I have a permit for a South Bass - Elves Chasm hike April 13-18. My planned cohiker had to cancel and I need to fill the spot; can take 1 or 2 hikers besides myself. If you have backpacked in the Grand Canyon and are interested in this hike, please respond and I will share details of the itinerary and my experience.
Elves' Chasm can be done as a loop hike - down via the Royal Arch route and up via S Bass - if you know enough rock climbing to rappel down a 20 ft cliff, but I don't so I am doing it as an out-and-back from S Bass. Summary itinerary: Day 1 S Bass to the Colorado River. Then 1 1/2 days west across Tonto Trail to Toltec Beach. 2nd night has potential to be a dry camp but we reach the river before lunch on day 3. Rest of day 3 and all of day 4 = R&R and exploring, highlight = half-day hike out/back to Elves Chasm. Days 5-6, reverse route except do not need to descend to the river as there is a shorter connection from Tonto Trail to the S Bass. 5th night is dry camp. Can stash water on days 1 and/or 2 in places that greatly limit the amount of extra to be lugged from Toltec Beach on day 5. The 4 full hiking days are in the range 8 - 10 mi. (Last day hike-out is about 9 mi.)
South Bass is visited by fewer hikers than S Rim trails further east because part of the road to the trailhead really needs a jeep or similar vehicle. The transport for this hike is already arranged.
Looking for backpacking partner, Grand Cyn 13-18 April
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Re: Looking for backpacking partner, Grand Cyn 13-18 April
Just noting ... There are now 2 going with me and the hike is full. Thanx to rlrjamy and jkern15674 for joining up.
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Re: Looking for backpacking partner, Grand Cyn 13-18 April
I hiked S. Bass down and back a year and a half ago. Have to say that so far it's my favorite Canyon hike. Well, maybe Thunder River is my favorite, but S. Bass takes the cake for the South Rim. NOBODY THERE!!!
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
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Re: Looking for backpacking partner, Grand Cyn 13-18 April
Just last night returned from a Royal Arch - Hermit loop. Water @ Garnet is running but way too salty to drink. If there are recent rains before your trip there may be potholes in the side drainage of Garnet & others.
Settling (if necessary) river water (search 'alum' on this site) &/or schlepping some back to Toltec from Elves may be the way to go (leather gloves come in handy when grabbing the 'tigertooth' rock).
Copper had a small flow of good water.
FR 138 is is good shape - no mud, no puddles. Tribe IS collecting the $25. per vehicle. I suggest that if you plan to camp the night before the trip that you check out the campsites out near Havasupai Point, rather than the SB T/H; you'll be glad you did.
Settling (if necessary) river water (search 'alum' on this site) &/or schlepping some back to Toltec from Elves may be the way to go (leather gloves come in handy when grabbing the 'tigertooth' rock).
Copper had a small flow of good water.
FR 138 is is good shape - no mud, no puddles. Tribe IS collecting the $25. per vehicle. I suggest that if you plan to camp the night before the trip that you check out the campsites out near Havasupai Point, rather than the SB T/H; you'll be glad you did.
"The censorship method ... is that of handing the job over to some frail and erring mortal man, and making him omnipotent on the assumption that his official status will make him infallible and omniscient."
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
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azbackpackrGuides: 27 | Official Routes: 23Triplogs Last: 77 d | RS: 0Water Reports 1Y: 0 | Last: 770 d
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Re: Looking for backpacking partner, Grand Cyn 13-18 April
If you make the drive to and from the trailhead very early in the a.m. or in the evening, the tribal members are often not there. That's if you want to gyp them, that is. We passed by there in the late afternoons and they had left. I have heard same from other people. There is a way around it, but I don't know the way. The Park Service won't tell you how to do it, but there is a way.
Maybe you prefer to help the tribe, that's kind of you. However, for me, always on a shoestring budget, the savings is significant. Which is why I always enter the park itself around 6 a.m. Nobody to collect the entrance fee. (Someday they will figure a way to change that, I'm sure.)
Maybe you prefer to help the tribe, that's kind of you. However, for me, always on a shoestring budget, the savings is significant. Which is why I always enter the park itself around 6 a.m. Nobody to collect the entrance fee. (Someday they will figure a way to change that, I'm sure.)
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
contribute to this member driven resource
ie: RS > Save/Share after hikes

