The Adventure Continues - Sedona to the Grand Canyon

[1MK]

ExploreDesert - Sedona to the Grand Canyon

Read it on our website here: www.exploredesert.com

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Sometimes a sudden change in plans can be a good thing.

Our original intention for the 3 day Memorial weekend was to drive out to a town just west of Phoenix to stay with some close friends that had just finished moving into their new home. As the week was drawing to a close, the plans changed which left us with a dilemma. Now what do we do?

Already having our minds set for a road trip into Arizona, I spent the last couple days before our departure on setting a route from Sedona to the Grand Canyon. We've never seen either before and I wasn't going to waste it on being grouped up with all the tourists, but the trick was finding the back-country area, dirt trails and camping areas on such short notice. Luckily, mapping out and researching a trip is something I've become proficient at it and before long, our weekends adventure came to life.

On Friday I finished the last minute details, closed the shop early and headed home to pack the truck. A little after 4 p.m. we were Arizona bound.

Crossing over the Colorado River in Blythe.

Although spending the weekend with our friends was not going to happen, it didn't mean we couldn't stop by and surprise them on the way through. Was also a great reason to stretch our legs after being in the truck for 5 hours. After a tour of the new house, some laughs and a farewell, we set way to our camp for the night in the western Sedona region.

Candace succumbed to sleep not long after passing through Phoenix. Another hour and a half to go, I loaded up a fresh playlist on Spotify and cracked a cold Red Bull for the remaining drive.

After hours of driving on pavement, it was finally time to hit the dirt. Turned off 89A onto FR525 and headed north. Surprisingly, the area was packed with ground tents & campers. Eventually we found a spot after about 20 minutes of searching that was secluded and would make for a nice view in the morning.

Unzipping the front door to the Tepui did not disappoint! The rocks, vegetation and colors of Sedona is absolutely amazing!

"Whutcha' Doing?"

Trails through the area were prime. With isolated rain storms, hardly any dust and great traction.

Got camp packed up and explored the area prior to heading into town for a late breakfast/early lunch.

Decisions...

Just as we were finishing up the last bit of trail, waves of rental ATV’s came rushing through. Most clueless on how to drive through terrain nor showing any trail etiquette.

 

[1MK]

Hit the road into the heart of Sedona. No matter where you looked, the scenery was like nothing I've scene before. Red rock and dirt, green trees and spring flowers made it remarkably colorful. This may not be much to someone who is used to higher elevations, but being from So-Cal, all of our deserts are brown.

We decided on the Open Range Grill for lunch as they have a dog friendly patio that offered a great view. The service, recommendations and food was great.

Pulled pork, fries and a ice cold Amber.

Pink Jeep Tours is EVERYWHERE in Sedona.

After browsing through town and relaxing for a bit, we headed towards the Broken Arrow trail. The trailhead is right outside the town center and offers some great wheeling and views of the area. It's also one of Pink Jeep's favorite trails to shuttle people around on. Luckily, we got to set our own pace and cruised to Chicken Point.

Shuttle them in. Shuttle them out.

I noticed that the Pink Jeeps seemed to come and go in groups. So I let them lead the way and followed them through the remainder of Broken Arrow.

Jeeps. Jeeps everywhere.

The toughest obstacle we came across was the staircase. Just wide enough for a vehicle to squeeze down with some decent drops. Was a lot of fun to drive down!

 

[1MK]

Afterwards we ran into town one last time to grab a few things and to top of with gas and headed towards Schnebly hill. The dirt road leading up into the Coconino National Forest is one of the most popular back-country roads to and from Sedona as it offers remarkable views of the red rocks from the Schnebly Vista Lookout. This would also lead us up to the mountain ridge where we would set camp for the night.

This little guy rode by us all alone which concerned us. Was more then a mile or so before his Father went by in pursuit. Not sure I'd let my child ride all alone down a heavily traveled cliff-side trail by himself...

Once at the top of Schnebly Pass, you can make a right onto a little known forest road, 153A and follow it south for a few miles. Along the route there are numerous campsites you can stay at that overlook Sedona. It also puts you into the Coconino Forest so you can have a campfire to help with the cooler weather. Given it was a holiday weekend, most of the spots were taken, so we drove to the furthest one back so we could have a nice area all to ourselves.

Unloaded the truck, setup the Tepui and Candace started cooking our delicious dinner.

Prepared and cooked on the spot

"You gunna' eat that?"

A short hike from our camp was what appeared to be a chimney. Have not been able to find any info on it though.

Looking back towards the forest

After a long drive the night before, and exhausting day exploring Sedona, and another adventure to get to the Grand Canyon in the morning, we relaxed for a short time before calling it a night.

To be continued...

 

[ZMagic97]

Great photos! I've been to Sedona MANY times. so it's always cool to see it through the eyes of another.

 

[r_vdb]

Cool write up & photos, we just went through there on the way back from overland expo, such a cool place.

 

[hansrober]

The wife and I are really enjoying you photos and reminiscing about our trip out there for OX14! Thanks for sharing!

 

[upndown]

Can't count the times I've been in and around that area, but still never get tired of the scenery! Thanks for sharing.

 

[justcuz]

Very nice. We have friends in Prescott and I always try to do a little dirt on the tires travel while visiting. The Sedona area is beautiful and I really like exploring different areas in Northern Arizona.
Sometime in January I noticed and add somewhere that the Pink Jeep Tours were looking for full time and part time drivers. The pay was not much but I'm retired with an income anyway. Thought it would be fun, but my wife reminded me of our commitment to my cousin to a PNW tour in April/May so that nixed that!

 

[mkitchen]

Good Job!

For having only a three day weekend and a holiday one at that, you did a mighty fine job of finding some out of the way spots. Too often I plan a trip and then think "geez, I only have three days, I won't have time to get out enough." You reminded many of us that we need to take what we can get and go for it. So, Good Job!
Mikey

 

[SDDiver5]

Awesome write up! I used to go to school in Flag and used to explore Sedona and Coconino every weekend. I know most of the trails you were on also. Sure do miss it.

How obnoxious are those Pink Jeep tours? They are literally everywhere.

 

[1MK]

Great photos! I've been to Sedona MANY times. so it's always cool to see it through the eyes of another.

I agree! Thanks for reading.

Cool write up & photos, we just went through there on the way back from overland expo, such a cool place.

It's a awesome place for sure! We'll definitely be back.

The wife and I are really enjoying you photos and reminiscing about our trip out there for OX14! Thanks for sharing!

You're welcome. Thanks for reading!

Very nice. We have friends in Prescott and I always try to do a little dirt on the tires travel while visiting. The Sedona area is beautiful and I really like exploring different areas in Northern Arizona.
Sometime in January I noticed and add somewhere that the Pink Jeep Tours were looking for full time and part time drivers. The pay was not much but I'm retired with an income anyway. Thought it would be fun, but my wife reminded me of our commitment to my cousin to a PNW tour in April/May so that nixed that!

We were talking about that while exploring the Pink Jeep territory. While it would be fun for the first few days, it'd slowly wear on you. After a few past experiences, I'm a firm believer of keeping your hobby and job separate.

For having only a three day weekend and a holiday one at that, you did a mighty fine job of finding some out of the way spots. Too often I plan a trip and then think "geez, I only have three days, I won't have time to get out enough." You reminded many of us that we need to take what we can get and go for it. So, Good Job!
Mikey

Absolutely. Sometimes you just have to go for it and whatever happens, happens!

Awesome write up! I used to go to school in Flag and used to explore Sedona and Coconino every weekend. I know most of the trails you were on also. Sure do miss it.

How obnoxious are those Pink Jeep tours? They are literally everywhere.

Other then taking away the novelty of being in the back-country, it wasn't bad. They had great trail etiquette, seemed friendly and most waved back. It was neat seeing how much fun the passengers were having!

 

[pmatusov]

Thanks for sharing - we did a very similar trip during the Memorial Day weekend (Prescott, Sedona, White Canyon, Oatman, and Lake Havasu on the way back)!

 

[1MK]

Check out our blog! www.exploredesert.com

It's always a bit easier to sleep-in when it's cool outside. The last couple of trips to our local deserts have turned the RTT into a sauna in the morning hours, making it nearly impossible to sleep to a decent hour. Thankfully the higher elevation here helped with that and we managed to get some solid shut eye.

After enjoying the view out of the tent while waking up, I started to pack while Candace made her signature breakfast; Peppers, onions, potatoes, sausage, eggs and cheese all scrambled together. Good way to start the day on a brisk morning!

Last view looking into Sedona before departing for the Grand Canyon

FR153A is rough and slow going. Sharp rocks, ledges and not many line options isn't much fun, but it's what keeps places like this isolated.

Once back on Schnebly Road, it felt good to up the pace. After being amazed with the views in and around Sedona, we couldn't wait until the Grand Canyon. Originally, the plans were to explore a bit more of the forest area around Oak Creek and try to take trails as far north as possible, but limited time forced us to hop on the 17 to Flagstaff.

Lucy livin' that dog life.

After exploring, refueling and getting a few things in Flagstaff, we made way for the 64/180. As the drive went on, the clouds became darker, followed by sprinkles, then rain. The forecast showed a 70% chance of thunderstorms throughout the region, which changed dramatically from the 20% that was predicted earlier in the day. We pressed on, and it wasn't until I saw a Jeep going the opposite direction covered in mud that I began to second question the idea of heading out to such a remote location alone. Figured I could get on the trail, and if it got too nasty I could always turn around and fall back to plan B. Once in Tusayan, it's what you would expect on a holiday weekend. Coffee shops, gas stations and info centers were packed to capacity, crowds of people all racing towards Grand Canyon Village. Vehicle traffic was backed up from the town, all the way to the parks entrance. Took almost 30 minutes of stop and go to get to our exit.

Then, just like that, a simple turn and it was all behind us. It got a bit muddy from time to time, but the truck didn't have any issues with just the rear locker engaged.

A few miles in you pass over the Grand Canyon Railway. We waited around for a short time to hopefully catch one of the trains but no luck.

The trail offered amazing and diverse views.

We eventually reached a point where it'd be safest to switch and keep it in 4wd. Puddles were growing larger and the mud was starting to fling off the tires. All of the easy-to-access campsites have been passed and the numerous tracks in the soggy dirt narrowed down to what appeared to be just one vehicle ahead of us.

Stopped for a quick break and was very happy to see that the new BFGoodrich AT KO2's do a great job of not packing with mud! But seriously, these tires have been amazing and have performed excellent through everything I've put them through.

This kills the uniball...

Our destination was Havasupai Point, located on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. In order to get there, you must travel across the Havasupai Tribal Lands for a few miles. You eventually arrive at a gate and a small building where you are required to fill out a permit, pay a fee and get an authorized signature from whomever is staffing the outpost. Only then will you be allowed to proceed onto the Tribal Lands legally. We had everything in order prior to pulling up, so getting our permit was hassle free.

We were greeted by Clayton, who very kindly asked what our agenda was and when we'd be leaving. Gave him the info he needed and I asked if anyone had been through the last couple of days. He said only one, and that was in the morning. We thanked him kindly and continued on our way.

Clayton closing the gate behind us.

A few miles in, the trail began to gain some elevation and the mud became slimy. The Tacoma would slide and lose traction with any abrupt input, so keeping a slow and steady pace was key to making safe progress. That worked out well until the road was blocked...

As we approached closer and closer, they stood their ground, looking at us as if they've never seen a vehicle and/or a human before. I could feel that the ground here wasn't the best place to stop, it was slick and would be a horrible place to get stuck or slide into the small trench on the right. I goosed it a bit which seemed to startle them, but they stayed put until what seemed like the last second. Eventually, they ran off into the bush. The "soul keeper" on the left, didn't budge, and stared us down with hatred as we passed.

Past the hoofed road block, we were back in a maze of trees and bushes, but I knew at this point we were getting close. This is when we got REALLY excited. Neither of us had scene the Grand Canyon before, other then pictures. We never spoiled our first view by visiting any of the park's view points, the first time we were going to set eyes on it was here. Out here in the back-country, preserved just the way it's been for thousands of years.

And that's when we got our first glimpse. A small clearing in the bush revealed we were driving near the rims edge. We didn't stop, just slowed down enough to snap a picture and let out childish giggles and remarks. "OH MY GOD, DID YOU SEE THAT!?!?".


Our first ever view of the Grand Canyon

According to the GPS, we had about another 1/4 mile to go before we reached the point. With our second wind, we picked up the pace just a bit. Rounding a corner, we finally caught up to the vehicle that Clayton had mentioned earlier in the day. They were stopped in the middle of the trail looking at the left rear tire, but once they spotted us, they hurried back into the cab and took off towards the point. We gave them distance to not rush them since they were the first ones at the site, and parked out of their way, giving them plenty of room to claim their camp.

 

[1MK]

We cracked open a couple colder then ice beers from the fridge and stood there in awe. This is it. And it's grander then grand. I must have took over 200 pictures to try and capture what you see when you're standing there at the edge, but failed. It's more then what you see, it's what you feel as well. The Grand Canyon takes over you. It's an experience.

After a few minutes, we walked over and introduced ourselves and let them know that'd we'd be more then happy to move down a ways so they could have the point all to themselves. They insisted we stay, and even have a drink over dinner a bit later. Hate to admit that I can't remember their names, but they were very nice and amazed at our story when we told them this was our first time seeing the Grand Canyon. The older gentleman has been coming here for over 50 years, and was friends with the Bass family that used to frequent the area, and a local trail is named after. He told us the history about the point, how it was formed, landmarks and the different "streets" (layers) and it's relation with different spots in North America. An incredible wealth of knowledge. It was a remarkable way to experience our first visit here, and they made it extremely welcoming.

No information kiosks here.

After a bit, we all decided it was a good time to setup our camps while it was still light outside, and we'd meet up afterwards for dinner and a few drinks. We found a great spot on the North East portion of the rim and got ourselves situated. Not a minute later, it began to rain.

Can't get much closer then this

LUC-E PHONE HOME

After a brief rain shower, we could hear another vehicle approaching in the distance. Given it was a holiday weekend, we expected that there could be a few people here. Soon, a early 90's Toyota 4Runner arrived and parked beside us. An older gentleman in a vest, sweat pants with shorts over them, white socks and sandals comes running up, "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ALL ABOUT?!? I HAD THIS WHOLE PLACE RESERVED AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANYONE HERE. I BOOKED THIS MONTHS AGO!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!". Candace and I look at each other in shock. For all the research I've done, you can't "reserve" Havasupai Point. I could be wrong, but nothing on the parks website indicated so. There are special permits needed for hiking back-country and staying overnight, and certain campgrounds, but not here. I expressed this to him, and he was still the rudest and most short tempered man I've ever come across. We ask to see his permit, and the 2 gentlemen we were with earlier came to see what the commotion was about. The guy just wouldn't listen, being irrational and a total downer. Turns out, his permit wasn't even for here, but rather another spot that did require a reservation. Even with that brought to his attention, he was still off his rocker. It really, really ruined the special moment we had when we arrived and relaxed to our awesome camp spot.

After a while, the older gentleman talked him down and convinced him he either needs to go to his reserved spot, or he could stay with us. Let's call him Mr. Downer, finally agrees to stay. Candace and I don't really feel comfortable or relaxed at this point, when suddenly he comes barging into our camp with the most unsympathetic apology, if you'd call it that, about his misunderstanding. We tell him not to worry about it, and explain that we're leaving. You could almost see the smirk come across his face. We went over to shake hands and give our thanks to the 2 gentlemen we met earlier, and explained that we were going to head up a ways to grab our own spot.

Closed the roof top tent, packed the bed with our unorganized mess and took off.

Last view of our camp here, before moving down to another spot on the rim.

We drove about 10 minutes back on the trail that led us to the point and pulled into a spot we found along the way. As soon as we parked, it felt better without Mr. Downer being around. We setup, Candace finished cooking our dinner and we sat down and looked over the canyon with the best seats in the house.

These aren't the mountains you're looking for...

Our alternative spot was perfect and life couldn't get better after a few cold beers, warm dinner and endless views. The clouds worked their way back over us and began to drizzle enough to not want to stay outside. Worked out, as we were tired after so much driving and adventure. Crawled up in the tent and played some cards and listened to music before calling it a night.

It was a short nights sleep. Awoke to the sound of pouring rain. Opened the front of the Tepui and saw how soaked the ground and surroundings were. The Canyon wasn't even visible through all the moisture in the air. Darn! The plans of cooking breakfast and enjoying one last view went out the window. But in the end, we still had a long drive home ahead of us today so it was a good reason to get a jump start.

The same area that we saw the Grand Canyon for the first time the day prior, was now not even visible.

 

[1MK]

The damp trail in, now left with muddy tracks. 4-low and rear locker for most of the drive back into Tusayan.

About half way to the town, and many mud puddles later, I was curious what the truck looked like. Was not surprised.

4 mug bogs, 3 massive puddles, 2 hours and 1 muddy truck later, we hit pavement. Thankfully it poured rain to help clean the truck along the way!

Warm coffee was magical after being soaked in mud and water.

The pavement and realization we were heading home was bittersweet.

We stopped in Needles to make lunch and to stretch our legs. Said goodbye to Arizona for the hospitality and got a sneak peak of our next adventure next month...

Until next time!