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| Hiking | 12.94 Miles |
3,890 AEG |
| | Hiking | 12.94 Miles | 9 Hrs 42 Mns | | 1.61 mph |
| 3,890 ft AEG | 1 Hour 41 Mns Break | | | |
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[ show ]
| no partners | | Another coaching season had kept me away from the Grand Canyon since October, but Cope Butte proved to be the perfect summit to knock off some Canyon rust.
After coaching three boys to some state medals on Saturday and locking up another top ten team finish, we were off for the Grand Canyon. In fitting Canyon fashion, we did not arrive to our sleeping spot until after 12:30 a.m. We begrudgingly got out of bed sometime after six and were on the trail by 7:15 a.m.
The hike to Cope was pretty standard and the early morning golden hour set the scene for us as we descended. We passed a few groups of backpackers on the way down, but did not see another person on the trail for the rest of day. The steep scramble to the start of Cope is straightforward and obvious. From there, a faint use trail, as well as some timely cairns provides a nice guide for most of the ascent. The class four chimney was fun and had some of the better rock on the butte. Katie had some pause, but it was mainly related to the thought of down-climbing it later in the day. From there, a little mantle on to a ledge leads to some nicer walking as you traverse north to the next obstacles. I thought the final little scrambles to the ridgeline probably provided some of the more thought provoking moves of the ascent and required the most care. The rock is pretty rotten here, use caution. The ridgeline was engaging and fun and a little thoughtful in spots, but nothing too crazy, just some big exposure on a narrow rotten ridgeline. We swapped out the old register can with a new one in hopes of preserving the rather historical register, with entries dating back to the 60s. After signing the register and taking in the spectacular perspective, we returned the way we came. The down climb in spots pushed Katie, but we got through it with a little teamwork and descended back to the notch rather quickly and efficiently. We returned the way we came and took our time on the hike back to the rim.
Cope Butte is a true Canyon classic and a spectacular summit. Bring some experience, scrambling skills and a little mettle, if planning to attempt. Its a nice little test piece for a Grand Canyon scrambler and peak bagger. This was my 46th Grand Canyon summit and Katie’s 5th. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
