To read the trip report from these photos click here.

The drive out to Pasture Wash is as long as remembered, but we also luck out twice. Road conditions are the best I’ve seen and there is nobody manning the Havasupai tribal gate for the $25 fee. I stop briefly at South Bass Trailhead to inspect things, and there are way more cars here than last year. We hop back into the truck and head over to Signal Hill and Ruby Point.

The ranger at the backcountry office gave us the option of either camp. There’s a truck parked at the Signal Hill site so we continue down the road to Ruby Point. The camp here is unsigned but obvious; it’s just south of a couple downed trees blocking the road. Those trees appear to have been dragged across the road to discourage vehicles from traveling out to Havasupai Point, presumably by the Park Service.

As I set up camp, three Texans are returning from down the road and remove the tree barriers. They pick up the truck we saw parked and then drive out to Havasupai Point to camp.

Day 2 – Dayhike from Ruby Point:

I’m up early and we decide to hike out to Havasupai Point. The Texans pass me in their truck on the way out. It’s about 1.5 miles to the point and well worth the hike. From here the views of The Canyon are among the finest I’ve seen from any named point.

She decides to lounge at the point for awhile, but there’s too much daylight left for me not to sneak in another day-hike. Fossil Mountain is almost due west of here and looks pretty steep, but certainly not technical.

Following a series of drainages, I end up east of the saddle below the rim, marking the base of the mountain. This area gets a lot of game traffic and there are elk droppings everywhere. The route up to the summit is very steep, but straightforward. A few talus stretches slow the ascent on account of loose footing. The entire hike to the top from the point takes less than an hour. Mount Huethawali dominates the foreground to the west. Powell Plateau and Holy Grail Temple command the northerly views. Havasupai Point blocks most of The Canyon sights to the east. This summit is appropriately named, as there are many fossils littered about. On the way back I follow the rim more closely, it takes a little longer due to additional steep sections.

Back at Havasupai Point, we enjoy cocktail hour before sunset. Although she can only handle a few minutes just above the abyss, and has to sit down some feet further away.

Day 3 – South Bass Trail dayhike:

Pack up the truck and head back to the South Bass Trail for a day-hike down to the Esplanade and back.

To see more photos from this trip click here.