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Any suggestions for a three day loop that's not a corridor route? I've done the R2R hike many times and did R2R2R in June. I haven't looked into some of the other options that start at different trail heads along the south rim. I don't mind including a leg of the trip as one of the corridor routes, but would prefer two of the three days are new trails to me.

Hermit to Bright Angel?

Tanner / Escalante / New Hance
Royal Arch Route
Hermit / Tonto / Boucher
Grandview / Tonto / South Kaibab

New Hance / Tonto / Grandview

I think all the possibilities have now been covered!

Deer Creek/Tapeats

@hikeaz

up2top wrote:options that start at different trail heads along the south rim.

So it'll take a few days to START the loop... : - )

I wish I had that kinda time. Thanks for the suggestions. I think I going for the Hermit / Tonto / Boucher route.

I would prefer Boucher/Tonto/Hermit.

I'm now eyeballing New Hance/ Tonto / Grandview. Any reason I shouldn't?

@up2top
Well it obviously depends on your experience level. New Hance is a steep trail with a couple of hiccups as for routefinding up top.

There's only Colorado River water at the bottom so if it's running muddy that can be an issue for filtering since you don't get to clear water until you get to Hance Creek.

And it requires you to set up a shuttle since it doesn't start and end at the same spot like Hermit/Boucher and there's no bus out here.

chumley wrote:And it requires you to set up a shuttle since it doesn't start and end at the same spot like Hermit/Boucher and there's no bus out here.

"Shuttle"? I'm not familiar with that word. I would just hitchhike.

@flagscott
Definitely a viable option for good looking and fresh-smelling backpackers.

@chumley
You are too good looking to hitchhike. You'd get taken advantage of....

chumley wrote:@flagscott
Definitely a viable option for good looking and fresh-smelling backpackers.

I think that anyone can get a ride if they are patient and do it right. I personally have gotten lots of rides when I was whatever the opposite of good-looking and fresh-smelling is, like after 10 days and 250 miles of backpacking since my last shower. It helps to:

- stand in a spot with good visibility and room to pull over
- smile and make eye contact
- take off hat/sunglasses so people can see your face
- some people say that signs with big letters help ("HIKER TO MY CAR: 8 MILES"), but every time I've used a sign, the person who picked me up never saw it
- be patient: everyone gets a ride eventually (except this guy: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ ... out-a-lift I'm guessing he didn't follow my suggestions!)

@The_Eagle
Did I tell you the story of the ride I got in Yosemite this summer ... you're not far off.

@flagscott
I agree and find that getting a ride in national parks is quite easy. I think it's easiest to do before the hike, sending only one person, rather than having a group of backpackers with tons of gear make an attempt.

Strangely, it seems that vehicles with the most available room (pickup trucks, vans, cars with only 1 or 2 people) are least likely to pick me up. But somebody in a Yugo with 6 people and gear strapped to the roof will stop and welcome you in.

Anyone know the parking availability at both/either trailhead? I'm considering parking at Grandview and walking/hitching to the start of New Hance. The walk down the road doesn't look too bad -- couldn't be more than 4 miles. I'd probably drive down to New Hance TH and drop off and hide my pack first; then drive back to Grandview TH to park; then walk back to my pack a New Hance to start the hike. The first day goal would be the river, which is only about 6.8 miles downhill, so even with all the shuttling it would still be a pretty short day.

@up2top
There's plenty of parking at Grandview.

New Hance has no parking. There's a pullout that fits about two vehicles but parking there is illegal. There's a pullout about 200 yards up the road where parking is permitted and a closed road about half a mile west where parking is also permitted.

Looks to be 4.9 miles from Grandview to New Hance on the road.

Bike shuttle works well. Drop the gear and a bike lock at Hance, drive back to Grandview and park, pull out the bike for the quick trip back to Hance.