Kaibab Plateau Tour Photoset • arizona_water • 2018-05-26 • HikeArizona.COM

Kaibab Plateau Tour, AZ

	2018-05-26
	25 by arizona_water

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Kaibab Plateau Tour, AZ

Mtn Biking	89.70 Miles	7,675 AEG

Mtn Biking	89.70 Miles	3 Days
	7,675 ft AEG

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linked

Rainbow Rim Trail

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Jonathan took me on my first true bike-packing trip over Memorial Day weekend: multi-day single track and double track on gravel road bikes with over-night gear.

The loop included the beautiful Rainbow Rim Trail and many glorious miles of riding through aspen groves and mixed conifer forests. Although this was my third time in the Northern Kaibab National Forest, I was still infatuated with the overwhelming pine smells of the forest that make you forget all about the Sonoran Desert.

The only surface water available on the southern Kaibab Plateau was at Quaking Aspen Spring.

Point Sublime Road is pretty rough and has multiple sections of deep sand. This was a disappointing realization because it precludes me from ever getting back to a campsite I found overlooking Crystal Creek Canyon. I mean, I guess I could bike out there again...but for now, I never want to be on that road again.

I pulled three nymph-stage deer ticks from my legs on this trip. That makes over 7 for the season.

The North Rim was tranquil, as always. We ate lunch at the East Rim viewpoint before heading home on Monday. About a year ago, I found out that there's a perennial stream in the upper portion of North Canyon. I want to hike the loop down East Rim Trail down to North Canyon, then return on the AZT. Next time.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Quaking Aspen Spring

	Quaking Aspen Spring	Dripping	Dripping
	The spring box took a minute to locate. It's above the road, on the hillside on the north side of the canyon. The box was full of clear water that was trickling out over the walls and down into the meadow for a few meteres before infiltrating underground.

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- there's nothing like finding Water in the Desert -

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