DE V - Parashant Trip Report

[Scott B.]

What a trip! :jumping: 4600 miles (600+ on dirt), 11 states, 1000 pictures. Oh, and a metric ton of desert dust on everything... :yikes:

We kept a daily log during the trip, and will post it (with relevant pictures) one day at a time. We have started going through the pictures and editing the log, so the first day will be posted in a day or so.

While you are waiting (patiently), you can read Frenchie's truthful version... link

PS - The new truck did great, and the teardrop towed like a dream. Except for a short uphill in soft sand...

 

[GeoRoss]

One of my favorite backcountry hikes was down Parashant Canyon about 15 years ago. It was full on off trail travel and required climbing. Did you guys hike down and see the narrows?

 

[Scott B.]

One of my favorite backcountry hikes was down Parashant Canyon about 15 years ago. It was full on off trail travel and required climbing. Did you guys hike down and see the narrows?

No, unfortunately we did not hike down to the narrows. Not everyone in our group was into hiking very far, so we limited the hikes to short jaunts.

Next time...

 

[Hun]

Getting there...

First order of business - getting to our meeting place in Mesquite, Nevada from Georgia, 2000 miles in 3 days. How does one traverse 2000 miles in 3 days? Ride shotgun with Scott, of course! We entertained ourselves on the trip over by stopping in at the new Cabela's in Fort Ogelthorpe Georgia and dining on slow roasted barbeque wherever we could find it. The roadside KOA's were a nice pull off to get us just enough rest to hit the road again the next day. Left Georgia on Friday afternoon arriving just past Nashville Tennessee for the night, onto Amarillo Texas by day's end Saturday and Kingman Arizona Sunday evening in time to meet up with Sib for the evening. In Kingman, the bats accompanied us as we drew out the tripod to catch a few photos of the brilliant moon that rose in the night sky.

Monday morning we met up with Frenchie who's enthusiasm was contagious and onward we headed to Hoover dam. Engineering marvel. Toured the power plant and walked the top of the dam overlooking Lake Mead. Lunch at none other than In-n-Out itself in Henderson then up to find a Mesa to camp on in Mesquite. Last curve up to the top the road gave way to soft, soft sand. Too soft to get any traction so out came the yank ropes and winch extension lines. Frenchie's tugging was just enough to get the Tacoma and trailer up the hill to the perfect campsite overlooking Mesquite. Got to camp in time to watch sun set over the mountains while Scott did the obligatory oil change in the Tacoma. Quick dinner of left-over Rudy's barbeque from Albuquerque and then showered under the light of the rising moon.



Best parts of camping in the desert so far --
1. Shower water is already warm no matter what time of day one showers.
2. No need for towels, the dry air pulls all moisture away.
3. Waking up to cool mornings. Okay, 70 degrees is cool when you are in the desert and as long as you are up by 7 am, it's cool.
4. Don't have to worry about trees and brush scratching the truck and trailer while driving off road as there were no trees and brush. Not yet...

 

[Scott B.]

Here we see the moon over Kingman, AZ



The power plant of Hoover Dam, outside and one of the tunnels inside

 

[Hun]

Day 1

Cafe mocha. Best thing to get up for. Well, that and eggs scrambled with onion and corn tortillas served hot with bacon. Cleaned up camp and headed into Mesquite for meet-up at Walmart where Michael from New York, Keith from Maryland, and Gary from LA joined Sib, Frenchie, and us.



Day 1 begins.



First stop St George to hear what BLM rangers can tell us about the roadways in Parashant. Second stop lunch at Denny's in St George. Third stop fuel and off we go to Parashant National Monument. Headed to Route 1063 with a stop at Mt. Trumbull school.



Found camp at Parashant Point and shared nacho dip and chips with the expeditioners while sharing stories around the unlit campfire. Evening air was cool with a moderate breeze and the moon rise lit up the night. We were thankful for a safe arrival, the expedition beginning, and the adventures awaiting us.

 

[Scott B.]

I think this picture speaks for itself...

 

[Scott B.]

Day 2 - The Descent

 

[Hun]

Day 2 The Descent

Blueberry pancakes and sausage started the day nicely. Made our way into Parashant canyon sans trailer in search of a famed Indian cave. First look into the canyon gave us cause for concern - road wash out!



Road crew - Frenchie and Gary to the rescue. Managed to fill the void while onlookers cheered them on.



And the path was secured for travel!



We got out the shovels, diggers, and gloves several times through out the day to clear road washouts getting us closer to the treasured cave. Best part of the day -- Green Guide. Thanks to Frenchie's expertise and ultra easy to see guiding gloves.



The going was slow and by lunch we still had not reached the cave. Stopped for a sandwich overlooking the canyon. What a sight! The scenery was spectacular and our moods were light.









After a brief rest we continued onward towards the cave. Finally met boulders in the road too big even for our mighty crew and we turned back without viewing the cave. Moved camp to a canyon overlook. Enjoyed the evening with black beans and rice with chicken dinner and Frenchie's privacy shower set up. Fell asleep under a star filled sky and a bright moon.

 

[Hun]

Day 3 Overlook!

We all gathered around Scott cooking hash browns, eggs, and bacon. Here's the camp chef himself.



And such a great campsite at the canyon's edge.





We broke camp and headed back to Mt. Trumbell school to drop trailers for the day. Day's destination is Whitmore Point at the Colorado River overlook.



Ride was rocky with several wash out ruts in the road but all was passable. Lava rock was interspersed among the usual rocky terrain and picked up in density as we neared Whitmore Overlook. Spectacular view of the Colorado River some 3000 feet below. We stayed comfortably far from the cliff's edge but it was tempting to get ever closer for a better view below.







Lunch in the heat of the day had us snacking lightly on cheese and crackers and turkey roll-ups. Made our way back out stopping at Bar 10 ranch where we received a warm welcome.



Then it was back to Mt. Trumbull School and called it a day, set up camp, and had delicious beer brats for dinner while sharing expedition stories in the cool night air. Wind was whipped off the plains and in the distance the cows were calling for dinner, or something.



After the sun sunk behind the distant mountains, the sky lit up with more stars than imaginable! The nearby restroom made for a nice change from our primitive campsites.


Laura H

2014 Silver Shadow on Rough Rider Frame

"Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandi

 

[Scott B.]

Reserved for Day 3 pictures...

 

[Hun]

Day 4 River view from 3000 feet above

Oatmeal with blueberries to start the day on this cool morning. Perfect camping weather - warm sunny days and cool comfortable nights. Had a scenic ride into Nampaweap and after a half mile hike viewed numerous petroglyphs interspersed among the rocks and cliff walls.







The drive then turned very scenic heading to Tuweep Overlook. Bumpy, rocky, often times slow going, but beautiful to behold. Tuweep Overlook with a view of the Colorado River from 3000 ft above was an exceptional lunch stop and good place to meditate on the splendor and glory of this earth. We lingered here for some time. Some us hiking, some exploring, and some just sitting at canyon's edge taking it all in.







And it was interesting to see what shapes the rock faces offered up. Can really make the mind go wild with curiosity.



The drive back out from the canyon's edge was just as beautiful. We made our way to Kenab UT just north of Fredonia AZ to pick up a few essential items and reprovision. The sun was already sinking from the sky so we decided to dine at Nedra's in Kenab and then made our way in the dark, south to camp in as much as we could tell in darkness - an open field south of Fredonia at BLM Road 270. The evening was cool and the shower even cooler but it felt so good to be dust free before climbing into bed. The Milky Way lit up the night sky like few get to observe so far from city lights.

 

[Hun]

Day 5 A day worth waiting for

Awoke in the cool windy air and enjoyed oatmeal with blueberries. Got a daylight of view of the camp we found in the dark. Big open field with a tree line nearby and mountain ranges in the distance.



Closed camp and headed south to Grand Canyon North Rim. Saturday on a holiday weekend. Expecting crowds which will be in stark contrast to Parashant that we seemingly had all to ourselves. The view out over the canyon at the lodge was spectacular and called for several photos.



We then drove out to Point Imperial and had picnic lunch with a canyon overlook. Another spectacular view of the river far, far below.



A few drops of rain and wanting to escape the crowds, we headed back out of the the park to camp north of the park at Fire Point. Drove out to the Fire Point overlook where we interrupted honeymooners camping right at the overlook. Yet another spectacular view of the Grand Canyon.





At camp we enjoyed Scott's pizza and brownies, Frenchie's privacy shower set up, and Gary's well-built campfire.



Ace, this one's for you - in case, you missed it in Frenchie's thread. I had to grab the photo quickly, the pizza didn't last long. We had to bake another! And then two batches of brownies to top it off.



We retired for the night, well-fed, scrubbed and washed, stories told at the campfire, and listening to the wind howl through the canyon under a cool, starlit sky. A day worth waiting for. Yes, indeed.

 

[Scott B.]

Reserved for Day 4 and Day 5 pictures.

 

[Sark9kev]

Very nice. I worked at Lake Mead this summer and flew over where a lot of these were taken. After seeing this we may have to take a drive too