Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument April 2009

[wildhare]

As stated in an earlier post, I never made the trip in May. I am now getting to a point in my life where the trip is again possible.

Would a mid-October date be too late? October 13-15 is looking best.

I have two possible plans, both starting and ending at St. George:

1) A Three day trip:
* Overnight at the Fork between Twin Point and Kelly Point @ 36° 9'35.82"N, 113°35'30.65"W http://g.co/maps/wu8bx
* Morning @ Twin Point
* Overnight @ Kelly Point
* Back to St. George the 3rd day

2) A Two day trip:
* Overnight @ Kelly Point. Early start @ St. George will allow time to enjoy sunset.
* Back to St. George 2nd day. If leaving @ 10 am from Kelly Point, should be able to make it back to St. George within 8 hours.

Here are the unknowns/concerns, thus far:
* Outdoor night temperatures. Online weather data puts average highs in the 50's and lows at near freezing for that time of year at "North Rim" of the Grand Canyon. Does this seem accurate? If so, tent sleeping would require some serious coverage.
* Obstructions on road to Kelly Point. Do I need to take a Chain Saw? What other road clearing equipment do I need?
* Time to travel to Kelly Point. I've been able to find only one testimony online as to the drive time to Kelly Point from St. George.
http://www.desertusa.com/cgi-bin/mb/mes ... =88016.msg, retrieved on 2011/03/17.

My wife and I traveled from St. George to Kelly Point yesterday. It was an 11 hour R/T with some stops for views and to cool off the auto trans in my YJ jeep.

The vehicle tank holds 20 gallons of gas. Can carry an additional 20 in jerry cans on the rear tire carrier and roof rack. I will also carry 20 gallons of water in jerry cans. Food, stove, fuel, tent, sleeping bags, blankets, outdoor toilet, etc.

What do you think? What will conditions be like that time of year? Is it possible to get to Kelly Point an hour before sunset if leaving St. George at 7 am?

Thanks again!

-Dan

[DaveK]

Dan:

I have several thoughts on your trip:

1. Both the two day trip and the three day trip, in my opinion, are much too short to do the area the justice it deserves. Much of my opinion here is based on how much time it takes for me to drive to St George and then on to the rim. If you live closer to St George, this may be a whole different story.

2. The weather in October can be very difficult. I would expect that you would be entering the cold season and evening temps are likely to be below freezing. As you mention, if it does get cold, you will need an above average sleeping bag. If it rains before you go or while you are there, things can get very muddy and slick and getting out can be very difficult. My advice would be to contact the rangers that know the area and get their opinion. You can also use the National Weather Service (NOAA) point and click weather forecast service. They offer the weather in 7 day forecasts and you can get a pretty good feel for what to expect as your departure date gets closer.

3. Yes, it is true that we needed to clear the road to Kelly Point, but that was because it was the early part of the season (April) and there were a lot of trees and rocks that were there due to the winter storms, etc. No chain saws were necessary. In most cases the 5 of us were able to pull the stuff off the trail. In one instance, we needed a vehicle to pull it off the trail.

4. I don't recall the exact amount of time it took us to travel to KP, but is was the better part of a day. It's a long drive and a slow one. From St. George, I think you could easily make it to KP at least an hour before sunset.

5. Your choice of the PLB is good. It offers exceptional emergency response in the type of situations you mention. Keep in mind that it only offers one way communication - from you to the search and rescue dispatch center. No text or voice is part of the PLB system.

6. Is a Ham radio really necessary? Well, in my opinion, for travel in remote areas that are a considerable distance from help, the answer is simple. YES! (At KP, you will be over 100 miles from the nearest town). You do not need to spend $1000,00, however, to get started. For the ultimate in ability to get out, virtually no matter where you are, you would do well to consider an HF radio (which requires a General or higher license).

Hope this helps.

[vince]

Hey guys,

I happened upon this thread while searching for a digital version of the Arizona Strip Visitors Map. I've been looking at topo maps of this area for years now and I have always wanted to make a trip through this portion of our country.

Next week I will be finalizing the purchase of a 1989 FJ62 Land Cruiser. Its the first 4x4 since the S10 blazer I had in high school - This will be the first step in getting ready for the trip.

I am glad to have found your thread. I live in Illinois, so without your detailed account, it would be difficult to know if making the 22 hour trip to mesquite, NV, and then on to the wilderness would be worth it. But from what I hear from Dave, it is everything I expected and more.

Over the next 6-12 months I am going to start work on prepping the Cruiser for the trip and getting together everything else I would need. Its basically stock, so I have a lot of work to do on that front. I would appreciate any advice on suggested upgrades and equipment as this will be the first time I modify a vehicle for this sort of off road adventure. I'm a novice when it comes to off-roading, so I am looking for advice on how to make the most of the money I am investing in the truck - what parts are worthless, and what upgrades I can't do without. I've already listened to the podcast about alternative power and found them very helpful. If you have any tips on what would be the first place to start, as far as gathering information, or on what the first things I should to to get the land cruiser ready for the trip, let me know.

Thanks again for posting such a great write-up of the trip, as well as documenting the the process you went through putting it all together.

-Vince

[unwiredadventures]

I didn't go with Dave on his trip, but I went to the Parashant in 2008.

It's one of the most remote and beautiful places in the West. I plan on going back again.

Some photos of my trip here.

[DaveK]

Vince:

I will get you gpx files for our entire trip in the next few days.

I'll start with some general suggestions and work from there.

1. You should be going with at least one other vehicle.

2. You should have some means to communicate in the event of an emergency. Don't count on your cell phone, a CB, or GMRS or FRS radios. Your choices can be Ham Radio (a must in my book), a PLB, a Delorme In Reach, a Spot Messaging device, a sat phone, or if you really want to get fancy, a BGAN satellite modem (pretty expensive).

3. Invest in some quality recovery gear. TomS is probably the best source for a good checklist here, but a good start is a hi-lift jack, a recovery strap, a full sized shovel, d-rings, a full sized spare (or two) in good condition and a tire repair kit. Invest in quality tires.

4. You should have recovery points front and rear, good rock sliders, good undercarriage protection, and a willingness to get some great brush scratches.

5. There are no facilities in the Monument so carry lots of gas and water.

6. With older vehicles, carry the spare parts that are likely to be a problem. The Toyota guys should be able to help here. Larry??

7. Make sure that you have sturdy mounts inside the vehicle (and on the roof, if you are carrying gear up there) to keep things well secured. There are endless miles of bumpy roads and nasty ruts.

8. Get maps of the area and familiarize yourself with the places you intend to travel. There are a couple of very good maps available, but the very best is BLM's Arizona Strip Visitor Map. I would recommend a good gps and some sort of mapping program that will allow you to plan your trip and stay on track.

Check our trip planning threads to get some other ideas on how to prepare for the trip.