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The Trip

"On her haunches and behind her, toward the north, is where the girdling slopes jag off into one enormous oblong; an olympian commingling of terrifying sheer drops and distorted upheavals and all manner of cavernous holes and corridors -- perhaps the roughest, wildest, most disordered conglomeration in a territory which nowhere and never is what you would exactly call docile."

Irvin S. Cobb, Arizona Highways magazine, 1940

Early in the 20th century, John Wetherill, a well-known southwestern desert guide, led various adventurers -- including author Zane Grey, clothing manufacturer Charles Bernheimer, and former president Teddy Roosevelt -- through Cobb's "disordered conglomeration" on the way to Rainbow Bridge. Zane Grey later described the route as having the most dangerous slopes he had ever seen. Roosevelt described tilted masses of sheetrock ending in cliffs, and difficult for both horses and men, describing the route as "fiendish," wrote to his wife that there was nothing like it anywhere else.

We, too, will hike to Rainbow Bridge, but we won't follow John Wetherill's route. That route, known as the Rainbow Trail, is today traveled by possibly a hundred hikers every year. Our route is followed by no one. In comparison, it will make Wetherill's look like Kansas.

The trip will begin in Rainbow City on the east flank of Navajo Mountain. After starting on Wetherill's now well-worn route, we will leave that route for the maze of cracks and slot canyons identified on early maps as Mystery Canyon. From this point on, our route is cross-country through a tortuous landscape that to this day has known very few non-native visitors.

Mystery Canyon is well protected from casual hikers. Its Colorado River terminus is a long blank wall. At its upper end, the canyon's three branches embrace a nearly 2000 foot high sandstone battlement, of which history records no climb or crossing. All three branches are narrow, vertical slots with no easy (or easily found) routes -- in or out.

Our hike will take us into all three branches. All are relatively short, and were it not for the pour-offs, plunge pools, ledges, cliffs, and, in some places, nearly impenetrable vegetation, a motivated hiker could walk the length of each branch in a day. But the obstacles make this impossible without technical canyoneering skills and very nearly impossible even with them. We will backpack across the three branches of the canyon and dayhike in each of the branches where we can safely do so. We will see Ancestral Puebloan ruins, moqui steps, pictographs, petroglyphs, a cave, dinosaur bones, miles of slickrock, and more vertical landscape per square yard than perhaps anywhere in the southwest.

Our last day begins with a short hike to Echo Camp -- now just a few rusting bed frames and disintegrating wood shacks, but graced with a lovely spring and a shallow pool surrounded by maidenhair fern. Soon thereafter, we reach Rainbow Bridge, the destination for John Wetherill's trips and the highest and longest natural stone bridge on the planet. The trip ends with a leisurely boat ride across Lake Powell back to Page.

Itinerary

This eight-day backpacking trip begins near Rainbow City. The leader will provide detailed information regarding the meeting location and time of the Navajo transport. The transport cost is approximately $60. Because the transport is not part of the Sierra Club trip, the cost is not included in the trip fee.

Day 1: We will backpack about five miles, crossing Bald Rock and Cha Canyons, and camping in a large alcove with evidence of ancient habitation in Nasja Canyon.

Day 2: We descend a canyon named for the Paiute Indian (Nasja) who originally guided John Wetherill to Rainbow Bridge. After an optional day hike through a slot with deep water, we climb steeply out of the canyon, crossing to the upper end of Mystery Canyon where we will spend the night. Although our campsite is only about one-half mile from the previous night's campsite, we will need nearly the entire day to get there. We end the day by viewing our prior campsite from a 800-foot dome.

Days 3-4: We backpack to the other two branches of Mystery Canyon, camping and dayhiking in the canyons.

Days 5-6: We backpack out of Mystery Canyon to Oak Canyon, and take a side-trip to an overlook. We will dayhike on the sixth day to a high butte with 200-mile views if the weather is clear; we may also find dinosaur fossils and explore a cave with pictographs.

Day 7-8: We rejoin Wetherill's route, backpacking about half the seventh day to the upper end of Bridge Canyon. On the eighth day, we hike down Bridge Canyon to Echo camp and Rainbow Bridge, then we return on the tourist boat to Page.

Except for the brief visit to Rainbow Bridge, this trip is entirely on land within the Navajo Nation. We will enjoy the area as guests of the local Navajo, and the Sierra Club will make a donation to the Navajo Mountain chapter house or school to express our appreciation. Those wishing to hike in this area on their own should contact the Navajo Department of Tribal Parks and Recreation in Window Rock or the Navajo Mountain chapter house for a permit. Wetherill's route -- the Rainbow Trail -- is an excellent excursion for independent, experienced hikers. Our route is not.

The rugged nature of the landscape makes this trip more than an introduction to hiking the Colorado Plateau. Rather, it is a mini-expedition through a rarely visited desert wilderness; once we leave the Rainbow Trail, participants are committed to the entire trip. Other than by helicopter, leaving early is impossible (and even by helicopter it would be difficult). It is quite likely that we won't see anyone on this trip, except at the very end.

Getting There

Participants are expected to arrive in Page, Arizona no later than the evening of before Day One. The leader will provide information on air service and driving options.

Accommodations and Food

All meals are included in the trip cost. We will prepare simple, lightweight, easy-to-prepare, good-tasting meals from dried and freeze-dried ingredients, using recipes tested on previous Sierra Club trips. Vegetarian options are possible. Participants with unusual nutritional requirements should contact the leader.

Participants will share cooking and clean-up activities with guidance as necessary from the trip staff. The first meal is lunch on April 3, and the last is lunch on April 10.

A selection of hot drink mixes will be provided. Trail mix and energy bar options are included.

Accommodations in Page are not included in the trip. Page has numerous motels; the leader will provide information and recommendations.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is not recommended for inexperienced or acrophobic backpackers. Although the total backpacking distance (about 30 miles) perhaps would merit only a moderate difficulty rating, the rugged nature of the terrain makes this a more difficult trip and participants must be in good physical condition. Stamina will be less important than a high level of confidence on steeply sloped slickrock. The trip has no prolonged ascents or descents, and no technical climbing. We will, however, set up a handline in places to provide extra support and bolster confidence. In places, we will traverse on steep slickrock with moderate exposure, perhaps 30-100 feet. Participants must be agile, nimble, experienced with walking on steeply inclined slickrock, comfortable with bouldering and scrambling in steep joint cracks with loose rock, and not distracted by heights. Some days will include day hikes in shallow water and bushwhacking through dense vegetation and willow thicket. Participants must be able to carry all their personal equipment plus a share of the commissary -- perhaps as much as 45-50 pounds in total backpack weight at the beginning of the trip.

The rewards of the trip, in scenery and solitude, will be commensurate with the trip difficulty.

Group Dynamics:

Mystery Canyon is truly a labyrinthine maze. This topographical complexity and the fact that we are not following an established trail impose several behavioral constraints on participants. Most importantly, because individuals who become separated from the group are likely to become seriously lost, we must hike in a reasonably close-spaced group. This does not mean a rigid, military-style formation -- the leader could not tolerate that. But participants who, for whatever reason, like to hike far ahead of the group or lag considerably behind should choose another trip. To avoid becoming lost, solo exploration of the Plateau will be discouraged. Those who feel they must do so, even if only briefly, must discuss their intentions with the leader.

Consumption or possession of alcoholic beverage is illegal on the Navajo Nation. We will demonstrate our respect for the Navajo by compliance with their laws.

Leader Approval:

Leader approval is required. After registering for the trip, complete the medical and trip participant forms and send them to the trip leader.

Realism and candor in assessing your ability will make the trip leader's task easier. Participants that overextend put themselves at risk of serious injury, will not enjoy the trip, and will diminish the experience for everyone else. The leader can only evaluate a participant's suitability for the trip by the information provided. If you have doubts about your ability, contact the leader.

The leader will contact the registrants by phone to discuss acceptance for the trip shortly after receiving their leader approval information and to answer questions.

Equipment and Clothing

Complete backpacking equipment -- including a reliably dry tent, backpack, sleeping bag comfortable in the low 30s, sleeping pad, and raingear -- is essential. Group commissary equipment will be provided. Due to the challenging terrain of our hiking and the need to carry all our food, lightweight equipment is critically important. Participants must minimize nonessential items.

Because much of our hiking will be on smooth sandstone or sand, lightweight fabric and leather hiking boots are ideal. We will not encounter long scree slopes with sharp jagged rocks that are common in many mountainous areas, so heavy mountaineering boots are excessive. Although we will not backpack in deep water, we will dayhike in shallow water and appropriate footwear for this is desirable.

Springtime weather on the Rainbow Plateau is usually sunny, comfortable, and pleasant, but it is also highly variable and participants should come prepared for extremes of hot and cold. In early April, pleasantly cool nights and warm days are likely, but uncomfortably cold or hot weather is possible. Nighttime lows in the 30s are likely and even in the 20s are possible, as are snow and rain. Daytime temperatures in the 60s or 70s are likely, but may range anywhere from 40 to 85.

Conservation

Discussion of conservation issues will include conservation of public lands in Arizona and southern Utah. Clean Energy will be a major topic for discussion especially as it relates to the numerous coal-fired power plants in the area.

Trip Price

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Staff

David Van Winkle has led numerous backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada, the North Cascades, the Rocky Mountains and on the Colorado Plateau in Utah and Arizona. David was previously the Dallas group Outings Chair and is currently the Quality Coordinator for the Southwest Subcommittee of the National Outings Program. He hikes frequently in the mountains and desert near his home in Santa Fe. In addition to backpacking, David's interests include canoeing, astronomy, photography, ornithology, geology and green residential building. David is a Wilderness First Responder.

E-mail: david@vw77.com

Assistant Leader:

Arthur Kuehne is currently the the Webmaster for the Dallas Group of the Sierra Club. He has been active in the Club for almost 30 years and has served as Dallas Group Chair and Chair of the Lone Star Chapter. He has led backpack and canoe trips in Texas and throughout the Southwest for over 25 years. In addition to backpacking and canoeing, Arthur's interests include photography, green/energy efficient building, computers, and nature study.

E-mail: arthur@akuehne.com

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carpooling
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Participant Approval
• Standard Trip Equipment
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback
• Legal Information
• Seller of Travel Disclosure