Some co-workers and I have been kicking around the idea of a Columbus Day hike in the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is one of the most beautiful places on the earth. At least for those of us that like the desert scene. In early May I sent in a request for permits for October. Denied - I didn't give them enough notice! What? It's almost 5 months away. I sent in a request to reconsider. Denied again! This time it was because I gave them to much notice. They only accept permit requests in a 4 month window. OK - Lesson learned.
The permit is for a hike down the Tanner trail starting at Lipan Point and exiting at Grandview Point. My victims (those strange enough to buy into my crazy idea): Jason J - an Air Force Major (aka Maj J); Jeremy N - A National Guard Captain (my racquetball buddy); and Jason H (aka Mr. J) - Civilian Electrical Engineer. All four of us have engineering backgrounds - more on this later.
Day 1: Oct 11, 2008. Lipan Point to the River. We arrived last night and spent the night in the campground close to the Desert Tower. After shuttling our 2nd vehicle to Grandview Point, weighing our packs, and taking a few pictures we were ready to start. It was 12 0-clock high noon and cold on the rim. We had 9 miles to hike and about a 5000 foot vertical drop. Thirty minutes into the hike it was time for our first break. We had to strip off the jackets and gloves and put them away. Its amazing the affect a 1000 foot drop in elevation can have on temperature. We took 30 minute rest stops after each hour of hiking. My experience with hiking fast downhill has been painful, so at each break, we relaxed, hydrated, ate a few snacks and did some stretching. We arrived at the river at 5:30, found a campsite and got to work.
The Tanner trail is described in the park service literature as a primitive trail. However, it was easy to follow in most places. There were a few small boulder fields that we have to navigate through, but nothing that should discourage you from considering the trail. The facilities at the river are first class. Seriously! Just east of the drainage is a toilet with a view.
In my previous trips to the canyon, the river had always been quite muddy. This was a major concern on this trip because of the number of days that we would be dependent on the river as our only source of water. However the river was pretty clear and though we brought coffee filters as part of a pre-filtering process, they were not needed.
Day 2: Oct 12, 2008. Tanner to Gardenas. Our itinerary for the day requires a very strenuous 3 mile hike downstream to the Gardenas use area. Actually we figured it to be a walk in the park.
Breakfast this morning consisted of hot chocolate, cereal bars and oatmeal. I hate oatmeal! But it is light weight, easy to prepare, and fortunately it comes in a variety of flavors. I might be able to survive 4 more breakfasts. We had hung up our food, but mice still found a way to attack. My food bag had one small hole in it and so did a small bag of oatmeal. O well - did I mention that I didn't like oatmeal. I figure it was my donation to the canyon's small varmint community. Rodents: 1, Engineers: 0
Since our hike today is such a long one, we decided to dayhike upstream along the river for an hour or so before heading downstream to Gardenas. Its a nice scenic hike upstream. On a future trip, I'd like to go up the confluence. I've been told that the round trip is about 20 miles and extremely tough to make in a shorter autumn day.
When we got back to camp, we discovered that we had been raided. The raiders were vociferous Ravens with insatiable appetites. They picked through our packs, ripped open our garbage bag which was inside a pack, and one even found Jeremy's military id card. Fortunately the bird dropped the card when I scared it off. Yes - we did clean up the mess.We left for Gardenas at 2:15 and arrived at 5:45 with our usual stops along the way for pictures and to stretch. The elevation was mostly flat and the entire route was exposed to the sun. We picked a campsite right next to the river. Warning - the river is cold, but it sure felt good to rinse off and cool down.
We met a few hikers going in the opposite direction. When we told them we were camping at Gardenas, they told us to beware of the Kangaroo Rats. They had been raided and stated that they were all over the place, particularly in the brushy areas. A Kangaroo Rat is a small rodent native to North America. It gets its name from their bipedal form: they hop around similar to the Kangaroos of Australia. However to me, they look like odd little mice that have a strange way of running. Needless to say, we took some precautions to prevent the rodents from attacking our food supply. As soon as it was dark, the Kangaroo Rats were out. They acted as if they owned the place - maybe the do. Rodents: 2, Engineers: 0
Day 3: Oct 13, 2008. Gardenas to Hance Rapids. We were up by 7:30 and had a quick breakfast. You guessed it, oatmeal and cereal bars. We broke camp and were on the trail at 9:30. We hiked up the DOX hill and near the top we dropped our packs and hiked north a short distance along the ridge to check out a manmade structure made of stones. The structure was rectangular and had a doorway, but the walls were only about 4 feet high. It had either been destroyed or never completed. I couldn't see any indication that there was ever a roof on it. We first saw the structure as we were hiking to Cardenas yesterday and even with Maj J's binoculars we culdn't figure out what it was. However, even from a distance we figured it had to manmade because it didn't fit in the with its surroundings and it appeared to have vertical walls and corners.
Shortly after getting back on the trail, the trail divides. The right hand trail heads back down to the river. Don't take this trail unless you are rafting because there doesn't appear to be any trail only the river. On the map, this looks like a thumb, but there are cliffs dropping right into the river. So stay on the high trail which continues to climb up and away from the river. However, after another short hike, you can look down on Unkar Rapids. We took a break at this vantage point and watched some yellow rafts navigate Unkar Rapids. Even from the distance, you could hear the rafters yell as they went through the rapids. Several of the rafts didn't line up quite right and ended up bouncing off the cliffs.
Holding with our hiking plans, we generally hiked about an hour and then took 30 minute breaks to relax, stretch and take pictures. We continued to climb up and away from the river as we worked our way across several drainages. At the head of Escalante creek, the trail drops into the drainage and you drop all the way to the bottom and come out at the beach. The Escalante Creek was a dry slot canyon. An easy hike, but a place you wouldn't want to be during a thunderstorm. We arrived at the river at 3:30. We replenished our water supplies and then headed downstream along the river towards Papago Creek. The trail climbed up and away from the river again and after crossing a ridge, we dropped into the Papago Creek drainage. This was another slot canyon similar to Escalante. The trail heads downstream and requires a short scramble up a rock face to get back to the trail. We then continued downstream and put on a little elevation as we headed toward Hance Creek. Just before Hance Creek, there is a rock chute that you have to descent. The chute has a large variety and rock sizes and you'll need to be carefully down so that you don't dislodge a rock and hit someone lower or so you don't twist an ankle or knee. It took 1.5 hours of steady hiking to get from Papago Creek to Hance Creek. We arrived at our campsite before 7 and had camp set up and dinner finished by 8:00. Just in time for more rodents.
Today's hike was only 9 miles, but because of the elevation we gained getting to the top of both Escalante and Papago drainages and dropping back down to the river - it seemed much longer. We only saw a couple of people during the day. The trails were generally pretty good and easy to follow, and in a few areas where the trail wasn't well defined, it was marked by cairns.
Our Hance Creek campsite was upsteam from the actual creek bed and it was just barely off the trail. There were other hikers in the area and since we were the late arrivals, we couldn't be very picky. Out total trail time was about 9 hours for a 9 mile hike. However we did take multiple breaks along the way.
Rodents: 2, Engineers:1
Day 4: Hance Rapids to Horseshoe Mesa
Today's hike took us the 8.4 miles from Hance Rapids up to Hance Creek and then up the face of Horseshoe Mesa to the plateau area.The hike to Hance Creek is a gentle 6.5 mile hike that climbs about 1100 feet above the river to a small and refreshing creek. The trail has some nice overlooks and runs through a boulder field that has some unique rock formations. We left our Hance Rapids campsite at 9:30 and arrived at Hance Creek at 2:30 with our usual 30 minute breaks. At Hance Creek we took a longer than usual break and I was able to rest my feet. I twisted both ankles during todays hike and the chance to get off of them for a short while was welcome.
Hance Creek is listed as a perennial creek and on both of my trips along this trail, water has been plentiful. From Hance Creek it is another 1.9 miles and 700 vertical feet to the top of Horseshoe Mesa. Along the route is Page Springs and, above the springs, the trail passes immediately in front of an old mine. Mining hardware, including an old wheelbarrow, rails, pump and miscellaneous stuff is still visible along the trail. We arrived at Page Springs at 4:45 and spent 35 minutes filling up our water bottles.
The trail to Page Springs is marked and consists of a short spur trail to the springs which is located at the base of a cliff and hidden behind some brush and small trees. It is a good source of water and is the closest water source to Horseshoe Mesa. There is no water on Horseshoe Mesa, so we loaded up every container we had and packed enough water for two meals and tomorrows hike to the rim. Just above the Springs (just above meaning a couple hundred feet vertical) is the mine. The mine and the artifacts are protected and should not be disturbed. We left the spring at 5:20 and were at the mine by 6:00 and after spending a few minutes taking pictures, we left for the Mesa and arrived there at 6:30.
Prior to making this hike, I had warned my fellow hikers of a tough scramble above the mine. I hiked this route in the Spring of 1998 and was glad to have some assistance in climbing a steep and exposed area. On the previous trip, we dropped our packs, had one hiker scramble up a short vertical face and then passed the packs to him. However, sometime during the past ten years, trail workers have improved the route and the previous scramble was non existent. It was almost like a walk in the city park.Horseshoe Mesa is so much like a park, it has the first commodes that we've seen in days. There's actually two of them -both open faced- so be sure to take a friend and enjoy the view and fresh air.
Horsehoe Mesa has a lot of artifacts ranging from broken pottery and flat glass to an old rock structure. The Mesa also has old caved in mine shafts in various areas so don't go wandering around at night without a flashlight.
I also found an old piece of cast iron. My friends must be a bit young, because they didn't recognize it. However, I recognized it immediately. The first home that my wife and I lived in as newlyweds in Idaho had a stove with this type of fixture. It is the top plate of an old cooking stove. We used that type of stove to both cook on and to keep the house warm in those cold Idaho winters. I know I'm old - but I'm not ancient. We really did use this type of wood burning stove in 1977.
No rodents - the battle is over. The rodents won!
Day 5: Horsehsoe Mesa to Grandview Trailhead
We were up early this morning on on the trail at 9:00 a.m. Mr. H took the lead and was out of my site within a few minutes with Jeremy right on his tail. Maj J was third and I brought up the rear. The hike from Horseshoe Mesa to the parking lot is 3 miles and a vertical climb of 3000 feet. It took 91, 111, 130 and 138 minutes for us to reach the parking like. I think the only reason Maj J was so slow is that he wanted to keep me in sight. There's nothing better than a young stud watching out for the old man. I was actually pretty happy with my 2 hours, 18 minute exit. I took plenty of pictures along the way and relished in the view. Who knows when I'll be back down this way again.
I made it!
All in all - what an adventure. Five days backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Time spent with good friends. Plush restroom facilities with an open air view. Hand placed cobblestone walkways. Can't wait to do another Grand Canyon hike!
I've now made the following GC area hikes:
S. Kaibab to River, return via S. Kaibab - Jan 1980
S. Kaibab to River, return via Bright Angel - Dec 1981
Havasupai - June 1982
N. Kaibab to River to S. Kaibab (Rim to Rim) - Oct 1983
Havasupai -July 1988
Bright Angel - N. Kaibab return via Bright Angel (Rim to Rim to Rim) - Dec 1991
Red Canyon - Hance Rapids, Hance Creek, Horseshoe Mesa - Mar 1998
Tanner Trail, Escalante Trail, Tonto Trail to Horseshoe Mesa - Oct 2008
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