Grand Canyon 2018

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Badgerhiker
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Grand Canyon 2018

Post by Badgerhiker »

For years I wasn't excited about visiting the Grand Canyon. I thought the views would be so vast that everything would blend together and look the same after a while. That wasn't the case at all. Every view was unique and in the canyon every turn lead to another impressive cliff face. The views never looked the same. The hikes into the canyon sounded to hard for me but after some of the long hikes I've done the last 5 years I realized hiking to the bottom was a possibility.

South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch to Bright Angel

This hike is about 19 miles long and has an elevation loss and gain of almost a mile. After setting up my tent I drove around Grand Canyon Village to get my bearings. That place is a maze and I didn't want to get lost the next morning on the way to the shuttle stop. None of the roads are straight and I got lost 3 times before learning where to go. I woke up in Mather Campground at 5 am to make breakfast and drove to the backcountry info office to catch the hiker bus. The office is about 1/2 mile from the end of my hike at the Bright Angel trail head. The temperature was 30 at the rim and amazingly at Phantom Ranch it was 80. This was at the end of October, I cant imagine doing this hike in July when the temp is well over 100. I started down South Kaibab at 6:30, just before sunrise.

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After careful deliberation I determined this sign was accurate. Ooh Aah!

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Switchbacks after Skeleton Point. This is 3 miles into the hike and the rangers recommends day hikers turn around here.

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I was surprised to find a flat shrubby plateau area in the middle of the canyon.

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The final set of switchbacks to the river. I was really glad to see this because my low back was tightening up from the constant downhill pounding. I didn't use my hiking poles at the beginning which was a mistake on my part. I've never had an issue going downhill before but I've also never gone downhill for 7 straight miles before.

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The Black Bridge

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Looking up river from the middle of the Black Bridge. It's hard to tell from the picture but the river current was very fast. It would be very dangerous to swim here.

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Phantom Ranch is in a green oasis with a creek running through it. The campground is on the right on the other side of the creek.

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A palm like tree along the river. The Black and Silver bridges are in the background.

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I was very happy to learn that the Bright Angel trail followed a canyon drainage so I was shaded by trees and canyon walls most of the way. I thought I was going to get baked by the sun like on South Kaibab. The stone hut on the left is 3 mile resthouse. The group of trees in the middle is Indian Gardens Campground which is 4.5 miles and 3000 ft from the top! This place is so big. That's the same miles and more elevation than climbing Reynolds mountain in Glacier. The clear trail out in the middle leading to the edge is the Plateau Point trail. It ends there. The Bright Angel Trail follows the cliff looking crack to the right.

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Finally the top of the canyon is in sight. At the bottom of the white cliff you can spot the vent pipes on the 1 1/2 mile resthouse. From that point I have 1 1/2 miles and 1,120 ft of climbing left.

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Pretty good view to end the day. I finished just before 4:30, so the hike took me just under 10 hours to complete. I was feeling pretty good about myself except I finished with an ultra runner who did a rim to rim to rim run. That's 48 miles and he did it in 14 hours. There's something not right about those people!

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Rim Trail

Blue Hour before sunrise by Yavapi Point.

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In the late afternoon I hiked the rim trail from Hermits Rest back to Grand Canyon Village.

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I stopped at the Trailview Overlook after sunset. During the day it's a so so view of the switchbacks leading for miles into the canyon but at night you can see all the little hiker's with their headlights hiking out in the dark. There must have been 60 or more. Someone yelled "Keep going your almost there!". They weren't. :lol:

Grandview Trail

Grandview trail leads to Horseshoe Mesa. That's the flat area with the red hump in the middle of it. The hike is 10 miles if you hike out to the finger on the left end. The beginning of this trail is extremely rugged and steep at the beginning dropping 2500 ft. It feels like more than that because it's all in the beginning. The best thing about this trail is I only saw a handful of other hikers all day. Very different from the human highways of the first two days.

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Stairs constructed by the CCC crews during the depression.

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The view at the end of Horseshoe Mesa. I set the timer on the camera and ran over to that plant for this picture. That's all I've got. Hope you enjoyed. The Grand Canyon is amazing. Everyone should see it at least once.

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tibber
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Re: Grand Canyon 2018

Post by tibber »

I've had the hard pleasure of going in and out of the canyon but never in one day; always overnites. You captured it beautifully; very nice photos. Your picture down by the Black Bridge you mention a palm tree but that is actually a yucca plant.

You really made the most of your trip. None of those hikes is easy other than the Rim. Isn't that Grandview Trail construction incredible! I'd like to get down to Horseshoe Mesa as an overnite.

Anyway, enjoyed your pictures and trip report.
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Re: Grand Canyon 2018

Post by brindledog »

Gorgeous pictures. Hard to believe it's the same planet where kudzu abounds on the roadside when you see these glorious photographs. Thank you for sharing.
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Re: Grand Canyon 2018

Post by PeteE »

Another great collection of images! I love them all, especially:
Blue Hour before sunrise by Yavapi Point
Maybe one day I'll get down there for a little hiking.
pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
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paul
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Re: Grand Canyon 2018

Post by paul »

Wow, you take some great pictures. I really appreciate you sharing them with us.

-Paul
We are in the mountains and the mountains are in us. - John Muir
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