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great chance i'll have Friday 27th - Sunday 29th available for a 3 day backpack. anybody have some good trips scheduled and would not mind if i tagged along?

I might be looking for something as well... Looks like I'm a bachelorette for the weekend ;)

ok cool. any ideas?
gila wldns perhaps?

I would totally be up for the Gila. Also up for something north of Phx, as I'm in the big city for the holiday anyway. My research is coming up with all kinds of coolio options!

well, then.. north of Phoenix.. Sierra Ancha maybe?
i think Andy is working on this too.. 3 days of hiking we can pro'lly cover some good mileage -or- do a base camp at Pueblo canyon and see Devil's chasm, Coon creek ruins, etc..

I have a couple of leftover permits on an Aravaipa permit leaving from the East end on Friday for two nights. If you'd like to join the 7-8 of us, email me.

This offer is open to any HAZ folks - not merely Mike or Wendy.

that would be great, 'cept i was just there last month. ;)
thanks for the offer!

mike, what about getting some permits and going down to deer creek falls on the n. rim?

pickelltree wrote:mike, what about getting some permits and going down to deer creek falls on the n. rim?

do you feel like securing such permits? seems likely those spots would be open.. i think it sounds great, but no hammocks or what?

No hammocks down there, from what I understand. I did Deer Creek last November and it was spectacular. It snowed on us the last night and as we hiked out, but it was spectacular. It's a pretty tough hike for only really having 2 hiking days (it'll take most of the day Friday just to get there...)

hammocks ok, from what i was told by a trusted source. plenty of trees, no rangers. Yay!
(although the cottonwoods may be large, bring long straps)
wendy.. you absolutely have to get a set of "whoopie slings"

so is it a go? should i start rounding up permits and how many?

so long as the north rim is open, i think you should get permits for 5. im sure, by then, you will fill all the spots. i know 2 others who are looking at coming with me no matter the destination.
so it would be you, me, wendy, phelecia, and possibly ron. 4 out of 5 hangers aint bad.... we'll have to work on phelecia. ;)

te-wa wrote:hammocks ok, from what i was told by a trusted source. plenty of trees, no rangers. Yay!

Rangers will give you crap about hanging a hammock?

hippiepunkpirate wrote:

te-wa wrote:hammocks ok, from what i was told by a trusted source. plenty of trees, no rangers. Yay!

Rangers will give you crap about hanging a hammock?

The Indian Garden and especially Bright Angel Camp rangers give you a 10 minute lecture on how hanging a sock on a tree branch is going to ruin the whole Canyon - all the while wearing a sidearm (you all know how rowdy backpackers can be, especially after hiking to the bottom of the canyon. (Picture Barney Fife meets Det. ‘Billy’ Rosewood).

hikeaz wrote:The Indian Garden and especially Bright Angel Camp rangers give you a 10 minute lecture on how hanging a sock on a tree branch is going to ruin the whole Canyon - all the while wearing a sidearm (you all know how rowdy backpackers can be, especially after hiking to the bottom of the canyon. (Picture Barney Fife meets Det. ‘Billy’ Rosewood).

I'm sick of rangers. The ranger that accompanied my class on our Wupatki fieldtrip on Saturday had a stick up his butt. He got all bent out of shape because I made a joke about littering. I was probably about 10 seconds from getting arrested. Don't get me started on Grand Canyon Park rangers....

So, you're thinking down Bill Hall to Deer Creek and out the same way? Er what? Man - that all sounds like a lot of driving. I hope someone's willing to chauffeur ;) me!

hikeaz wrote:you all know how rowdy backpackers can be, especially after hiking to the bottom of the canyon.

There are people that create the situations especially on the Bright Angel trail. At Indian gardens restroom they have pulled the doors off the out houses and started fires in there and the doors. I saw the damage one year and the rangers said it had happened a couple of years in a row.... So they are a little bit jumpy there... But on the other more isolated trails people are more caring about the areas.. I have seen kids on both corridor trails doing stupid stuff throwing rocks, cutting across the trails, carving on the outhouses....

an out and back is fine, but depending on the time we have, i believe there is a possibility of a loop.

i still don't know if the north rim offices are open, i am going to call again today, i called yesterday and got busy signals.

also i just read an article about the 20 year old that did in this area this summer, we will not be following his trip directions!

The loop with Tepeats Creek is fantastic - a GREAT hike. When I did it, we took 4 days, but I think it could be done in 3 days of pretty hard hiking. One of the ladies I went with is probably the strongest hiker I know, and she said the descent into Deer Creek was "one of the worst pieces of trail I've ever seen" - so if you can do it clockwise (descending Tepeats and climbing Deer) it's better. It's a good idea to stash water on the Esplanade either way.

Don't include yours truly on the permit, though. I was at the canyon two weeks ago and am going again in Jan... Plus, I just don't want 20 hours driving that weekend.