker and we're both intermediate backpackers, in great shape, good at route finding/map reading/GPS use. Here's what I'm basically looking for:
* Reliable water source(s) on route, either scattered along the way or at very least on day 2.
* Don't mind elevation gain/loss at all but would like to keep a fairly mellow pace. No death marches please.
* Would prefer a loop to an out-and-back.
Is there anything that would fill my bill around the Little Colorado? Vermilion Cliffs? Grand Staircase-Escalante? Glen Canyon? Kiabab Plateau? If anyone out there can help me out out I would *really* appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
First thing you could do would be to click on the "Navigation" link on the top right section of this page, then under the "Locations" column, select "Regions" and you will be able to select the Northeast or the Northwest to get a general idea of some of the trails that have been written up on this site. I'm sure more members will submit personal knowledge on this area for you, but that is one place to start
No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength
^ Thanks for the suggestion, but I've already done that. I was more interested in personal testimonials and suggestions than trying to figure something out cold-turkey by studying a map.
I know its an "thru" and out with a shuttle, but the Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon area is on my "must do" list of things to see before I die. Just a thought. You'd be looking at 38 miles, but flat- you'd still have to haul a** http://www.hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=391
didnt you ask this on the BPL site, and if so, welcome to HikeArizona.com!
Thanks for the welcome and the suggestion. I've considered Buckskin but the shuttle requirement will almost surely rule it out as a possibility this time - we'll only have one vehicle and would be driving up from Phoenix. As for BPL, no, I haven't posted over there but it might be a good idea.
How about up the Paria River from the old townsite to Hogeye Canyon, up hogeye, cross the Cockscomb a bit, then drop into Hackberry. Down Hackberry to the Cottonwood Canyon Rd., then cut back across the Paria Box back to the townsite. Should be doable in 3 days, and there's water everywhere, except generally when crossing the plateau/ridge, since you're hiking in a stream bed almost constantly. Weather should be nice, a bit chilly at night.
See: http://hikearizona.com/photocodeZOOM.php?ID=5257
and: http://hikearizona.com/photocodeZOOM.php?ID=5202
For some photos of parts of the hike. This wasn't done as a through-hike, but I'm pretty sure Letty has done it as so, and can add more detail (if she's not up there right now, doing some wild hiking). The hike up to Hogeye Canyon is about 5.6 miles. I believe the bottom part of Hackberry where the connection with the cross-plateau trail is about 5 miles. The only unknowns (for me) are the distance back across the plateau from Hogeye to Hackberry, and the total distance from Hackberry back to the townsite through The Box. Can't be too terribly long - I've hiked The Box, but not to the townsite, and it wasn't very far at all.
"The only thing we did was wrong was staying in the wilderness to long...the only thing we did was right was the day we started to fight..."
-Old Spiritual
My book, The Marauders on Lulu and Amazon
Oh, I guess you could go into Chinle Wash, but there may or may not be water that time of year. Right now its running at about 1.5 feet (and probably very muddy), but its been on decline, probably all late runoff from this last line of storms. Also would be much more difficult to set it up as a loop. Very remote and beautiful though, and there are some springs in the area according to the topo.
"The only thing we did was wrong was staying in the wilderness to long...the only thing we did was right was the day we started to fight..."
-Old Spiritual
My book, The Marauders on Lulu and Amazon
Paria Canyon should be fairly easy to do in 3 days/2 nights for experienced backpackers, starting from Wire Pass rather than White House does make it a little more challenging.
You could try Wire Pass/White house 2 day/1 night loop, with a very small chance of hitching a ride to avoid a rather lengthy 2-3 hour road walk.
Don't know how far north you want to go, mid October it starts seeming like there are chances of snow in Flagstaff, Sedona may have some decent options.
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
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Guys, thanks a lot for the input. I do appreciate it. Looks like I'm going to have to try for a Plan B though. Permits for Paria have been taken for the days we'd need them, so shame on me for being asleep at the wheel on that one. Does anyone have any other recommendations?
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!
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