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| Backpack | 12.00 Miles |
3,500 AEG |
| | Backpack | 12.00 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 3,500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | The LCR has been on my list for at least four years. I remember the first time I saw pics and my immediate thought was it’s too good to be true. I knew I had to visit! Chumley made a few trips in the past and it never worked out until this time. The four of us had a wonderful trip that I won’t soon forget!
We made the drive up on Friday night and car camped on the rim overlooking the Little Colorado River. All of us were up early and packed up gear and started hiking before 7am. The Salt Trail Canyon starts off with a bang as you scramble and climb down a chute. I wasn’t taking any chances by carrying 17 lbs of water. This made for a very heavy pack and I had to be extra careful with each step. The route down was strenuous and borderline sketchy in a few places. We continued down and took breaks when needed and cached water along the route. With much effort we reached the LCR and took a break.
Chumley talked of a nice camp roughly a mile down river so we continued on and pushed through the reeds and mud. We eventually hit the crossing and I followed Chumley over a travertine dam. This proved to be a pain as I slipped and stumbled across. At one point I fell in to my stomach and thought I ruined my iPhone. I had it in my pocket and it was double bagged. After hitting land I pulled it out and to my relief it was dry and working. Once we had everyone across we headed over to camp and settled in. The hike down really took its toll on me and I needed to lay down for a while. The others inflated their tubes & hit the river. I joined them later near the Sipapu where we took pics and admired this amazing canyon.
All of us hiked back to camp as rain clouds moved in and it sprinkled on us. Once back at camp Chumley headed up canyon while the rest of us relaxed. I set up my tent in a clearing and it was a beautiful day. In a matter of minutes more storm clouds moved in and the rain started falling accompanied by high wind. My tent was taking a pounding and I was concerned it was going to rip so I tore it down and moved it to a more protected area under some mesquite trees. Luckily the storm moved on after an hour and all of us settled in for a wonderful evening.
We woke early on Sunday and packed up camp wanting to beat the heat. We started the hike out and had to do the crossing again. This time we crossed well above the travertine dam in a calm patch of water that was only thigh deep. This crossing was much easier and we continued on to Salt Trail Canyon. From there our group made the long grind to the rim. Again we took breaks and set a steady pace. The exit was much easier because I was only carrying a few lbs of water compared to the hike in. We topped out before noon and then made the return to Phoenix.
This was a hell of a trip and I was blown away with the LCR! The canyon is spectacular and the blue water feels like a dream! I definitely want to return but next time I want to thru hike LCR  Beamer Tanner. That will be a fun combo and seeing the confluence will be magical! Thanks Chumley for putting this together and for driving and scoring the permits! |
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