DP Tool Club 8/CDASC08.ISO/VRAC/AZ_TRVL.ZIP/GRAND_CN.TRV

Text File | 1993-09-17 | 30KB | 557 lines

cat grand_canyon
::Title:        Grand Canyon compilation  (1993 March)
::Editor:       Ilana Stern <[e-mail]>
::Filename:     north_america/usa/arizona/grand_canyon
::
This document, and other travel information, is available by anonymous ftp
from ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca in the directory rec-travel.  For general info
about the rec.travel archive, contact Brian Lucas <[e-mail]>.
For comments, questions, or additions to this document, please contact
the author/editor, whose address is given above.

========================================================================
Note:  this file contains information on camping, hiking, mule-trips,
sightseeing, hotels, and general climate.  For information on river
rafting trips, please see the file grand_canyon_rafting.

Contents:

Phone numbers / addresses
Climate
Camping at rim
Hotels and motels
Sightseeing / day hikes
Backpacking
==============================================================

## Phone numbers

General park info: 602/638-7888
General park address: PO Box 129, Grand Canyon AZ 86023

South Rim lodging, Phantom Ranch (at river inside canyon) lodging, and
  mule trips leaving from the South Rim: 602/638-2401
or write PO Box 699, Grand Canyon AZ 86023

North Rim lodging: 801/568-7686
or write TW Services, Box 400, Cedar City UT 84720

Camping reservations (both rims): 1-800/365-2267 or 619/452-0150
or write PO Box 85705, San Diego CA 92138-5705

Van shuttles (for hikers and others): Trans Canyon Van, 602/638-2820

Havasupai Indian Reservation (for Havasu Canyon permits): 602/448-2121
or write Havasupai Tourist Enterprises, Supai AZ 86435


## Climate

South Rim:  open all year.  Summer temperatures 50's to 80's F (low
teens to high 20's C), winter temperatures 40's to below zero (5 to
-18 C).  Expect thundershowers mid to late summer, snow November through
April.  Elevation 7000 ft (2135 meters).  The South Rim is where most
visitors go.

North Rim:  open mid-May to mid-October.  Temperatures are usually
5-10 degrees F cooler than the South Rim as elevation is over 8000 ft
(2400 meters).  The road is closed and no services are available
during the winter, but cross-country skiing is permitted.  Write
to the general park address for information and regulations.

Inner Canyon:  open all year, accessible only by foot or mule (or
river raft from Lee's Ferry).  Elevation at the Colorado river
ranges from about 2000-2800 ft above sea level.  Summertime highs
are > 100 deg F (38 C), winter highs may reach 60 F (15 C).  It does
snow in the canyon in the winter.


## Camping at rim

All camping inside Grand Canyon National Park is restricted to established
campgrounds.  During the summer, all campgrounds are usually full by noon.
SR=South Rim, NR=North Rim.

SR: Mather Campground -- at Grand Canyon Village, no hook-ups. Shower and
laundry nearby, dump station nearby.  Reservations may be made no more
than 8 wks in advance for family sites or 12 wks for group sites;  no
reservations taken for Dec 1 - Mar 1.  Reservation phone number is in
phone list above.  Unreserved sites are first-come, first served.
$10/night.

SR: Trailer Village -- next to Mather Campground, all hook-ups, reserve
through South Rim lodging contact number (not campground reservation number)
in phone list above.

SR: Desert View Campground -- 26 mi E of Grand Canyon Village.  No
reservations, no hook-ups, open summer only.  $8/night.

NR: North Rim Campground, 1/2 mi north of rim.  No hook-ups.  Shower,
laundry, and camper store nearby, summer months only.  Reserve through
number in phone list above.  $10/night.

Camping is available outside the park on both rims.


## Hotels and motels

For all lodging inside the park see contact info in phone list.  There are
separate numbers for North Rim and South Rim lodging.  Rates vary -- El
Tovar is probably the most expensive, Bright Angel Lodge probably the least
expensive.

There is a lodge within the Canyon:  Phantom Ranch.  Use the South Rim
lodging reservation phone number in the phone list.

From: [e-mail] (Don Wegeng 73256 - RIC)
Two friends and I stayed at Phantom Ranch in October of 1991.  The facilities
consist of several cabins for small groups (a few people), plus four bunk
houses (segregated by sex).  Each bunk house sleeps about ten people, and
includes a shower and a toilet.  There is also a large dining hall, which
in addition to serving meals also serves munchies (including beer) in the
afternoon.  A ranger cabin is near by, and after dinner each night a ranger
gives a talk on an appropriate topic, and fields general questions about
the Grand Canyon.

It's recommended that you make reservations several months in advance.
Last minute openings are filled on a first come basis at 7 AM at the
reservations desk on the South Rim.  I'm told that many people make the
mistake of hiking to Phantom Ranch, with the hope of finding an opening.
All such people are turned away, and must hike back out *that day* (not
a pleasant thought).

Phantom Ranch is accessible from either rim, both via foot or mule
train.  If you plan to walk down, be prepared for a strenuous hike
of several hours in each direction, with a several thousand foot
elevation gain/loss.  All of the comments in this FAQ about hiking
in the canyon apply here as well, especially the comments about
drinking water and weather conditions.

While any visit to the Grand Canyon is spectacular, spending the
night at the bottom of the canyon is very special.

Outside the park:

South Rim:  many motels in Tusayan. Best Western 602/638-2681, Quality
Inn 602/638-2673, Red Feather 602/638-2414, Seven Mile Lodge 602/638-2291,
Moqui Lodge 602/638-2401.

North Rim:  Kaibab Lodge, 602/638-2389 (18 miles from rim), Jacob Lake
Inn 602/643-7232 (45 miles from rim).


## Sightseeing / day hikes

Options you have:
1) Air tours are available from Tusayan (just south of the entrance),
Grand Canyon Airport, Las Vegas and elsewhere.
2) Mule trips are available (call South Rim lodging number for trips
leaving from South Rim, 602/638-2292 for trips leaving from North
Rim).
3) Scenic Bus tours are available through the South Rim lodging number.
4) Ranger-led interpretive tours are available.
5) There are various easy trails along the rim.
6) If you are fit, carry water and other essentials, wear a hat, and have
good shoes, you can hike partway down one of the trails into the canyon.
Remember that it will probably take twice as long to come up.  Only the
Bright Angel trail has water.  They recommend 1 gallon/person/day in summer.
Heatstroke is a risk in summer, slippery rocks are a problem in winter.
Get info at park HQ, and maps, before any hike off the rim.
7) Hiking to the river and back in one day is *not* feasible unless
you are a very fit and experienced desert hiker, you know what time of
year and time of day to do it, and you know exactly what you need to
carry.  Expect it to take > 12 hours.  If you have to ask for any
information, assume you can't do it.  (See Backpacking section for info
on overnights.)

Misc. rules and regs:  No pets on the trails, kennel available in Grand
Canyon Village on the South Rim.  Backcountry permit required for all
overnight use.  Carry out all trash.  No fires.

From: Curt Anderson    [e-mail]
thought i'd add my two cents worth for visiting the canyon.  First of all, if
you're camping, get there pretty early in the morning, the campgrounds fill up
fast!  For a two day trip, I would spend the first day touring the rim.  Drive
to all of the points and pull-offs for the view (Don't forget Yaki point on the
east rim drive, I think its the best one).  Drive into the center of the park
and stop at the visitors center, check that out.  If you're there much into the
summer, the west rim drive will be closed and you'll have to take the shuttle
bus, but its worth it. The views are nice on the west rim, and the end of the
road is a place called Hermits rest. Nice views of the river from there.

On the second day, if you're interested in a day hike, try grandview down to
horseshoe mesa, neat views, not too bad on the legs.  When you're done, go to
Babbitts general store and buy a couple of ice cream bars and a pint or two of
beer (better yet, bring your own beer, its very expensive there) and go back to
Yaki point and watch the sun go down on the canyon, its an experience that
shouldn't be missed.

If you wanted to plan an overnight, your only real hope now is to get to the
backcountry office right as they open (7:00am in summer) and hope to get on the
waiting list for cancellations.

From: [e-mail]
        If you are planning to go hiking in the Grand Canyon at this time of
the year be prepared for excessive heat. The biggest trail on the south side of
the canyon is Blue Springs(I think) [actually, it is Bright Angel -- Ed.],
it would be packed with visitors, is regularly patrolled and has water stops
all along it. The trail is very popular during the summer and advanced
camping permits are essential if you want to spend the night. There are many
stops on this trail like Indian Gardens and Phantom Ranch and depending on
how far you want to go you can come back in a day.
        If you like a multitude of tourists walking with you on a trail then
this is exactly for you. However, if you want to enjoy Grand Canyon on your own
I would advice you to try some other trail. There are a host of "wilderness
Trails" on the southern side, you can buy a map on each trail from some tourist
shop. They are seldom patrolled, require some direction finding ability and
HAVE NO WATER except the Colorado river.
        One last piece of advice, the heat is excessive and dehydration is
common. Take all necessary precautions and a big hat, you will find much use
for it.

From: [e-mail] (John S. Webb)
Blue Springs? (think again !)  The Bright Angel trail is the main trail
from the south rim thru Indian Gardens to the Phantom Ranch at the bottom.
Excessive (100 deg Fahrenheit +) heat is likely this time of year. Hike
^^^^^^^^^
very early in the day -like at sunrise- when it is cooler unless you
have incredible tolerance to heat. Take at least 2 or 3 canteens of
water.  Spring and Fall are better times for this hike.

From: <[e-mail]>
The weather at the rim is generally pleasant during the summer with mid-80's
during the day and 50's to 60's at night.  At the bottom of the canyon, though,
it's another story.  Look for daytimes temps of at least 100 degrees F.  The
essentials for any Grand Canyon hiking trip are GOOD hiking shoes, lots of
water, sunscreen, and a hat.

From: [e-mail]
When I was there in May it was snowing at the rim; down in the canyon it
was 75 degrees or more.  Take a helicopter flight - fantastic!

From: [e-mail] (Jimmy Kuei)
I believe it will be very hot during May.
In Grand Canyon, do the rim drive early in the morning before the
crowds arrive.  Try to get a backcountry permit to hike down into the
Canyon and camp next to the Colorado River.  Even in February, I could
not get a permit, may be you will have better luck.

From: [e-mail] (imcneill)
   I was in L.V. about 1 month ago, and decided to take a peek at the G.C.
Did a great fly over with Scenic Airlines, picked me up at my hotel, flight
About 1h 15 mins if I remember, 15-18 seats, extra large windows (can be a
bit off putting for first couple of minutes, with those big windows), and
headphones with taped commentary in 6 different languages.  The pilot turns
the tape on at various points.  Make sure you take your camera, mine is crap
but still got some wonderful pictures.  After the flight you land at a small
strip close by the south rim.  Then into a minibus for a short (10-15 mins)
jaunt to the south rim.  We had about 2hrs 30mins on our own.  There's a path
that you can take right the way down,  but at 26 miles to the north rim,
you won't get far in the time allowed.  Also of course allow a bit longer for
coming back up than down.  There's a nice little eating place of the south
rim too if you get peckish.  The tour that I took didn't include a side trip
to the IMAX theatre, which is well worth a look if you've never seen one of
these before.  They apparently show some wonderful footage of the canyon, etc.
I caught an IMAX later on in my trip (in L.A.) and the 70 foot x 70 foot
screen with 6 channel audio just has to be experienced.

  They advised a the time of booking to bring something warm like a jacket or
pullover.  The advice was quite right as although the sun was shining quite
brightly, there was a bit of a bite in the breeze.

Finally you are picked up for the return flight.  The backward journey is a
bit quicker as they fly a more direct route.  I should mention that the fact
that the plane flies quite low (about 2000-2500 feet) and also that the
terrain is very sculptured, means that in parts the flight can get quite
choppy, but nothing to get worried about.

The whole thing cost $149 which also included a small back pack and water
bottle which makes a rather different souvenir.

In summing up I'd say it was the highlight of my visit, I don't know whether
you have seen the film "GRAND CANYON" but to paraprhrase from it, when you
take an eyeful of this marvellous spectacle of creation, you being to realise
just how worthless and small man really is in comparison.

From: [e-mail] (Darlene Escobar)

Smooth White Water Rafting
$70.00 per person ($140)
It is approximately 12 hour trip- They bus you to Page, AZ, you raft for
5 hours and the grand canyon provides your lunch.. My mother, sister-in-law
and I went in May and had a great time..


## Backpacking

All overnight travel below the rim (excluding Phantom Ranch lodge, including
Phantom Ranch campground) anywhere in Grand Canyon National Park requires a
(free) backcountry permit.  Permits may be obtained at the Backcountry
Ranger Office on the South Rim, or in summer at the Backcountry Ranger Office
on the North Rim.

The number of individuals and groups permitted in each "use area" is
restricted, and if you just show up at the Backcountry Ranger Office
there may not be any available permits.  Cancellations are handed out
on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 9 am.

You can make advance reservations by mail or in person (not by phone)
by writing the Backcountry Ranger Office, PO Box 129, Grand Canyon AZ 86023
(phone [phone] for info, but no phone reservations are taken) and they
will send you a little "planning kit."  You will have to specify alternate
plans in case your first choice of route is already filled.  [We reserved in
March for a November hike, and got our second choice.]

For backpacking and hiking in Marble Canyon (use areas 76 and 77) and
that portion of use area 39 north of the confluence with the Little Colorado,
you must get a permit from the Navajo Tribal Parks Department, PO box 308,
Window Rock AZ 86515 (phone [phone]), *in addition to* a permit from
the Grand Canyon Backcountry Office.

For backpacking and hiking in Havasu Canyon, you must get a permit
from Havasupai Tourist Enterprises, Supai AZ 86435 (phone [phone]).

NOTE:  Backpacking in the Grand Canyon is not for everyone.  If you
are not physically fit, are not carrying sufficient food, water or
equipment, or worse, don't have the necessary desert backcountry
skills and knowledge, you can have a miserable time up to and including
death.  The following travelogues should be taken with large grains
of salt;  keep in mind that the skill level of the writers may be
very different from your own.

From: someone whose name I have lost
Be sure to contact the Back Country office at the Grand Canyon.
You must obtain hiking permits for virtually all of the trails, and you'll
need to make reservations well in advance for the more popular (and easier)
trails.  Some of the lesser hiked trails are very dangerous, and you must be
an expert hiker to be allowed on them.  IMHO, the above response downplays
the potential dangers of the less traveled trails--even though you might
be able to find trail maps in "tourist shops", you need to contact the
back country office before going to the Canyon for your trip.

From: [e-mail] (Paul Stevens)
I concur.  You really need to have a couple of other desert backpacking
trips under your belt before you tackle any of the non-maintained G.C.
trails.  Also, there IS water other than in the Colorado, but it will
usually be a full days hike (or more) between these points.

>From me [[e-mail]]
Hance -> Grandview:  we did this Thanksgiving 1990.  It's a long way
down, there are some places where you need to use your hands on the
rocks.  We passed some ill-prepared students who looked miserable in
their rented packs.  Camping at the beach is nice (Hance Rapid).  The next
night we camped at Hance Creek.  We needed to hike down the creek a ways
before finding a good place to get water;  at some times of year there
may be no water at all here.  The third day we stopped at Page Springs
to load up on water, and camped on Horseshoe Mesa.  We (carefully) explored
the mine just off the trail in the side of the mesa.  This gave us a
relatively short hike out the last day.  Horseshoe Mesa is a popular
day hike so expect to see lots of people on the Grandview trail.

Hermit -> Boucher:  we did this Thanksgiving 1992.  This is a nice loop
because you come back to the same trailhead.  We started a little
too late the first day and didn't make it to Hermit Rapid -- we ended up
camping along the creek in a flat spot on the trail, setting up after
dark.  The trail descends steeply, then is fairly flat for a long, long
time (trailfinding skills are sometimes necessary), then plunges down
the "Cathedral Stairs."  The second day was along the Tonto Trail to
Boucher Creek.  Some exposure along the trail which could be scary
if you're afraid of heights.  We gained a lot of elevation and then lost
it in a steep descent to the creek.  We set up camp (nice camping area
here) and then hiked to Boucher Rapid and back.  Both Hermit Creek and
Boucher Creek had enough water to filter, but I wouldn't count on that
water being there.

The next day dawned snowy;  we filled up with extra water and hiked up
Boucher to a big flat spot below Yuma Point.  Boucher is very steep and
exposed in places, requires some scrambling with hands on rock, and
could be quite treacherous to descend.  We melted snow and collected
pothole water to supplement our bottles.  It was quite cold that night.
The last day was a long but not steep (until the end) hike down the
other side of the side canyon that we'd originally hiked in.

From: [e-mail] (Mark Galassi)
I have been down the canyon a couple of times, and am hoping to get
permits for april (I applied late, in early march).  Here's what I can
tell you about Tanner.

I went down Tanner in late april of last year (92).  It is a beautiful
but very hostile trail (classified as primitive; even worse than
threshold, which is how they classify most of the trails you mention).

There is no shade anywhere until you reach the river.  There is no
water source except the Colorado, and most filters will not filter it
because of the mud.  We had iodine, so we were OK: we drank muddy
water with iodine for four days.

Apart from this, the trail is very long and difficult.  I believe it
is about 10 miles from rim to river, compared to about 6 or 7 miles
for the Bright Angel and South Kaibab.  On top of this you have to
negotiate almost every step: you cannot just walk along, the way you
can do in the corridor trails.  You are very frequently stepping way
up or way down.

My experience (leading a group of 7 people) was very positive in the
end: the adversity of the conditions really made our group come
together and brought the canyon within our reach.  We had all these
great activities every day: we had a water factory where we would put
water in plastic bags for many hours to let the mud settle (which it
did not really do).  We also went for a great day hike west along the
river (I forget the trail name; it might be one of those you mention).

If you do Tanner, make sure you really take a gallon of water for the
first day and purify a gallon each additional day.  You will dehydrate
very quickly if you take Tanner.

From: [e-mail] (Peter Hintenaus)
I took Tanner trail last July and continued with Beamer to the confluence
with the little Colorado. I would not say any of these trails is technical,
watch your step and you will be fine. Some portions of Beamer are exposed,
but not technical.
Hiking Grand Canyon in July was hot, but by rising at daybreak,
(4-5 in the morning) and hiking till the sun came out I managed to handle the
heat quite well. When hiking out I beat the sun to the redwall formation, from
there on it was not too bad.

From: AA34000 <[e-mail]> (H.A. Eiselt)
We hiked Tanner last year (early March). Glorious, even though it was
snowing at the rim, about a foot of snow there. Soon it changed to
rain (a bit miserable, but not for long) to the saddle nr 45 mile
creek. Great from that point on. Thru the Muav limestone it's not for
the fainthearted, I think, the trail is a bit narrow but not real bad.
About 6 to 7 hrs down & 8 hrs up. From the end of the trail at the river
we continued next day on Beamer, about halfway to the Little Colorado.
We stopped there, it gets a bit too narrow for my taste. There are
reasons why I ever got as old as I am now. Next day we went west to
the Unkar rapids, great day, but hot (85 deg). Next day up, my wife had
a minor case of hypothermia, wore my (new) socks as gloves for half an
hour back in the car. Believe that it was an excellent time to hike the
trail at that time of year, not too hot. This year there was a lot more
snow on the trail.

Went Havasu this year (early March). I call it the Budweiser trail on
account of all the junk along the trail. Constant chopper traffic, maybe
they rebuild some bridges that were destroyed in the recent flooding.
The trail is not very spectacular & there is nothing to see right now,
the campground & all three falls are closed, they don't even let you
go there at your own risk. Collect the full fee, though. After that, we
wanted to hike down New Hance. The ranger signed us in. First, we didn't
even find the trail. We found it impassable, we would have been the firs
t to go there this year. I don't have a death wish. We decided to hike
down Grandview instead. Quite a bit of traffic there, 2 ft of snow, very
slippery. A few overhangs were bad, it's a matter of opinion, I guess,
but I found them very risky, at least w/o crampons & ice ax. We did it
anyway. Further down it got better. There was a new rockslide though
that did not exist in 1990, when I hiked the trail for the first time.

>From Horseshoe Mesa, we went down to Page Spring. Very narrow trail,
gravel on trail, very steep. Why am I doing this? Camped on a small
platform next to a miners' tunnel directly below 700 ft cliffs. Stupid,
but no other level place in sight. Next day, further down to the spring
& beyond the junction down to Hance Creek. Beautiful spot. Then up
again to Horseshoe Mesa on the center trail, also steep but doable. Up,
mind you, down would be no fun, it's gravelly. Spent night on the mesa
with three groups of teenagers hee hawing &c. Should have killed them.
I hate kids. Third day up again, still snowy, not so icy later in the
day. Not trivial, but a lot easier than down. That's all we've done
lately, I'd love to do the Bass loop one of these days.

From: "Brian D. Alleyne" <[e-mail]>
Royal Arch --> South Bass Loop: Spring 1993
This hike starts and ends at South Bass trailhead, which is (in)accessible via
a 30mile dirt road. This road gets muddy and impassable with light rain.
In the past, it was possible to arrange transportation to and from the
trailhead with the park concessionary (ask for transportation desk), but
have been told that this service is discontinued. Last year they wrecked
three of their vehicles on this stretch of road alone. Coming back from the
trailhead this year, I found out why! Take a 4W drive!!!!! And know how
to drive one!

The plan was as follows: (Starting March 24th)
Day 1)  South Bass trailhead to Esplanade Trail, and follow trail to
        east fork of Royal Arch creek. Follow creek to Royal Arch.
        Night at arch.
Day 2)  Go down to river early morning, take day hike to Elves Chasm and
        go on to Garnet Canyon in the afternoon. Night at Garnet.
Day 3)  Garnet Canyon to Bass or Shinumo Rapids. Night at river.
Day 4)  Hike out of Bass canyon.
What actually happened:
It was easy enough to get out to the trailhead the day before we
were to start off. 2 weeks of very hot summer like weather had melted
off all the snow and dried out the road. The quick thunder storm that day
was just enough to make the road a bit slippery, but easily passable.
Slept outside under the stars that night.

Day 1);
Got up at dawn the following morning (31F), and started off a little
later than expected. Trail is very easy down to Darwin Plateau. Took a
little over an hour. The Esplanade route junction is clearly marked,
and the Esplanade route is easy to follow. Temperature was pleasant
throughout the day (55-65F). It was when we started down the east fork
of royal arch creek that the going got interesting. In the beginning
there is a lot of brush which slows down the pace. As well as a few
small dropoffs and boulder hopping. Still thought that we had enough
time to make the arch by night. Then we came to the first big obstacle
about 2k down the drainage, a little before the canyon makes a sharp
turn to the north.  It is a 60ft dropoff/waterfall, with no obvious way
around.  Cairns mark a route leading up to a narrow ledge around the
left (south) side of the canyon. Proceeding along the ledge, we came to
a spot where the ledge just ends, and continues 6-8ft away. It is
obvious that one is supposed to traverse the rock face across, but I
admit, we were chicken. Could not find any good anchor to set up a
belay, and decided to call it a day. Went back up the creek a couple
hundred yards before the falls, and  climbed out of the canyon via a
small drainage on the north side. A beautiful camping spot, large open,
dry and flat.
Day 2):
Went back to the ledge, and decided to just rappel off. (Having found
a way to secure a good anchor, and take it after us). Involved a
45ft rappel. Continued to where the creek makes a sharp turn north,
and a kilometer further on. At that point there were 2 deep pools that
required swimming. Kept going to the cairns marking the way out of the
creek. At this point we were very late. Going in the creek was only at
about .5 mile per hour, and we lost 3-4 hours doing the rappel and the
pool swimming (I know, we're slow). Decided we did not have enough time to
go down to the arch, and make our way out of the canyon onto the Tonto.
I don't remember seeing the large cairn that was supposed to mark the
trail out of the canyon. I just saw the trail on the tonto level, and
some small cairns marking a route up. There were some good views of the
arch and the waterfalls from above. (Only have to go 20ft from the trail).
The second rappel went off without any problems, and the trail from there
to the river is easy. Just as we got to the river it started raining.
Set up camp.
Day 3):
Wake up, but it is still poring (40F). Decide to wait for a while. At
9:30am decide that we have to move anyhow. Can see that the snow level
is down to the top of the red wall. End up leaving about 10:30/11am,
and decide that Elves Chasm can wait for another hike. Make our way to
Copper Canyon. Cairns mark a trail starting from the river (where the
trail from Royal Arch meets the Colorado). This trail starts among the
rocks, gradually climbing higher above the river. It gradually improves
until you penetrate the plateau at Garnet canyon. I did not see any
indication of the route that was supposed to follow the Colorado low
down at the river, or see any easy way of doing it. Going through
Garnet canyon, find lots of good overhangs that can be used for
camping. The best are just under the tonto trail on the east side of
the canyon. Also find a good overhang to camp under in Copper canyon.
It is on the west side of the canyon, between the trail and the canyon
floor (can't see directly from the trail on the west, but easily
visible from the canyon floor and the trail on the east side of the
canyon). We won't mention the scorpions or mice at this camp site, as
there might be other crawly-weenies out there.
Day 4):
Pretty easy. Get up at dawn, hike across to Bass, and up Bass canyon.
Of course, it is still raining. As we go up rain turns to sleet, and
then snow. Last portion was slightly snow-covered and very beautiful,
at least when we can see it through the thick fog. It's a good thing
that I was familiar with this portion of the route, since it would have
been difficult otherwise to make out the route. Get to the car at
1:30pm. Driving out was VERY difficult. We got stuck twice, and had to
get out and push. (The mud was thick and slick).  Made it out in 2.5
hours. Our vehicle turned from white to brown, literally.

I'll do it again in a couple of years time, and this time I'll give myself
1 or 2 extra days.


oak: /users/sequoia/dfinkel/Download/Arizona%