Two Routes to Rainbow Bridge

Trek to Nonnezoshe

The One-eyed Man of the Salt Clan had died, but Mrs. Wetherill was well-versed in the Navajo language, and she made further inquiry. Finally, she was told that a Paiute, Nasja, and his son, Nasja-begay, had searched for stray horses in the maze of canyons behind Navajo Mountain and knew the way to the stone arch.

So in early August of 1909, a party of white men left the Wetherill trading post at Oljeto. They were seeking what no white man had ever seen: Nonnezoshe, 'the rainbow turned to stone.' Pausing on the barren ridge above Cha Canyon, I can see to the north a tangled maze of interwoven gorges, wildly tossed formations of multihued sandstone, the dramatic escarpments of the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the serpentine path of the San Juan River.

Explore Two Routes to the 'Rainbow Turned to Stone' No wonder that this rugged land was one of the last regions in America to be mapped thoroughly.

This wild inhospitable country is called the Rainbow Plateau. Laced with great canyons from 200 to more than a thousand feet in depth, it is not a plateau in the commonly accepted sense. It is a badlands. In the company of photographer Gary Ladd, I am going to walk this massive upheaval of Nature, roughly following the path taken by the Indian Nasja-begay, who, more than eight decades ago, led the first white men to the place where Nonnezoshe spans a canyon gorge.

In English, it is known as Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural stone arch in the world, 290 feet high with a span of 275 feet. There is enough room under it to accommodate comfortably the Capitol building of the United States.

Geologists say the arch was formed by the persistent forces of erosion. But the Navajo tell a different story. Long ago, a young god, while hunting, was trapped by a flood in the canyon. The Sky Father threw a rainbow across the torrent, and the young god crossed over it to safety. Then, so it might remain as proof of the (OPPOSITE PAGE) The dome of the United States Capitol could easily fit beneath Rainbow Bridge, the largest natural rock span in the world.

(BELOW) A surprising discovery for author William Hafford is this Lake Powell excursion boat that bears the Navajo name of the soaring rock bridge.

Text by William Hafford Photographs by Gary Ladd

Trek to Nonnezoshe.

Seven hours with only two brief stops. Gary is a tough act to follow on the trail. An hour later, after my hiking shoes have transformed into concrete boots, Gary pauses at a place where the land drops off sharply.

"We leave the trail here," he says. We start down an incline that is only a few degrees shy of perpendicular, working our way through loose rubble and heavy brush.

Near the bottom of the canyon, the cave comes into view, and we edge along the incline toward its dark mouth.

"Five years ago," says Gary, "I was up here with a group, and we carried in a lot of wood. Maybe it's still up there."

The cave is large, perhaps 60 feet wide and 50 feet deep with a ceiling 20 feet above our heads. Drawings and handprints on the back wall indicate that this was used by Indians of another era. The wood, bone dry after five years of weathering, is where Gary and his friends stacked it. In minutes, with a good blaze going, I sit on the sandy floor and stare into the canyons' gathering darkness.

Later on, with the coals dying, I spread my bedroll. Fatigue takes over, and I fall asleep.

Morning brings good weather. No snow or rain has fallen in the area, and the clouds are breaking up. We work our way across Oak Canyon where an immense avalanche of boulders has tumbled down from higher elevations. Later, we edge our way down a streambed so narrow that outstretched arms can nearly touch the canyon walls on each side.

By early afternoon we are into Bridge Canyon, negotiating a section of trail that winds several hundred feet above a small creek where crystal-clear pools stand in rock basins. Gary informs me that we are close to the arch.

We round a bend, and there it is. I stop, propelled back in time. I am standing near the spot where Byron Cummings, riding close to Nasja-begay caught sight of Nonnezoshe. "Eureka!" he had shouted.

But then Douglass put spurs to his horse and started toward the great arch. Wetherill, realizing that Douglass intended to be the first to reach it and claim

Trek to Nonnezoshe

Gary catches up, and we sit on the dock. At about 3:00 P.M., the excursion boat from Arizona's Wahweap Lodge arrives on schedule. The pilot had been told to expect us. We climb aboard, stow our packs, and take comfortable seats. While the passengers take the short trek to Rainbow Bridge, we rest. I am sleeping when the pilot starts the pair of big V-8 engines. The passengers climb aboard, and we ease under the sheer cliffs of Forbidding Canyon toward the main channel. I have traveled the 50-mile water route between Wahweap and Rainbow Bridge four times in the past. The journey, on a mirror surface of emerald water under red cliffs and a limitless sky has a profound effect upon my senses. To my eyes, Lake Powell is one of the most beautiful spots on Earth. With a sunset forming above the western horizon, our boat slows for its approach to the dock. Wahweap Lodge sits on a promontory 200 yards above the water. In a few moments, I step ashore. Up there is hiker's heaven: a hot shower, room service, queen-size bed. I hoist my pack and start the last uphill.

discovery, made a quick decision. Cummings had been the first white man to see Rainbow Bridge, and Wetherill had no intention of letting Douglass take credit away from the softspoken professor. He whipped his horse into a gallop, went by Douglass, and became the first white man to pass under the arch.

Wetherill never tried to capitalize on his feat. Instead, along with his wife and friends, he commissioned a large plaque honoring only Nasja-begay.

Gary sets up his tripod and camera to take some photographs. I wander ahead. Not far from the arch is the bronze plaque which was imbedded in a sandstone wall in 1927. It reads: “To commemorate the Paiute Nasja-begay, who first guided the white man to Nonnezoshe, August, 1909.” I turn and look back up the canyon. In the far distance, a few lingering clouds hover around the summit of Navajo Mountain, but otherwise the sky is blue. If we had been with Nasja-begay and the others that August day in 1909, we would have been forced to return the way we came. My legs are grateful that, today, there is an easier way.

I drink the last of my two quarts of water and continue down canyon, arriving shortly at a boat dock in the green waters of a narrow arm of Lake Powell.

WHEN YOU GO

William Hafford, who considered this bike on the Rainbow Plateau one of his most challenging, died last November. His unpublished stories will continue to appear in the magazine.

Gary Ladd has hiked to Rainbow Bridge from several starting points, including Mountain Sheep, Secret, Music Temple, and Forbidding canyons.

Getting there: To reach the community of Page, Glen Canyon Dam, and Lake Powell, travel north 136 miles from Flagstaff on U.S. Route 89.

To Rainbow Bridge via excursion boat: From Wahweap Marina, all-weather excursion boats, with enclosed lower decks, depart daily for Rainbow Bridge. Schedules and prices vary depending on the season. For complete information, call 1 (800) 528-6154.

Hiking to Rainbow Bridge: The National Park Service at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam, (602) 645-2511, provides an informational and cautionary packet (including permit instructions) for interested hikers and also offers topographical maps of the area at modest cost.

Nearby accommodations: In addition to the lodge at Wahweap Marina, the community of Page and the surrounding area provide a number of motels ranging from inexpensive to resort quality. Advance reservations are recommended during peak seasons.

Nearby attractions: The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is approximately 125 miles from Page on U.S. Alternate Route 89. The vast areas of the Navajo and Hopi Indian reservations, including Monument Valley and Navajo National Monument, are 68 miles south of Page via U.S. Route 160 and State Route 564. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument are off U.S. Route 89 a few miles north of Flagstaff.

For more information: Contact the National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040; (602) 645-2511. Or contact the Page-Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce, Box 727, Page, AZ 86040; (602) 645-2741.

The Friends of Arizona Highways offers Photo Workshops among the state's scenic wonders for picture takers of all skill levels. Our premier photographers lead the tours and are assisted by experts from Kodak, Nikon, and Hasselblad. Scenic Tours also are available.

PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; March 11-13 See the many-armed cactus, rare desert plants, and wildflowers. Photographer: Jerry Sieve.

Lake Powell; April 27-May 1 Explore the lake with more shoreline than the Atlantic Coast from Maine to the southernmost tip of Florida. Photographer: Gary Ladd.

Paria Canyon Hike; April 29-May 3 and May 26-30 Backpack into the wild canyon in far northern Arizona. Photographer: Jack Dykinga (first trip), Gary Ladd (second).

Slot Canyons/Vermilion Cliffs; May 5-8 Narrow rock passages and sheer multihued cliffs provide stark drama. Photographer: Michael Fatali.

Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon; May 13-16 Explore the soaring red rocks and bubbling Oak Creek. Photographer: Peter Mortimer.

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Hannagan Meadow; August 18-21 Enjoy the verdant scenery and cooler temperatures of the high country. Photographer: Edward McCain.

FRIENDS SCENIC TOURS

Canyonland Tour; May 6-9 and October 7-10 Visit the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, Walnut Canyon.

Paria Canyon; May 7-11 Hike through the rugged canyon in far northern Arizona.

Keet Seel; June 4-6 Explore one of the Southwest's bestpreserved cliff dwellings on this hike.

SCENIC TOURS WITH RAY MANLEY

Led by a premier Arizona Highways contributing photographer, these trips are organized primarily for mature adults. Lake Powell; March 23-26 A highlight of this trip, which includes stops at Prescott, Sedona, and Flagstaff, is a Lake Powell cruise to Rainbow Bridge.

Canyon de Chelly/Monument Valley; May 3-7 and October 25-29 See otherworldly rock formations and prehistoric dwellings in Navajo country.

For information on these and other tours, telephone the Friends' Travel Desk, (602) 271-5904.

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