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| Hiking | 24.00 Miles |
2,995 AEG |
| | Hiking | 24.00 Miles | 16 Hrs 30 Mns | | 1.45 mph |
| 2,995 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Arrived Sunday night around 8pm. Five hour drive from Phoenix. Use caution on BIA 18, lots of cows on the road (seams the tastiest grass grows on the shoulder). The adults play it cool, the calves have never seen a car before. Every single time. Spent the night at the trailhead parking lot in the back of our truck. Not much wind to speak of. Lot was full, cars were parked in the road, not along side but right in the roadway. No issues with the security personnel. Seems a lot of folks camp on top every night, I guess they don't care.
The hike in was mostly shaded by the narrow canyon walls, plus we started at 5am. Some aren't impressed but I enjoyed the hike to the village. Lots of interesting alcoves and formations high above. Keep an eye out for the mule trains, this ain't GCNP. On the other hand, not really much mule poop on the trail and if there was it was off to the side. Mules are well trained here. Xanterra take note.
Village was interesting. Several super-model horses (read: very skinny) milling about. I blame Equine and Sassy! magazine and their unobtainable images of perfection. Not as many stray dogs and much cleaner than I was lead to believe (well if you believe anything on trip advisor).
Picked up our dayhiker permits at the tourist office, located on the main drag just before the cafe and general store. $44 per person (pricey but all that water has to be trucked in). Polite, professional staff with helpful advise. No lecture from a surely park ranger: bonus!
Continued on past the new falls (IDK if they are still called Navajo), checked out Havasu and then Mooney. The climb down to Mooney through the tunnels was awesome! After Money we pretty much stayed in the creek most of the way to Beaver. The water at Beaver was nice and warm. Perfect place to relax, tough place to leave. Saw a couple of bighorns on the way back in the grapevine area.
This was a great time to go in my opinion. Cool enough in the morning and night during the hike in/out, hot during the day but once you get to Mooney you can mostly stay in the creek for the rest of it.
Had an awesome time, can't wait to get back. Maybe another trip this summer.
Edit: On the way in we ran into Vince/Goyaa as he was hiking out. Said he just spent 4 days down there. |
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Route Editor
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