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| Backpack | 37.70 Miles |
19,000 AEG |
| | Backpack | 37.70 Miles | 7 Days | | |
| 19,000 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | North Bass Nirvana:
- Backpacking the North Bass Trail / Wondrous William Wallace Bass / Harvey Butchart Natural Bridge / Shinumo Creek / Tapeats Narrows of White Creek / Redwall Canyon to start of Burro Route
September 27 to October 4, 2012
Text (C) copyright by Rob Jones and Photos (C) copyright by Rob
Summary: Three of us hiked from Swamp Point (North Bass, NB, TH) to The River, then the Tapeats Narrows of White Creek, up Shinumo Creek to the obstacle falls, and to the huge Harvey Butchart Natural Bridge. It's a country in search of a trail, albeit the NPS and volunteers greatly improved sections of the existing or historic trail about 6 years ago. Be prepared for slow going, this may be the most difficult 'trail' in the Grand Canyon.
Prologue Because of the understandable desire of hikers to explore the NB (North Bass) during the Fall, and the limited number of permits available, I've been unsuccessfully trying to get a NB venue for the past four years. In the Spring, there is snow on the road or the road is impassable, cluttered with down trees. By the time the road is cleared, it's too hot in The Canyon, making Spring a less-preferred time to hike the NB. Fall hiking is also with issues, because, as noted, most hikers want to hike in the Fall, and permits are limited, and an early snow storm can ruin your day. Beware, wind and early snow can close the Swamp Ridge Road at any time.
The day has finally arrived as I rendezvous with Zig near the North Kaibab Lodge, then together we bump the forest and park roads to Swamp Ridge and finally to Swamp Point, where we meet Steve, who blazed up FR 22 from near Fredonia, AZ. Today, September 27th, we have a permit to car camp at Swamp Point, and do so - enjoying the vast views, which are abutted on the West by the imposing and glorious Powell Plateau. Steve has brought some of that excellent California wine, and it lubricates our chat about trips enjoyed and those that floundered. Steve is part of the "Cashorama" team of Dave and Steve Cash - who provided resupply in that critical Southern portion of the John Muir trail (see the 2010 JMT Jaunty Juggernaut report here and in the links section.)
Mini History - W.W. Bass: William Wallace Bass, according to Bob Ribokas: "William Wallace Bass came to the Grand Canyon in 1884 for health reasons. He spent more than forty years living at the Canyon and during that time did some prospecting, got married and became the first person of European descent to raise a family at the Canyon. He is credited with building a road from Ash Fork, Arizona to his camp, Bass Camp, on the south rim, a distance of some 70 miles. He is a also responsible for the construction of both the North Bass and South Bass trails, which he used to guide tourists into the Canyon and over to the north rim. The trail was also used to haul asbestos out from his mine and to tend his garden near Shinumo Creek.
The Bass Formation is named after William Wallace Bass."
See a Book partly about and by W.W. Bass: Adventures in the Canyons of the Colorado (1920) (see the full report for a link to this book. The link to the full report is:
http://wildernessvagabond.com/gcnorthbass2012/gcnorthbass2012.htm
Quick reference map is incomplete. See the actual track of the backpack at the above link, or to see only the map, see it here:
http://wildernessvagabond.com/gcnorthbass2012/north-bass-2012-gps-vis.html |
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