Hints for long-distance driving through the American Desert Southwest:
Take not only water for yourself, but some kind of appropriate liquid to refill your radiator when a rock bounces up and holes it.
Check cell phone coverage before you leave. That way you’ll be spared nasty surprises when the van engine blows in one of the Black Holes. I have a “been there, done that” t-shirt from that, from a New Mexican Black Hole.
Make sure your spare is in good order.
Extra windshield washer fluid for the buggy stretches on the way to the desert. Ick.
Bring along an empty regulation gas can, so that if you do have to hike out for gas, you don’t end up getting soaked for the price of the gold-plated, diamond-encrusted container made of rare plastics retailed to you by the grinning Stop-N-Shop proprietor.
Now, I’m not saying that the Desert Southwest is a howling wilderness filled with tumbleweeds and characters from Stephen King novels, but it is a fact that when you’re broken down by the side of the road (any road), passing cars will be few and far between. So be prepared for a long stay. Bring food and drink and books to read.
And…the voice of experience speaks: stash a roll of toilet paper and a box of medium-sized Hefty sacks somewhere in the car, for emergency toileting while you’re waiting there by the side of the road. When I earned my New Mexican Black Hole t-shirt, we were pulling a travel trailer, so we had a potty, but woe betide y’all if you’re just in a van. You drop trou’ all the way down around your ankles, and hold the Hefty sack right up against your crotch, making sure you have sealage all the way around, then you let go. You could also pack a container of baby wipes for nicer cleanup.
If it was me, I’d also look up the phone numbers of the various State Police agencies you’ll be passing through. It makes a huge difference being able to sic the smokies on that semi driving erratically next to you on the interstate.
Thanks Duck Duck Goose, actually, I had already priced water and gas containers at the local outdoor/sporting goods store. So, yes, I will be bringing those along with water for the humans in our party.
One thing that hasn’t been addressed in my OP was the protocol for dealing with Native Americans in the area.
If I meet a little runaway Native American boy who wants to be an astronaut on the floor of the Grand Canyon, do I smuggle him hot dogs in a flashlight?
It ain’t leisurely. Keep in mind that it is a reverse mountain climb. You’re going downhill to start and climbing uphill coming out, when you’re tired. I did it once, in 1984. Never again.
Although I had the neatest experience when I did. If you go just past Indian Gardens on the trail out to the plateau, there is a distinct dividing line between nice, cool grassy area and desert. You can feel the temperature change in the space of one stride, like an inversion layer.
Thanks Clothahump, but what I meant by “leisurely” was “taking it extremely slowly.” I realize it’s a big hike, but I am not planning on doing it quickly or easily. I just meant taking however much time we need to do it and not rushing things and knowing what our limits are.
Yes, they changed some aspects of the program, mostly the price. There is a hangtag for the car rear-view mirror, and the card is supposed to be displayed from that. Motorcycles get a sticker, too. But I want a “Passport!”. Do each of the parks have their own distinctive stamp or whatever?? Why wasn’t I informed about this!!?? :dubious:
(I’m sick and fevery right now, so I hope this post makes sense!) There’s a rubber stamp you can get at each park- they’re different for each (IIRC, even the GC North and South rims are different!) They are color coded by region of the country, to match the section of the passport for that region. They also have yearly releases of sticker stamps with gorgeous park pictures on them that fit in it. It’s a fun thing.
There are fenced and unfenced overlooks throughout the region, and safety is definitely a factor. The “main” trails are well-groomed but, the remote trails and off-trail routes sometimes have frightening exposure; many regular trails are impassable when it snows or freezing rain. For that matter some of the roads aren’t much better, risk wise. A big problem apparently is exhaustion trying to hike out of the canyon. Starting out is easier on lungs but tough on knees.
We spent three days on the North Rim area and stayed at one of the three motels in the Marble Canyon area. The motels were very basic, but served large, hearty meals. (Hi, Charlie at Lees’ Ferry Lodge!!) We visited the G. C. North Rim park (about 90 miles from our motel) and walked the easy trails, which were both awesome and terrifying (wind storm that day).
We had our best fun at the Lee’s Ferry Crossing at and above the Navaho Bridge in Marble Canyon. This is the “geographic beginning” of the GC and is the place where folks “put in” for their rafting and kayak trips down the Colorado river. Charlie sent us to this area.
The crossing has river access and is located where the Echo and Vermillion Cliffs meet. We played on a sandy bank of the river all day and saw no other people at all except for the rafters or kayakers floating by who were beginng their journey down-river. The water is incredibly cold. Later, we wandered up to the “Lonely Dell” and ate fresh apricots right off the trees in the orchard there. A park ranger, one of the few people we saw in the area, told us to eat as many as possible. The flats around the Lonely Dell cabins were littered with 700-1100 y.o. pottery shards.
We also went to the South Rim for two days and caught a “star party” there. We saw Venus with all 4 of her moons and Saturn.
Since this is your first trip I recommend you stick to Bright Angel if you plan to hike down at all. It’s relatively easy and there are plenty of people around in case of trouble.
Don’t expect to go to the 3 mile point though. I’d suggest the 1 1/2 mile point instead. Remember, 1.5 down = 1.5 up. Allow at least 45 minutes per mile if you’re only carrying water (and do carry water). Trust me, it’s better to take your time and enjoy the view.
I haven’t been to the North Rim yet; that’s the trip my friends and I are talking about taking next. I’m sure it’s beautiful.
Physics nerd nitpick: I hope you mean you saw Jupiter and all four of her (Galilean) moons, and Saturn, and perhaps Venus as well. Venus is moonless. </nitpick>
I know that you’ve said that you’re going to be based out of Flagstaff, which is cooler and somewhat mountainous, but I think you’re going to be a bit tired of the desert after a week, especially in summer. Also considering that you’re probably going to drive through Texas and New Mexico to get there, a change of scenery would do you good. As this is your first (and maybe your parent’s only) trip west, you really should make it a point to visit the mountains on your way back.
You can go up through southern Utah and maybe see the four corners (boring) or Mesa Verde (freaking awesome) and drive through Durango and Alamosa. After a week in the desert, having coffee in 55 degree temperatures will be a treat. So will these views. This detour might add half a day to your trip, but trust me it will be worth it.
Holy cow! I thought this thread was dead. But actually what a coincidence. I finally leave for the Grand Canyon this Thursday (June 21). We will be driving up Thursday night and Friday morning to get to Amarillo. Then we will stay in Amarillo for Friday night and then drive the rest of the way to Flagstaff on Saturday. Flagstaff will be our base of operations for a few days before we go to Kayenta and explore that area.
As far as hiking. I don’t want to overdo it, and my dad and I are a cautious (well some would say “overly-cautious”) pair. So, I don’t think we will be hiking too far. I thought 3 miles might be okay, but if it looks like we are not going to make it 1 mile or 2, then I have no problem stopping there. I also don’t plan to rush anything. I like a slow, leisurely pace. And we’ve been stocking up on water, Gatorade, Propel, to bring with us for the last two months. (As everyone points out to us, “what they don’t sell water in Arizona?” yes, we know, but we wanted to have a tangible supply to bring with us).
Actually, I started packing things up in my bags today when I woke up, so to see this thread again was something of a shock.
And I think we’ll have a photographic record of our trip:
I’m bringing
–a 35 mm film camera (Canon Auto Focus) with 12 rolls of 24 exposure film
–a digital camera with two 1 Gigabyte SD cards (total picture potential 2000, it’s a 4 megapixel)
–a digitial video camera with 12 hours of videotape
My dad is bringing his digital camera which is new and has 8 megapixel capability and he got a 1 gigabyte card for it.
So, I joke that we’ll have enough still pictures to make a flip book out of them.
Actually, Lamar, I don’t think I would get bored of the desert after a week. I am not someone who gets bored easily. Some on my trip may get bored, but I would probably find it fascinating and want to stay longer. I would like to go to the mountains, we have no real set agenda. There are some things we definitely want to see, but I think there is some built-in flexibility in our plans.
The rule of thumb given by the park administration is to maintain a hiking pace at which you can easily talk. If you’re winded and can’t carry on a conversation you’re going too fast.
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention. Both my dad and I bought new binoculars for the trip. I also purchased a tripod adapter for my set of binoculars so I can use my tripod to view stuff without the jiggle of my hands messing up the scene.
Oh, here’s a question. What is the sky at night like in the Flagstaff area? The Kayenta area?
Since I have been a city boy most of my life and been in places with lots of light pollution, is the seeing better there? I know there are a lot of observatories in Arizona, but what if I were just going outside at night in Flagstaff? Are there places I can drive to at night in the desert that would allow me to set up my binocular tripod deal and look at the stars?
A great stop along Rt. 66 in Flagstaff is the Museum Club.
If you take 180 up towards the Canyon, Red Mountain is worth a visit if you have an hour to spare.
If you’re looking to load up on some extra stamps in your passport, Sunset Crater, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon are in the vicinity. Don’t put your first stamp in upside down like I did!
On your way out to Meteor Crater, cruise Winslow and see the “Standing On A Corner” sculpture. The Old Trails Museum right across the street is small, but worth checking out, and stop by the La Posada to soak up a little Harvey-era vibe.
If you are driving, prepare to be underwhelmed by the scenery, other than the sheer depth of th thing. You will have been driving through more or less identical terrain for days at that point.
We drove, and literally pulled the Chevy-Chase-in-Vacation maneuver. I think we only stayed looking at the canyon for the twenty minutes that we did out of some misplaced sense of obligation.
We did not partake of any mule ride or other trek into the depths, which I think would have left us with a better impression.
We liked Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce and Zion better.
