I decided that I was going to retire this year (of course, I have said that every year for the last five years), so I decided to clean out some old files and while doing so I came across pictures of a multi-day backpack trip to Rainbow Bridge that were taken in May of 2005. The pictures brought back a lot of memories...
The thermometer was pushing 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Las Vegas, so I decided to leave my tent at home and just sleep under the stars. What a great way to enjoy nature!
As I crossed over Hoover Dam and headed for Kingman, I could see the black clouds building to the east, but nothing to worry about because I was still a long way from the trailhead.
By the time I reached Kingman, the wind had really picked up and the temperature had dropped about 40 degrees; however, there was nothing to worry about because I was still a long way from the trailhead.
By the time I reached Williams, the winds were really strong, the temperature had dropped another 20 degrees, and raindrops were hitting the windshield; however, there was nothing to worry about because I was still a long way from the trailhead.
About 20 miles from Flagstaff, I found myself in a major blizzard, only one lane of Interstate 40 was open, and a Highway Patrolman was directing all vehicles to stay in a single line behind a snowplow. Maybe there was something to worry about!
Fortunately, after passing through Flagstaff and heading toward Page the snow turned to rain and there were occasionally patches of blue sky visible through the clouds. I knew there was nothing to worry about!,
Since we arrived at the trailhead in two vehicles, we decided to start the hike on the west side of Navajo Mountain and leave the other vehicle on the east side of the mountain so we could make a through hike without retracing our route.
It had stopped raining and there were still several hours of daylight left, so we decided to walk a few miles and then dry-camp along the trail. Unfortunately, after setting up camp, the wind came up and it started raining again. Since I did not bring a tent, I tried to make a shelter using a piece of plastic I had in my backpack, but the wind was too strong and I could not locate any good anchors. So, I just rolled up in the plastic, which was like being in a sauna. By morning I think I was wetter than I would have been if I just laid out in the rain.
The next night we camped a short distance from a spring and there was some interesting early American art work on the canyon walls. The wind died down, the rain stopped, and sleeping under the stars was wonderful!
We were told that we would see a profusion of wild flowers on this hike and we were not disappointed. There were also numerous signs of First Americans and early explorers throughout the area. Some of the early explorers left various trail markers and other carvings in the sandstone cliff walls along the trail, which today would be consider graffiti.
The First Americans referred to the natural bridge that spans a small ravine as a rainbow frozen in stone, thus, the name Rainbow Bridge. (Although the formation looks like an "arch", it is technically a "bridge" because it was formed by water running under the formation.) There is a large alcove nearby that is often used for overnight camping. (The small black speck is a person walking!)
Historically, Rainbow Bridge was considered to be the largest natural bridge in the United States with a span of 275 feet; but in 2007 laser measurements found that the bridge only has a span of 234 feet, making it smaller than both Kolob Arch and Landscape Arch. However, technically, Kolob and Landscape are both "arches," so Rainbow still has the largest "bridge" span. With a height of 290 feet, Rainbow Bridge is taller than all of the other "bridges" and "Arches."
After spending some time at Rainbow Bridge, we headed toward the east side of Navajo Mountain where we left our other vehicle. Everyone was tired, so we stopped early and explored the area. I found a nice sandy area, so I just threw my sleeping bag on the sand and went to sleep.
In the morning when I woke, I was laying on a stick so I rolled over only to find that I had been sleeping on a lizard. Apparently, he was cold during the evening and had crawled up next to me to keep warm. Unfortunately, I had apparently rolled over in the middle of the night and squashed him and now he was as stiff as a tree branch. I placed the lizard on a rock in the sun and went to get my camera to take a picture, but when I returned the lizard had his head in the air and after I took one picture he ran under a rock. Well, so much for being squashed!
Owl Arch is popular spot to take a rest break because there are nearby cliff dwelling and other side canyons to explore.
The last night we camped near a small spring that contained frogs that made weird sounds all night and there was a humming bird nest that was not too far from the stream.
The wind came up and was so strong that the people with tents had a difficult time keeping them tied down. Plus, the wind filled their tents with sand. I found an overhanging ledge to crawl under and probably had the best nights sleep.
The next day we arrived at the vehicle before noon and made the long trip home (without any snow or rain)! Great Trip!
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