Grand Canyon Backpacking Adventure

I have hiked the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in a day before. When my friend CP suggested a multi-day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon I knew that I had to go as the immense size and scope of the canyon is just too much to comprehend in just a one day trip. The plans were set in motion and the trip was set up. It would be 4 days in the Canyon plus a bonus hiking day in Sedona at the end to relax.

Once again I have limited time to write a long story, especially after compiling hundreds of photos and editing them so I have provided a link below to the journaled photo collection to take you through the trip and share all the wonderful scenery.

Grand Canyon Photo Journal

Grand Canyon, Rim to Rim in One Day!



View across from South to North.

 Summer has past and we are now into Fall. It has been a great hiking season for me this year. I started the Summer by hiking the Trans Catalina Trail which was an outstanding way to start the season. In late summer I did a 5 day Sierra Trek to attempt some fourteeners in the Palisades Basin. Now with the hiking season drawing to a close we had one final adventure up our sleeves and it had been in the works for a little over a year in planning phases. The last big adventure hike of the year was to be hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a day.

Over the years we have met many hiking friends. Some of them we meet on the trail, others are family and friends, and sometimes we even find that our clients have the same passion for the outdoors we do. That was the case when we discovered that our wonderful business contacts at Heritage Foods shared the same love of long hikes to incredible locations we do. Our main contact there, Gayle, has been hiking for many years and is out on the trail as often if not more than us. We share our hiking adventures and last year friends Clark, Michelle and Steve joined Gayle and her group for a February hike at the Grand Canyon to do a South Rim to river and back up. Gayle's group had been making plans for this years Rim to Rim (R2R) hike for over a year and asked if we would like to join them. We couldn't resist, we had to say yes!

Gayle's group of hikers has done the backpacking thing and overnight hikes for a lot longer than my group of hikers. They have done all the big stuff we have embarked on, they just did it a few more years ago than us. They prefer to stay in lodges and hotels and skip on the freezing nights on lumpy, uneven ground and eating your meals out of a ziplock bag. They have substituted pleasantly scented body lotion for the smell of insect repellent and prefer a meal that requires reservations instead of rehydrating. In the end, who can blame them, it sounds like a much better deal to me as well!

The reason the planning for this hike was started so long ago revolves around our intended starting point. We were going to hike the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim. Accommodations at the North Rim can be hard to come by and book up very fast. You can make reservations up to one year in advance and Gayle had suggested we get on the phone exactly 1 year in advance at 8AM to make those room reservations. My coworkers wife Michelle was on the phone early that morning to get our reservation made for the North Rim. The trip planning was officially started and the rest would fall into place over the next year.



As we approached our final few weeks before the hike we all needed to finalize our plans. Room reservations for the South Rim had been made and dinner reservations for the main dining rooms in the lodges were set. Initially we were going to ride over with our friends from Heritage Foods and they had non-hikers going along to shuttle cars and gear the 200 mile drive from the North Rim to the South. We found out with two weeks to go that the empty seats we thought were available to us were not and we needed to arrange transportation. I volunteered/coerced my parents to drive us out there and offered to bring my youngest, Eric along for the ride. What Grandparent could resist a 3 day road trip to the Grand Canyon with their Grandchild on board? We were able to grab an extra room at the North Rim from a person in our party of 25 hikers that had to cancel and were lucky enough to get an extra room at the South Rim on short notice. The trip was on!



We finally arrive at the North Rim.



It is a VERY long drive out to the North Rim. We left at 3:30AM and did not arrive at the North Rim until nearly 4PM. Part of that was our route which my Dad had chosen. He wanted to go the southerly route rather than what looked like the shorter northern route but he was driving so who was I to complain. Others in our group left around 6AM and arrived about the same time by going the northern way but we did get to see the eastern end of the Grand Canyon which was very impressive.

We all gathered on one of the big viewing patios at the North Rim Lodge for drinks and socializing. The views from these lookouts are incredible and it iwas such a wonderful way to celebrate our arrival. We all had dinner in the main dining room which hangs on the edge of the majestic cliffs that rise from below. This has to be one of the best dining room views I have ever seen!



Ready to go at 5:15AM at the North Kaibab trailhead.

 We met the following morning at 4:45AM to be shuttled off to the trailhead just a mile or so away. Since we would be hiking nearly 25 miles that day we didn't see the need to wander an extra mile down a paved road in the dark and found a few seats among the car shuttlers that morning. The trailhead was quite a hub of activity. R2R is a popular hike and run. We came across quite a few trail runners doing the same thing that morning. We took some pictures in the darkness and were off at 5:15AM. Our intended route was to follow the North Kaibab Trail all the way to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then take the Bright Angel Trail to ascend the South Rim where we would climb out of the canyon right at the main lodge and tourist mecca of the Grand Canyon National Park.



One of the first pictures that morning at first light.

 The beginning of the hike from the North Rim on the North Kaibab trail is rather steep with lots of switchbacks. It was also very dusty and you had to dodge the mule dung on the trail. It was very different to begin a hike with a long descent, and upside down hike as they are referred to. Conversation fills the time as the lack of a view other than the illuminated spot in front of your feet leaves plenty of idle time for your brain. After we reached Supai Tunnel a few miles down the light was just beginning to break through. Mules are not allowed past this point so the trail is hikers only and was much less dusty. I stowed my headlamp and attempted some early morning pictures. The view that was developing was incredible. We were in an area of intensely dark red/brown rock with a very steep switchbacking trail below us. The pictures were difficult to take as I had to prop the camera on a rock as the exposure times were 13 seconds or greater which really limited what I could take a photo of. At least now we could set off without having to look down to see where we were stepping and the views were getting better all the time.

We descended steeply down to a bridge where we could now look up the trail we had just come down and got a real feel for how steep this section is. You could see others in our party spread out along the trail by looking for their headlamps as many still had them on. It was a shame it was not an hour or so later as the views in this area were so incredible. The grand vistas of the canyon itself had not opened up yet but the view of the smaller canyon we just descended was picturesque all by itself.



The ledges.

 Shortly after the bridge we came to a section of the trail that I will refer to as the ledges. The ledges were rather wide, 4 ft. or so, with a vertical wall to our right as well as our left. The one on the right went vertically straight up, the one on the left went vertical straight down! The pictures make it look frightening but in reality we did not even notice that we were feet from impending doom as the views just kept getting better. The trail had mellowed out a bit and the descent was very pleasant. We took lots of pictures through this section and it did not look like what I had expected, it was much better!

Before long we had reached the bottom of the canyon we were descending as it merged with the Bright Angel Creek. This creek flows down to the Colorado River and we would be following it for the next 7 or so miles. There was a nice waterfall and shortly after a bathroom and water stop. Most of the group of 25 hikers wound up congregating here as we ate a snack, refilled water supplies and emptied our personal waste fluid reservoirs, our bladders!



Our trip coordinator Gayle in the blue hat and most of her crew.



Easy hiking along the bottom of the canyon.

 Back on the trail the next 7 miles to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon were magical. The trail was nearly flat and easy to follow. We were hiking along the creek and the views of the Grand Canyon were all around us. At one point the valley we were in opened up enough that we could see the Bright Angel Trail way off in the distance. It looked so far away, and so much higher than we currently were! We passed Cottonwood camp and had about 4 miles to go to reach Phantom Ranch. Somewhere in this section the valley closes up to become a slot canyon very indicative of the trails in Zion National Park. We followed along with the steep canyon walls on both sides and the creek adjacent to the trail. This was very different than the last two sections which is what is so appealing about this hike as it is constantly changing.



We arrive at Phantom Ranch.

 We finally arrived at Phantom Ranch, a destination many have been to before but typically by mule rather than on foot. There is camping and a few cabins there along with a small store for snacks and a meal if you arranged it ahead of time. We took a quick lunch break here at about 11:30AM and once again refilled with water. While it was cold up on the North Rim, we were now 5,500 ft. lower and it was getting rather warm. The forecast called for possible afternoon thundershowers and by the looks of the sky, the clouds were building and the sun was soon to be tucked away behind the clouds. Due to the heat, I was not complaining one bit about the chance of a little rain.

Our smaller group of four which consisted of Clark, Michelle, our friend Steve and myself decided to get moving. We had determined prior to our arrival that we would climb the Bright Angel Trail. Others in the group left the decision to be made on the trail. While they were deciding, we headed out as the rain looked likely and Clark and I really wanted to swim or at least soak our feet in the river.



Our bridge across the river.

 We crossed a very impressive suspension bridge that was erected to support a water pipe across the Colorado River that feeds all the water needs of the South Rim. They were nice enough to build a platform on top of it with good handrails for us hikers to cross and reach the other side. The Colorado River was flowing quite rapidly and our idea of swimming in it was not looking so good. We would have to find a very sheltered location along the river for a swim or else our hike might end with Clark and I reaching Lake Mead!



The view upriver from the bridge.

 Once on the far side of the river we found a nice rest stop with a wonderful fast flowing creek shortly up the Bright Angel Trail. We stopped here as Steve needed to do some foot repair and the rest of us wanted to soak our feet in the cold water and put on a fresh pair of socks. We took the opportunity to rehydrate and cool our feet before continuing onward. We all knew the route from here was up and the three I was with had done this section of the trail back in February. About this time we heard a loud clap of thunder which told us that the predicted weather would soon be upon us. This was all the motivation we needed to get our gear packed back up and hit the trail.


Michelle breaks out the rain jacket.



One of the great views behind us as we reached Indian Gardens.

As expected, a light rain had begun. We also reached a fairly steep switchback section as we climbed up out of the river gorge. The rain would come and go and only Michelle put on a rain jacket only to find that was too hot and the rain not heavy enough to worry about so it came off shortly thereafter. Every now and then we had to remind ourselves to stop and turn around as the views behind us were magnificent! The trail traveled a fairly open area and wide vistas of the belly of the Grand Canyon were before us. Before long we encountered more greenery and trees indicating were near Indian Gardens, a popular destination for many hiking down from the South Rim.



Steve poses by one of many signs
telling you to never go from the rim
to the river and back in a day. Hahh!!

 Our arrival at Indian Gardens was one of mixed emotions. We were that much closer to our ultimate destination, only 4 1/2 miles to go, but it also meant that the peace and tranquility we had enjoyed all morning was coming to an end. Indian Gardens is a popular destination for day hikers. There were quite a few people there wearing jeans that looked completely unprepared especially considering the return trip back up to the rim. We took a quick water and snack break and were on our way. From here on to the rim there are water and bathroom stops every mile and a half. We carried little water knowing that the next stop was not far ahead to reduce the weight on our backs during this final steep section of trail.



About halfway up the switchbacks looking across the canyon.



The switchbacks got steeper, much steeper and the rim was visible but I got a cramp in my neck looking up so high to see it! We all stuck together up to the three mile to go point where I chugged some additional water and had some electrolytes. I had a small amount of water on me as I had drank my fill at the rest stop. I set out on a solid pace, quicker than the others wanted to go. We had decided ahead of time that we would all hike our own pace to finish out the hike. I wanted to finish in under 12 hours and kept my pace accordingly. I hiked right past the final rest/water stop as I felt as if I stopped I would never get going again. As I neared the top of the rim the trail was loaded with Asian tourists as if several tour buses unloaded them and sent them down the trail. While others complained that they blocked the whole trail and they had a hard time getting by I did not experience this. While the trail was loaded with people, I think the combination of my 6'5" size, speed and certainly smell parted the visiting tourists as I sped by. I reached the top of the South Rim at 4:45PM, 11 1/2 hours after starting that morning.

I was very happy to be on the South Rim!

Reaching the rim was fantastic but now I needed to find my parents so I could get into my room. Flashbacks of finishing the Rosarito to Ensenada bike race went through my head as I finished the race in just under 3 hours and then spent the next three hours trying to find my parents in a foreign country! Lucky for me, I quickly spotted my Dad and son Eric sharing an ice cream cone in front of the Bright Angel Lodge. I staggered over to them and gave them both a big hug. I had a seat and devoured what was left of the ice cream. I told them the quick version of the days adventure while we waited for the rest of my immediate group to complete the hike. After about 15 minutes I decided I would head back to the end of the trail to keep an eye out. I discovered that I could barely walk! I stretched out my very sore muscles and regained my ability to walk.

Right on the 12 hour mark from when we started the rest of our immediate group appeared at the top. Michelle headed directly to get checked into her room while Clark, Steve and I staggered around a little along the touristy South Rim area before stumbling over to our adjacent rooms. We got cleaned up and headed over to the El Tovar Lodge to make our 7:30 dinner reservation that Michelle had optimistically placed over a month prior. We once again enjoyed a fantastic dinner and appreciated the fact that we did not have to cook it on a backpacking stove. We learned that a few hikers from our group were just finishing as some had opted for the shorter, yet steeper South Kaibab trail. Many missed their dinner reservations or were just to darn exhausted to make it to dinner. We spotted Gayle on our way back to our rooms that night. She had a bag of ice and was going to take and ice bath to relieve her tired muscles. She claimed it worked well but I much prefer the warm bath I took to accomplish the same thing!

With the whole hike complete we had a chance to compare our thoughts. We all agreed that the trip was just too short, 3 days in total, and we would much prefer to spend lots more time here exploring the area.The North Rim was an awesome experience and would have been a great place to spend a full day to really soak in all the beauty. The hike itself was not really that difficult as elevation was not a big factor. The final three miles were difficult but out of 25 miles to have 3 uphill strenuous miles is a small price to pay. The logistics of this trip were very complicated including lodging, transportation and car/gear shuttling. I cannot begin to fathom the logistical nightmare of a Himalayan expedition including flights, gear requisition and transportation and everything else that goes along with it. We just travelled to an adjacent state and it was a difficult task!

We all agreed we would do it again. Our planning was good and our equipment worked perfectly. We seem to be getting better at this stuff as we go as we are learning fewer lessons the hard way. A multi day trip through the canyon would sure be fun to explore all the other trails that are down there. They will just have to wait until we return.

Click here for the full set of photos from our trip.

Havasupai, Grand Canyon

Havasupai Backpacking Trip, April 2010


While on a recent visit to one of our clients we got sidetracked onto the topic of hiking. I shared my Mt. Whitney stories and she shared that she enjoys an annual trip with her daughter’s church group to the Native American reservation of Hualapai. This is commonly know as Havasupai and is located in the Grand Canyon. I have heard from others about this mystical place as it is famous for its’ waterfalls and lush green Garden of Eden like appearance. Upon my return to the office the following day I looked at my schedule and realized I was already going to be in Vegas for a convention so why not tag this onto the end of the trip to make it a really fun week of adventure!


Booking my reservation proved to be a trip back in time. No online reservations here, just a list of four phone numbers that you keep calling until you get through. Fortunately I did get through and was very lucky to be able to book a four day reservation for the campground as this place fills up fast. Going in late April made it easier as most people wait until the warmer months….. more on that later. I made a reservation for 8 which is the limit per campsite as I knew I had friends that would be interested. I put out an email at noon to my hiking friends and let them know of my plans. By the time I returned to work the following morning all of the slots on my trip were filled and I already had a waiting list!

Now until this point, my recent adventures have all been day hikes. I had not backpacked in about 20 years so I was new again to this sort of thing. The hike consists of a 10 mile descent from the rim of the canyon, known as the Hualapai Hilltop, to the campground. Many people hike in and have mules carry their stuff down. Some even take a helicopter as they run this service a few times per week to transport bulky items to the village of Supai that sits down in the canyon, 8 miles into the hike. Since we all think we are tough, no mule or helicopter was going to haul our stuff. We would lug our 50 lb. backpacks and all our food ourselves. Our plan was to hike in on day one, spend the next two days exploring and swimming, and hike out on day four.

Starting our adventure.

The morning finally came for us to meet up at the Hualapai Hilltop to begin our adventure. We did very well with three different cars all traveling from different locations to meet up at the hilltop with 5 minutes of each other. There was one strange occurrence however, it was snowing! Late April in Arizona along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and it is snowing. Thankfully my hardy group of hikers embraced the elements and we all thought it was an awesome experience. We layered up and down we went.

The hike down was very scenic. The weather made it even more interesting. The beautiful scenery was occasionally interrupted by the 2 helicopters that appeared to be running the Supai Airlift, making trip after trip and even carrying cargo suspended by a cable underneath. The weather kept changing as we had snow, hail, sleet and rain that day. We checked in at the village of Supai and continued on down a few more miles to the campground. The heavy packs were beginning to get to some of us but the end was near.

As we neared the campground, we came to Havasu Falls, the first of the spectacular waterfalls. The water was a bright blue/green color and this is because of the high lime content in this spring fed river. The roar of the water and spray were quite impressive but as we were a little tired and the campground so close, we decided to press on and explore this another day. This turned out to be an excellent decision. After we explored the campground area, which is about a mile long, we settled in on a site that was plenty big enough for all our tents, adjacent to the river, and had bathrooms close enough but not too close. As soon as we had completed setting up our tents, another rain shower was upon us. We all quietly retreated to our tents, got out our sleeping bags and other gear, and once I realized this was not blowing over anytime soon, I took a nap. The camp was very quiet, especially since we had learned that about ¾ of the reservations for that day had been canceled due to the weather.

The rain cleared out and we all resurfaced from our tents. Apparently I was not the only one who opted for a nap. It was nearing dinner time so we all gathered our food and stoves. We had a few couples sharing meal plans but those of us that were without our significant other did our own food. I was using my homemade alcohol stove and cooking entirely in freezer bags. This is a fairly new concept and is the ultimate in light weight. It also means no pots to clean! All I do is boil water, pour it into my freezer bag with one of my homemade creations such as cranberry chicken couscous or chicken gravy rice, seal the bag, let it sit for 10 minutes in an insulated container, open and eat. Others grated fresh parmesan and sliced fresh garlic for their pesto spinach pasta with salmon. We had a wide variety of meals and there was plenty of sharing so meals were a fun event. One friend even brought a cake with frosting and candles as she just had her 47th birthday and my 40th was a month away. We celebrated our birthdays and enjoyed the heat given off from the candles before blowing them out and enjoying this rare backpacking treat.

The following morning most of us decided that since the weather was again going to be cold and a chance of showers that we would attempt to hike all the way down to the Colorado River and back. This would be an eleven mile hike round trip from our current location. We are all strong hikers and can average 3 MPH with light packs so we figured we would go for it.

Just below camp we came to Mooney Falls and the Mooney Cliffs. WOW!!! What a picturesque location. I could already tell our plan was in jeopardy as the views were so stunning we kept taking pictures. The descent down the face was exhilarating. It was fairly routine until we got to the sign that said, “Descend at your own risk”. At this point you are climbing into what looks like a mine shaft with steps carved into the rock. As we exited the cave, the falls are directly in front of you and plenty more pictures were taken. Through another cave and descent along some steep cliffs with chains for handholds and we were in the spray of the falls. It was wet and slippery and the final bit of the descent was on an old aluminum ladder. One in our party knew this was not for her and she stayed above to explore Havasu falls and relax.

Jason descends into the abyss.

Once down at the bottom of the Mooney Cliffs the falls were incredible. The roar and spray was intense and our camera lenses were quickly dripping with spray. Since it was a little cold, we headed downstream to get away from the spray and make our way toward the Colorado river. We headed down river on a trail that then crossed the river. We put on our water shoes and while most crossed, two of us headed right down the middle of the river. It felt so good to be walking in this lush, green forest with the blue/green water flowing all around us. Little cascades of water were every few hundred feet as we traveled downstream. We were not making very good time in the river but the pictures we were taking were well worth it. We finally met back up with our group that was taking the trail after they had paused to wait for us. It was slow going as following the poor excuse of a trail was difficult. We were keeping our eye out for Beaver Falls as our next landmark, not sure of what it looked like and wondering if we might have passed it.

Beaver Falls area.

Taking it easy at Beaver Falls

We finally arrived at Beaver Falls. More of a series of impressive cascades than a fall, it was still very pleasurable. As the sun had poked out and it was just after noon, the thoughts of another 6 or seven miles at this snails pace seemed unlikely. A few us decided Beaver Falls had everything we needed, a great view, an awesome swimming hole, a rock for some jumping in the water, and some sun. Three of us stayed put while the rest headed downriver to attempt the Colorado River.

The water was cool, but the breeze and air temp made it cooler. We lost the sun just about the time we got in the water. We still had a great time and about an hour later the rest of our crew returned and reported that the trail got a little to difficult and sketchy to follow and that they were not comfortable on a 40 ft. high narrow ledge attempting to make it downriver and opted to return. We all swam a little and decided it was time to head back to camp. A little rain shower, a trip up the Mooney Cliff’s and were back at camp for afternoon snack around 4:00 which kind of rolled into dinner. As the forecast for the following day was for sun we decided we would swim the next day.

Nature's shower, a short below Mooney Falls.

Hard to beat this for backpacking!

Me standing at the base of Mooney Falls.

Saturday morning and the sun was out! It felt good after the last couple days of clouds and wet weather. We had so much fun the day before we headed back down the Mooney Cliffs only this time it looked like a day at Disneyland. People were everywhere! Our private Garden of Eden had been overrun with people. The trip down the cliffs took much longer as the hoards of people with the same idea were ahead of us. Fortunately, most of them were drawn to the falls like an insect to a bug zapper. We headed downstream about half a mile and found a creek that flowed into the main river. We followed it and found the most impressive small waterfall we had ever seen. It looked like natures shower! This section of the river offered us our private waterfall, a sandy beach, a cave to set our packs in, a small swimming hole and cascade, and most importantly…..SUN! We spent hours here just taking it all in, swimming, sunning, eating, etc. After about 3 or 4 hours of this paradise, we decided to explore the area up the creek that was providing this wonderful waterfall. We had a great time and wound up in a canyon that dead ended, full of ferns and frogs and peace. It was time again to return but not without venturing into the spray of Mooney Falls.

Exploring the side canyon.

As it was getting later, the masses of people had thinned at the falls. We headed straight out into the pool at the base of Mooney Falls. The roar of the falls was deafening and the water spray was like being in a hurricane. We would not make any more forward progress into the falls head-on so we turned and tried to back into them. We were able to gain another foot or so. We were laughing and yelling with excitement so hard. I cannot explain what made us all have this feeling of laughter but it touched all of us. The wind must have changed the direction of falls a little as all of a sudden we were all swept off our feet and shot out to the side of the falls. What an incredible feeling! The power of nature can be overbearing and this was a great example. We swam in the pool a little farther from the falls and decided to call it a day.

That night we all had a plan. Eat everything you brought so you did not have to pack it out in the morning. We still had to carry out our trash but the less food we had the better. We all made a trip to the local spring to top off our water supply as in the morning we wanted an early start as it again would be sunny and the hike out only gets hotter the longer you wait.

By 7:15 AM all but two were ready to leave. Since they had their own car and were traveling by car to the main Grand Canyon for another day of fun we left them behind. One friend started at about 6:00AM as she was having troubles with her pack and wanted a head start. She was thinking of paying the $20 to have the helicopter haul her pack out but since the choppers did not start operation until 10 AM with no guaranty as to when her pack would make it out, she just headed on up. It was much hotter, and the packs did not seem to loose any weight. Not sure how all that food did not seem to lighten the pack at all! We asked some hikers coming down if they had seen our friend who started early, apparently it is hard to miss a lady in a plaid kilt and a cowboy hat. They confirmed she was ahead of us so we kept up the pace. The last 1 ½ miles are where you are in full sun and have the bulk of the elevation gain of the hike. This was difficult but doable. About halfway up I saw our friend who got the early start. We actually caught up to her about 100 yards from the finish.

We got back to our cars around 11:30 , put on some fresh clothes and drove an hour or so to the nearest town, Peach Springs AZ, for a sit down lunch. We are all healthy eaters but you would not have known it by looking at what we ordered. Chicken fried steak, fry bread taco, nachos, burger and fries, basically enough calories and cholesterol for a week! I asked what are we going to do to top this? One friend chimed in and said he would put together a trip to the Narrows in Zion National Park for next summer. I have some other plans coming sooner, keep looking at this blog for future adventures.

Pictures from Havasupai are here!