|
|
Kansas Prairie Packers An organization for individuals and families interested in hiking, backpacking, canoeing, bicycling, cross-country skiing and other outdoor activities. |
|
|
My wife and I just finished a great hike in the Grand Canyon. This was her first and my seventh trip to the Canyon. Overnights in the Canyon require a backcountry permit. It is difficult to obtain a permit and you must apply for one no sooner than 4 months prior to your hike. A ranger will check your permit at the main campgrounds to ensure you are at the right place at the right time. Our route took us down the South Kaibab trail to
Tipoff then on the Tonto trial east to Cremation Canyon. There we spent
our first night. It was extremely quiet and the weather was beautiful.
There is no water on this route so we carried water for all of the first
day and for part of the second day. The amount was decided based on the
weather and the meals we planned. Each of us started with 5 liters. We
consumed 3 liters each before hitting the trail on the second day. The second day was a back track to the South Kaibab
trail. The Tonto is very deceiving. It looks flat from above but is
anything but flat. It is also difficult to find at times. One must stop
and locate Cairns to find the trail now and then. Once back on the South
Kaibab, we descended to Bright Angel Camp to enjoy plenty of water, the
south of Bright Angel Creek and flush toilets. We were lucky to get 2
stew meals at Phantom Ranch. They are usually sold out months in
advance. The meal is all you can eat and was very tasty. This meal meant
we didn’t have to carry a dinner for that night. We were quite lucky with the weather. Two years
prior my trip in early April was in 100-degree heat at the bottom. It
should have been at least as hot but we enjoyed unusually cool days of
77 to 79 F. The third day in the Canyon was a backpack off day.
We spent the time day hiking to Ribbon Falls that is about 7 miles up
the North Kaibab trail. It is a very gentle hike along the Bright Angel
creek. The canyon sometimes narrows then opens up again. There are quite
a variety of habitats from desert to marshes. Ribbon Falls is a
beautiful place and makes a great lunch spot. It was well worth the 14
mile round trip. Day four began our hike out. We took the Bright
Angel trail from Bright Angel camp to Indian Gardens. This hike was
probably the easiest leg of our trip. Indian Gardens is a great
campground with water available. The sites are shaded and have shelters
over the picnic tables. It was very cool here and mostly overcast. It
was almost uncomfortable. We decided to go to Plateau Point in the
afternoon rather than watching the sunset from there. It turned out to
be a good decision as the wind really came up and the clouds moved in. Day five was our final leg. The hike from Indian
Gardens to the south rim trailhead is grueling. The only redeeming
factor is that water is available every 1.5 miles. We only needed to
carry the minimum amount of water and our food was essentially gone. We
had the lightest packs on the whole trip. It is still a very difficult
hike. The weather at the top was sunny, windy and cold.
We were underdressed but it felt so good to have accomplished the hike
that we hardly noticed. We immediately drove to the showers and cleaned
up for the first time in 5 days. Throughout the hike we were able to average about
1.5 miles per hours except for the trip to Ribbon Falls, which was much
faster, and the trip out from Indian Gardens, which was much slower. Mileages:
What we wore (each)
Extra clothes we took (each)
Gear we took
We had not planned to take sleeping bags but the
cool weather and a ranger’s recommendation changed our minds. The
alternative was to take 2 poncho liners, which would have worked great,
in hot weather. The books were a waste of weight. We spent our free
time just enjoying the Canyon. The sling light chairs were a real treat. I had
never carried one but decided to try it. The chair weighs only 14 oz. It
was great to rest in those chairs instead of sitting on a rock or on the
ground. They attached to the back of each pack and were not as
cumbersome to carry as I imagined they might be. We did not need the 2 bowls. Instead we ate out of
the cook pot. Meals
Membership entitles you to our monthly newsletter, preference for trips with limited group sizes and enjoyment of the outdoors through a variety of activities. |
