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| Backpack | 13.18 Miles |
2,561 AEG |
| | Backpack | 13.18 Miles | | | |
| 2,561 ft AEG | | 40 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Three of us hiked the South Rainbow Bridge trail at the end of April, 2023. We’re all near 70. A few things to keep in mind if you’re an older hiker or you’ve done this 40 years ago and are considering it again:
~Two of us did this backpack 40 years ago and remembered almost nothing about how to get to the trailhead and about the trail itself.
~Each of us carried 3.5 liters of water starting from the wash just past Haystack (1.5 miles to the trailhead), and returning to the trailhead from First Water. We needed more—probably 4.5 liters each, hiking during noon temperatures of 60 at the trailhead and 70 at First Water. On the return trip two of us ran out of water at Horse Canyon. Luckily it had rained the previous evening so there was water in potholes we could filter. Had it not rained, it would’ve been an extremely parched and painful slog back to the trailhead.
~On the majority of the trail we averaged around 0.5 to 0.8 miles per hour. Steepness, stair stepping 12” to 24” high boulders, bushwhacking through drainages, constantly watching our footing due to ankle-twisting softball-sized scree, and much marveling at the scenery cut into our schedule big time.
~We made it as far as Cliff Canyon (about 9 miles) before before realizing we didn’t allow enough time to reach the Bridge and meet our ride back at the trailhead. We’re in decent shape for being 70ish and think four nights and five days will enable most our age to complete the round trip with a tolerable level of pain.
~We started hiking at noon the first day and six hours later camped at a spot about a mile shy of High Camp. If we do this again, we’ll definitely go the extra mile to High Camp which had firewood and flat spaces for several tents. There is no flat ground for tents at Yabut Pass.
~Other descriptions were helpful locating the trailhead and while on the trail—no updates there except we didn’t think our RAV4 could cross the wash immediately after Haystack Rock so we hiked the 1.5 miles from the wash to the remnants of Rainbow Lodge/trailhead. A high-clearance vehicle is a must to cross the wash after Haystack and drive to the trailhead. Also, thick shrub growth prevented access to the outhouse in Cliff Canyon. |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Lots of budding penstemons and the redbud trees in Cliff Canyon we’re gorgeous. |
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