Trip #30: Grand Canyon North Rim & Paria, UT

September 26 - 12, 2010
 

UTAH: Buckskin Gulch
ARIZONA: North Rim Grand Canyon & Navajo Monument

636 miles

Camp Paria

Camped about 20 miles north of Lake Powell at Paria Canyon Guest Ranch campground, WITH electric, that was nice (because I had some ebay auction bidding going on). But forgot laptop charge plug, grrr. The next morning we did an 11 mile hike at Buckskin Gulch which was truly amazing. Hot outside but about 20 degrees cooler inside the slot. Next day camped ON the North Rim, hiked two miles into the canyon on Kaibab Trail (a killer: 2 miles down, 55 back miles up and hot out), 4x4 drive almost to Pt. Sublime for more views, biked a little of the area, dinner at the Lodge the last night there, last stop near Kayenta at Navajo National Monument for just one night.

Canyon Info:  Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest, and while others are narrower, prettier or more challenging to explore, the length and variety of the terrain in the gulch make it the best overall. The canyon is narrow for 12 miles; the cliffs become steadily higher downstream, reaching a height of 500 feet above the streambed at the end, where Buckskin Gulch meets the Paria River which also flows through a deep canyon for several miles either side of the confluence.

Plethora of pics to come, but for now:

Southeast view looking out the door.

Shot this from across a canyon on a drive a few miles behind the camp area; couldn't tell at the time what it was, but now I see it is a huge bee hive.

Gradient sunset

Starting the slot canyon hike. Hence the name. This was the tightest spot but we didn't have to cut off any limbs, whew.

Trucking in

A jamming of flash flood debris very high overhead.

The canyon floor. Looks like chocolate shavings on a cake.

Just this small spot had water -- not what I wanted to see after the debris pile overhead.

After hiking about 5.5 miles in (the first 2.25 of which were on open riverbed), it opened up in spots. Turned around about here, but the canyon goes for another 14 miles or so

The walls are getting higher.

The water line. These visuals do cause a slight freakout feeling when you think about a flash flood with no way out.

Weird scenes inside the canyon #1: Mr. Lethargic Tarantula. He needed some sun to wake up. Wondered how he got here on the sandy bottom. Did he fall from the top? who knows. BTW, this sand was like walking on the beach.

Weird scenes inside the canyon #2: The other slot canyon.

Weird scenes inside the canyon #1: The Log Alligator

Heard there were petroglyphs, but couldn't find them. So I went off looking, while Bill accidentally sat right by them!!

Put down his at and he saw them. Just this little spot. Authentic or not, I have no idea but here they are.

North Rim at Sunset.  More to come...