In Search of the Elusive - What?
Article written by Jim & Janet Matthews

“Hey, did you see that?”
“Hey, look! There’s one over there!”
“Where?”
“There!”
“Yeah, I see it! Whoa, now it’s gone!”
“Look there’s another one by the trail!
Quick, get a picture! Uh oh _ _ _ _, it disappeared!”

Sounds like an episode from the Three Stooges, doesn’t it? We felt a little like that traumatic trio (except there were only two of us) as we squinted, unsuccessfully snuck up on, and swore, in trying to capture on film the wiley and elusive Kaibab Squirrel. This remarkable critter makes it’s home in the old growth Ponderosa pine forests that embrace the Rainbow Rim Trail, which winds its way along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. They are one of the larger species of squirrels and indigenous only to the Kaibab Plateau. This fellow has a bushy white tail, long tufted ears, and does not hibernate like other squirrels. If you actually see one in the wild, you’ll be darn lucky.

We became curious about this legal singletrack when we saw an article in a travel magazine citing the great trails on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We cut out the article and hung it on the wall in our home office with a sticky note attached that said: “We wanna go here.”

Well – we did go there. We were a little skeptical about what the trails would be like on this Kaibab Plateau, and wondered if it would be worth the trip. All doubts were blasted out of our brains when we took off down the 18-mile strip of pristine cross-country singletrack, which, in places, threads itself along the very rim of the Grand Canyon. No guardrails here, dude! Best look where you’re going, and not where you are, or you could become the next Thelma and Louise. Don’t expect to jump out on this trail for the time-of-your-life-ride if you’re a flatlander, because you won’t be able to breathe. Get acclimated. Arrive a couple of days early, get out and bag some rays, enjoy the stillness, breathe that unpolluted mountain air, and hike or ride some of the numerous trails that crisscross the Kaibab Plateau. Whatever you do, don’t forget your camera.

All this adventure and grandeur is located in the uppermost part of the Kaibab Plateau in north central Arizona, about 35 miles as the crow flies, from the Utah border. You might want to make a mental note that bike shops aren’t exactly located on the nearest corner. The choices are St. George, Utah, approximately 160 miles away or Flagstaff, 5 hours distant. We wisely chose St. George, Utah, when the wife’s new rear wheel virtually disintegrated on our first day altitude acclimation ride. You bet we were cussing the bike shop that sold us the wheelset! The bike shop employee in St. George took pity on the two of us, and worked quickly rebuilding the wheel. We also made a quick stop at an optical store to have my prescription sunglasses repaired. The same day the wheel problem developed, I inadvertently stepped on my sunglasses while taking a photo of one of the most awe-inspiring sunsets we’ve ever seen. But that is another story for another time. Oh yeah, the people we came in contact with in St. George are extremely friendly and most helpful.

In our opinion, the place to stay on the Kaibab Plateau is Jacob’s Lake Inn. This establishment has been in operation since 1923. The cabins are indeed quaint and rustic – not fancy, but clean. There are spaces for tenting and RVs as well. The restaurant (the only one there) serves up three hefty squares a day from a very nice menu. Stop by the Kaibab Plateau Visitor’s Center for trail maps and verbal driving instructions to the trailheads. I’m not going to describe the trail, as you can read reviews by others on the Internet. Look at trail reviews on mtbreview.com if you don’t know where to begin the search. If you are into freeriding and dirt jumps, don’t bother making the trip, as you will be sadly disappointed. If you are a died-in-the-wool cross-country mountain bike rider, single speed junky, or just like to enjoy Mother Nature and crave some time away from the rat race, this is the place. We rode four days on the Kaibab Plateau and came in contact with only one other human being, who happened to be operating a dozer for the park service. We were intrigued to learn that he was a Hopi Indian, and was part of the original crew that built the Rainbow Rim Trail. Interesting fellow!

We started out talking about the Kaibab Squirrel, and you might be wondering if we ever got that photograph. The answer is “Yes, we did!” In lieu of a live specimen, there is a remarkably photogenic stuffed version in the Kaibab Visitor’s Center -- perfectly suitable for framing!

Addendum: Our first aforementioned visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon took place in September 2000. Janet and I made a second trip to the North Rim in September 2006. Didn’t confirm the sighting of one darn Kaibab squirrel the whole time we were there. During the 2006 trip, we rode part of the Arizona Trail and re-rode the most technical and challenging section of the Rainbow Rim Trail. Sadly a forest fire took out just over 64,000 acres of the Kaibab Plateau on the North Rim in early 2006, but luckily, didn’t damage any of the more picturesque areas of the Arizona Trail and Rainbow Rim Trail. One thing that we noted during the 2006 visit was the increase in the number of vacationers traveling to the area. In 2000, we saw only one person (dozer operator) in the back woods area and no one riding the trails. In 2006, we saw at least two mountain bike tour groups on the trails and a number of vehicles and hikers traveling on the back roads. Don’t get us wrong – this is still a very remote location within the continental US, but was so disheartening to see the increase in usage of such a pristine area. Finding empty Power Gel and Power Bar wrappers along a remote section of trail is very discouraging to say the least. In early 2006, the Jacob Lake Inn built a 2-story motel type facility behind old lodge building, which luckily, can’t be easily seen from the highway. The manager said that the old cabins and the new motel now stay fully booked during the summer months. We stayed in the motel only because none of the old cabins were available during our time there. It should also be noted that the 44-mile paved road from Jacob Lake Inn to the Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim, is well maintained and has a marked shoulder for road bike riders. There is a really nice lodge with restaurant in the National Park, plus cabins for overnight stays. If you plan to vacation anywhere on the Kaibab Plateau or North Rim of the Grand Canyon, make reservations at least 6 months in advance. JacobLakeInn.com is a good place to learn more about the area and see photos of what to expect there. “Happy Trails To You” and “Always keep the rubber side down”.