Backpacking in the Grand Canyon

[spokewench]

Had a great time for the Veteran's Day 3 day holiday!

My husband and I backpacked down the Grandview Trail to Cottonwood Trail. What a beautiful, beautiful trip. We went with two other couples and had a ball. The Grandview Trail is pretty tough, steep and has some exposure issues for me, but it was well worth it.

The trail starts out really steep and has some real narrow, close fall offs, exposure places. Since I have some issues with fear of heights this was tough for me. I had to keep telling myself not to look down, and to keep breathing but I managed okay. It was pretty hard not to look down cause the edge was so close you could get a glimpse of it in your peripheral vision. It was really pretty hard though. I think as I am getting older, my fears are getting bigger! There really is no hiking that gets you ready for the canyon. We've been hiking hills on the mountain near Flagstaff for a few weeks now, but they just don't compare in steepness and length. So, I was pretty sore by the time I got to the bottom with a 38 pound pack. The weather going down was pretty good, in the range of 50's on the way down. Most of the hike after the first part wasn't too bad until we got to HorseShoe Mesa (yes, it is shaped like a horseshoe and there used to be a copper mine down there so there are some old ruins from the mining operation down there. We stopped and had lunch at horseshoe mesa. Then we started down the last scree slope down to Cottonwood Creek where we were camping. Wow, was that steep and slippery! Not maintained, so it was really hard and by that time, my quads were pretty much torn up. But we all made it down and found a nice campsite right near the cottonwood creek (this is a perennial creek formed by a spring). That is really nice in the canyon. A lot of trails often don't have much water till you get to the river. We had plenty of time to set up our tents, get situated and eat dinner before it got dark. It gets dark really early in the canyon due to the high walls and this time of year, sunset is around 5:30 too. So the nights were very long. We tried to stay up for a while, but it was just too cold not to be in your sleeping bag pretty early so we were in the sack for a long time.

Got up the next morning, and the other two couples hiked down to the river. Mark and I just hiked about 1/2 way. It was probably for the best cause they said the scree slope down to the river (which is really not so much a trail as a goat path) was pretty exposed too. So I probably would have had some trouble with the height thing again! It was a beautiful day and we saw old ruins in the cottonwood creek area and a huge variety of plant life.

We all had a nice camp dinner again on Saturday night and right after we all got situated in our tents, the wind whipped up and and it started raining! It rained on and off all night, but thankfully when we got up it was dry and clear and sunny. What a beautiful day to hike to the top! The air smelled all fresh from the rain, the trails had a little bit better traction with the little bit of rain (not muddy) and it was not hot! We got unpacked and started the long slog to the top! It is easier on my fear of heights when I'm going up, so it was much more pleasant. Plus, hiking up is so much easier on the body too so it was very pleasurable. I did still have little problem with the heights right near the top of the climb, but I perservered and made it through. Besides I was almost to the top so I was happy to know how close I was to being done! The views on the way up were spectacular with fluffy clouds in the distance and the typical red rock gorgeousness of the canyon!

It took us about 4 hours to get to the top and one of the guys had cold beer in their vehicle waiting for us at the parking lot. Boy did that taste YUMMY! There was a little bit of snow on the ground at the top, not much but just enough to show us that it had snowed at the top when it rained on us in the bottom.

All and all a great trip! I'm pretty sore (Calves and quads) but that is pretty typical of a hike in the canyon! I'm always glad I go down to the canyon on a hike cause it is so spectacular, but Wow, Glad that one is over now!

Spoke

[Pedal Wench]

Wow!!!

That's my favorite place in the world!!!! We've hiked up and down Grandview as part of long rim-to-rim-to-rims, and that's really one of my favorite trails. A friend of mine had the choice of one trail to hike in the canyon, and that's the one I suggested. Cool!!!!

I call that scary section coming down from Horseshoe to Cottonwood Creek "The Trail of Death", complete with a song (Beethoven's Fifth, to be exact!) bcause it's steep and the footing is so shaky. Congrats on getting through it! Was there water in the creek? We headed there from the other direction once when our 'reliable' water source was dry, so we were so glad to see the creek flowing.

I didn't know there was a 'trail' to the river in that area. Is it just down the drainage of the creek? Does it really go all the way to the river? When we've been short on water, we always wonder where the next river source is, and I did not think there were any in that section of the canyon - you had to go over towards the Hance Canyon.

So cool! I love reading about my favorite place, especially when others have a good experience too!

Oh - isn't it weird how bad your calves feel after hiking up and out?

[spokewench]

Yes, there was water in the Cottonwood Creek. I guess there usually is. The trail down to the river is a ways, I'd guess around another 6 miles from where we camped. You go out of the CW Campground and go left or I think it is north on the Tonto. The Tonto winds around and then you hike down a drainage to the river from there. And, then there is Page Springs - I think that is on the Hance Trail.

Yes, It is a cool place!

[Pedal Wench]

Thanks for the water report. We've heard that Cottonwood is seasonal, but it's good to know it's flowing this late in the season. Well, if you had snow/rain, maybe it's flowing this early in the next season! We were once coming from the west, down from the North Rim, and had started the day at Lonetree, and planned on getting to Grapevine, which is supposed to be perennial. The creek was dry, and by the time we got to the springs, we had already made up our mind to try to push the additional 4 miles to make it to Cottonwood, because we had heard it was 'gushing'. Well, it was a nice trickle, but after a 14 mile hike without seeing any water, it felt like a geyser!

Good to know that you can reasonably get to the river from Cottonwood, in case of emergency.

Thanks for taking me back!

[luv'nAustin]

Cool, Spoke!

Thanks for the report! I love to read about hiking adventures!

I was in Arizona last month and hiked Mt. Humphrey's one day and Hermit Trail (in the Canyon) the next day. Our plan was to hike this trail and connect with Bright Angel and hike out that way (I think it would have been around 28 miles) but after 5 hours of slogging in the cold and rain, we turned back. Oh well, at least we got in a good 8 hours of hiking and plenty of adventure. In some spots the trail crosses fields of boulders and you have to follow the cairns and somehow we got off several times and one time we ended up very far below the actual trail and way to close to a drop off for my comfort. I am also afraid of heights and now I can add slippery rocks and muddy slopes to that list!

This was the first time on this trail. I usually hike rim-to-rim (sleep on the North Rim) and rim-to-rim back the next day with friends from Phoenix. We are going again in May. I have never tried backpacking, but I'm sure that would be great too.

You are very fortunate to be living in Flagg. When I lived in Scottsdale we would hike up and around Camelback several times on the weekends to prepare for the Canyon. Now I have no hills to climb and spend way too much time on the moving stairs for preperation, but it can't prepare the body for the steep descents!

[emily_in_nc]

How cool!

Thanks for sharing your adventure, spokewrench. Sounds tough! DH and I went to the GC this spring -- my first time ever to the southwest. It was spectacular! We didn't backpack but did dayhike from South Kaibab to the River and back up the Bright Angel trail. We got in around 18 miles, and it was just gorgeous and very strenuous (to me), especially carrying all the water we carried in our daypacks.

The temperature variation is amazing! We started out in the low 40s at the top and hit 96 at the river (on May 1). It took going a long way up until the temperature started feeling temperate again. It was my longest hike ever and an incredible feeling of accomplishment to go from the rim to the river and back in a day (which all the signs tell you not to even attempt!!) We had trained well for it, though, and did fine, just a few blisters.

Glad you had such a great backpacking adventure. You are lucky to live so close to so many gorgeous hiking spots! We visited Sedona, Albuquerque, Mesa Verde NP in Colorado, Arches, Canyonlands (my favorite), Bryce, and Zion before returning home and hiked everywhere we went - 101 miles for the trip. It was truly the trip of of a lifetime for this east-coast gal! And I luuuuuuuved the low humidity!

Emily

[chickwhorips]

wow sounds like fun. as long as i lived in arizona (and am here now visiting) i have never been to the grand canyon. i hear its so beautiful. one day... i say one day....

[Pedal Wench]

Cool, Spoke!

Thanks for the report! I love to read about hiking adventures!

I was in Arizona last month and hiked Mt. Humphrey's one day and Hermit Trail (in the Canyon) the next day. Our plan was to hike this trail and connect with Bright Angel and hike out that way (I think it would have been around 28 miles) but after 5 hours of slogging in the cold and rain, we turned back. Oh well, at least we got in a good 8 hours of hiking and plenty of adventure. In some spots the trail crosses fields of boulders and you have to follow the cairns and somehow we got off several times and one time we ended up very far below the actual trail and way to close to a drop off for my comfort. I am also afraid of heights and now I can add slippery rocks and muddy slopes to that list!

This was the first time on this trail. I usually hike rim-to-rim (sleep on the North Rim) and rim-to-rim back the next day with friends from Phoenix. We are going again in May. I have never tried backpacking, but I'm sure that would be great too.

You are very fortunate to be living in Flagg. When I lived in Scottsdale we would hike up and around Camelback several times on the weekends to prepare for the Canyon. Now I have no hills to climb and spend way too much time on the moving stairs for preperation, but it can't prepare the body for the steep descents!

We're planning another rim-to-rim-to-rim in May too! We're probably stopping at the river and doing some day hikes on the way across - exploring Phantom Canyon, and maybe head over to Clear Creek. Hermits to Bright Angel in one day is quite ambitious! Wow! We did a South Kaibab-Tonto-Bright Angel in one day and thought that was ambitious! Just don't do the Grandview-Tonto-South Kaibab without enough water. (Google "Margaret Bradley")

[spokewench]

How cool!

Thanks for sharing your adventure, spokewrench. Sounds tough! DH and I went to the GC this spring -- my first time ever to the southwest. It was spectacular! We didn't backpack but did dayhike from South Kaibab to the River and back up the Bright Angel trail. We got in around 18 miles, and it was just gorgeous and very strenuous (to me), especially carrying all the water we carried in our daypacks.

The temperature variation is amazing! We started out in the low 40s at the top and hit 96 at the river (on May 1). It took going a long way up until the temperature started feeling temperate again. It was my longest hike ever and an incredible feeling of accomplishment to go from the rim to the river and back in a day (which all the signs tell you not to even attempt!!) We had trained well for it, though, and did fine, just a few blisters.

Glad you had such a great backpacking adventure. You are lucky to live so close to so many gorgeous hiking spots! We visited Sedona, Albuquerque, Mesa Verde NP in Colorado, Arches, Canyonlands (my favorite), Bryce, and Zion before returning home and hiked everywhere we went - 101 miles for the trip. It was truly the trip of of a lifetime for this east-coast gal! And I luuuuuuuved the low humidity!

Emily

Sounds like you had a great trip! I am very lucky to live where I do there is so much to do here of the outside variety. We are really close to desert, mountains, rivers, grand canyon, colorado, new mexico, utah. It seems like the outdoor experiences are never ending! And, Yes, I love the fact that there is no humidity! I'm from Kansas and grew up in Ohio in Cincinnati so I know what humidity is and I hate it!

[luv'nAustin]

Hey Pedal,

We are doing our hike the 22nd and 23rd of May.

Yep, the water thing is tricky. That is why we chose this route for a cooler month. Two of our friends were smart enough to pack water proof clothing and did complete the intended hike that day. It took them about 12 hours.

Let me know if we have the same dates!

[Bikingmomof3]

Wow, thanks for the details of your vacation. I have only hiked in The Rocky Mountains and Snowy Mountains and never where I was dangerously close to the edge (I am terrified of heights).
Please share pics if you can. I have never been to the Grand Canyon. It is on my list of places to visit.

[Pedal Wench]

Hey Pedal,

We are doing our hike the 22nd and 23rd of May.

Yep, the water thing is tricky. That is why we chose this route for a cooler month. Two of our friends were smart enough to pack water proof clothing and did complete the intended hike that day. It took them about 12 hours.

Let me know if we have the same dates!

Austin, we're definitely going to be there then. I'm not sure where/when yet though. We have our North/South Rim reservations, but not sure the exact dates. The past two years, we've done rim-to-rim-to-rims, but the long way. On time starting at Hermits up to the North Rim, then back across and out Grandview, and then the reverse, startingon the North Rim the next year. This year, we're going to try to spend more time at the river, instead of so much time up on the Tonto.

I'll let you know when I know our exact itinerary.