Sierra Club Outings | Somewhere Over The Rainbow; Navajo Nation and Arizona

Photo: Richard Fite

Highlights:

Experience a rarely visited high desert wilderness
Explore labyrinthine canyons
Wake up in the middle of nowhere

Includes:

All meals
Group cooking gear

Dawn over the arid West. It's Joshua Tree, Utah, central Nevada, Anza Borrego, or somewhere off the highway near Barstow. It's all part of the geography of hope.
- Jerry and Renny Russell in On the Loose

I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.
- Steve McQueen

Our eight-day backpack takes us through the Rainbow Plateau, a place protected by extraordinary inaccessibility. Bordered on the north by Lake Powell and on the south by Navajo Canyon, no roads penetrate the plateau, and except for a few Navajo sheep trails, there are not even footpaths. The area today is rarely visited by the Navajo, and almost never by non-Navajo hikers. For those whose "geography of hope" includes waking up to the sun dawning over the arid west, there is no better place.

On this trip we will experience canyons that are, in places, narrow, dark, and cold, and, in other places, sunny and warm, with streams bordered by cottonwood and willow. We will hike through domelands of red Navajo sandstone with cross-bedded slickrock and unexpected drop-offs, and we will enjoy panoramic views while exploring high mesas close to the original surface of the Colorado Plateau.

Our hike will begin and end in Navajo Canyon at the site designated by the 1921 Bernheimer expedition as "Camp No Good," approximately 35 miles east of Page, Arizona, and 15 miles south of Lake Powell. Because the route between Page and Navajo Canyon includes a difficult four-wheel-drive track requiring local knowledge, participants are encouraged to use transport services provided by local Navajo friends (not part of the Sierra Club trip). Detailed information regarding these services, the precise meeting time and location, and accommodations in Page will be provided.

Day 1: Starting at the residence of one our Navajo friends, we will backpack 8-10 miles down Navajo Canyon to our campsite. The canyon is used for grazing and we may briefly exchange greetings with a Navajo herder tending his or her flock of sheep and goats.

Day 2: We will continue down-canyon to a side canyon where we begin our climb onto the Rainbow Plateau.

Days 3-7: We will explore the plateau, visiting places with unpronounceable Navajo names. Every day will test our navigational skill as we find our way through a tangled maze of fractured and eroded sandstone. While we may sometimes find and use old Navajo sheep trails, our route is entirely cross-country and we will not follow any maintained hiking trails for the simple reason that there are none. We will have one or two layover days.

The hike will include part of Navajo Canyon, Sand-in-the-Bottom, most or all of West Canyon and perhaps part of Cummings Mesa or Aztec Creek. The interests of the group and the weather will determine the precise route. The rugged nature of the terrain through which we will travel makes this trip more than an introduction to hiking the Colorado Plateau. Rather it is a mini-expedition through a rarely visited desert wilderness and once we leave Page, participants are committed to the entire trip. Other than by helicopter, leaving early is impossible.

Day 8: We climb the slickrock above the head of West Canyon to the base of Octagon Butte, then descend from there to Navajo Creek, where we meet our Navajo friends for transport back to Page.

Transport between Page and Navajo Canyon will be provided by local Navajo and is not part of the Sierra Club trip. Information on these services will be provided. The cost of these services, about $50 per person, will be paid directly to the Navajo and is not included in the trip price.

The trip is entirely on land within the Navajo Nation and through an area normally closed to non-Navajo visitors (as is most of the Navajo Nation). The Sierra Club is able to offer this trip only because of the special relationship between the leader and the local Navajo. Individuals should not attempt this hike on their own. Those wishing information on areas open to hiking should contact the Navajo Department of Tribal Parks and Recreation in Window Rock.

All meals are included in the trip cost. Meals will be simple and tasty with an emphasis on high-energy lightweight foods rather than on gourmet cooking. We will have no food caches or resupply and so we must carry our entire food requirement for the eight days. Although a strict vegetarian diet is not an objective, and limited meat treats will be provided, participants who wish to avoid beef and pork will have no trouble doing so. Cooking and cleanup will be shared by all participants with guidance as necessary. The first meal is lunch on day one and the last is lunch on day eight. Because personal preferences in hot drinks and trail snacks differ so widely, these are not included in the trip commissary.

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

Considerable backpacking experience is essential before attempting this trip. Although the total backpacking distance (about 50 miles) is not exceptional, the rugged nature of the terrain makes this a strenuous trip for which participants need to be in good physical condition. Stamina will be important; on some days we may continue backpacking after dinner until nightfall prevents further progress. Participants should have a positive mental attitude toward prolonged exercise and physical exertion, and must be comfortable walking on steep sandstone slickrock, bouldering, scrambling in joint cracks with loose rock, crossing streams, and with heights. Some days will include walking in water that may be deep in places, and bushwhacking through dense reeds 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 total backpack weight at the beginning of the trip. The rewards of the trip, in scenery and in solitude, are commensurate with the difficulty.

The Rainbow Plateau 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 closely spaced group. Participants who like to hike considerably far ahead of or behind the group 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.

To promote and enhance our enjoyment of this remote area, participants are requested to avoid loud talk and endless chatter. While the trip is not intended as a meditation retreat, please remember that excessive talk and noise are inconsistent with most participants' objectives for this trip.

Complete backpacking equipment, including a tent, backpack, sleeping bag (rated to low 30s), sleeping pad, rain gear, a bowl or cup and eating utensils, and hiking boots, is essential. Group commissary equipment will be provided. Due to the challenging terrain, lightweight equipment is critically important. Participants must minimize nonessential items.

Much of our hiking will be on smooth sandstone or on sand for which medium weight fabric and leather hiking boots are ideal. We will not encounter long scree slopes with sharp jagged rocks as are common in many mountainous areas, and heavy mountaineering boots are excessive. Crepe-soled shoes, army surplus boots, and sneakers or running shoes are inadequate and unacceptable. Appropriate footwear for hiking in water is desirable.

Spring weather on the Rainbow Plateau is usually comfortable and pleasant, but it is also highly variable and participants should be prepared for extremes of hot and cold. Nighttime lows in the 40s are likely and even the low 30s are possible, as is snow or rain. Daytime highs in the 60s, 70s, or even 80s are likely. In late April, warm weather is more probable than cold, but come prepared for both. Parts of some canyons are narrow, dark, wet, and cold at all times of the year.

Discussion of conservation issues will focus on conservation of public lands in Arizona and southern Utah.

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.

Peter Horan is an avid mountain climber and all-around outdoorsperson. He has led numerous trips in the Sierras, the Tetons, the California coastal ranges and Montana, and participated in Sierra Club trips in the Grand Canyon. Peter was assistant leader on Sierra Club Rainbow Plateau and Grand Canyon backpack trips in 2005 and has hiked in the slot canyons of southern Utah on several occasions. When not living out of a backpack, he works as the CEO of a large Internet company.