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| no partners | | After three previous half-hearted attempts, I was finally able to summit this one. First time from the north rim without any beta, couldn't find the right route. Second with Bob and Joe, the weather looked like it was turning on us and we weren't on a good route anyway. Third time, on the correct route but I got a late start and had to turn around before the Redwall. This time I gave myself two days.
Got to the permit office around noon-thirty Saturday only to find it closed for lunch. Hung out for a bit and then got my permit and hopped on a fully packed orange bus. With no room to fit more passengers, we had to leave behind quite a few angry would-be riders at all the next stops. But the park keeps promoting its bus service without adding more buses. Anyway, started hiking from the South Kaibab trailhead around 2pm and arrived at the dry wash across from Ribbon Falls around 5:30-6ish. The big re-piping project at Phantom ranch seems to be finished. Saw a few rim to rim joggers along the way. One was nice enough to throw his shoulder into me, leaving my left arm sore for about the next two hours.
If you follow the dry wash/side canyon up from the NK trail you'll quickly find yourself looking up at a 200 foot dry fall. I skirted along the north side of the wash, bypassing the falls and then dropped into the canyon as soon as I could. The side canyon is pretty easy to follow after that. There's a 20-30 foot fall to climb in the Tapeats and a lot of large boulders to crawl around all the way up canyon until the top of the Redwall. There's a small climb at the very top of the Redwall and then a long scramble through the Supai to the top of the wash. It was near dark as I arrived near the top and I couldn't really see where the route went through the Supai so I decided to look for a flat spot to make camp. Ended up zig-zagging through the Supai until I found myself on top of what's known as the false saddle. Its the saddle between Deva and butte 6231. I made camp there as it was the only flat area around. Extremely windy all night, I only slept about 30 minutes and the full moon didn't help. Sunday back on track by about 6:30am. I continued around a bay capped by Supai cliffs below the Deva-Brahma saddle until I could reach a slope that would take me up to the saddle. From there I picked my way through the remaining Supai, a small amount of Hermit and the crumbled and fracked Coconino. Once on top of the Toroweap it's about another 5-10 minute, almost flat walk to the actual summit. Made the Summit before 8am. Views are decent but somewhat blocked by junipers and pinyons. I think the Deva-Brahma saddle was better. I returned back to the South Rim mostly the same way, using Bright Angel for the final leg. Not very many people out on BA. I'll try to guestimate my mileage later as I didn't bring a GPSr. Effort-wise I would say it's on par with doing Brahma from the south rim. Just without the rope work or exposure. A smart person would just start this from the north rim. |
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