The Parashant trip was, by all accounts, spectacular. The trip was organized well in advance and we were able to see and do everything that we had planned. The Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument covers a vast area by itself but it is seamlessly connected to both the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Grand Canyon National Park. Combined, there are thousands of miles of off pavement roads to explore.
Our travels allowed us to visit, Gold Butte, the Tassi Ranch, the Grand Wash Cliffs, the Pakoon Basin, Hidden Canyon, , the Townsite of Trumbull, Twin Point, Kelly Point, Mt Logan, Mt Logan Wilderness, the Colorado River, Nampaweep Rock Art Site, the Witches Water Pocket and Toroweep. We exited through Colorado City and stopped at the "Merry Wives Cafe" for some snacks and drinks.
Elevations ranged from 1500 feet to over 7500 feet. Temperatures ranged from over 100 degrees in some areas to as low as the teens (19 degrees at 6:30AM) in other areas. Patches of snow still covered some areas in the higher elevations and it seemed like the middle of summer in the lower elevations.
One of the greatest thrills was being able to find a road that went to within one tenth of a mile of the Colorado River. Reaching the water did require a bit of a hike, dropping over 800 feet to the bottom of the Canyon. Three of us made it to the bottom and were rewarded with the cold refreshing water of the Colorado.
Click here to read more about the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument April 2009 from Outdoor Adventure USA
