where the single-track skirts the edge of the rim and one mistake would be ugly; and this place is too pretty for that. Page is the high desert of the southwest, coming in at around 4,100 feet. Few cacti flourish in this area. Smaller prickly pear cacti will grow out of the fissures and broken soil of the Navajo Sandstone. Mormon Tea, which contains a natural stimulant, blooms in the area. Sacred Datura, sometimes called “Moon Flower” because of its large white flower that unwinds at night, pops up sporadically along the trail. Snakes, including rattlers, are definitely out there, but this is who gets bitten by a rattlesnake: 19-to-30-year-
old males who have consumed alcohol. You probably won’t come across any snakes, but lizards are wound tight. They’ll dart out in front of you and panic. Thick rabbits often crash through weeds as well, probably tipped off by the lizards. If you decide to take a fiver, make sure you’re not sitting on an anthill. Running the Rimview Trail is quite the commitment, but it comes with three bailout options. The trail will cross Lake Powell Boulevard twice and Coppermine Road once. The trailhead off South Navajo Drive is the quickest route to some of the best views if you’re exploring on foot.
Dogs are allowed on the Rimview Trail, but you’re going to need a leash to contain their excitement. There’s practically zero shade, so make sure to bring enough water for you and the dogs. Nothing ruins a good pair of boots faster than stepping in dog mess, so please pick up after your little buddy. Technically, horses are not allowed on the Rimview Trail but piles of their existence are present. Bring plenty of water and drink before you’re thirsty. Wear sunscreen, even on a cloudy day. Cell phone service is pretty good throughout the entire trail, so bring your phone. But most importantly, bring your sense of adventure.
MUST-SEE ADVENTURES
Ropes Trail
‘One of the most wonderfully terrifying hikes’ The Ropes Trail is one of those hikes that even though it’s free, you’re still going to pay. The National Park Service doesn’t maintain the trail nor do they recommend attempting it. Even though the Ropes Trail is just over three miles roundtrip, it packs more kick than a Czechoslovakian mule. It’s not so much a trail, but more like a natural route that follows cracks and outcroppings down the 700-foot sandstone walls of Glen Canyon to the ice-cold water of the Colorado River. The hardest part of the trail is finding the trailhead from the parking lot. Most of this hike is actually getting to the canyon’s edge, and there aren’t any marked trails that do so. This can make for a much longer hike and more exposure under the unforgiving summer sun. The parking lot for this fast-track to the Colorado River is just west of Glen Canyon Dam off of U.S. 89. From Page, take your first left after crossing the dam. The road will shortly split, stay to the right and then take your first left. The primitive parking lot is at the end off this road. Where there’s sandstone, there’s sand and lots of it. The old service road is a reminder of just how wild the canyon lands are. Lizard footprints with a groove down the middle from a dragging tail weave around the stretches of extremely fine sand. Snake tracks roll across the sand like a bicycle wheel. Rabbit tracks hop around the coarse vegetation. All to be erased like an Etch-A-Sketch during the next day of wind. Locate the sandstone butte with the communication towers on top of it and the butte to the right of it. Rock hop and sand bog your way through the two buttes. A 10
GATEWAY TO CANYON COUNTRY
SPRING 2014