Hiking in the Grand Canyon?

[jessbee]

Hi all...I may have the chance to head out to the Grand Canyon over April vacation. I've never been out there and looking at the park service website is overwhelming. Besides, all the "suggested hikes" look really short and you know I'm looking for something more adventurous than a short bla bla hike.

Please post any good books, websites, tips, or new and improved "suggested hikes." I'm excited to go out west but I'm bummed by all the red tape and super advance planning that appears to get in the way here. Thanks!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Consider approaching from the North Rim. It's about 1K' higher, so may not be open yet due to snow, but if it is, there's alot less competition on that side. It's away from the population centers.

 

[sli74]

I did a inner canyon trip April 2004 hiking in from Grandview and out via South Kaibab. We spent one night each at
Cottonwood Creek
Grapevine
Lonetree
Cremation

Water was scarce but it was such a fun trip with so much solitude (well with the exception of the last day on the South Kaibab Trail).

The permits and red tape are a bummer but the hiking out there so spectacular.

Here are my pictures from that trip.
http://community.webshots.com/album/136593483vnKWGd

Also a link to pictures from a friend with whom I hiked on that trip
http://community.webshots.com/album/133791563ibYvnQ
http://community.webshots.com/album/134124183kJdrGh
http://community.webshots.com/album/134124637BLZwUp

Let me know if you need any other specifics.

sli74

 

[Peakbagr]

California Condors are thriving in the Canyon. They are magnificent even if you're not a birder. They are in the Canyon, and can be reliably seen near the South Rim visitors center.

 

[rhihn]

We're going this spring as well. No canyon experts we (have never been before!), but one of the best sites I've found so far is here. It appears to be a "one-stop shop" with photos, history, geology, trip reports, maps, planning, etc. We have a few books on hiking there, but the two best ones we own seem to be "Hiking the Grand Canyon" by John Annerino and "Hiking Grand Canyon Loops" by George Steck. The latter is more backcountry hiking, but also has a lot of good tips/info on water, food, heat, fauna, etc. FYI, we're going down the Hermit Trail, to Monument Creek, to Hermit Creek, to Boucher Creek/Rapids, up Boucher trail and out (5 nights/6 days). It wasn't our first choice, but was the luck of the draw. We submitted our trip itinerary choices on the first day we were allowed in January (for a May trip), and got our second choice. Rangers told us they sometimes get several hundred requests per day!

 

[dms]

Jessbee, check out the site for the Grand Canyon Field Institute, they offer some very exotic trips into the Canyon, as well as a lot of information about it. www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute/

 

[audrey]

Dick,

My one experience with the Grand Canyon has been a two-week rafting trip with daily hikes from the river, and one of those days was spent going up Monument Creek and down Hermit Creek, so I applaud your choice. If you have time, there's a side path from a high point on the Hermit Trail between the two creeks that leads to a slightly higher summit (about 200-300 feet)that overlooks the river - it's about a 20 minute scramble for a great viewpoint. Of course, you'll already be so dazzled by the scenery that you can easily miss it.

 

[five_head]

We're going this spring as well. No canyon experts we (have never been before!), but one of the best sites I've found so far is here. It appears to be a "one-stop shop" with photos, history, geology, trip reports, maps, planning, etc.

I concur with rhihn's assessment of the kaibab.org site. Very informative. I'm also planning a late April trip to the Grand Canyon and I've used that site to gather a lot of information.

 

[Davehiker]

Grand Canyon Link

Here's a link to a site that has a lot of great advice and pictures.

ed.- Sorry, I didn't read the above carefully enough. Someone beat me to it!

 

[TenPeaks]

Consider approaching from the North Rim. It's about 1K' higher, so may not be open yet due to snow, but if it is, there's alot less competition on that side. It's away from the population centers.

I was at the north rim late May last year. The road out to the canyon opened only 2 days before I arrived. I'd doubt the road would be open in April. I suppose it's possible, but if you want to go there keep your eye on the national park grand canyon website to see when they expect to open the road.

 

[Double Bow]

Shamie and I went out to Arizona for our second anniversary in November of 2002. After attempting Humphrey's Peak our first full day our there (DOH!), we decended the South Kaibab trail and spent the night on the floor of the canyon, at a Phantom Ranch campsite. The next day, we hiked out via Bright Angel. It was spectacular and using these two routes really enabled us to see the varied character of the canyon.

It was absolutely amazing and much more spectacular than I had imagined it could be. If you've got two days, this is a great way to really SEE the canyon! Just looking at it from the rim doesn't do it justice. You need to delve into it and surround yourself with this amazingly serene and spiritual place. It is one of natures greatest temples.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

Shamie and I went out to Arizona for our second anniversary in November of 2002. After attempting Humphrey's Peak our first full day our there (DOH!), we decended the South Kaibab trail and spent the night on the floor of the canyon, at a Phantom Ranch campsite. The next day, we hiked out via Bright Angel. It was spectacular and using these two routes really enabled us to see the varied character of the canyon.

We did something similar, but camped two nights at the bottom. We did a day hike to Ribbon Falls (I think that was the name?) and went to the ranger talks, which were very good. We also spent an extra night at a campground half way up the Bright Angel (Indian Gardens?). We saw sunset from Plateau Point, which was fabulous.

I was also going to mention kaibab.org. It's a great site.

And for fun, check out How Not to Hike the Grand Canyon.

 

[DougPaul]

Grand Canyon is a place not to be missed. Both rims are worth visiting (been to both several times).

Day hikes can be done without permits. There are several nice ones down to the Tonto Plateau or river (loop or in-and-out) than can be done from the South Rim. (Don't forget that you hike down first and then up to get back out...) And, of course, you can go part way down and back on any trail.

You can show up at a backcountry office and frequently get permits If you are flexible about your objective.

Day-night temp ranges are much greater than here in the East. And the bottom of the canyon can be 30F hotter than the rims. Rain, if any, is likely to mean flashfloods. Carry lots of water and sun protection.

There are a number of guidebooks--check out, for example, REI's bookshelf. Colin Fletcher's "The Man Who Walked Through Time" is a classic and a great read. (Might have to buy it online.)

Doug

 

[bill bowden]

From the south rim

Tanner Trail has an evil rep and therefore is often available for last minute wilderness permits. The trailhead itself is also a little hard to find. If you are a New England or New York peak bagger you'll find it to be a pleasant and spectacular descent. there's a nice sandy beach along the river allowing convenient camping.
It also offers a trail along the river upstream to the confluence with the Little Colorado River.
I am uncertain as to whether the trail downstream along the river to New Hance trail is serviceable.

 

[DougPaul]

Tanner Trail has an evil rep and therefore is often available for last minute wilderness permits. The trailhead itself is also a little hard to find. If you are a New England or New York peak bagger you'll find it to be a pleasant and spectacular descent. there's a nice sandy beach along the river allowing convenient camping.
It also offers a trail along the river upstream to the confluence with the Little Colorado River.
I am uncertain as to whether the trail downstream along the river to New Hance trail is serviceable.

Tanner trail is one of the more advanced trails--it might not be the best for a first hike in the canyon. (IIRC, the trail is not maintained.) Never done it myself, but from what I have read, it is long, dry, and has some trail-finding difficulties. It seems to be fairly common practice to cache some water on the way down to make the ascent a bit easier.

Its a long way to New Hance Tr. IIRC, portions of the Escalante Route (trail along the river) to New Hance are dry with no river access.

Doug

 

[bill bowden]

Tanner Trail

It's ballpark ten miles to the river with about 4500 feet of vertical; so it compares to Lowe's or Airline for vertical but with only half the average steepness. Certainly is dry and yes, I did cache water to have enough on the way out.

Route finding was no particular challenge and it is pretty scenic. the trail upriver was fascinating, didn't go very far downriver.

 

[DougPaul]

the trail upriver was fascinating, didn't go very far downriver.

How far upriver? Venture into the canyon of the Little Colorado?

Doug

 

[bill bowden]

Little Colorado confluence

The Little Colorado also has a canyon associated with it but it is more of a deep narrow gorge with relatively little light. Just to improve one's mood, the water is quite unhealthy to drink owing to radioactivity from uranium mining so I didn't go far.

My aged memory may be playing tricks on me here but I recall an Anasazi ruin called perhaps Nankoweap and an off-limits trail trail to a place called the Great Sipapu where Hopi tradiiton says the first people ascended from inside the earth.

 

[DougPaul]

The Little Colorado also has a canyon associated with it but it is more of a deep narrow gorge with relatively little light. Just to improve one's mood, the water is quite unhealthy to drink owing to radioactivity from uranium mining so I didn't go far.

I thought the problem with the water of the Little Colorado was too much calcium carbonate. It forms pools with delicate (travertine) rock walls and colors the water blue.

There are problems from radioactivity in the water along the Tonto Plateau just west of the South Bright Angel Trail around Horn Creek.

My aged memory may be playing tricks on me here but I recall an Anasazi ruin called perhaps Nankoweap and an off-limits trail trail to a place called the Great Sipapu where Hopi tradiiton says the first people ascended from inside the earth.

Don't recall a specific Nankoweap ruin, but the Nankoweap Trail does have some ruins along it. I've dayhiked down the Nankoweap Tr, but not far enough to see any ruins.

The Sipapu is in the Canyon of the Little Colorado. From what I have read, it appears to be a dome around a calcium carbonate spring. And it is a sacred spot to the Hopi and Navaho. Not sure of the legal restrictions. People have descended the Little Colorado, so they must have passed it. Along with quicksand, mud and other travel "fun".

Doug

 

[RoySwkr]

The story we got was that the North Rim didn't open until May 15 regardless of snow because that's when the seasonal rangers start work and there's not enough staff earlier. There was a major gate across the main road long before the park entrance which we drove around on gravel roads hunting for fire towers. A forest service employee in Fredonia explained how to get to the rim outside the park on NF land, and we hiked partway down a trail.

We then did the day hike to Phantom Ranch & return from the South Rim, there were no rules against it and no permits required (then) but the rangers tried very hard to tell us it was impossible. It is a Presidentials sort of elevation gain on an easy graded trail, but the uphill is at the end of the day so you need to be sure you can do it. I wasn't out until twilight but that was deliberate as I hung around a long time at the bottom. There was a Mtn Bell pay phone at the bottom which for normal toll charges I called home from.