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| Backpack | 19.10 Miles |
2,995 AEG |
| | Backpack | 19.10 Miles | | | |
| 2,995 ft AEG | | 35 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Silvia and I car-camped at Hualapai Hilltop Thursday night.
Cold evening (low of 43 F) ... woke up at 6:30 went outside the vehicle and found some hikers outside standing/looking/commenting about my passenger rear tire (flat)... So the trip began with a little repair work.
Made the mistake of not printing the reservations and phone would not get signal at the reservation shack - Lady there told us "just go down and they'll get your emailed reservations in town below." Thoughts of being turned around at the bottom entered my head, for a moment.
Headed down.
Found camping just after the first restrooms by the creek - beautiful! Broke out the tent and hung up the food (as the forums instruct). Went exploring downstream to the cave entry at Mooney - then came back and hit the hay.
Up Sat am and prepped a day pack - about to leave and noticed a slightly better campsite, so last moment decided to move camp.
Got to Mooney tunnel at 9:30am (line of about 30... VERY slow)... watched other late comers stack up behind us and figured we could have beat this if we got here at 8am ... (next time).
Was quite surprised at how risky the descent was - lots of mist and very slippery chains and ladders. The down-climb is a very cool side experience to this canyon.
Below Mooney was an absolutely beautiful flat, whitemud, shallow lagoon - absolute heaven.
Further down towards Beaver, another fantasy lagoon opens up through a triangle shaped tunnel - immediately to the right a ladder climb. This place is surreal!
Got to Beaver for a swim and exploration. . . Then back upriver to the campsite. At Mooney, we got an opportunity to climb out with no wait - 120 seconds later at the top - exhilarating.
3pm and the Frybread stand opened... huge line. 1 hour wait for the food after ordering - helicopter landing was a hilarious spectacle seasoning everyone's frybread with the talcum-like canyon sand while hiker diners covered their eyes. The helo was for gear delivery - - hikers' Bags dropped into piles of mule dung - See, folks you are better off carrying your stuff in and out.
Next morning, 7am start. Chasing Silvia with all my strength - At Hualapai at 11:55. 3 days is the way to go. Next time, going to try for the confluence. Definately going to reorder my pack and try to knock off 10 lbs. Maybe a hammock.
Loved this hike! Loved it!!
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