|
Many years
ago Cape Solitude could be accessed by 4-wheel drive vehicles, but in the
early 1990s the area came under Wilderness management, the jeep road became
a hiking trail, and Cape Solitude reverted to the realm of Canyon walkers.
Since the trail was at one time a road, it was accurately plotted and is
exactly as shown on current topo maps.
It is 2.8
miles from the Desert View Ranger Station to the trailhead where the path to
Cape Solitude forks north off the Cedar Mountain road. Given a
competent backcountry vehicle one could drive to the trail, but the
marvelously eroded condition of the switchbacks is enough to encourage most
hikers to spare their machines and walk. The trail drops into Straight
Canyon, crosses to the north side and wanders generally north across the
expansive slope falling east from Palisades of the Desert. About 5.7
miles north of the trailhead the route hits the park boundary fence, passes
through a gate and comes to a fork in the old road. The right hand
option continues east on Navajo Nation land. For Cape Solitude, go
left, follow the old jeep road uphill to a second gate in the boundary fence
and re-enter the park. Walk the former jeep track 6.7 miles across an
immense expanse of open country cut by shallow drainages to the point at
Cape Solitude. The view is startlingly steep. The rim seems to
almost overhang the confluence of the rivers leaving nothing but 4000' of
clear Canyon air between you and the world of the inner Canyon.
BACK TO MAIN INDEX
|
BACK TO HIKING
INDEX
|
BACK TO TRAIL DESCRIPTIONS
|