River Trail - Grand Canyon • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

SK Popsicle, AZ

Hiking		Dec 09 2023
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	13.22 Miles	4,976 AEG

Hiking	13.22 Miles	5 Hrs 34 Mns	2.49 mph
	4,976 ft AEG	16 Mns Break

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Skeleton Point Route

Miner's Route

[ checklist ] Bright Angel Canyon Buddha Temple Phantom Ranch Sumner Butte

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Twelve degrees leaving the car and 28° on the return. Descending the South Kaibab trail is always easy. IMHO, the damage to the fifty-year old transcanyon pipeline isn't too bad. Of course, there is rockfall, but the Bright Angel trail isn't any more unstable than the rest of the canyon. Rocks break loose from the cliffs occasionally. They should dynamite the boulders, duct tape the pipeline fractures and redo the trail. This would only take a few weeks and then we could all hike the best trail in the GC again. No kidding. Don't tread on me! I hate anything government, unless they do something that benefits me directly by using other people's money.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bighorn Sheep

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Aircraft

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

3 archives

Jul 30 2023

ckoss_

Guides 2
Routes 21
Photos 64
Triplogs 7

male

Joined Oct 30 2024
Kenilworth, NJ

R2r2r, AZ

Backpack		Jul 30 2023
		ckoss_ • Triplogs 7

Backpack	54.16 Miles	11,311 AEG

Backpack	54.16 Miles	2 Days 9 Hrs 50 Mns
	11,311 ft AEG		20 LBS Pack

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9 linked trail guides

Ribbon Falls from Phantom Ranch

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The 2nd of 3 Grand Canyon backpacking trips for 2023.

Preface
As college students, the best time for vacation was during the summer, which can be brutal in the canyon. My hiking partner was only available in late July for their first trip to GC. I previously did a R2R in 2017. We decided on South Kaibab - North Kaibab - Bright Angel with 2 nights at Cottonwood Campground. We had 2 interesting encounters in the early morning of Day 3.

Day 1 - Lemonade and Ribbon Falls
The first Hikers' Express shuttle arrived arrived at 4 AM to take us to the South Kaibab TH. Today was ~14 miles from the TH to Cottonwood. We topped off our water and headed down the canyon by headlamp. The shelter at the Tipoff enticed us to stop and have a quick break, followed by crossing the black bridge. We made it to the Canteen right at 8 AM and enjoyed a few cups of lemonade before entering the Box section of North Kaibab. We also collected out passport stamps at the Ranger Station. After an hour or so in the Box, we decided to cool off in the Bright Angel creek by laying down in a shallow section and it was very relieving to escape the intense heat. Around noon we crossed the creek to visit Ribbon Falls before arriving to camp. We thought about visiting Upper Ribbon Falls, but we were content with our time with the lower falls. We arrived at Cottonwood at 1 PM and collected our passport stamps and above us was a thermometer in the shade reading 102F. We spend the rest of the day eating food and enjoying the creek.

Day 2 - North Rim
The plan for today was to keep our tents and other non-essential gear at our campsite at Cottonwood as we ascend to the North Rim and visit the Visitor Center for the passport stamps. We started down the trail at 5 AM followed by a quick break at Manzanita to fill up water and sketch a doodle on the chalk board. We had to wait for the bathrooms to be finished cleaning before using them. It was fascinating seeing all of the equipment to perform the trail repairs due to the rock slides earlier that year. There were several steel cables spanning across the canyon nearby. We also spotted a fresh pipeline fracture across the canyon from North Kaibab trail where the water was gushing out spraying against the canyon wall. As we were nearing the final ascent to the Coconino Overlook, a nearby horse escaped a tour group and the wrangler shouted to us to grab it, which we were able to stop it! We made it to the TH at 11 AM and debated on stopping at the gas station store or just to proceed to the lodge and visitor center. There is no shuttle on the North Rim like the South Rim and we debated on asking to hitch-hike, but being from NJ we have never done that, so we just followed the path to the lodge. We collected our stamps, enjoyed the views, inhaled lunch at the deli, and started back down North Kaibab at 4 PM. I have not been to the North Rim since 2017 and I completely forgot the powerful moment of seeing the San Francisco Peaks above the South Rim. I thought it was interesting that visitation to Roaring Springs is off limits now as I remember in 2017 that we could take the side trail to the base of the springs. Luckily it was partly cloudy today so the temperature at Cottonwood was only 90F when we arrived back at 7 PM.

Day 3 - Strange Encounters
Since this was the first time for my hiking partner to visit the corridor trails, I splurged and reserved breakfast at the Canteen for late seating (6:30AM) so we woke up at 3 AM to complete the ~7 miles to make it on time. The moon was very bright and lit up the canyon, but we still hiked with headlamp. On the way to Phantom Ranch, we observed a skunk on the side of the trail, a first for me. Soon after, we had another encounter. This time, a woman in a white dress was approaching us in the opposite direction with no headlamp. When we crossed paths, she appeared to have no pack or gear. We were very confused and we asked if she was okay and where she was heading. We do not remember exactly recall, but I remember being confused because she said something along the lines of going to a meadow, which does not make sense to me. We arrived at the Canteen by 6AM, but the staff was able to feed us early since it was just the 2 of us for breakfast. My partner and I really enjoyed the meal and felt it was worth the money to receive all of the fresh food and calories considering our relatively aggressive itinerary for the time of the year. We crossed Silver Bridge at 7AM and making it to Havasupai Gardens before 10AM. Side note, we passed a mother/daughter descending North Kaibab on Day 2, they passed Cottonwood around 8PM with the plan to hike R2R through the night. We passed them again on the way to Havasupai Gardens and they looked exhausted. We took quick breaks at the 2 rest houses and made it to the TH at 2:30PM. Until next time in November.

Medium flow

Light flow

Light flow

Gallon + per minute

Light flow

Dec 28 2022

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 842
Photos 22,068
Triplogs 1,994

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Clear Creek, AZ

Backpack		Dec 28 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,994

Backpack	53.12 Miles	9,968 AEG

Backpack	53.12 Miles	5 Days
	9,968 ft AEG

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Clear Creek Trail - GCNP

Clear Creek Falls via Colorado River

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cmatheez

desertchild

Chris and Sam had a couple of cancellations on their permit and extended the invitation a month or so ago. Ignoring the manmade point in the revolution of the planet around the sun doesn't seem to phase me much. But I guess that's what the whole plan was. Turns out to be my most memorable random point-passing since that time when all the computers stopped working

!

The forecast was looking unsettled but we decided that we were all-in, weather-be-damned. We were hoping for the snow to clear out before we got going since we could start late with our day one just the "easy" hike down to Phantom. I had planned to drive through Ash Fork as a precaution and it turned out to be a good plan as the snow had I-17 closed at the Sedona all day.

The 40 was in fine shape climbing the hill to Williams, and the only sketchy part of the drive was the last 20 miles into the park. Pockets of blue sky along the drive devolved into flurries as I packed up to get started. As the others were an hour or so behind me, I decided to get started on my own. I enlisted a local hippy to shuttle me from BA over to SK where we engaged in some shenanigans for the tourists before setting off.

Day 1 - SK to Phantom
7.47mi, 0aeg, 2:58
I set out with microspikes and a poofy as the fresh snow brought the magic of the canyon alive. The rim was socked in and drive-by tourists had no view of anything, but after dropping a couple hundred feet the canyon came into view and looked amazing. Spikes lasted until close to Hoo-hah Point which is when I was also down to short sleeves on a nice chilly day.

Below the tipoff a shower started to pelt me with graupel and I donned my skirt. A few flashes of lightning and zero-delay claps of thunder kept things spicy. Five minutes later it was nice again. Late afternoon on a snowy day made SK peaceful and deserted. I think I saw 3 groups between Hoo-hah and the ranch and took advantage with a lengthy break taking inappropriate photos for the gram.

The others arrived after I had set up camp and sauntered up to the Cantina to enjoy a beverage.

Day 2 - Phantom to Clear Creek
9.69 miles, 2500aeg, 4:19
This was all new trail for me, and it was very enjoyable. The views from the trail down to the ranch are quickly eclipsed by the views into the inner gorge and the two bridges. The next mile traverses just below the supai in one of the great stretches of trail in the park. We endured the countless little ups and downs that add up and as we approached camp the cloudy skies began to mist a little bit. We set up camp and the nuisance mist had us all in our tents once dinner was over.

Day 3 - Clear Creek to the Colorado
13.34mi, 1500aeg, 6:32
Wednesday's storm dropped a foot of snow on the North Rim, but there was no runoff of note in any of the drainages we had seen thusfar so I assumed that Cheyava would not be flowing and decided instead to make the trip to the river. It's a long river spur, but a mostly pleasant creek to walk along. I managed to keep my feet dry with about 50 deliberate landing-spot calculations on crossings.

There's a waterfall about 3/4mi from the river that has a dicey bypass. I didn't know if I'd be able to do this one and upon arriving there I was skeptical at first. As I was by myself on this daytrip, I had a higher threshold for poor decision making, and still convinced myself that I could not only get down, but also get back up on the return. Phew!

Reaching where Clear Creek hits the Colorado, there's no "delta" or anywhere to hang out. Just a canyon straight into the river. I was able to find routes both upstream and downstream of the confluence that lead to small beaches. This is the first time I've stood on the banks of the river comfortably wearing a poofy, beenie, and gloves -- and that might not happen again!

The trip back up creek was uneventful. After getting up the waterfall climb I was able to relax and motor back to camp where the others had just recently returned from their dayhikes.

Day 4 - Clear Creek to Phantom
9.91mi, 1000aeg, 3:43
Saturday we reversed course and headed back to Phantom. It was another cloudy cool day with no rain. Some snow showers were visible near the rims, but the inner canyon was great. I took the time to access cell signal along the trail and check the weather update. We knew Sunday was supposed to be stormy with a lower snow level for the hike out. The updated forecast confirmed the previous and we planned for a suckfest hike out.

Day 4 - River Trail Loop
2.34mi, 300aeg, 1:03
First we set up camp preparing for the rain. We checked for a cancellation thinking a rainy night might be more pleasant in a cabin, but none was available. There was plenty of daylight so we took an hour to loop the River Trail crossing the two bridges. This is a great little hike out of camp if you're ever staying at Phantom.

Ranger Della stopped by camp near sunset to invite us to the scorpion drop at the ranger station. Phantom celebrates at backpackers bedtime, so somewhere around 8:04pm the scorpion was lowered down the flagpole and 50 or so folks enjoyed the festivities over hot beverages and maybe a flask or 3. A few of the folks there are recognizable names to people who frequent this place. We had a blast and polished off whatever treats were being served before settling in prepared for packing up and hiking out in the rain tomorrow.

Day 5 - Phantom to BA
10.45mi, 4,668aeg, 4:35
We were all up shortly after first light ... earlier than previous days, but we all realized the rain had not arrived and figured we should get started as soon as we could. The others had parked near SK and headed back up that way. I had never hiked BA before (

) so I opted for the longer walk, also, mostly because that's where I parked!

There was a spritz of rain climbing out of Pipe Creek but otherwise it was a surprisingly pleasant hike out -- until the 3-mile resthouse.

It rained and it rained hard. It was actually quite enjoyable knowing I only had to endure an hour of it rather than the 5 hours I had prepared for! Several wet rats jealously made fun of my skirt and umbrella. I laughed.

The rain had turned to snow by the lower tunnel, and spikes were required a few steps later, with several inches of new snow by the time I got to the top. It was pretty much a blizzard at this point, so I got into my truck and changed out of my hiking clothes before snowshoeing over to El Tovar for a bowl of chili at the bar.

The snowfall was intense and it made the drive home entertaining. The 40 was closed so headed to Flag to risk whatever the 17 would provide. It took 3 hours to get there, so I invited myself to stop at a friends house where I napped for a couple hours before heading down the hill around 11pm after the cluster of snow traffic was long gone and I saw only 5 other cars and a plow in the first 30 miles.

Nothin like a little winter to spice up a good backpacking trip! I might have to make this a thing.

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Unidentified Geology

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Grave - Identified

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

3 archives

Aug 28 2022

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

R2R South to North, AZ

Hiking		Aug 28 2022
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	24.09 Miles	8,737 AEG

Hiking	24.09 Miles	9 Hrs 3 Mns	2.84 mph
	8,737 ft AEG	34 Mns Break

no photosets

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Not too shabby the more difficult direction.

7 archives

Apr 16 2022

drmadsen

Triplogs 5

male

Joined Mar 22 2022
Villa Park, IL

S Kaibob - Bright Angel, AZ

Hiking		Apr 16 2022
		drmadsen • Triplogs 5

Hiking	20.66 Miles	7,513 AEG

Hiking	20.66 Miles	13 Hrs 55 Mns	2.10 mph
	7,513 ft AEG	4 Hrs 5 Mns Break

no photosets

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7 linked trail guides

Tonto Trail: South Kaibab to Bright Angel

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What a wonderful experience!!

Feb 19 2022

mikemcg

Guides 2
Routes 127
Photos 1,478
Triplogs 129

male

Joined May 07 2019
Tempe, AZ

South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch to Bright Angel, AZ

Hiking		Feb 19 2022
		mikemcg • Triplogs 129

Hiking	19.00 Miles	4,718 AEG

Hiking	19.00 Miles	11 Hrs 51 Mns	2.06 mph
	4,718 ft AEG	2 Hrs 37 Mns Break

no routes

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Started at South Kaibab around 0800. It was 24°F and windy. There were numerous ice patches during the first 1.5 miles. Several people walked past us as we were putting on our crampons, and all of them wiped out hard on the ice, but there didn't appear to be any serious injuries. There were a lot of people between the trailhead and Cedar Ridge.

Cedar Ridge is picturesque, and the temperature was more pleasant there, so we stopped there, removed the crampons, and took in the views for a while. We observed two bighorns calmly eating about 15 feet away from a large group of people. Further down, we climbed up into a large cave in the canyon wall, and enjoyed the views.

The Colorado River was beautiful and freezing, so we waded in it until we couldn't feel our legs. Stopped at Phantom Ranch, had a lemonade, and met numerous people. It was about 75°F at Phantom Ranch.

While walking along the River Trail, we encountered 4 bighorns, and stopped to watch them. Unfortunately, there was another group of people walking toward the sheep from the other direction, and the sheep were caught between the 2 groups, with the canyon wall on one side, and the cliff edge on the other. We flattened ourselves against the canyon wall, and after some hesitation, they loped past us to safety. Here's a video of it:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CaOgvvE ... A1ZTQyMGU=

We found another smaller cave on the Bright Angel Trail and explored it. We enjoyed the waterfalls along the way. Eventually we reached the neverending switchbacks and pushed through to the finish. Overall a good day.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bighorn Sheep

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cedar Ridge Ooh Aah Point

3 archives

Jan 26 2022

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 26 2022
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	2.63 Miles	736 AEG

Hiking	2.63 Miles	1 Hour 5 Mns	2.43 mph
	736 ft AEG

no photosets

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1 archive

Nov 20 2021

ddgrunning

Guides 3
Routes 633
Photos 8,249
Triplogs 605

54 male

Joined Apr 13 2011
Gilbert, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Nov 20 2021
		ddgrunning • Triplogs 605

Hiking	18.68 Miles	4,739 AEG

Hiking	18.68 Miles	8 Hrs 57 Mns	2.52 mph
	4,739 ft AEG	1 Hour 32 Mns Break

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Great weekend trip with a few friends. We were able to get a room at Maswick Lodge. Paid for a Xanterra van/taxi ($20) to get to the trailhead a little earlier than the hiker express shuttle (which doesn't start till 7 am this time of year). Hit the trail around 6 a.m. with a full moon overhead. Weather was pretty nice for late November (low 40s to start). Weather in the canyon was fantastic. And we had shade almost the entire hike, even up Devil's Corkscrew. Trail traffic was relatively low, so pretty good solitude for a corridor-trail trip. Maintenance crews were trimming a chopping up some cottonwoods in Bright Angel Campground. It was strange to hear the sound of a chainsaw in the inner canyon.

All in all, a great trip!

_____________________

May 16 2021

survivordude

Routes 61
Photos 1,008
Triplogs 224

44 male

Joined Aug 19 2009
The Basin

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		May 16 2021
		survivordude • Triplogs 224

Hiking	19.50 Miles	4,975 AEG

Hiking	19.50 Miles	10 Hrs 3 Mns	2.77 mph
	4,975 ft AEG	3 Hrs Break

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Solo dolo down SK, 2.5 hours to the river. Swim at the beach for an hour. The canyon runner population has exploded. I love the river trail, its so easy going. Hot slog up to IG for about an hour break/siesta. Lots of wildlife. About 3 hours up to the top. Good to see all the youth out enjoying the outdoors. Quads were toast at the Coconino. Definitely slower than my last time up BA, but I did go to the river this time and it was a longer hike, so there's that. I enjoyed taking my time with this one.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Grand Canyon National Park

_____________________

“There is nothing that exists outside the thought of the immediate moment.”

Oct 24 2020

kyleGChiker

Guides 1
Routes 61
Photos 604
Triplogs 79

male

Joined May 28 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Oct 24 2020
		kyleGChiker • Triplogs 79

Hiking	44.50 Miles	11,000 AEG

Hiking	44.50 Miles	49 Hrs 56 Mns		1.19 mph
	11,000 ft AEG	12 Hrs 33 Mns Break	45 LBS Pack

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After previously backpacking every mile of trails/routes on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, I decided it was time to complete Rim to Rim!

I got a permit for my last choice weekend, October 24-26, and backpacked across the North Kaibab/Bright Angel route.

Along for the trip were my parents, two siblings, and my brother's girlfriend (a total of six people). For some strange reason, NPS gave us a permit for 7 people, stating in an email that we had miscalculated the total fee for the permit, and they would be charging us for 7 people. Even after calling to make sure they knew we only had 6 people, they refused to update the permit or give a refund for the 7th person that didn't go along on the trip! Oh well...I guess it all worked out fine because we got to camp at the nice group sites.

We found a friend on Facebook (lives in Page) who was willing to be our shuttle driver from South to North since the normal shuttles aren't running this year. After being dropped off, and after enjoying our sandwiches on the rim before the hike, we realized we forgot our pot and fuel at home!

Apparently, somewhere along the way, there was a miscommunication in who was taking what.

Sure enough, when we got home, there was our 4-liter pot and 16 oz. of fuel, sitting right next to the fish bowl!

Well, after talking through the options, we decided that since we were on corridor trails, we would be able to find sufficient kind hikers from whom we could buy/bribe/borrow some fuel. A kind man on the rim overheard our plight and gave us his stainless steel doggy bowl to use as a makeshift pot. It only held 2.5 cups, but we were grateful nonetheless. To finish out this story, at Cottonwood campground, I finally found someone who had some extra fuel, so I borrowed their canister for our dinner (they refused to accept payment). Our breakfast was cold-soaked oatmeal, which rehydrated quite well overnight. On the trail the next day, we met some backpackers who were from Chicago and had some extra fuel. They couldn't take it with them on the plane anyway, so they were happy to give it to us. We're thankful for the kindness of our fellow backpackers and hope we have a chance to help someone out similarly some day.

The North Kaibab trail itself is a very nice trail, quite smooth and gradual. The 5,000+ feet of descent really seems to go by quite quickly, and in no time, we were at Cottonwood campground! We enjoyed the amazing stargazing both in the evening, and early the next morning before the sun rose. In addition to identifying numerous stars and constellations, we also spotted Saturn and Jupiter. I tried my hand at some night sky photography, and was quite pleased with the results (I'm writing this at work while I wait for a test to run...will probably have a photoset uploaded sometime late this evening or tomorrow afternoon for you all to enjoy). The next day was a long day from Cottonwood to Indian Gardens, and especially being in a group of six, we move pretty slowly (due to the nature of group dynamics, not any particular person). We woke up at 4:45, and got out of shortly after first light. About half-way from Cottonwood to Phantom Ranch, we came across a group of 7 bighorn sheep drinking water from Bright Angel Creek. Apparently, they decided to move on, and we watched in amazement as they climbed over 200 ft high overhead on very steep (almost vertical) terrain. Within minutes, they had ascended easily 200 ft. but we continued watching for another half hour or so, as they were so interesting to watch. Eventually they got beyond the ridgeline and we couldn't see them any longer. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

We spent a bit of time at the beach along the Colorado River before climbing up the Bright Angel trail. The highlight there was watching 2 kayaks, 3 rafts, and a dory boat run the small rapids there (the dory looked like a replica of the Bass boat at Bass beach in the Western Grand Canyon).

That night, at Indian Gardens, the temperatures dropped substantially and the wind was very strong. Forecasts posted at Phantom Ranch indicated gusts around 25 mph, and I felt like at Indian Gardens, they were even stronger. We secured our tents with several guy lines to large rocks, and they did fine. The rangers also warned us of a potential 1/2 inch snow at Indian Gardens and up to 5 inches on the South Rim. Thankfully, the weathermen were wrong (

), and we got no precipitation to speak of (maybe a grand total of 10 or 20 rain drops on the tent

). As usually happens when a cold front moves in, the next day was gorgeous, with blue sky and good visibility, albeit just a little cold. When we left camp, it was right around 40, and the temperature slowly dropped all day, until it was just below freezing for the last couple miles of hiking. Driving home through Flagstaff, the temps dropped as low as 24.

Overall, this was a great trip. Everything worked out OK, even though we forgot our pot and fuel (we still had the stove and utensils, so it could have been much worse!). The North Kaibab trail in particular was extremely busy. Just to give you an idea, we talked to a ranger at Indian Gardens who said that the Grand Canyon's previous record for rim-to-rim day-hikers was 1200 in one day. She said they exceeded 2000 rim-to-rim day-hikers on October 24th this year. It felt like someone was going past about every minute in one direction or the other. It was crazy! I now remember why I've done so much wilderness hiking in the Grand Canyon in the past...the crowds simply aren't there. I'm thinking back to when we did South Bass to Boucher, and saw only 1 person in 7 days (except for a few people on the top of the Hermit trail going out). Or the Royal Arch Route where we saw no one for 6 days. I've done Rim to Rim now, just to say that I've done it, but I can assure you my next Rim to Rim will be something like Nankoweep to Tanner or North Bass to South Bass. That'll be far more enjoyable.

Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Some aspen, cottonwood, and oak (though most aspen were past their peak).

Bright Angel Canyon

Heavy flow

	Bright Angel Creek	Light flow	Light flow
	Always flowing nicely!

	Ribbon Falls	Light flow	Light flow
	Just about the same flow as March 2018 when I saw it last.

	Roaring Springs	Gallon + per minute	Gallon + per minute
	Heavy flow over the falls from Roaring Springs

Roaring Springs Canyon

Heavy flow

3 archives

Sep 26 2020

ddgrunning

Guides 3
Routes 633
Photos 8,249
Triplogs 605

54 male

Joined Apr 13 2011
Gilbert, AZ

Rim to Rim, AZ

Hiking		Sep 26 2020
		ddgrunning • Triplogs 605

Hiking	28.15 Miles	5,846 AEG

Hiking	28.15 Miles	10 Hrs 32 Mns	2.82 mph
	5,846 ft AEG	32 Mns Break

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When my non-hiking friends ask why hiking is so special to me, I'll point them to this weekend’s R2R as a way to sum it up.

Two days disconnected from internet, tv, media, email, cell phones, politics, COVID-craziness, etc.— and 10+ hours of uninterrupted time with my teenage daughter (a HS senior), immersed in one of the most amazing places on earth.

As this is my youngest daughter, I'm starting to run out of nearby kids to hike with, so I'm trying to build a few more memories while she's still at home. We'll be heading back soon to do a backpacking trip to Nankoweap.

On this trip, we drove up to the North Rim on Friday. We usually stay at the cabins on the North Rim, but this time stayed outside the park at the Kaibab Lodge. It's an eclectic place. Nothing fancy, but the beds were comfortable (which is all that really mattered to me).

Up early the next morning (of course), and on the trail by 5:30 a.m. TH parking was relatively full but not packed, and the trail traffic was relatively lighter (due to COVID?). It was relatively warm by end-of-September standards, which was nice at the start, but portended an oven later on in the hike ....

Hiked by headlamp for the first mile.

Passing through Supai Tunnel is like the entrance to a Disneyland theme park: when you come out the other side, it feels like you are in another world, as the Canyon opens up to dramatic views at that point.

At the Roaring Springs turnoff, I decided to make a short side trip to the rest area. I had never been down there before. It adds another .6 or so to the trip, plus a couple hundred feet of elevation gain. At the rest area, there are bathrooms (closed/locked) and a water spigot (turned off) and not much else in the way of amenities. Views of Roaring Springs along the trail, though, are better than from the NK trail. Also, you notice that there are several other places where the springs are flowing down the side of the canyon walls. The resulting creek in the drainage also has some nice cascades, including a 10-12 ft. fall not very far downstream (by slight bushwhack) from the rest area. There was an anchor and rope that would allow one to downclimb to the base of the small falls, but as I was still in the latter stages of recuperating from a broken collarbone, I decided that further off-trail exploring downstream would have to wait for another trip.

My daughter was not interested in taking any extracurricular detours, so I had to hustle to catch up to her, which I eventually did just around Cottonwood campground.

At the Ribbon Falls turnoff, we checked out the dilapidated bridge and wondered how much longer till it would collapse altogether and crash into the creek.

We didn't venture over to Ribbon by way of the creek, but from the NK trail, it looked like the flow was a bit anemic.

The rest of the way to Phantom was uneventful. I always enjoy the narrow confines of the Box.

After about 5 hours of hiking, we reached Phantom Ranch and soaked our feet in the creek by the BA campground area, while eating lunch.

Then it was over to the Silver Bridge and up Bright Angel. The River was a a deep/vibrant green--beautiful, but seemed a little lower, given the dry winter.

I had planned on giving a go up South Kaibab instead of BA, but my daughter wasn't interested in that waterless, exposed death march, so we stuck with the traditional BA climb.

We hit Devil's Corkscrew at the hottest and most exposed time of day. It made for a bit of slog, but my daughter was a champ, and soon the Corkscrew was conquered.

At Indian Garden, the temperature gauge was showing well over 100 degrees. My daughter soaked her feet in the creek while we steeled ourselves for the final 4.5 mile / 3000 ft. climb. I always tell people that it's just a Flatiron hike to the top from Indian Garden--but less steep! (I also warn them that the last two miles are five miles long!).

As usual, those final miles took their toll, but my daughter set a solid pace and kept on trucking. Luckily, by the time we hit the base of the climbing in earnest (about .75 mi. up canyon from Indian Garden), the trail was largely shaded.

Topped out at 4 pm, and hung around for a beautiful canyon sunset.

Unfortunately, due to COVID, the showers at Mather Campground were closed, so we settled for a hand/face wash and change of clothes for the late drive home.

Back to the question of why hikes like this are so meaningful to me. This is my battery recharging station.

It’s not just the incredible vistas—and they ARE incredible. But incredible vistas can be appreciated in photos, in a magazine, on a poster, or on a social media post of HAZ triplog.

Hiking itself offers an exponentially different level of appreciation—one that is simply not available through two-dimensional, visual perception.

Hiking allows me to jump INTO the photo; to manipulate and appreciate the incomparable artistry of God’s creations from many angles; to interact with, and EXPERIENCE the vistas of the trail with all five of my senses, as well as a touch of the spiritual:

*From the smell of the towering pine trees on the North Rim;

*To the sound of Roaring Springs or the rushing cascades along Bright Angel Creek;

*To the sight of the mighty green (or chocolate) Colorado River underfoot at the Silver Bridge with the powerful, churning eddy swirling upstream on its south side;

*To the taste of fresh water at Indian Garden after conquering the Devil’s Corkscrew in the mid-day heat;

*To the burning/aching of my own muscles and rolling drops of my own sweat, mixing with the powdery layer of dust I’ve carried with me 20+ miles from the North Kaibab Trailhead and across the expanse of the Canyon, as I ascend the seemingly endless climb from Three-Mile-Resthouse to the Bright Angel Trailhead.

Hiking allows me to become part of the landscape—to feel alive and to connect (or reconnect) my life with fellow creations of Mother Earth—both animate and inanimate.

There are some things that cannot be fully appreciated without investing a portion of your very being--your own energy and sweat (and some occasional blood, blisters, tears, and muscle cramps).

Precious few things are more valuable in this world to me than sharing such immersive hiking experiences with someone I love and savoring the resulting shared memories created thereby.

_____________________

Sep 13 2020

Guides 59
Routes 1,100
Photos 1,191
Triplogs 1,290

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

R2R South to North, AZ

Hiking		Sep 13 2020
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,290

Hiking	23.00 Miles	6,760 AEG

Hiking	23.00 Miles
	6,760 ft AEG

no photosets

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2 archives

Aug 22 2020

desertadapted

Photos 117
Triplogs 23

48 male

Joined Apr 25 2017
Phoenix, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Aug 22 2020
		desertadapted • Triplogs 23

Hiking	19.25 Miles	5,520 AEG

Hiking	19.25 Miles
	5,520 ft AEG		8 LBS Pack

no routes

no photosets

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Rim Trail - Village to Mather Point

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South Kaibab, River Trail, Bright Angel, Rim Trail. Alpine start. The Canyon was sparsely populated today. You can really feel the impact of COVID-19 and the end of the summer season. I encountered no one the entire way down Kaibab, and few people until 1.5 Mile hut, after which it was the usual mob. Rim Trail, to get back to the car, was less crowded than I've seen it outside of winter.

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Aug 11 2020

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

South Rim - Colorado River Loop, AZ

Hiking		Aug 11 2020
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	23.55 Miles	5,340 AEG

Hiking	23.55 Miles	9 Hrs 20 Mns	2.91 mph
	5,340 ft AEG	1 Hour 15 Mns Break

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Like Twain and Halley's Comet, my twin brother and I were born in the midst of the Perseids. I try to see them every year, and this year I ran back my Perseid hike from last year. Same hike, only started a half hour earlier and added Phantom Ranch. Down year this year, too bright a moon or something. Don't know that much about them, mostly just like to watch.

Last year it seemed cool to walk the Rim Trail from BA to SK. It's easier, however, to crane your neck and stargaze when walking on a wide, paved surface like the highways along the South Rim. So I forewent the Rim Trail dreams and stuck to roads between the trailheads. Left PHX at 11pm to make a 3am start time happen. Parked up from BA and off I went into the dark. Only saw about two dozen shooting stars, way down from last year.

Walked the highways and watched the stars. Didn't really need a headlamp on the roads' reflective surface, used it anyway. Interestingly no elk or deer out. When I passed the visitor center, I locked silvery eyes with something in the monochrome glow of my headlamp, twenty yards from the road under a juniper in the forest. Round, flat face. Didn't take it for a deer or elk. I'd read about Eric York and the tracking info on the lions he tagged, and I remember being surprised at the range of many of the cats that live on the South Rim. Probably imagining things. Comforted myself the rest of the walk to SK by singing tunes of the late John Prine and thumbing the plastic safety clip of a bear spray canister.

S Kaibab down. Only passed two people, and I was the only descending hiker when I got there. TH is closed except to rangers and residents. Beat the sun by quite a bit, and it wasn't up until 6am when I was already past O'Neil Butte. Cool the whole way.

Crossed the black bridge, dunked my head in the river, and soaked my shirt at the boat beach before poking around Phantom Ranch. Had never been there before, must be nice. Lots of friendly deer. 80 by 8am in the shade of the canyon.

Crossed back over to River Trail and enjoyed the bottom while it lasted. Passed no one the whole length of the River Trail. Green water with a stronger flow than last year. Started to get warm working through the sand, but it was shadier than I remembered.

BA up after a short break at the Pipe Creek Beach. Again, got real wet before carrying on. Started to see folks after a couple miles, but I cannot remember a less busy trip up BA. Only the last mile was busy, and not really Grand Canyon busy. Mercifully, clouds started to form over the canyon by the time I was at Indian Gardens and they only got shadier the rest of the way up.

No shuttle means a long walk to make this one work. Even just SK, closest parking is the visitor center. Without all the services of GCNP and the closures of just about all trailheads and pullouts, it's going to be prime for some solitude in the Corridor where it can otherwise be hard to find.

3 archives

Mar 04 2020

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,487
Photos 16,091
Triplogs 1,377

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Grand Canyon: South Rim-River-South Rim, AZ

Hiking		Mar 04 2020
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,377

Hiking	18.70 Miles	4,642 AEG

Hiking	18.70 Miles	8 Hrs 7 Mns	2.56 mph
	4,642 ft AEG	48 Mns Break

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I thought that I'd head up to the Grand Canyon before the weather starts getting warm, and this week looked like a good time to go up there.

I did the Rim2River2Rim hike by starting at the South Kaibab Th on the South Rim, going down to Phantom Ranch, and then coming back up to the South Rim on the Bright Angel Trail.

It was a bit cold at the start of the hike -- the temperature was probably in the upper 20's, and I had on a stocking cap, gloves, and a jacket. After about a mile and a half I shed the stocking hat, gloves, and jacket and kept them in my backpack for the remainder of the hike. It was almost too warm down by the river, but I managed to survive it. Other than that, the weather was near perfect for a GC hike.

I saw a couple of mule deer in the Bright Angel Trail near the river between the Bright Angel Campground and the Silver Bridge -- one buck and one doe. The doe was in the middle of the trail, probably not more than 20 feet from me, and she just stood there and stared at me. The buck was similarly unconcerned with my presence.

There was a little ice at the upper part of the Bright Angel Trail, and I put my microspikes on for about the last 0.4 miles. In the morning there was next to no ice on the South Kaibab Trail, so no microspikes were needed.

There did not seem to be as many foreign visitors as normal on the south rim. I wonder if this is due at least partly to the coronavirus?

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cottonwood

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mule Deer

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Bridge Trail Signs and Markings

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Phantom Ranch The Battleship

Wildflowers Observation None
I saw no wildflowers anywhere; fortunately there was plenty of nice scenery to compensate for the lack of wildflowers!

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

1 archive

Aug 23 2019

MAP

Routes 137
Photos 1
Triplogs 105

44 female

Joined Oct 21 2016
Tempe, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Aug 23 2019
		MAP • Triplogs 105

Hiking	20.50 Miles	6,688 AEG

Hiking	20.50 Miles	2 Days 13 Hrs 48 Mns
	6,688 ft AEG

no photosets

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7 linked trail guides

Ribbon Falls from Phantom Ranch

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Day 1: First in line for the hikers' express shuttle at the Bright Angel Lodge by 3:45 am! One other person ended up showing at that stop.

Different experience from the past (maybe because it's August). On SK trail by 4:40 am. Sunrise, around an hour later, was indescribable. Got to Phantom Ranch around 9 am and took a quick snack break. First time up North Kaibab and we were immediately blown away with the extreme beauty when we entered "the box". It was warm but actually a pretty perfect temperature at that time. We took another break at one of the creek crossings to filter cold creek water and cool down. Met the 2nd park ranger of the day who was giving hikers heat-hiking advice. Those rangers must deal with a lot.

We continued on and hit the Ribbon Falls creek trail sign around 11:30 am. It was getting pretty darn hot at that point and Ribbon Falls was the PERFECT oasis to cool down at. The hike to the falls took us about a half-hour. The distance is super short but there are many trails and some are more reasonable than others to follow. Ribbon Falls is out of this world beautiful! We had the place completely to ourselves for two hours while we played in the little cave and relaxed behind the falls. With our water bladders filled and our body temps cooled, we decided to head out and break at each of the (approximately) mile and a half spaced campgrounds ahead. There were a couple other waterfalls we stopped at to make use of the cold water and one with a great freezing cold pool close to the Manzanita Ranger Station. Waived hello to Roaring Springs falls around 5 pm and kept plugging away up the ever increasing grade. From here the side canyon we were heading up, paralleling the rock outcropping the north rim lodge sits on, kept getting prettier and prettier. As the sun went down the colors reflected in the canyon seemed to continuously change. The final few miles of N Kaibab are RELENTLESS!

Holy moly! Darkness was lovely and I had little bat friends flitting around to keep me company as the vegetation turned to forest forest. I made it to the top around 8:30 pm thinking my two friends were close behind. It was freeeeezing at the top and I immediately put on every piece of clothing I had. My friends arrived about a half hour later and one was feeling pretty bad & ended up throwing up. Unfortunately she had stopped consuming electrolytes once the sun went behind the canyon walls and didn't think about how much she was still sweating. I convinced her to eat some of my saltstick chewables and we made it to the lodge.

Day 2: Woke up in our adorable little cabin feeling surprisingly good! We spent the day leisurely walking around the north rim and of course hitting up the lodge for food food and more food. Loved all the delicious vegan options offered for all three meals at the lodge!

Our one friend who experienced heat exhaustion the previous evening ended up securing a spot on the shuttle for the return trip the next day instead of hiking back with us. We were grateful she had that option at the last minute and happy she was feeling better.

Day 3: We got to the N Kaibab TH at 4 am and started our decent. It was cool but more pleasant than the evening of our arrival. We got to the bridge around 5:30 am and light was starting to really expose the canyon colors. Stopped briefly to appreciate the colors in the caves area but no breaks this time around. I'm not going to lie...my calves were tight and my knees were screaming pretty loudly during the entire decent. Up is definitely my preference! We entered "the box" around 10 am (an hour later than our way in) and felt the heavy humid air sucking the energy out of me fo sho. Got to Phantom Ranch around 11:30 am and bought some cups of ice to add to our bladders and took our first break. Stayed for about a half hour and headed out with the intention of stopping at each resthouse area to cool down. Next stop was the beautiful little beach near the Colorado River Resthouse. We met a large family who hiked down just for the day to cook out & hang. They had multiple grills, leftover onions, potatoes, etc. They had packed it in and they were packing it all out (as we all should but unfortunately people don't always). Impressive! Now for the final stretch. We stopped at Indian Gardens around 3 pm and filtered cold water for the last time and cooled down. Heading up Bright Angel...I will never get over that view with the light streaming in and illuminating the angel. No words. The Bright Angel switchbacks feel like cake compared to the North Kaibab switchbacks. Still, our bodies were pretty exhausted at this point and we were moving pretty slowly. It's fun encountering tourists who have only hiked down a mile and a half and don't seem to understand they are blocking the entire trail for exhausted hikers who can't deal with navigating them right now.

My friend made it to the top just before me and was treated to the sight of two mountain goats standing on a rock with a ray of light shinning on them! I saw the picture but missed the goats. Still, I was extremely happy for her to have had such a special treat!

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1 archive

Aug 11 2019

LJW

Routes 154
Photos 1,505
Triplogs 266

31 male

Joined Jun 02 2019
Phoenix, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		Aug 11 2019
		LJW • Triplogs 266

Hiking	22.53 Miles	5,600 AEG

Hiking	22.53 Miles	7 Hrs 40 Mns	3.07 mph
	5,600 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

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Rim Trail - GC South Rim

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Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Left Phoenix at 11:30pm on Saturday in order to beat the sun by a few hours and avoid the heat down low in the canyon but also to see some stars. Parked close to the Bright Angel Trailhead at 3:20am and headed in the direction of The South Rim/South Kaibab TH. Used a headlamp in the dark and took roads and some stretches of the Rim Trail. The canyon was completely black, and because the moon was off to the horizon and obscured by clouds, the stars lived up to the hype. The band of the Milky Way was visible, as were shooting stars from the Perseid meteor shower about every ten or twenty seconds. Turns out the climax was to be the nights of the 12th and 13th.

It was a 5.5 mile walk to the S Kaibab Trailhead. Headlamps bobbed in the darkness below, splashing light on the canyon walls. Headed down as pre-dawn light lit the trail. Got stuck behind some mules bringing supplies for Phantom Ranch, but they let me pass at the first opening. The air was cool until just passed the Tip Off as the trail dropped down toward the black bridge. Only a few groups of people on Kaibab that early, mostly going down, but one coming up who had gotten an early start on Bright Angel.

Passed a mule train on the black bridge, but from there to Bright Angel I didn't see anyone. It's a strange feeling being on the bottom of The Grand Canyon, especially with no one in sight. From the river to Indian Gardens there were several groups of backpackers coming up and people making a mid-day trip down to the river and back. I was surprised how many people do this. Overall, not too many people until the last two and a half miles. From there I fought against the current of tourists who were mostly all apparently very much in a hurry.

Temperatures were a little warm on the ascent of Bright Angel, but with water at all the stops it's a non-factor with an early start. That said, I planned on bringing all the water I would need and brought 5.5 liters. Drank it all plus a little at the camp by the river.

If I were to do this one again I would do it as a shuttle and try to include a trip to Phantom Ranch/Plateau Point. I think either/both would be very doable without the extra mileage of crossing on foot along the rim.

3 archives

May 18 2019

survivordude

Routes 61
Photos 1,008
Triplogs 224

44 male

Joined Aug 19 2009
The Basin

Northwest, AZ

Hiking		May 18 2019
		survivordude • Triplogs 224

Hiking	19.44 Miles	4,973 AEG

Hiking	19.44 Miles	10 Hrs 10 Mns	2.42 mph
	4,973 ft AEG	2 Hrs 8 Mns Break

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_____________________

“There is nothing that exists outside the thought of the immediate moment.”

Mar 09 2019

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,487
Photos 16,091
Triplogs 1,377

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Grand Canyon: South Rim-River-South Rim, AZ

Hiking		Mar 09 2019
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,377

Hiking	17.70 Miles	4,720 AEG

Hiking	17.70 Miles	7 Hrs 49 Mns	2.80 mph
	4,720 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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This is the second tine that Tracie, my intrepid hiking partner, and I have done this great hike.

We started on the South Rim at the South Kaibab TH; went down the South Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River; crossed over the river on the Black Bridge; then took the River Trail over to the North Kaibab Trail and went a short distance to Phantom Ranch where we stopped for a snack break; then we went back across the river on the Silver Bridge and took the Bright Angel Trail back up to the South Rim.

This turned out to be a perfect day for a hike: sunny, not too breezy, and a bit cool. There were a few people on the South Kaibab Trail, but not too many. There was hardly anyone down at Phantom Ranch. There were a number of hikers on the Bright Angel Trail, especially as we got closer to the top. Most hikers were either going down and back up from the Bright Angel TH, or had spent the night at Phantom Ranch and were coming back up to the Rim.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

Jun 23 2018

John9L

Guides 6
Routes 183
Photos 5,612
Triplogs 1,647

male

Joined Mar 12 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Northwest, AZ

Backpack		Jun 23 2018
		John9L • Triplogs 1,647

Backpack	28.12 Miles	5,500 AEG

Backpack	28.12 Miles	2 Days
	5,500 ft AEG

no photosets

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Ribbon Falls from Phantom Ranch