HikeArizona.COM

If you really want the skinny on backpacking the North Rim, off trail, get yourself to this coming Tuesday evening's Southern Arizona Hiking Club meeting in Tucson. Dave Baker, founder and former owner of the Summit Hut will talk about the efforts of a small group of folks to hike the length of Grand Canyon, under the North Rim.
Here's their blurb:
Tuesday MONTHLY PROGRAM 7:00 pm
Mar 19
Pima County Medical Society
Auditorium
5199 E. Farness
(south of Grant, east of Rosemont)
Speaker: Dave Baker
“Backpacking Adventures”
Join Dave Baker as he shares information on how to plan and
enjoy long backpacking trips and highlights from the following:
The Sierra High Route is a splendid 200+ mile, mostly off trail,
hike that more-or-less parallels the John Muir Trail in the Sierra
Nevada. Over a decade ago, Mike Coltrin introduced Dave to
long rugged backpacking loops off the Grand Canyon North Rim.
Dave will discuss a few of these wonderfully challenging and
demanding trips. And a hundred mile backpack last year from
Klondyke, Arizona to the outskirts of Tucson that traversed
almost the length of the Galiuros and included a trip up and over
the Rincon mountains via seldom traveled Espiritu Canyon.
Club T-shirts and patches will be available for sale.

No doubt, long off-trail routes are cool. But if I had to choose only one "lifetime" experience (and most of us don't even get that chance), it would definitely be the Sierra High Route mentioned in the blurb. If it weren't in Tucson I'd attend the talk just for that part. Much as I love the GC, the Sierras are my idea of paradise (if you're interested, Steve Roper worked out the High Route decades ago and has a book available on it).

Dave mentioned Steve Roper and his guides. He gave him loads of appreciation for clueing him to the possibilities in the Sierra.

I like the Sierra too but being a desert dog I fell for Grand Canyon.

I enjoyed all of my experiences with Dave Baker and hope to be able to support him in his future Grand Canyon plans. I think my hiking career is pretty well over but I can still row. Would love to get Dave on the Colorado River with me.

Mike Coltrin
Tucson

I hear you also met another HAZ member, of the AZT and ARR persuasion! ;)