Point Huitzil Route
Vital Statistics
Mileage
Pasture wash ranger station to the
Esplanade in the Royal Arch drainage: 5 miles
Maps
7.5’ Explorers Monument
15’ Havasupai Point
Elevations
Top of Point Huitzil Route: 6280’
Bottom of route at Royal Arch Drainage: 4780’
Trailhead Access
From the rim, access is most easily gained from the Pasture Wash ranger station. From here, Pt. Huitzil is approximately 2.5 miles to the northwest. Pt. Huitzil can also be reached from below (the Esplanade level) by way of the Royal Arch Route (see Royal Arch Route description).
Trail Description
From Pasture Wash Ranger Station to the beginning of the Pt. Huitzil Route: To the south of the Pasture Wash ranger station, you will find a faint two-track road. This road is closed to ALL vehicles but is open to hikers. After approximately one mile, the two-track meets up with and parallels the historic Grand Canyon to Supai phone line. Stay on the two-track until it takes a sharp bend to the south and the phone line continues to the northwest. At this pint, follow the phone line for approximately one mile until it too takes a sharp bend to the south-southwest. Leave the phone line and continue on the northwest and into the drainage to the south of Point Huitzil. Using this navigational method will force you to cover a little more ground but the only other alternative is to take a bearing from your topographical map at the ranger station and attempt to keep that bearing for 2.5 miles.
Pt. Huitzil to Supai Level in Total Arch Drainage: The route begins its descent by breaking through the Kaibab a few yards to the north of the bottom of the drainage to the south of Pt. Huitzil. After making the initial break, contour to the north for about fifty yards through the lower Kaibab. The trail is faint but not too difficult to follow. Look for a break down a spilloff that will take you to the slopes of the Toroweap. Continue to descend to the north through the Toroweap until you come around a point into somewhat of an alcove. From this point, the route becomes more difficult to explain and will simply require a prudent and experienced Grand Canyon hiker to unlock the secrets of Pt. Huitzil.
At the top of the Coconino, you are looking for a hidden slot chimney. This is followed by much traversing to the north and south and scrambling or downclimbing. The route ends with a relatively long traverse at the base of the Coconino to one of many Hermit Shale ridges. A faint and braided trail down the back of one of the ridges deposits you at the beginning of the Supai in one of the many lesser drainages that flow into Royal arch drainage. A rope would be handy for some, and necessary for many more than one spot on this route.
Water
Water can sometimes be found in potholes in the Supai layer of Royal Arch drainage. However these are dependent upon how wet he year has been. The first reliable water is found farther down the Royal Arch drainage in the form of springs at the base of the Redwall. Familiarity with the Royal Arch route and its inherent hazards is necessary if you are to rely on resupplying with water at the springs.
Campsites
The only suitable areas for camping are at the top or bottom of the route. This would place you in the wooded areas on the rim that you pass through on the way to Pt. Huitzil or at the top of the Supai below the route. The route down Pt. Huitzil is quite steep and therefore offers no options for camping while actually on the route.
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