Overview The area around Page, Arizona offers some of the finest hiking in the Southwest. Beautiful Lake Powell, The Wave, Buckskin Gulch, Cobra Arch, and the Snake Gulch Petroglyphs are just some of the spectacular hikes being offered on this trip. Page also offers excellent hotel/motel accommodations and great camping sites. How To Get There Take Hwy 79 North to Hwy 60. Take Hwy 60 West to Hwy 101 North. Take the I-17 exit and head North on I-17 to Flagstaff. Once in Flagstaff, take Hwy 89 North to Page. The drive is about 386 miles, and will take approximately 6 hours and 20 minutes. Weather Average highs at this time of the year range from 65-70 degrees, and average lows range from 35-40 degrees. Ideal hiking weather. Pre-Trip Potluck Before the trip, we will have a Pre-Trip Potluck, sign-ups for hikes can be done there (or prior to the potluck when the March/April newsletter is released). Hiking guides will be available to answer your questions about the hikes. The event will be held at the HOA1 Tennis Pavilion on Tuesday, April 11, from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. More information about the Potluck will be emailed to participants in early April. Ruth Leman will be coordinating the Potluck and sending out more information on this later. Hiking Trip Dinner Harriet Pearson will be organizing the optional group dinner in Page. More information will be sent out in the future, regarding time, location and date. Hike Sign-Ups The final hiking schedule will be determined by the number of hikers attending and the number of volunteer guides (currently we have 15 unique hikes and excursions selected). See below for details on the hikes and excursions being offered. Participants can begin signing up for hikes shortly after January 1, 2017. The final schedule will be published in the March/April 2017 newsletter available at the end of February. The one except to this, is applying for permits to hike The Wave (see below for details). Each hike will have a specific meet-up location (i.e. a trailhead, visitor center in the hiking area, or convenient central location to meet). It will be the hikers responsibility to get to the meet-up location at the time noted by the hike leader. The hike start time (published in the March/April 2017newsletter) will be the meeting time at the specified meet-up location. Hikers should plan enough time to get from their lodging to the meetup location to start hike on time.
Lodging and Camping Page, AZ Lodging Options: You should make your individual lodging reservations soon for our Spring Trip. Plan to arrive Monday, April 17 to join our group hikes and excursions beginning Tuesday. There are a variety of lodging options (most major chains) in Page. Below are six representative recommendations that should accommodate our members and each currently lists free breakfast and Wi-Fi as hotel amenities. Clarion Inn Telephone: 928-645-9000 751 S. Navajo Dr., Page, AZ 86040 Room Rates $80-$120 Comfort Inn & Suites Telephone 928-645-6931 890 Haul Rd., Page, AZ 86040 Room Rates $100-$120 Days Inn & Suites Telephone 928-645-2000 961 US-89, Page, AZ 86040 Room Rates $100-$200+ Holiday Inn Express & Suites Telephone 928-645-9000 643 S. Lake Powell Blvd., Page, AZ 86040 Room Rates $140-$160 Rodeway Inn Telephone 928-645-2406 107 S. Lake Powell Blvd., Page, AZ 86040 Room Rates $~90 Travel Lodge Telephone 928-645-2451 207 N. Lake Power Blvd., Page, AZ 86040 Room Rates $~90 Note: The room rates shown are from the hotel websites. Often better rates can be obtained through 3 rd party booking (i.e. Priceline) or through individual reward programs (i.e. AAA, Senior Discount).
Page, AZ Camping Options: Saddlebrooke Hiking Club Spring Trip 2017 Wahweap RV & Campground Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Lake Shore Dr., Page, AZ 86040 Website: lakepowell.com Telephone: (888) 896-3829 Lone Rock Beach Primitive Camping (just ~1 mile north of the State Line). Primitive camping is on a sandy beach or in dunes. No designated campsites. Open fires permitted, must be within four foot squared area. Quiet time 10pm-6am. 4 micro flush toilets, 6 vault toilets, 1 comfort station/wheelchair accessible, outdoor cold shower, Off Road Vehicle area, dump station, potable water (seasonal), and day use area. No launch ramp. $14 per vehicle/per night. No reservations. Website: The below web site describes both these campgrounds (among others). https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/camping.htm Page Lake Powell Campground 849 Coppermine Rd, Page, AZ 86040 Website: pagecampground.com Telephone: (928) 645-3374 Contact Information Cell phone numbers for the hiking guides will be provided with the final schedule of hikes. We will also be requesting your cell phone number and lodging/camping location. This way, the hiking guides will have an idea as to what location the hikers will be arriving from and help coordinate transportation if necessary or call you if there is a last minute change. The Hiking Club (person to be named) will be maintain a list of hiker's lodging/campground, cell phone number or contact number while on the hiking trip. Please send (person to be named) your contact information after you have made your reservations at (person to be named).com. Special Notes We understand that not everyone wanting to go, can find a roommate or car pool partner that lives in our Saddlebrooke communities. Hiking Club members will be permitted to bring one guest, that resides outside of the Saddlebrooke communities. All guests will be required to sign the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club liability waver and must provide their name and email address to organizers of this trip.
Hikes Being Offered: Saddlebrooke Hiking Club Spring Trip 2017 Diff Hike Elev Meet Up Meet Up Dist From Hikes: Level Dist Gain Time Location Page Snake Gulch Petroglyphs A 14 670 6:30 Walmart 109 Bucktank Draw and Birthday Arch B 10 150 7:30 Carl Hayden Visitor Center 20 Wahweap Hoodoos B 9.2 230 tbd Carl Hayden Visitor Center 35 Buckskin Gulch C 6 50 8:00 Carl Hayden Visitor Center 24 Cobra Arch C 7 350 8:00 Carl Hayden Visitor Center 16 The Wave (aka Coyote Buttes North) C 6 325 7:30 Carl Hayden Visitor Center 24 The Toadstools D 1.6 109 tbd Walmart 29.2 Hanging Gardens D 1.5 43 tbd Walmart 2.5 Horseshoe Bend D 1.25 159 tbd Walmart 5 The Nautilus D 2 flat tbd Carl Hayden Visitor Center 30 Stateline Canyon D 2 flat tbd Carl Hayden Visitor Center 10 Excursions: Upper Antelope Canyon D 1 flat tbd Walmart 5 Lower Antelope Canyon D! 1 flat tbd Walmart 5 Kayaking with Hike C! 1 tbd tbd Antelope Pt. Marina 10 Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with Hike D 1 flat tbd Carl Hayden Visitor Center 80
Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) For Coyote Buttes North, you will need to enter the lottery to obtain a permit. You will need to apply four months in advance of our April trip for Coyote Buttes North. The lottery cost is $5 to enter. The application period is from Dec 1-31. The lottery drawing is held on Jan 1, and the winners are then notified. You can apply for up to 6 people on the permit and can choose 3 dates. The dates you want to put in for, are the dates of our hiking trip; April 18-20. Odds of drawing a permit in April are low. Thousands of people apply. Only 10 permits are granted for each of the three days we are applying for. The more people in our hiking group that apply, the better chance we have of some people going. Because only 10 permits are granted each day, you may not get all 6 of the permits you applied for. If you win, you will be offered what permits are still available. Only one permit application per household is allowed. Website: blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/coyote_buttes/permits.html Important: We will have sign-up sheets for those who want to apply for the lottery. If you win, the people who would go with you are, your significant other, and up to 4 persons randomly drawn from our pool of those who applied for a permit. If you are not part of the group that applied for a permit, then you would not be eligible to go. We feel this is the fairest way to do this. Contact Dave Corrigan to be put on the sign-up sheet, dave@daveandpam.com If you are on the sign-up sheet, you will be notified via email to apply for a permit during the December application period (Dec 1-31). Once you have applied, you will need to send Dave Corrigan via email, proof of your application. Dave will keep a list of those persons who have applied, and manage the pool of persons eligible to go on the hike. In the event anyone is successful in getting a permit, our hiking club random drawing(s) will be held in early January, and all participants notified of the results. To find The Wave, the BLM will send you landmark photos to navigate from along with your permit. Approximately 30% of the people who draw a permit, fail in finding The Wave. In the event you draw a permit, and want a guide, you can request that one of our hiking guides accompany your group. Be aware that having one of our guides going, means one less person from the randomly drawn pool.
The Wave (aka Coyote Buttes North) Rating: C, Pace: Moderate. Meet 7:30 AM at Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 5.5 miles round trip, trailhead elevation 4875; accumulated elevation gain 325 feet. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999 The Wave is located in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Arizona Strip. There are two great photographic locations in Coyote Buttes North (The Wave and The Second Wave) and numerous minor ones including Top Rock Arch, Melody Arch and the Grotto, the Hooters, The Alcove, Sand Cove, and Fatali's Boneyard. The Wave is best photographed midday so as to minimize the extensive shadows, the other areas listed above are best photographed mid-late afternoon. Permit Required. Buckskin Gulch - Rating: C, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 6 miles in and out, trailhead elevation 4780 feet; accumulated gain 50 feet Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999 One of the best hikes in America. This hike is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest, and while others are narrower, prettier or more challenging to explore, the length and variety of the terrain in the gulch make it the best overall. The canyon is narrow for 12 miles; the cliffs become steadily higher downstream, reaching a height of 500 feet above the streambed at the end, where Buckskin Gulch meets the Paria River which also flows through a deep canyon for several miles either side of the confluence. Because this is a slot canyon, this hike should never be attempted if there is a chance of heavy rain that day. The Buckskin trailhead is 4.5 miles down House Rock Valley road. Snake Gulch Petroglyphs - Rating A, Pace: Moderate. Meet 6:30AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 14 miles in and out, trailhead elevation 5850; accumulated elevation gain 670 feet. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. This trail is near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab Forest in the Kanab Wilderness Area. A step back into history surrounds hikers with an amazing array of writings, etchings and structures left behind by ancient Native American inhabitants who once thrived in this canyon tributary of Kanab Creek. The paintings and other remnants date back as far as 500 BC, yet are amazingly well preserved considering the relatively exposed location, not just to the elements of weather, but also to modern human interference. At one time prior to the canyons wilderness designation there was a road that accessed Snake Gulch, but now only hikers and equestrians frequent this spiritual experience. It's obvious that wilderness designation has helped keep Snake Gulch from the desecration that affects other less controlled archaeological sites. Hundreds of pictographs, some petroglyphs and several ruins and granaries are found along the low walls on this 14 mile round trip. Hiking is very easy with the lack of any significant elevation gain or loss. It is imperative that travel is maintained on existing trails.
Cobra Arch - Rating C!. Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 6.7 miles in and out, trailhead elevation 4560; accumulated elevation gain 350 feet Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999 This diverse area of sunbathed, misshapen sandstone is highly photogenic. Cobra Arch is on the backside of this group of mounds. The arch is spectacular and the surrounding area offers shaded areas for lunch and a break before the hike back. Combined Hikes: Horseshoe Bend, The Toadstools, and Hanging Gardens Horseshoe Bend - Rating D, Pace: Slow. Meet 8:00 AM, Walmart. Hike 1.25 miles round trip, trailhead elevation 4327; accumulated elevation gain 159 feet Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. Horseshoe Bend is one of those rare places that is absolutely breathtaking, yet it is accessible to people of all hiking skill levels. A very short hike takes you to a viewpoint of Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River, over 1000 feet below. A small gazebo structure halfway to the overlook provides a resting stop during the hike. Note - there are no railings on the edge of the cliffs by the viewpoint. Meet at the trailhead. Driving directions to the trailhead: from Page, AZ, drive south on US-89 for 5 miles. The trailhead is on the right hand side of the road. A sign directs you to the Horseshoe Bend Overlook parking lot. The Toadstools - Rating D, Pace: Slow. Meet 8:00 AM, Walmart. Hike 1.6 miles round trip, trailhead elevation 4456 ; accumulated elevation gain 109 feet Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. The Toadstools (also known as Rimrock Hoodoos) were created when boulders rolled off the cliffs in the background. They are formed out of the Dakota Sandstone layer, with rock that is harder and younger than the much older Entrada Sandstone layer composing the terrace - the strong brown-colored material. Over the eons, the Entrada Sandstone erodes far more slowly where covered by a Dakota Sandstone boulder, so much so that the ground forms a spire underneath the boulder. The spire and boulder cap together form what we perceive as a toadstool. The hike will start in a sandy wash, winding a short distance to reach the toadstools. When we reach the toadstools, we will explore around the rock formations. Driving Directions to the trailhead: from Page, AZ, head west on US Hwy 89 for 29.2 miles (crossing Glen Canyon Dam right outside of Page). At the 29.2 miles from Page, the trailhead parking area is immediately off the road on the right.
Hanging Gardens Rating D, Pace: Slow: Meet 8:00 AM, Walmart. Hike 1.5 miles round trip, trailhead elevation 3730; accumulated elevation gain 43 feet. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. A short interpretive trail recently created by the park service leads to a small oasis under the shoulder of a row of buttes overlooking Lake Powell. The route is short and easy to follow. The scenery and colors along the way are fantastic, and the gardens are a surprise in the desert. From the parking lot, cross over the parking lot cable lines and follow the cairns out to an old jeep track. Follow this flat section for a short while, looking for rock cairns to your right. Follow the rock cairns, they lead you to a small butte (made of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone). A short scramble across the butte is easy navigated by following a cairn network. Green vegetation also starts to follow you along the way. Finally you peak out on the summit of the small butte. Enjoy wonderful panoramic views over Glen Canyon, the dam, Lake Powell and north/east into canyon country. There is a trail sign here. Look down the formation to your right and spot some smaller cairns. Follow them down to the Hanging Gardens, which are tucked up under the shoulder of the ridgeline. An impossibly green oasis sits here, with ferns growing from the undersurface of the ledge. Directions to Trailhead: Take Highway 89 through Page. Just north of the city (before the dam) there is a turnoff on your right with a brown trailhead sign. Turn here and follow the gravel road a short distance (500 yards). The trailhead is where the road forks to the left. There is a small sign and small parking lot surrounded by a cable fence. Bucktank Draw and Birthday Arch - Rating C, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 5.0 miles in and out, trailhead elevation 4360; accumulated elevation gain 150 feet. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999 Located off Utah Highway 89 at mile marker 9¾ or 17.3 miles from Carl Hayden Visitor Center, this pleasantly simple, easy to moderate hike in a sandy and partial bedrock sandstone draw leads you south to a box canyon, a large arch and a small sized slot canyon. Park your car on the south side of Hwy 89 just at the west end of the metal railing and head down the sandy slope through the gate into the draw. The arch is located approximately 1.5 miles from the road snuggled in along the western cliffs. When you spot the arch, you will need to traverse ½ to ¾ mile west over sandy uphill slopes. To get directly under the arch requires caution as you scramble up and over loose rocky ledges. Getting to the top requires work and backtracking until you have found a doable way up. The slot canyon is on the opposite side of the canyon fairly easy to spot from the arch. It is worth the cross country trek to see this very narrow, short slot.
Wahweap Hoodoos - Rating B, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 9.2 mile loop, trailhead elevation 4042; accumulated elevation gain 230 feet. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999 White stone described as goblins, ghosts, toadstools and other oddities herald the unique geology of the sun scorched lands of the Southwest. Groves of capped white columns are located near Big Water at the edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The cap of the hoodoo is Dakota Sandstone which was a beach of an incoming seaway. It is 100 million years old, and the post of the hoodoos is Entrada Sandstone that is 160 million years old. There should be a layer of Morrison Sandstone but for some reason it wasn't laid down and isn't present. This is why there is such a large gap in the age of the cap and post. Near the Wahweap Hoodoos you can take a short walk to the darker side where brown "toadstools" make an appearance just off the highway at the Rimrocks. Combined Hikes: Stateline Canyon and The Nautilus Stateline Canyon - Rating D, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 2.0 miles in and out, trailhead elevation flat; accumulated elevation gain flat. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. Curvy rock formations in the upper end of Stateline Canyon A short slot canyon with no official name, this joins the far west side of Lake Powell about 8 miles north of Page after crossing the Utah/Arizona border, so could reasonably be called Stateline Canyon. The drainage is generally quite shallow, with no extremes of narrowness but it does have about half a mile of pretty passages through cream colored Entrada sandstone, and plenty of swirling, eroded rock formations. After several dryfalls it opens out into a wider wash which then meets the lake as a narrow sheltered inlet, opposite Lone Rock. The canyon begins right next to US 89 so is easily reached, and is a good place for photography. The Nautilus - Rating D, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 1.0 miles in and out, trailhead elevation flat; accumulated elevation gain flat. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. The Nautilus, or Nautilus Rock, is the recently bestowed, semi-official name of a beautiful formation of wind and water-eroded Page sandstone, at the edge of a small tributary ravine near the Paria River, 9 miles northeast of the equally photogenic Wave. The feature is a smooth-sided outcrop of soft, thin-layered rock with a rippled surface texture, cut by a corkscrew-like gully, which curves downwards and sideways, reminiscent of a gastropod shell.
Excursions: Upper Antelope Canyon - Rating D, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 1.0 miles in and out, trailhead elevation flat; accumulated elevation gain flat. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999- 9999. Our Hiking Club guide will facilitate tour booking and logistics. We have to go with a Navajo guide service for Upper Antelope Canyon. There are several tour operators and prices range from $40 to around $50 pp. Here is a link to one: http://www.antelopeslotcanyon.com/ Lower Antelope Canyon - Rating D, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike 1.0 miles in and out, trailhead elevation flat; accumulated elevation gain flat. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999- 9999. Our Hiking Club guide will facilitate tour booking and logistics Not as iconic as Upper, but supposedly very close. Although I understand that it's possible to do this tour on your own, you still have to purchase an entrance pass from the Navajo guide services. Price is ($20 pp) and tours are less crowded. Here's a link: http://antelopelowercanyon.com/tours/ Kayaking Lake Powell with Hike - Rating C/D, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike TBD miles in and out, trailhead elevation flat; accumulated elevation gain flat. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. Our Hiking Club guide will facilitate tour booking and logistics Kayaking company which offers half day and full day guided and supported trips on Lake Powell. Even the half day trips have some shore time (perhaps if we request, even a trip to a slot canyon). link: http://www.lakepowellhiddencanyonkayak.com/custom-self-support/ Best Friends Animal Sanctuary - Rating C/D, Pace: Moderate. Meet 8:00 AM, Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Hike TBD miles in and out, trailhead elevation flat; accumulated elevation gain flat. Guide (person to be named). Email: (person to be named).com or 520-999-9999. Our Hiking Club guide will facilitate tour booking and logistics Short hike near sanctuary and tour of facilities. This is Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a lifesaving haven for hundreds of adoptable animals, nestled in between the sprawling red rocks of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks.
Other Things to Do in The Area: Lake Powell/Rainbow Bridge Tour - Half day ($125 pp) Link: http://www.lakepowell.com/things-to-do/boat-tours/rainbow-bridge-tour/ Rainbow Bridge is said to be the largest natural bridge in the world. It is an imposing site, well worth the effort required to see it. Native Americans consider the bridge sacred and it is easy to understand why. It s a beautiful rainbow frozen in stone. Access to the bridge was very difficult through most of its history, requiring long backpacks through rugged canyons. But now Lake Powell s waters extend up close to the bridge, making it relative easy to hike up to the impressive rock span. You can take a private boat to the bridge, or hop on a tour boat out of Wahweap Marina. Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam Open daily 8 am 5 pm MST; Phone: 928-608-6200. Tours of the Dam: 928-608-6072. Bookstore: 928-608-6068. Location: Highway 89 on west side of Glen Canyon Dam Attractions: Tours of the dam provided by Glen Canyon Natural History Association, exhibits, video shows, a relief map of the entire Glen Canyon area. Restrooms and a bookstore. Tours of the dam are $5, and as a federal power plant facility, security measures are in place. While no bags, purses, knives, weapons, or food are allowed on the tour, wallets, cameras, and clear water bottles are welcome. Wahweap Marina - Wahweap Marina located just south of the Arizona state border, is our largest marina and home of Lake Powell Resorts. Wahweap Marina can be found at the most southwestern point on Lake Powell and is open year round. There you'll find our largest fleet of houseboats and recreational watercraft, a variety of restaurants, campground, swimming pools, and lodgingwith 350 rooms. Additionally, we are pleased to offer a wide assortment of marina services for our visitors with specific needs for their personal boat. http://www.lakepowell.com/discover/marina-information