My First Grand Canyon Backpack

[cindyl]

I'm ready - and I got permits. Six, to be exact - so I need five more participants to make this a "go." In the Canyon on Nov. 5, out on Nov. 8.

So here is the plan:

Thursday: Drive to the canyon and get a good night's sleep.
Friday: South Kaibab trail 7.5 miles to the Bright Angel Campground (4,800' down)
Saturday: Hang out at Bright Angel Campground, recover, or likely dayhike around the area.
Sunday: Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens Campground - 4.5 miles (1,400' up) - day trip out to Plateau Point for sunset
Monday: Bright Angel Trail to the rim - 4.5 miles (3,400' up)

We will return on Monday afternoon.

Anyone want to come with?

[azbackpackr]

Sounds like a pretty good first trip. I have a permit for Boucher-Hermit a couple weekends before that, so I probably can't get away again so soon. Wish I could join you.

[cindyl]

@azbackpackr I wish you could join me, too! it'll be fun. Yay!

[cindyl]

BTW: I've added another linked hike - Ribbon Falls from Phantom Ranch - as the likely dayhike while down in the Canyon.

Now I'm getting excited!

[writelots]

You are going to have an amAZing hike, Cindy! You are totally going to kick some canyon butt!

[nonot]

Enjoy your trip! :GB:

[oliverr99]

Since I could not do the one with Wendy the next following weekend, I might be able to do this one. Are you leaving Thursday pm? Let me see if I can get those days off.

[cindyl]

@oliverr99 I could make the dates on Wendy's trip either! I'm planning on taking off around noon or 1 on Thursday (from Tucson) to get up there in time for a nice dinner and a good night's sleep. You could come a little later, though, if you like. We'll see about carpooling once we have committed hikers. You'd definitely need to take Friday and Monday off, though.

[oliverr99]

Are you planning to camp on Thursday night or hotel it? I just put in for Friday and Monday!

[Jim]

If we commit to this, do we have to commit to staying at Indian Gardens, or can we just do the two nights at Bright Angel CG? Also, if I do this, I'll just drive up from my cave in Flagstaff to start hiking down that morning, since I get a good night sleep on my mattress far better than on the ground. What time is the bus to Yaki Point? Indian Gardens is nice and all, but I'm not sure I would want to just hike the 5 miles and 1200 feet as the day. 9am is the last bus to Yaki I have seen, but they might run later in November. That is of course the Express, does the regular park bus drive up there?

[hippiepunkpirate]

They have buses going back forth to Yaki all day, Jim, but I believe it's only the express that runs out there.

[Jim]

They have buses going back forth to Yaki all day, Jim.

All the live long day? Maybe construction is the problem right now, as they had a sign at the Back Country office telling people that after the 9am bus there was no access to the South Kaibab until the evening buses, and the evening shade.

[Al_HikesAZ]

. . .What time is the bus to Yaki Point? . . . 9am is the last bus to Yaki I have seen, but they might run later in November. That is of course the Express, does the regular park bus drive up there?

Here is the Official Shuttle Schedule for Fall 2010 http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload ... sitMap.pdf. Jim you are correct that 9am is the last Hiker Express. But the Shuttles run all day. You would take the Blue Line to the Visitor Center and the Green Line to Yaki Point.

[Jim]

. . .What time is the bus to Yaki Point? . . . 9am is the last bus to Yaki I have seen, but they might run later in November. That is of course the Express, does the regular park bus drive up there?

Here is the Official Shuttle Schedule for Fall 2010 http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload ... sitMap.pdf. Jim you are correct that 9am is the last Hiker Express. But the Shuttles run all day. You would take the Blue Line to the Visitor Center and the Green Line to Yaki Point.

They are doing road work up there, so I think they have temporarily limited access to the hiker expresses only. The sign said there was no access to the trail after the 9am bus.

[hippiepunkpirate]

Sorry, I'm just full of wrong information. Feel free to ask me about Grand Canyon geology though....

[Jim]

I was kidding about the all the live long day thing. You know the old song about railroads.

I'm confused, too, since the sign at the Backcountry office clearly stated there was a 9am, yet this brochure has no buses after 7am. There is some conflicting information there.

[Al_HikesAZ]

. . .I'm confused, too, since the sign at the Backcountry office clearly stated there was a 9am, yet this brochure has no buses after 7am. There is some conflicting information there.

Schedules change monthly. Make sure you are looking at the right month. This is the Fall 2010 Schedule, did the Rangers have the Summer 2010 Schedules posted in the BCO? And it is possible that with the demand, they added a Hikers Express not on the officially published schedule. You don't need to stress about making the Hiker Express on the hour - you can take the Shuttles (Blue Line to Green Line) if you miss the express. In October at that time of day I would not expect the Shuttles to be too crowded. I think they run every 15 minutes during the day. Have fun.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload ... sitMap.pdf

ps If I were to miss the 6am Express, I would take the 6:15am shuttle, make the transfer and still get to Yaki Point before the 7:00am Express.

[Jim]

I'm going to contact them to find out what is going on. In the brochure, September is listed as having an Express at 5,6 and 7 AM, yet yesterday the sign clearly stated 7, 8, and 9AM. Also, they stated no access after the 9 AM bus until the evening return buses, so they may have suspended the half hour "green route" buses, and that may be because of the road construction. In that case, it would be nice to know when the construction will end. I'd like to go back up there before this trip to day hike the South Kaibab, so I'll need to know what is going on.

[Al_HikesAZ]

Jim - this is all I see -

Parking Lot Paving at South Kaibab Trailhead
date posted Sep 7, 2010

Attention hikers using the South Kaibab Trail on:

•Thursday, September 9th
•Friday, September 10th
•Saturday, September 11th
On these days, paving of the South Kaibab Trailhead parking lot will affect visitor access to the South Kaibab Trail. The Kaibab Trail bus route (green route) servicing Pipe Creek, South Kaibab Trail, and Yaki Point will not operate during these days.

The South Kaibab Trail will remain open. If you plan on hiking this trail, please review the following information before heading out.

Overnight hikers entering the canyon via the South Kaibab Trail: The Hiker Express Bus will have extended service, departing the Backcountry Information Center at 5am, 6am, and 7am. If you miss the last bus, we recommended that you enter the canyon via the Bright Angel Trail.

Overnight hikers exiting the canyon via the South Kaibab Trail: The park will operate an evening Hiker Express Bus that will depart the South Kaibab Trail and go to the Visitor Center at the following times ONLY: 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm. If you hike out of the canyon before or after these times, you will need to use the trailhead pay phone and call a taxi (928-638-2631) or walk three miles to the Visitor Center. We recommended hikers plan ahead and hike out of the canyon using the Bright Angel Trail if they think they might miss the bus.

Day hikers: We recommended day hikers use the Bright Angel Trail.

If paving is completed ahead of schedule then normal operations will resume. Please see The Guide for bus routes and times of service.

[Jim]

Yesterday was the 11th, so that must have been it. Perhaps someone accidentally wrote the wrong times for the AM buses.