“It must be nice,” or an
occasional, “You’re so lucky,” are often the phrases that we hear when we
return from another adventure —and yeah, it is nice and we are very lucky, and
maybe sometimes to some people our enthusiasm might come across as bragging,
but one of the best parts about our travels is getting to tell the story,
whether through words or photographs or both. In fact, it has become an
obsession—one that leads us far and wide, to new and exciting places. Often,
though, it leads us back to an old friend—such was the case, when we set off
for Arizona’s Grand Canyon—our sixth visit to this wonder of the world—our
third time below the rim, but our first trek from rim to rim, and most likely,
not to be our last view of its grandeur.
Attempting to describe the beauty of
the canyon in words is a difficult task, so I will quote the explorer John
Wesley Powell who said it best, “Its colors, though many and complex at any
instant, change with the ascending and declining sun; lights and shadows
appear and vanish with the passing clouds, and the changing seasons mark their
passage in changing colors. You cannot see Grand Canyon in one view.” That
last sentence is the one that resonates, the one that brings us back time and
time again.
Mather Point, with its classic
panoramic view into the heart of the canyon, was our first stop upon arriving
at the park—from this vantage point, we could see the cluster of green
cottonwood trees at the bottom of the canyon that marks the location of
Phantom Ranch, our soon to be home for two nights. Pick and I had stood at
this point on five different occasions, Dar twice before, and Dauster once,
but for The Berg, it was the first glimpse he had ever had into the Grand
Canyon. Through him, we all relived our initial awe at the task that lay
before us.
Although all of us, except for Berg,
had hiked from the rim to the river and back, it would be the first time any
of us had hiked from rim-to-rim. A year previous to our trip we had managed to
procure a spot at the Phantom Ranch Dorms for two nights, complete with a
steak dinner one night, a stew dinner the next, and breakfast with packed
lunches for both days—luxury, compared to our past treks when we camped at the
Bright Angel Campground. All of the arrangements had been planned well in
advance, and now our adventure was soon to begin, but first, we were going to
enjoy a day on the South Rim—touring Grand Canyon Village, hiking the
Rim
Trail, and touring Hermit’s Road by bus before retiring to the Maswik Lodge.
The next morning at 8:00 am, our
prearranged transportation to the North Rim via Trans Canyon Shuttle, arrived
to take us to our destination. We had privately chartered the shuttle to take
the five of us to the North Rim on an early departure time (arriving at
12:30pm) in order to give us a few hours to explore—normally the shuttle
leaves the South Rim at 1:30pm and arrives at the North Rim at 6:00 pm—before
beginning our hike the next day. The four and a half hour drive went by pretty
fast, especially since the drive was so scenic and our driver, Greg, was
informative, friendly, and entertaining.
Upon arriving at the North Rim, at
around 12:30pm, we sat down for lunch at the magnificent Grand Canyon Lodge
Dining Room. After a wonderful lunch, we made our way to the Lodge’s
veranda—an open seating area perched on the edge of the canyon overlooking a
portion of the Transept Trail, an observation point, and of course, the North
Rim. We also spent some time in the Lodge’s viewing room, where you will find
soft, leather couches and expansive views afforded by the three huge viewing
windows—we decided it was the perfect place to stake out a seat and wait for
check-in.
After settling
into our cozy cabin, the five of us set out to hike the
Bright Angel Point
Trail—which, served as a great introduction to the beauty of the North Rim. It
was so beautiful, that we even returned for sunset—the Arizona sun at our
backs enhancing the immense views of banded reds and browns. It wouldn’t be
much longer and we would be boarding the 5:00 am shuttle bound for the North
Kaibab Trailhead.
The route we had chosen for our
rim-to-rim hike, involved trekking 14.2 miles down the North Kaibab Trail in
one day (15.2 miles when you add in the side trails to Roaring Springs and
Ribbon Falls), a two-night stay at Phantom Ranch, and a 9.3-mile journey along
the Bright Angel Trail back to the South Rim. All in all, it would be a
journey of over 24 miles with an elevation change of 10,310 feet in 3 days—not
including the day hikes, we planned to do from the ranch. There was no doubt,
it would be an adventure to remember, and when we arrived at the trailhead, we
(well, maybe not all of us) were eager to get started.
At the North Kaibab Trailhead, you
are standing at an elevation of 8,250 feet, approximately 1,000 feet higher
than the South Rim, the Colorado River flows through the Inner Gorge 5,850
feet below—more than a vertical mile beneath the rim. As you start down the
trail, you will pass through the Kaibab Formation, and the Toroweap Formation,
before arriving at the Coconino Overlook perched 0.7 miles along the trail at
an elevation of 7,450 feet —the first landmark along your journey. From this
point, at the top of the Coconino Sandstone, we enjoyed the view down Roaring
Springs Canyon toward its intersection with Bright Angel Canyon. The time was
5:21 am and the morning light cast a muted tone across the canyon walls, and
then in an instant the sun appeared to light the sheer buff colored wall of
Coconino Sandstone that towered in front of us.
Continuing on down the trail, the
five us made our way towards the Supai Tunnel—passing through more geological
history as we delved down through the Coconino Sandstone, the Hermit Shale,
and finally, the Supai Group. We watched as the dirt below our boots changed
from pale tan to red, marking the transformation in ancient rock layers. The
farther we hiked into the canyon, the more spectacular the views became—even
Dauster paused to have her picture taken amid, to quote her, “this nonsense.”
When we reached the Supai Tunnel, now 1.7 miles below the rim at an elevation
of 6,800 feet, we stopped to take advantage of the seasonal drinking water and
restrooms—we were now an hour into our hike, feeling great, and destined for
the Redwall Bridge.
The descent towards the bridge is
nothing short of stunning—the trail zigzags its way downward, clinging to the
side of sheer cliffs and offering up vistas that are straight out of an art
gallery. Utah agave, with its 15-foot bloom stalks, crimson columbine, Indian
paintbrush, and clusters of balloon plants grip the edges of the trail and add
even more color to the already intense canyon scenery. The bridge itself is a
scenic wonder—a man-made feature that seems to blend into the canyon walls.
Its appearance marks the distance of 2.6 miles below the rim—just 11.6 miles
to go!
Just beyond the bridge, along a
dramatic section of the trail, you will come to The Needle—a massive rock
spire off to the left of the trail. We arrived at this point, now 3.5 miles
into the hike, at around 7:30 am—most of us were still in top shape, but Dar
was starting to have trouble with her right knee, we just hoped it would hold
out for the remainder of the trek. Pushing on, we made our way along the
seemingly precarious trail, surrounded by imposing cliffs and overhangs on one
side, and sheer drop-offs on the other—it was one of the most exhilarating and
beautiful sections of the hike.
Our next stop was Roaring Springs—a
raging torrent of water that can be heard long before it is seen. Located 4.7
miles below the rim at an elevation of 5,200 feet, a portion of the spring, a
picnic table and restrooms are reached by hiking 0.25 miles along a side
trail—adding half a mile to your total mileage. We arrived at Roaring Springs,
the source of water for both the North and South Rim tourist areas, at around
8:30 am. We felt we were making good time, and we rewarded ourselves with a
snack break at the picnic table—you will also find a water fountain and
restrooms. Joining us for our snack was a persistent squirrel that had Dar,
The Berg, and Dauster on the alert for an attack—too funny. While we enjoyed
our rest at Roaring Springs, we were disappointed that the trail did not lead
directly to the waterfall—if there was easy access to the cascade we saw from
the North Kaibab, then we missed it. Most likely, you must make your way along
the stream towards the spring, but we decided it would be too much effort with
what we had in store for us.
Back on the North Kaibab Trail, we
hiked through the gray-green Bright Angel Shale to the brown cliffs of the
Tapeats Sandstone strata—yet another visually striking area. These two layers,
combined with the Muav Limestone, comprise the Tonto Group—an ancient seabed
where the desert ecosystem is now alive and well. Trees are now only visible
along shaded slopes or along washes, and cacti dominate the landscape—prickly
pear, yucca, agave, and sacred datura are among the prominent plants
encountered along this section of trail. Bright Angel Creek is also an
integral part of this landscape, and as it flows towards the Colorado River
you have numerous opportunities to cool off in its refreshing waters. Just
below the Roaring Springs residence, you cross Bright Angel Creek via a
footbridge, and eventually reach a fantastic cascade of water off the right
side of the trail—this splash of whitewater amid a jumble of red boulders is a
cool, lush oasis in the middle of an arid desert.
As we neared Cottonwood Camp, the 6.8
mile mark, it became apparent that Dar was really suffering—not only was her
knee causing a severe limp, but she had also somehow pulled a muscle on her
right side that was causing her to lean to the right. Watching her walk in
this contorted fashion—picture the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a backpack and
trekking poles—was disconcerting to say the least. When we reached Cottonwood
Camp, at approximately 10:30 am, we found a picnic table and water faucet near
the creek where we rested and distributed the contents of Dar’s backpack
between Pick and I—hoping that lessening the weight of her pack would ease the
pulled muscle. While Dar, Dauster, and The Berg rested and refueled, Pick and
I walked down to the edge of Bright Angel Creek where we found another
spectacular cascade. The waterfall was the perfect example of a lush riparian
environment—yellow monkeyflowers, cottonwood trees, and vibrant magenta algae
surrounded the creek. After snapping a few photos and soaking my headband in
the cool water, we made our way back to the tables—everyone seemed refreshed
and ready to hit the trail again.
A few miles ahead of us, at mile
marker 8.3, we would come to the side trail to one of the most magnificent
landmarks along the North Kaibab Trail—Ribbon Falls. To reach the falls,
follow the marked path for a 0.25-mile (half-mile roundtrip) excursion to a
wonder of the canyon. Ribbon Falls, a veil of water that flows from the top of
a cliff onto a travertine mound covered in lush green vegetation, was the
highlight of our trip. The Berg, Pick, and I set off for the falls first,
while Dauster stayed with Dar at the trail junction—Dar was still in pain and
she was contemplating not making the extra journey to the falls, but we all
pleaded with her to suffer the detour—Dauster made sure she made the trek.
Hiking down the spur trail from the North Kaibab junction, you will soon cross
a footbridge and head into a side canyon where the trail follows Ribbon
Creek—the falls is not yet visible as the topography of the canyon hides the
cascade well. The three of us made our way upstream, until we rounded a bend
and got our first glimpse of Ribbon Falls—what a sight! Words cannot do the
scene justice—never would we have imagined such a place existed within the
depths of the canyon—it is truly an oasis. Mosses, maidenhair ferns, and
monkeyflower thrive in the microclimate created by the waterfall—be sure to
protect this environment as you explore, tread lightly. We explored the alcove
and the ledge behind the falls, all of which were stunning. Soon, we heard
Dauster approaching and walked downstream to meet her and Dar—Dauster informed
us that Dar had given up just below a rock outcropping, but I went down to
help her get to the falls. It wasn’t long before we were all enjoying the
beauty of the falls together, not to mention, basking in the coolness of the
waters—it is possible to stand under the falling water while on the ledge
behind the falls. We spent nearly an hour at this exquisite masterpiece of
nature before setting off for Phantom Ranch—now just a little over 5 miles
away.
Back at the trail junction, we
followed the switchbacks rising steeply over the hill, descending just as
steeply down the other side towards the edge of Bright Angel Creek. The trail
continues down the broad, spectacular canyon, staying atop a shrub dotted
bench above the creek—it was so hot at this point, that I felt like running
down the steep slope to the cool waters below. We would later find out, that
the temperature, 107°F, was the record for that day in history—no wonder we
were hot! Up ahead, the creek dives into an inner gorge known as The Box, but
before reaching this narrow cliff-lined canyon, get ready to slosh through the
mud. A seemingly out of place marsh, bordered by thickets of willow, saw
grass, and horsetails, resonates with the sounds of thousands of cicadas and
stands between the hiker and dry tread. There is no getting around this
obstacle—you must traverse this wet stretch of land, often times submerging
your feet in the quagmire. Take heart though, when you emerge from the
stagnant, damp waters of the marsh, you will be delighted to see the clear
waters of Bright Angel Creek—beckoning summer hikers to take a dip.
