Are you wanting to take 4417 north to the 4424/4417 intersection then left up to Redington Rd? Sounds good to me, I haven't been that way in a long time.
John
I was thinking 4417 -> 4426 around the top of Chiva and back down through 4405 to 4426.
Then we can head out the 4424 to Redington Rd or 4417 back through Three Feathers. The 4424 route is different, but not as fun as the 4417 path and puts you another few miles back.
My only concern is a really washed out section above Chiva. This last spring it was a rather tight and loose dirt mess at one point, the storms might have erased that section of trail.
as a mostly stock jku crawlin noob with a 5 yr old son/advisor I'd be up for an abbreviated or less technical route perhaps that avoids three feathers on the return, I have been up three feathers once(with skivviss as an excellent spotter/guide) and am a bit anxious about going down.....oh **** hill and other hardish spots some of yall live for, being further out on redington doens't bother me since well it is kind of a racetrack....
If we go back the same way we came in, there is a bypass route about a 1/4 mile before 3 feathers. It goes left and south around 3 feathers and comes out at the staging area. Not sure of the condition of the trail and I have never taken that way. I have heard from people that have gone that way and it is a clearly marked trail on my TOPO's. There is also the route that skivviss was talking about. Although I'm not sure about that long hill with my swb CJ5.
xdawg I'd like to learn that bypass for future reference when out alone, my wife would love the falls but is not even going to watch me go down three feathers (live that is), on the other hand my son says "follow him take the hard route" it'll just be us boys this time....I'm happy to discuss it at the trailhead. Maybe skivves can lead a group around the top of the falls while the less ambitious/more risk averse or those who need to get back quicker can go back out 4426 and learn the bypass....In any case i'm packin lunch, we get grouchy without snacks