
Painted Desert Inn.

Pilot Rock seen top left. I took the official trail down into the badlands.

The trail continues for a while.

Open desert along the official trail.

View back toward the Painted Desert Inn (top right).

Crossing over Lithodendron Wash, no more trail.

Lithodendron Wash.

Ascending into an area full of petrified wood.

Always fun to see these guys.

View back as I ascend into the badlands.

Pilot Rock in the distance.

I entered a major wash for a long time.

It was straightforward, mostly flat hiking for a while.

View back within the wash toward the Painted Desert Inn.

Still within the wash, miles later.

Ascending a minor wash to locate a way up the rim seen center.

Looking back at my Class 2+ chosen gully to get onto the rim.

Pretty eroded cliffs along the rim.

Continuing through badlands and into a wash, Pilot Rock seen ahead.

Within the wash after crossing over Digger Wash.

Navigating minor gullies to reach the base of Pilot Rock.

Colorful terrain around the base of the peak. The easiest way up is on the far right in this photo, but I ascended via the wide gully center.

Approaching my ascent choice.

A couple of rabbit-hole crawl spaces.

Some fun scrambling up the gully.

I left the gully when it got too steep and loose, choosing the grassy slope on the right instead.

View back down the way I came.

Easy slope hike to the summit, seen ahead.

Pilot Rock summit, view east.

Close-up toward the Painted Desert Inn, center.

On the way back I chose an easier route down Pilot Rock, barely Class 2, seen here.
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