This will be my second time to go to the Royal Arch.  We were scheduled to do this hike last fall, but the national budget issues forced closure of the Park and cancellation of our permit.  Also on the hike are Keith Beaty and Jonathan Upchurch, both very experienced hikers who have not been to the Arch before.

     We meet at the Backcountry Office around 4:00, load up in Keith's rented SUV, and head out to Forest Road 328.  We stop at the new Havasupai gate and honk.  Pretty soon two guys come out, take our $25 entrance fee, and give us a receipt.  They are quite friendly.  A work assignment at the entrance station appears to be a pretty Spartan existence.  While they have some ATVs at a nearby building, there is no electricity.

	Havasupai entrance gate 4-7-2014 @ 5:11

     We have all been out to Pasture Wash many times before, but this is the worst condition any of us has seen the road in.  We are glad to have a high clearance SUV as a regular passenger car could not have made it out here.  We park just north of the old Ranger Station near a barn and set up camp.  Since I drove from Oklahoma to the South Rim, I brought all my cold weather gear.  Consequently, I have all the joys of car camping with a family size tent, thick sleeping pad, and a warm sleeping bag.  Keith and Jonathan have to camp out in their hiking gear.

Ranger Station barn 4-7-2014 @ 5:45	Keith and Richard's tents 4-7-2014 @ 6:05	Jonathan's bivy 4-7-2014 @ 6:07

     I wander over to the old Ranger Station and take a few pictures.  It appears some volunteer groups have been working on the front porch of the building.

Old Ranger Station 4-7-2014 @ 6:10	Old Ranger Station 4-7-2014 @ 6:10	Old Ranger Station 4-7-2014 @ 6:11

     Tomorrow we will be walking from here to the descent point, going down the "Rabbit Hole" and Moqui Steps, and then camping at a flat rock area not too far from the scary Ledge.

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