Copper State Trail Riders
The Best Ride of 2014
Unplugged on the North Rim
By Jodie Franklin
J
ust the drive a lone through the northern
strip of Arizona is enough to ensure that
you are about to embark on a great journey.
The forests of Flagstaff give way to windblown
cliffs painted like the sunsets. You are following
the road less traveled as you feel the remoteness
surround you. Spanning the mighty Colorado
River the Navajo Bridge is more like a gateway to
a land of enchantment. Vermillion Cliffs rise up
along the highway that shoots straight as an arrow
for the Kaibab Plateau in front of you. Inside the
excitement of new trails awaiting you rises up and
you know that this is going to be an adventure like
no other.
I arrived a week early to secure our picture perfect
campsite tucked in among the aspens by the East
Rim Trailhead. The North Rim Country Store
located only a couple of miles from camp made
water and supplies handy to get. Once you leave
the Jacob Lake area there is no need for cell phones
because on the North Rim you truly are unplugged.
There is no other place in Arizona that evokes
the feelings you get there with no distractions
from the outside world. Elk, deer, turkey, grouse
and the ever elusive Kaibab squirrel are now your
companions. Chatty squirrels scolded me as I set
up camp and teased the dogs. My love affair with
the North Rim had begun.
Anxious to explore I quickly saddled up, even my
horse felt fresh and ready to go. When the aspens
parted an inviting meadow opened up before
us and I gave my horse his head, an exhilarating
feeling; a perfect first ride. It’s hard to find words to
describe the feelings you get when you ride up to
the edge of the rim for the first time. The vastness
of the beauty that is unfolding in front of you takes
your breath away.
At the end of August
everyone began to arrive
for the much anticipated
bucket list ride. Lunches
packed, horses saddled we
were ready for the days
ride. Crossing the forest
road we could ride along
the edge of the rim to
the East Rim TH and the
18
February 2015
Arizona Trail. As you can imagine there
were many ooo’s and aaa’s as everyone
gazed out at Mother Nature’s finest work
of art. Of course this was followed by the
first of many Kodak moments we would
have along the trail. We followed the
Arizona Trail south, this is the Kaibab
Plateau section of the trail which is
probably the most beautiful and tranquil
passage of the Arizona Trail. It passes
through stately aspens, pine and blue
spruce opening to lush green meadows where
your horse wants to linger. We chose a pretty spot
( which wasn’t hard to do!) to have our lunch close
to where we would take a forest road and then a
small canyon to return to the Arizona Trail.
The evenings were full of good food, campfires and
friendship. There is no better way to end a perfect
day of riding.
The next day we rode north along the Arizona
Trail passing Dog Lake and dropping down into
Tater canyon, a long meadow that got its name
from a potato farmer of long ago. We rode to Little
Pleasant Valley for lunch choosing a sheltered
hilltop for our turn around point. We returned the
way we came passing through so many aspens that
I made a note to self to come back for a fall ride.
Every day was a different riding adventure; the
following day was ventured down the Arizona Trail
to a small forest road that took us to a viewpoint
called Dog Point. We could not have ordered a
more perfect setting for lunch with views of the
Saddle Mountain Wilderness and Marble Canyon.
No matter which direction you turn on this ride it
is postcard quality.
We gave the horses a rest one day and piled into
a couple of trucks and went to the North Rim
Lodge. Along the way the buffalo were grazing in
the meadow which called for a stop and Kodak
moment. At the lodge we bought our tickets for the
evening barbecue and entertainment and agreed
to meet back there for the train ride to our dinner.
Pairing off we went exploring, there were trails to
hike around the lodge, and shopping to do! The
views were like being in the middle of an Arizona
Highways Magazine. We have ridden the South
Rim and I must tell you it pales in comparison. At
the appointed time we all meet at the train stop and
the conductor on the train had a sense of humor in
what could only be described as an E ticket ride to
our dinner!
The following day was moving day and we packed
up camp and drove across Hwy 67 to a campsite
along the Rainbow Rim Trail. This is a must do
trail if you go to the North Rim, it follows the
rim for 18 miles of eye candy views. Our camp
was at North Timp Point and every morning we
grabbed our coffee, cameras and rushed down to
get a good seat for sunrise over the canyon. Our
pajama parties in the mornings are something I
miss the most. Steamboat is the prominent feature
and in all our pictures. We rode in both directions
on this trail and there aren’t enough adjectives in
a Thesaurus to describe what it was like. This is
something you have to experience for yourself, put
it high on your bucket list. Evenings we exchanged
our coffee for happy hour drinks and went down
to our favorite seats to watch the sunset in a show
only Mother Nature can put on. We were close
to the end of our stay with only one more day of
riding, a free day where you can go exploring. That
was when Mother Nature put on the grand finale; a
lightening show over the canyon!
After the fireworks we had a grand bonfire and
reminisced about what we had seen and the
trails we had ridden. No one was ready to leave;
this had been not only the best ride of 2014 but
the best ride this club has ever done. It was not
goodbye but farewell until time as we all knew
that we would return.
Driving out the next morning there was the ever
elusive Kaibab squirrel I had been searching for the
whole trip sitting on a rock like he was grinning at
me! I just laughed and waved at him, see you next
time little buddy…
AZintheSaddle.com