Esplanade Route

The Esplanade Route proper covers the distance from the South Bass trail to Apache Point. However, an experienced backpacker could travel to the west at this same level for many miles. In the area between Royal Arch drainage and Apache Point, the Esplanade Route is virtually non-existent. The older versions of the Tails Illustrated map show a tril in this area, but this is very misleading. Occasionally you may find protions of the historic route, but they appear so infrequently and for such a short distance that they are impossible to follow. Your best bet is to look at the map carefully, scan the topography to your destination and pick your best line of travel. Usually this is found in the upper layers of the Supai, but below the Hermit shale slopes. Travel in this area is similar to travel on the Tonto in that it always seems to take longer than anticipated to get to your destination. What appears to be a short distance as you view it on the ground actually becomes much longer when you factor in all of the drainages you must traverse/