Hike #53 – Grandview Road South – 22 Miles

Location : Grandview FR320 Road South (NOBO Mile Marker 645.2)

Date: September 18th,  2018

Weather: Clear skies at the Trailhead, starting temperature 75 degrees and the turn 86 degrees.

Total Mileage Completed : 22 miles on AZT / Feet +(-) 877, 1.5% grade

Hike Description: This hike started at a road / trail intercept on Grandview Road south of Grand Canyon National Park and on the northern border of Babbitt Ranch. From Highway 180, driving toward the GCP, turn east on FR320. For a good while stay on this tame dirt road until you reconnect with Grandview road and head toward the Moqui Stage Station Trailhead.  A maze of roads will confront you at the powerlines but continue heading south. Tom and I left off south of Moqui, so we drive a bit father down and flip flopped a little in order to park the Jeep next to the road.

Comments:

This was our final hike in the South Grand Canyon area and it was connecting where we left off from Hike #48 (Russell Tank) and Hike #30 (Cedar Ranch) from the 2017 hiking season. The hike, being the flattest hiking section on the AZT, travels through the northern part of Babbitt ranch. With an average elevation change of only 1.5%, Tom and I pushed the pace up a bit. Averaging nearly 3.5 mph and at times nearly breaking into  jog. Not much to speak about on this hike, mostly sun exposed and wide open spaces. A couple small hills here and there, but you mainly hike in a gully road or in the open plains. Some cloud magic passed us over and I can recall watching the cloud shadow on the open landscape gliding over us with a moment of cool dark cover.

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