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Life's a Beach
A hidden paradise awaits in Lower Cathedral Wash
GETTING STARTED
WHERE Take U.S. 89 north out of Flagstaff for 110 miles. Turn left on U.S. 89 ALT and continue 14 miles. Turn right on Lee’s Ferry Access Road, which is located immediately after the Navajo Bridge Interpretative Center. Drive 1 mile and park at the first interpretative pull out on the left (north) side of the road. Cross to the right (south) side of the road and walk about 200 feet north to the beginning of the wash. Follow the hiking sign to drop into Lower Cathedral Wash. It is 1.25 miles one way from the Lee’s Ferry Access Road to the beach. Most of the hike falls within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area but the beach and Colorado River are located in the Grand Canyon National Park.
WHEN MAPS AND INFO
Sometimes, life's a beach. Endless paperwork has buried my desk. The phone won't stop ringing. My "to do" list is three pages long. I just need to get away. A nice secluded beach would do.
While Arizona is not known for endless stretches of beaches, a hidden gem called Cathedral Wash slices dramatically through the Colorado Plateau near Lee's Ferry, providing adventurous hikers with an unforgettable 2.5-mile journey through sinuous narrows to an isolated sandy beach beside the soothing blue-green waters of the Colorado River. In other words, paradise.
Anxious to escape, my hiking buddy, Jacque, and I drive from Phoenix through miles and miles of fascinating and remote desert landscapes until we reach the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. With all this sand and rock, who would have ever thought a sandy beach would be lurking within?
To start the hike, we drop into the gently sloped opening of Lower Cathedral Wash to the right of the paved road leading to Lee's Ferry. As the walls gradually rise above us, we take turns pointing out lizards, ravens, and the impossible designs found in the ribbon-like layers of Moenkopi Formation rocks. Calcium-stained pebbles lie in repose in the mud. Creepy white rocks linger along the wash like bones.
After a short 15-minute stroll, the canyon floor suddenly disappears. A sheer 60-foot drop looms before us. Wondering if our hike has come to an unexpected end, we survey the jagged white Kaibab Limestone strata surrounding the polished pour-off below. Jacque thankfully finds a series of stair-like ledges on the right that appear to offer a safe passage to the bottom.
Like a puzzle, the path down requires us to piece together our route one step at a time. Cautiously, we scramble down 10 feet, then negotiate the cliff by crouching under an overhanging alcove to arrive at the next place to descend. Zig-zagging down the remaining 50 feet of rock ledges, we plant our feet on the sandy wash at the bottom, exhilarated by the challenge we have just overcome.
As physically challenging as it is mentally, the continuing path requires us to occasionally scoot, scramble, and high-step on rocks of all sizes. Our persistence is quickly rewarded, though, as the stately canyon walls constrict into snake-like narrows.
Traversing the thin rock ledges through the limestone narrows, small slot canyons swirl below us. Cliffs resembling cathedral spires soar above. Like sun through a stained glass window, mid-day light bounces off the walls and paints the ordinary grey walls with orange highlights and purple shadows. Jacque turns to me, "So, this is why it's called ?Cathedral Wash.'"
As the canyon widens again, a cool rush of wind washes over us. The echoing call of the rapids beckons to us from around the next bend. The musty smell of the river lures us closer. Paradise must be near.
To celebrate our arrival at the beach 10 minutes later, we toss our shoes aside, roll our pants up and splash into the refreshing Colorado River. Powder white sand oozes through our toes. Jacque strolls along the beach, writing her name in the sand with a stick and taking pictures of her footprints. I skip rocks as I did when I was a kid.
With our heads resting on driftwood, we watch the waves endlessly glide back and forth onto the beach as Cathedral Wash Rapids tumble over boulders in the background. Grasses rustle and sway in the breeze. A curious raven swoops from its precarious perch across the river. Cliffs of Marble Canyon glow gloriously in the warm afternoon sun as reflections of orange and red rocks dance in the river. My soul sings.
Knowing that the launch site at Lee's Ferry lies just north of the secluded beach, I lift my head to ask Jacque, "do you think we'll see any rafts passing by?"
She responds without moving a muscle, "If we do, maybe we can hitch-hike a ride? I have always wanted to float down the river through the Grand Canyon."
After a few quiet minutes of pondering ideas for our future adventures, Jacque says, "Sometimes, life's a beach, isn't it?" I smile without answering.
With the afternoon light starting to fade, we reluctantly dust the sand off our feet and slide back into our hiking shoes. As we begin our return trek to reality through Cathedral Wash, I take one final look at the cliffs of Marble Canyon and the mesmerizing Colorado River.
Life really is a beach.
Colleen Miniuk-Sperry writes and photographs from Chandler, Ariz.
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