Royal Arch and The Tonto Trail: It's done! Or is it?

It's done!  My third annual Columbus Day excursion into the Grand Canyon is a matter of history.  But, like all things, the job really isn't finished until the paperwork is done.  In today's world, the paper work means posting another blog.

Schedule-wise, the trip went pretty much according to plan.  We met, we went, we conquered and we returned with good memories, pictures, and perhaps some sore spots in some sensitive places.  We made some minor changes to the plan.  Some were intentional, at least one was not.

Day 0:  Getting There
Justin and I arrived home from church a little late than expected.  We arrived at 12:32 and Jason J. was waiting for us.  We changed clothes quickly and packed up the vans and were ready to roll when Susie pulled in.  I said a goodbye to her and we were off to Woods Cross to pick up Bob J..  As I helped get his stuff, he introduced us to his wife and I noticed a chello in their home.  She turns out to be a music teacher and also a classical musician.

We had a nice quiet drive going down, making the usual stops in Beaver and in Page.  The gates to the park were open, but unattended, and so we went right in, passed through the village area and out the other side without stopping.  I found Rowe Road in the dark and we made our way to the trailhead where we setup tents sometime after midnight and went to bed.  But, at least we made it and don't have to pack things up and drive to the trailhead later today.

Leaving Esplanade Junction

Break time:  Heading West towards Royal Arch

There were a number of vehicles in the parking lot and at least two people were there.  I walked over and chatted with them briefly.  It was 12:30 (Utah time) and they had just finished there dinner.  Apparently they were there just to do some day hiking.  Four of us set up tents, but the Bernhards elected to sleep under the stars.

Day 1:  Bass to Upper Royal Arch Gorge

Potential Water Source

Boulder Hopping Opportunities

Campsite above the creek bottom

 Royal Arch Gorge, 8:20 p.m.
Last night we camped out right at the trailhead, so this morning all we had to do was pack up, eat and get rolling.  We left the trailhead at 9:15 and made a stop at the ruins and took another look at them.  We then pressed on to the junction and stopped there at 10:30.  We stashed our water and I used the same facilities that I used last year.  The same impromptu toilet set was available.  I just moved it to a slightly different location.

We left the junction at 10:50 and arrived just East of Drummond plateau @ 11:45 for lunch.  Justin and I cooked for lunch and we took a play from Jason J's playbook (i.e. we had Macaroni and cheese).  It was pretty tasty and with 220 calories plus gatorade, it hit the spot.  We found some water along the way, which in some ways was a relief.  It meant that the water sources that we'll be depending on will probably have water in them.

We arrived at our campsite this evening about 6 p.m.  It is within the Royal Arch Drainage, so we found some relative safe and flat spots about 60 feet vertical above the creek bottom.  The creek isn't flowing, but there is water available in the holes.  According to the GPS, we are about 3 miles line of sight from the trailhead, it sure took a lot of hiking to get here.  The first few miles, to the junction and then West for a hour, was pretty good hiking, then we got into some rougher territory and ended up doing a fair amount of boulder hopping, which made the speed much slower.  It was also much warmer than expected.

We took about 2 hours worth of breaks which leaves about 7 hours of hiking time.  I figure we did about 2 miles/hour for 1/2 the time and 1 mph for the remainder.  Our plan was to do about 9 miles today and so I think we're pretty close.  However, it was a pretty brutal trek.  A lot of boulder hopping and very little well defined trail makes for slow going.

We saw several people hiking out and talked to a couple of them.  Most said the trip was pretty brutal.   According to the GPS, we're at 5000 feet, so we haven't dropped much from Esplanade junction.  We've been between 5000 and 5500 for most of the day.

For dinner, Justin and I had steak fajitas, apple cider, and twinkies.  The steak and green peppers were pretty good, but, In my opinion, the flour tortillas weren't worth bringing down.

Day 2:  Royal Arch Gorge to Toltec Beach

Royal Arch Drainage & water source

Hiking down Royal Arch Creek Bottom

Obstacle on Right Side of "Big" Pour Off

Drinking water in Royal Arch Drainage

Boulder Hopping Opportunities in Royal Arch Creek

This morning I got up around 7:30 and had one of  Pam's cinnamon rolls and apple cider for breakfast.  I eat Pam's cinnamon rolls all the time (when available) and they've always been good.  However, for some reason, perhaps because of the exertion yesterday, the roll seemed to be much sweeter than usual.  It was so sweet it seemed a big gaggy.  Perhaps my system is having a tougher time processing sugar when I'm on outings like this.  Last year I was sick down here, could there be a lesson here?  For lunch we had potatoes and I had a few munchies.  Everything tasted good, though I didn't stuff myself.

We left camp at the usual 0900 and dropped into the gorge.  We took the right side at the 'big' pour off and it wasn't too bad.  It followed the cliff and had a few obstacles to navigate, though the exposure might make some a bit nervous.  The horizontal section was followed by a steep descent down to the bottom of the drainage.  Once we got down into the canyon floor, the obstacles were frequent and diverse.  We had to wade one area that was thigh deep.  Fortunately the water wasn't too cold and the distance wasn't that great.  The other obstacles were just boulder hopping or figuring out ways to get around boulders while dropping further into the creek bed.

We inadvertently blew by the cairn that indicated the way to Toltec Beach.  Our intent was to drop our packs at the cairn and then hike unencumbered down to the arch.  Instead, we found the arch, but the packs were still on our back.  Dang - now we have to haul them back up - a distance of only 1/2 mile, but every step counts when you're carrying 40+ lbs on your back.

The arch is fantastic.  There is a stream flowing through the middle of it and a monument on the other side.  A short distance from the monument is the upper end of Elves chasm and I definitely wouldn't recommend trying to hike through it.  The trip would start with a huge rappel of several hundred feet and I suppose that once you navigate it, it might lighten up a bit.  I read that it takes about 12-14 hours to navigate the three miles of elves chasm.   Thanks, but no thanks, I'll go the other way to Toltec Beach.

We spent about 30 minutes at the arch and then started working our way back up the obstacles to find the cairn indicating the way to Toltec.  We found it, it wasn't as big as expected, but it was pretty obvious.  The Cairn included a stick pointing to the trail - duh!

It took 50 minutes to hike the 1/2 mile from the arch to the cairn.  A lot of small obstacles to navigate, but if the distance is correct, we were averaging less than 1 mph.  After getting to the cairn, it was a long climb up followed by a nice horizontal section with lots of little ups and downs.  We finally got to the rappel place about 5 p.m.  We found two ropes there along with some pretty good web anchors.  The ropes and anchors looked to be in pretty good shape and so we used them.  Jason Juliana went down free hand and then we started passing packs and lowering people.  Everyone did well and Justin was the only one that seemed even a little apprehensive.

We arrived at the river at 7 p.m. and by the time we got tents pitched it was getting pretty dark.  We had dinner and then went to the river to pump.  We all used Juliana's pump because his could be cleaned where mine would just clog up.  It took an hour to pump the water that Justin and I needed.

Royal Arch with Monument filling the gap

I had the heaves this evening.  I think I was a bit dehydrated.  I was drinking water all day, but obviously not enough.  Even after puking, I was able to eat dinner and drink more and didn't seem to have any other affects.  We hit the sack at 10:45  p.m.

Day 3:  Toltec Beach to Copper Canyon

Royal Arch

The Monument

Looking Upstream through Royal Arch

Looking into Elves Chasm

This morning we were up at 7:30 and after doing the typical morning camping routine we were on the trail again.  Our scheduled stop tonight is Copper Canyon which is 9 miles from Toltec Beach. 

We were on the trail by 9:00 again.  The trail got rough pretty quick with a lot of rocks hindering the trail.  Most of the rocks thus far have been sandstone.  These were volcanic.  They had sharp edges and between the boulder hopping and the sharp edges, we made slow time until we reached Garnet canyon.  If I remember right, the Tonto trail officially starts at Garnet Canyon and the trail did get easier to navigate once we passed Garnet.  Garnet itself is a pretty spot.  There is a small stream flowing and the colors were pretty good.  The stream flowed from pond to pond and the stream and ponds had salt crystals on the edges.  Nice area, but the water was definitely not fit for drinking.

As mentioned earlier, the trail improved tremendously, but it was still a long hot hike to Copper Canyon.  We stopped for lunch and to pump water.  We also made several other stops when shade was available.  Lynn, Jacob and I were the last to reach Copper and we got in about 5:30.  Jason, Justin and Bob had found a rattlesnake on the trail and had used a stick to chase it off.  When we came through that area, we could hear the rattler, and he didn't sound very happy.

Justin had the tent all set up when I arrived, so I just crawled in and rested a few minutes while he made two trips to pump water.  Boy, am I glad he is here.  He's made my chores a whole lot easier.  Tonight we had potatoes and Lasagne for dinner and I ate most of my share.  We then cleaned up, chatted and it is now 9:15.  Much earlier than last night.

Day 4.  Copper Canyon to Lower Bass and on to Esplanade Junction  We're at Bass Canyon.  We arrived here at 11:40 am and I'm now hiding out in some shade.  We stopped at the same place that we camped out last year.  Justin and I hiked down 10 minutes and found water in a hole in the creek bed that had captured water.  We didn't go nearly as far down as we did last year.  It took us 10 minutes to pump water and another 10 to get back to our shady spot.

We spent the next several hours resting, eating and rehydrating.  We met two boaters that were hiking up the trail and one solo hiker that was going down to the Tonto and then East, following the same route we took last year.  However, he was also coming back the same way and wasn't planning on going out the Boucher or Hermit trails.  I'm not sure I would ever willingly hike this type of route solo.  The chances for mishap are higher than the corridor trails, and because it is so remote, the chances of another hiker passing by is slim.  I suspect that the permit system doesn't allow more than one or two groups per day on these trails.

Lynn and Jacob Under theArch

We also changed our plans a bit.  Because we got her so early and also due to the fact that we have water stashed at Esplanade, We've decided to hike up to the Esplanade tonight.  Camp there, and then do the last 1.4 miles early tomorrow morning.  Sounds like a good plan to me.  It is only 3.5 miles from here to Esplanade and were planning on leaving about 4:30 which means we should be hiking up the main climb in the shade.  It also means that I, being the slow guy, might not get to the junction until dark.  The trail though is pretty good and I have a pretty good memory of the route.

Where Did this Rock Come From?

Esplanade Junction 9:30 PMWe left our lower Bass shady nook at 4:20 and I arrived at Esplanade at
7:30.  It was just minutes before dark when I arrived and Justin was already putting our campsite together.  We made several stops along the way including one at the top of the big climb.  There we had jerky, cheese, and crackers.  It was a nice treat.  Justin carried the cheese and crackers and it was time to finish it off.

Campsite at Toltec Beach

Garnet Canyon

The hike back up the Bass was about as I remember.  Pretty steep, but not too bad if you

Lynn at Garnet Canyon

Back on the Tonto, Heading towards Bass

aren't in the sun.  I arrived at the campsite just in time to help Justin finish putting the tent up.  We then cooked our dinner, cleaned up and went to bed.  Neither of us realized

that we took the Ambien @ 8:45 and therefore would probably wake up by 3 a.m. or so. 

Lynn told me that he and Jacob would probably be up early and take off by 5:30 or 6 and would wait for us at the top.

Day 5:  Esplanade Junction to Bass Trailhead

We spent the night at Esplanade Junction and because we took the Ambien so early last night, both Justin and I were awake pretty early.  I heard Lynn and Jacob rustling around and so I checked my watch.  It was 5:45.  I got up a few minutes

later and spoke to them before they took off.  They left the camp at 6.

Justin got up a few minutes after I did, so we started some breakfast and also started putting our stuff away.  Bob and Jason got up a few minutes later and also started getting their stuff together.  After breakfast, we finished cleaning up and put on our packs and off we went.  I left right at 7:00 a.m.

It was still dark when we left and I wore my headlamp for awhile, but it soon lightened up and I was able to put it away.  It was pretty nice hiking in the cool morning air, but I still worked up a pretty good sweat.  It's only 1.4 miles to the top.  My objective is to make it in an hour or less.

I lost sight of the other three within minutes of leaving the campsite.  I didn't see them again until I reached the top.  I looked for the Indian ruins, but didn't even see them though it was light enough that I could have.  For some reason, perhaps the angle, I didn't see them in though I was keeping a watchful eye.

I arrived at the top at 7:59.  I made it with one minute to spare.  The other guys all had their packs off and my group had been there for 10 minutes or more.  Lynn and Jacob had been there for more than an hour.

After unloading my pack and rehydrating we started putting things away.  Before doing so though, I weighed the packs again.

Lynn:  54, 38      Justin:  52, 36    Jacob:  42, 33     Bob:  50, 42    Jason: 47, 37    Dale 52, 33

I was tied for the lightest pack coming out and I was the second heaviest going down.  I think a tare weight of 33 pounds is the lightest that I've ever been since keeping track.  I'd like to lose another 5 or more pounds of dead weight if possible.

We left the Bass trailhead about 8:45 and started driving back to the village.  The roads were a bit drier than our trip in on Sunday and so we made a bit better time.  I also found the road that splits off to the view point.  It was closer to the trailhead than what I expected.

When we arrived at the Indian gate, no Indians were there, but the gate was closed.  I almost hit it before realizing that it was shut.  It is just a barbed wire gate and if I hadn't been paying attention, I would have done some damage to Justin's new Trailblazer.  Pam would not have been happy.

We arrived at the Village as scheduled, 1.5 hours from Bass trailhead.  We shopped at the visitors center gift store and I bought a long sleeve shirt and the others bought some souvenirs.  We then went to the restaurant for breakfast and it was pretty tasty.  We got on the road home just before noon and made stops at Page and Beaver for gas and eats.  We dropped Bob off and then went straight home and got here at 9:40 p.m.  Another trip to the Grand Canyon safely completed.

I have now hiked all the way from the East to the West on the Tonto trail except for two portions between the Kiabab and Bright Angel trails and between Hermits and Boucher.  But if you plot all my trips on the map, I've covered the entire distance on foot.  I started two years ago with Jason J., Jeremy N., and Jason H. and its now done with Jason J., Justin B., Bob J., Lynn B. and Jacob B.  I did the bulk of it in 5 trips, with the exception of the piece between Bright Angel and the South Kiabab.  However, I have hiked between the Bright Angel and South Kiabab using the River trail back in the 80's and 90s.  So is it complete?  Only time will tell if I ever get the opportunity to go back down and do the other Segments of the Tonto.  Even if I never get a chance to complete the entire Tonto, the journey thus far has been fantastic.

Atlanta Billboard: Courtesy of my wife

And finally, if you've read my other posts, you'll know that I have an intense love affair with Oatmeal.  I wasn't even tempted once on this trip.  

3rd Annual Columbus Day Hike - Grand Canyon

The Plan:

Our trip permit gives us 5 days/4 nights in the Grand Canyon.  We'll start and finish at the Bass Trailhead which is West of the South Rim Village by 30 miles of dirt road.   Maps, water sources, and other details will be posted over the next few weeks.  Stay tuned for updates.

Day 1: 
From the Bass Trailhead, we'll drop down to the junction of the Bass trail and Royal
Arch trail.  Here, we'll stash some water for the return trip and then head west on the Royal Arch trail until we reach the Royal Arch Creek area.

Day 1B:  Royal Arch Trail - First Campsite

Day 2:  Royal Arch to River Camp Site

The Day 1A map shows the Bass trailhead and the yellow arrows shows our planned route.  The Esplanade Junction is about 1.2 miles from the trailhead.  (The red arrow shows our route out on the last day.)

The yellow circle on the Day 1B map depicts the general area of our first nights camp.  The permit allows us to camp anywhere above the Royal Arch.  We'll plan on camping at the head of the drainage and fairly close to some water.

Day 2:
Hike to Royal Arch and enjoy the sights (or site).  We'll leave our campsite and drop deeper into the Royal Arch drainage.  The short green arrow depicts a short side trip to see the arch.  We'll drop our packs at the junction and pick them up on the way back.  We then make a climb out of the drainage and head East-North-East to the river (Toltec Beach) for our second nights campsite.  The Day 2 hike will include a 20 foot rappel.

Day 3A:  Past Garnet Canyon Toward Copper Canyon

Day 3:

The day hike to Elves Chasm is depicted by the larger of the green arrows on the Day 2 map.  We'll leave the packs at our campsite and day hike up the Elves Chasm and then return, pick up our packs and continue East along the river.

The hike will take us past Garnet Canyon (map: Day 3A) and on to Copper Canyon where we'll spend the night.  My apologies for cutting off part of the trail from the Day 3B Map between Garnet Canyon to Copper Canyon.  Rest assured, I didn't do it intentionally and no I didn't cut out a 20 mile section.  I'll try to update my pictures and post a new map for this segment.

Day 4:  

Day 3B:  Copper Canyon Camp area

Day 4 has us leaving Copper Canyon and hiking over to the lower junction of the Bass Trail and Tonto trail.  Here we'll drop our packs, hike down to the river and then back up to the packs and hike up the Bass trail to the upper Tonto trail junction, where we'll spend our 4th night.

Day 4:  Lower Bass Canyon area

There is an old boat at the river.  Its been there a long time and this also the site where one of the famous river runners had a heart attack at 79 years of age and died.  According to the article I read, this body was at this river location for many years before it was recovered.  For further info, look up the details on the web.


Day 5:
Return hike from the upper Tonto/Bass Junction back up to our water stash at the Esplanade Junction.  Rehydrate and relax for a bit before tackling the last 1.4 miles out of the canyon.

The last part of the hike is the same as the first part.  So refer to the Day 1A map for more details.

Now for some details on mileage and Elevation:
According to the GC Park Service description of the Royal Arch Loop
1.  South Bass Trailhead to Royal Arch - 14 miles, drop 3450 feet
2.  Royal Arch to Toltec Beach - 3 miles, drop 1100 feet
3.  Toltec Beach to Copper Creek - 9 miles, climb 1050 feet
4.  Copper Creek to South Bass Trailhead - 9 miles, climb 3500 feet.

Royal Arch/Elves Chasm Loop

Adding up the numbers gives the minimum distance for this hike is 35 miles and 4550 feet of elevation gain.  (Recalling lessons from physics: Work = Force * distance.  Since we begin and end at the same point, distance = 0, therefore, no work is done - huh - did I miss something?)

HOWEVER
While the minimum hiking distance is probably accurate, you can be assured that the elevation change of 4550 feet is NOT accurate.  The elevation changes are point to point changes and don't include the little ups and downs that will be encountered.  On a previous Grand Canyon hike, these little ups and downs added up to over 2000 extra feet of elevation gain.  Nor do these numbers include the mileage or elevation for side hikes to Elves Chasm or down to Bass rapids.

I've plotted the route using DeLorme's Topo USA 7.0.  The maps on this blog came from the Topo tools.  In plotting the route, I discovered a small error with the map/program.  It won't let me do a complete loop.  For some reason, the database will not allow me to plot a route from the Esplanade Junction to the top of the Royal Arch drainage.  But I was able to get some pretty good data for elevation and mileage.

1.  Trailhead to Esplanade Junction ~ 1.2 miles, 12oo foot drop
2.  Esplanade to Royal Arch Creek Confluence ~ 8.0 miles, 1000 foot drop
3.  Royal Arch Creek Confluence to Royal Arch Spur ~4.5 miles, 1098 foot drop
4.  Royal Arch Spur Round Trip ~ 2.0 miles, 300 drop and gain
5.  Royal Arch Spur to Toltec Beach (River)  ~ 3.5 miles,  955 foot drop  (There is a net drop for this segment, but a 500 foot climb is included)
6.  Elves Chasm Spur Round Trip ~ 3.0 miles, 1200 foot gain and drop
7.  Toltec Beach to Garnet Canyon ~ 2.2 miles, 200 foot gain
8.  Garnet Canyon to Copper Canyon ~ 6.0 miles, 672 foot gain
9.  Copper Canyon to Lower Bass Junction ~ 3.8 miles, 543 foot drop
10  Lower Bass Spur to Bass Rapids Round trip ~ 3.0 miles, 440 drop and gain
11  Lower Bass Spur to upper Tonto Trail junction ~ 1.0 miles, 485 foot gain
12.  Upper Tonto Trail Junction to Esplanade Junction ~ 4.0 miles, 2230 foot gain
13.  Esplanade Junction to Trailhead ~ 1.2 miles, 1200 foot gain

Based on the above estimates, our daily numbers should be:
Day 1:  9.2 miles,    (-2200, + 0) feet;  Trailhead to Royal Arch Confluence
Day 2:  10.0 miles,  (-2853, + 800) feet,  Royal Arch Confluence to Toltec Beach
Day 3:  11.1 miles,  (-1200, + 2072) feet, Toltec Beach to Copper Canyon (includes Elves Chasm spur)
Day 4:  7.8 miles,    (-983, + 925) feet, Copper Canyon to lower Bass Canyon (includes Bass Rapids)
Day 5:  5.2 miles,    (-0, + 3430) feet, Lower Bass Canyon to Trailhead

Total Mileage based on values from Delorme's Topo USA, I'm expecting 43.3 miles, 7,230 feet of elevation change.

WATER SOURCES
The following paragraph is an extract from the GS Park Service description of this route.

"Flowing water appears on the surface in the Redwall gorge of Royal Arch Creek. The Colorado River can be accessed at Toltec Beach. During cooler weather seasonal water is sometimes available from Seep Spring (between Chemehuevi and Toltec Points), from temporary pools along the Esplanade and in the bed of upper Royal Arch Creek, in Copper Canyon at the Tonto Trail crossing, and from potholes in Bass Canyon below the Tonto Trail. Garnet Canyon occasionally has water, but mineral content is extremely high and the water may be undrinkable. Lack of water in the Tonto Trail section of the loop makes this route hazardous in hot weather."

This hike was planned for October because, as a general rule, the temperatures are mild and the monsoons are over.  In previous October hikes, we've found either streams with running water or potholes that we can pump from.  However, to mitigate the risk of minimal water sources, plan on carrying extra water.  As noted above, we'll stash some water near the Esplanade junction which we'll use to replenish our water stores on our way out.

I'll be monitoring weather conditions and if late Sept or early Oct have heavy monsoon rainfalls, the streams may be running and potholes full of water.  However, I'll still be carrying the following:
1.  A 3 liter internal bladder with a tube to use while hiking.
2.  2 1 liter bottles in pack pockets, Used for gatorade.
3.  A 1 gallon water jug strapped externally to my pack.  Used for longer dry hikes or to shuttle water.
4.  An extra 3 litter bladder stuffed inside my pack.  Used for longer dry hikes or to shuttle water.

Colorado River Water
Depending on recent weather conditions, the Colorado river can be liquid mud or blue/green.  If it is liquid mud, it will require pre-filtering or it will clog up the best water filter with just a few pumps.  I've tried various schemes with varying degrees of success.  I'm open to ideas for pre-filtering.  If the water is blue/green, it will still be full of silt and sand.  If your filter is new, you shouldn't have any problems for the duration of this hike, however the same pre-filter process is recommended.

Reality : Bright Angel to Hermits Rest

I've been a project manager for a variety of projects ranging from planning office functions to working multi-million dollar Air Force projects.  My general philosophy for project planning is to keep my options open until the moment when the lack of a decision has a negative impact on the project.  Why do I mention this?  My trips down the Grand Canyon are just a series of projects.  The overall objective is still the same, but I don't get overly concerned if I don't make the miles or cover all the trails as planned and the order of these mini projects are not important to me.  It gives me the opportunity to come back again.

Our hopes for this trip were  were to cover a segment of the Tonto trail that I've never hiked.  The section from the tipoff on the Kaibab trail to the intersection of the Tonto & Boucher.  However, our biggest roadblock was the permits.  I was late requesting permits and so I didn't get the sites nor the number of nights desired.  But I took what was available and we made the most of it.

Day 0:  Getting There (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)
My son Justin, friend Mr. J, and I drove from Northern Utah to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with the objective of hiking down the Bright Angel, West to Monument Creek, Day hike to Boucher and return to Monument, then hike out.  Our permits granted us two nights at Monument, and our objective is the Tonto from Indian Gardens to Boucher.  However, to properly set the stage, I need to back up a bit.

I got up extra early (0300 hours) and went to work to finish a couple projects - aka Action Items - that were dumped on me late Tuesday afternoon.  In the quiet morning hours I was able to knock out these tasks fairly easily.  I was back home by 8:00 a.m and as I was standing on the kitchen floor talking with my son's wife Pam, I made a small pivot on the ball of my left foot and felt my knee give.  Unbelievable!  On the morning of my Grand Canyon trip, I twisted my knee.  Bummer.  Oh well, be careful, use walking sticks and don't be in a big hurry.

Justin and I drove to Salt Lake, picked up Mr. J and headed south.  We arrived at the Cameron junction of highway 89 and 64 and took our usual gander at the Little Colorado River.  On our last three trips, the Little Colorado had pools of water, but no water was actually flowing.  This time however, it was flowing pretty good.  It wasn't a raging torrent, but it was moving right along.  And it was muddy - as muddy as I've ever seen it.

We arrived at the East Entrance just after 7:00 p.m.    Just after entering the park, it began to snow and the road was snow covered in some places from an earlier storm.  We drove straight to the Bright Angel Lodge where dinner was waiting for us.  On our Oct 2009 hike, Mr. J and I had a pre-hike dinner at the BA Lodge and it was excellent.  We were anxious to enjoy another scrumptious feast.  I dropped Mr. J off at the front door and drove around the loop looking for a parking spot.  Mr. J had a table and an idea waiting for us when we got in the Lodge.  There were still rooms available on the rim!  Set up a tent in the snow and dark, or sleep in a real bed and have a hot shower in the morning.  Which will it be?  I must be getting soft in my old age, there was no doubt about my preference.

Day 1:  Bright Angel to Monument Creek (Thursday, March 11, 2010)

Sleeping in a hotel room has its advantages over sleeping in a tent.  A hot shower in the morning.  After showering and having breakfast in the Maswick Cafeteria, we headed back to the BA Lodge to start the hike.  As expected, the trail was snow covered but traffic had already been up or down the trail since the last storm.  We started down at 7:20.  It was slick in a few spots, but my walking sticks gave me extra stability and I didn't have any problems.  Mr. J was wearing some light weight crampons and Justin was wearing Mr. J's boots.

The trail was snow covered for about 1000 to 1500 feet down. Perhaps Justin should have used walking sticks or crampons.

We made our first real pitstop at Indian Gardens.  Its bigger than what I remember, but its been 18 years since Justin and I were last here.  After relaxing for a few minutes and guzzling another liter of water, we headed West on the Tonto trail towards Monument Creek.

We made several more stops along the way including Horn Creek and Salt Creek.  Both drainages had some water in them, but our water supplies were good so we didn't pump any.  As usual, the views up and down the canyon and into the inner gorge were fantastic.  We saw a few rafters in the distance but didn't get to see them hit any of the rapids.

We arrived at Monument Creek at 4:30 and it was very clear as to how it got its name.  Monument Creek was flowing and our campsite was close to the creek.  The campsites are primitive, but in excellent shape and very comfortable.  There were several tents pitched on the West side of the drainage, under the cliffs, but we had our choice of spots close to the creek.  As the evening progressed, more of the campsites filled up.

Day 2:  Monument Creek & Granite Rapids (Friday, March 12, 2010)

Last night, as we were waiting to fall asleep, Mr. J and I discussed again the route and motivation for doing a day hike to Boucher Creek and back.  Last fall, we spent a night a Boucher and then exited on the Boucher trail up to Hermits Rest.  One of our objectives for this trip was to hike the segment from Hermits Creek to Boucher.  However, this segment would be 17 miles long and then we'd still have to climb out of the canyon on Saturday. 
We made the decision to make Friday a relaxing day rather than pushing for Boucher and back.  With that decision made, I actually slept pretty good.

Our rest day included a leisurely breakfast followed by a hike down the creekbed to Granite Rapids.  The rapids were pretty impressive.  Large waves and deep holes.  We wanted to watch some rafts go through the area, but it was not to be.  A few rafts pulled over above the rapids, but they were planning on spending the night and shooting the rapids on Saturday.  So after spending a couple hours at the river, we returned to our camp.

In preparation for tomorrow's hike out, we chowed down as much of our food as we could handle, rehydrated as much as possible and made other preparations for the hike out.  The sky's were clear, so we stayed up for awhile looking at the stars and contemplating the meaning of life.

Day 3:  Monument Creek to Hermits Rest (Saturday, March 13, 2010)

We got up early this morning and after breakfast and packing up, we hit the trail. We were on the trail at 7:30 and made some brief stops at major points along the way. As usual, I brought up the rear, not that the rear is my favorite position, but I'm having a harder time keeping up with the younger guys. Their stops usually consisted of 20-30 minute stops. When I caught up, I'd take a break for 10 minutes and then be back on the trail. The Hermits trail gets right after it. It was a pretty steep trail and rough in some places. I missed the turns a couple of times and had to scramble over rocks to find the trail again. The higher we got, the more people we started running in to. Some were backpackers going down and others were just day hikers enjoying the trail.

We got to the Boucher trail junction at 1300 and had just 1.2 miles to go. I had hoped to get to the top by 2:00, but made it at 2:20. Justin and Jason had all ready proceeded on the bus back to the lodge area. They got there before 2 and were able to catch the 2 p.m. bus. By the time I got to the bus stop, a bus was just getting ready to leave, so my timing was pretty good.

After getting to the lodge area, I put my pack in the car and found them in the lodge eating hamburgers. I snitched a few frys from Justin, but declined ordering a hamburger. However, while they were settling the bill, I went to the ice cream shoppe and got me a milk shake.

By 4:00 p.m. we were on our way home. The wind was blowing pretty good and in some areas of 89 there was a bonafide dust storm blowing. We stopped at Page for gas and eats and to change drivers. Justin drove in a snow storm from Page to Panguitch and then Jason drove from Panguitch to Beaver over highway 20.

The snow on highway 20 was coming down thick and furious. We averaged less than 20 mph during this section. It took just over an hour to get to the 15. The freeway wasn't moving much faster so as we approached Beaver, we decided to stop for the night and get a hotel.

Unfortunately, the hotels were all booked due to the storm and accidents on the freeway. The hotel gave us the number for the sherriff and I called them and they said a church was open and to come on over. So we drove to the Beaver 4th ward chapel, grabbed our sleeping bags, found us a quiet class room and then went to the gym for some dinner.

The 4th ward Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints regularly pulls together service projects to assist those that were stranded for various reasons on the freeway. They end up doing it several times a year as circumstances warrant. It is a nice service.  Sunday morning I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs.  The same people had brought in more supplies from their homes and were using the kitchen in the church to cook up a hot breakfast.  As I talked with the local members, I learned that it truly is a service project, with food and supplies coming from their homes and is not provided or reimbursed by the city, state or church.  What a fantastic service they provide.

We left Beaver after breakfast and arrived in the Layton about noon.  It was a good trip.  Great company, great hike, and a wonderful opportunity to witness Christ like service rendered by a small community in central Utah.

Bright Angel to Boucher - The Plan

We have our permit.  Two nights at Monument Creek.  What kind of plan can we put together to hike another significant portion of the Tonto Trail when we have two nights at the same campsite.  Justin came up with the following idea.

Justin suggested starting at the Bright Angel Trailhead and hiking down to Indian Gardens and then picking up the Westbound Tonto Trail and following it until we get to Monument Creek for night # 1.  Mileage according to the trail info posted by the Grand Canyon National Park Service is:

• BA Trailhead to Indian Gardens    4.8 miles;  - 3060 feet
• Indian Gardens to Horn Creek      2.5 miles;  -   250 feet
• Horn Creek to Salt Creek             4.8 miles;  -      0 feet
• Salt Creek to Monument Creek     3.4 miles;  -   555 feet
• Day 1 Totals:       15.5 miles  - 3865 feet    

 

On day 2, we'll day hike from Monument to Boucher Rapids and back to spend the 2nd night at Monument Creek.  The mileage for this segment is:

• Monument Creek to Hermit Creek           3.5 miles;    -95
• Hermit Creek to Boucher Creek               5.0 miles;     -140
• Boucher Creek to Hermit Creek               5.0 miles;     +140
• Hermit Creek to Monument Creek           3.5 miles;     + 95
• Day 2 Totals     17 miles    - 0 feet

On the last day, we'll hike up from Hermits Creek to the Hermit's Rest Trailhead.  The mileage for this segment is:

• Monument Creek to Hermits Rest Trailhead      9.3 miles;   + 3705

Total mileage for three days of hiking:  41.8 miles (15.5, 17.0, 9.3).  Can this be done?  If we average 2 miles per hour then the hike times required are 7.75, 8.5, and 4.6 hours.  Our average hiking speed for the last 3 Grand Canyon tonto trail hikes has exceeded 2.0 mph.  We recognize that the Tonto Trail can be a bit rough, but our past three hikes have been on more remote portions of the tonto trail and this portion of the trail is reportedly in better shape than the other sections.  Hiking up the Hermit Trail in 4.6 hours is doable for Mr. J and Justin, but it will take me at least 5 hours and probably closer to 6.