It's Done or Is It? A Plan to make it Official

Last October when I completed the Royal Arch - Elves Chasm Loop I also finished the Western end of the Tonto trail.  In my post of last October's trip, I wrote that I had hiked the entire distance of the Tonto Trail from the far Eastern beginning to the Western end.  I also noted that I had not hiked the Tonto segment between Hermits Creek and Boucher nor had I hiked the segment between the S. Kaibab tipoff to Indian Garden.  However I had hiked from Boucher Creek to Hermits Rest in Oct of 2009 and I had hiked from Monument Creek to Hermits Rest in March of 2010.  So although I hadn't hiked the Tonto between Boucher Creek and Hermits, I have hiked from Boucher to Monument.

Likewise I have never hiked the Tonto between the Tipoff and Indian Gardens, but I have hiked from the tipoff to Phantom Ranch and from Phantom Ranch to Indian Gardens.  It wasn't on the Tonto, but I have done the distance.

When I completed the October 2010 hike, I thought that I might be finished with the South Rim trails.  However, five months of cubical life can change one's perspective.  In addition to being stuck in a cubicle, my 3rd daughter got married in December and so now I have a new son-in-law to break in.  Hence another trip to the Grand Canyon is in the works.

Last year (Feb 2010), my son Justin, Jason H, and I put together a last minute trip down the Grand Canyon.  Our plan was to hike from the tipoff to Boucher, but we were late requesting permits and ended up with permits for two nights at Monument Creek.  We took them because two nights in the GC is much better than 3 days in the cubicle.  This year I was also late putting this trip together, but was able to get permits for 5 nights in the GC.


The Permit:  Five nights below the rim.  The first and second nights are at Hermits Creek.  The third night is at Monument then on to a night at Indian Gardens.  The last night will be at Bright Angel Campground.  It is the same trip that I had hoped to do last year.


The Hike  (aka 'The Plan'):

• Day 1:  Hike from Hermits Rest to Hermit Creek.
• Day 2:  Daypack west on the Tonto Trail from Hermit Creek to Boucher and return.  
• Day 3:  Hike to Monument, this is a short hike and so we'll also hit the rapids below Monument. 
• Day 4:  Monument to Indian Gardens.  
• Day 5:  Tonto trail from Indian Gardens to the tipoff at the intersection of the South Kiabab and the Tonto Trail the down the Kiabab and across the river to Bright Angel Campground.  
• Day 6:  Hike out from Bright Angel to the Rim.  We'll probably hike out the Bright Angel trail.  I've done both the Kiabab and Bright Angel several times, but my new son-in-law has done neither.

If the weather cooperates and we both do well with the physical needs to the trip (we successfully execute the plan), this trip will allow me to finish both segments of the Tonto and then I can say, The Tonto is Finished.  But as noted from earlier posts, sometimes our plans don't go off as expected.  Stay tuned for a trip report.  

The total distance for this hike is about 47 miles.  The average is just under 8 miles per day with the shorted just under 4 and the longest about 11.