Grand Canyon - Boucher, Tonto, Bright Angel - Backpack Day 5: Salt Creek to Bright Angel Trail head - April 2010

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Cathy in the Canyon

Cathy for Scale

Approaching Horn Creek Campsite

courtesy PChen

Horn Creek Campsites

Horn Creek Campsite

The Tonto doesn't lose any significant elevation as it crosses the drainages of Horn Creek, so one is right back on the 'main plane' of the Tonto Platform as soon as we left the campsite. It was about this point that I noticed some telephone or transmission wires up against the east side of Horn Creek's drainage. The wires seemed to come around from the other side, from the direction of Indian Garden, but I couldn't see where they headed to in Horn Creek -- they appeared to just end.

Cathy's Final Tonto Stretch

A trio of points

Cactus and Flowers

Even though it was only 8am, we were now on the final stretch of Tonto Trail before reaching the busy corridor area of Indian Gardens and the Bright Angel trail. Jenn had us stop for one last 'true wilderness' break (i.e. without the crowds of the corridor area).

Hiking with Dana Butte

Watching the hikers approach

Claude Birdseye Peak

Day five hair

The Canyon of Garden Creek

We rounded a corner and had a good view into the side canyon of Garden Creek. Nestled back a ways within was a brilliant patch of bright green and purple - the budding and flowering trees of the oasis of Indian Garden - our next destination.

We soon reached a trail junction. A trail led off to the left towards Plateau Point - an overlook at the top of the Tapeats down towards the Colorado and Phantom Ranch, and is a very popular hike from Indian Garden. Our first obvious sign of the greatly increased traffic this area receives was the trail itself: The Tonto from this point on towards Indian Garden was perhaps four times wider and covered with fine dust - a result of thousands of pounding feet. A marked change from the fresh little path we had been walking on for four days.

End of Seclusion

Beaten and Eroded Path

Riparian Habitat

As we approached Indian Gardens, we could see a mule train being herded towards Indian Garden from a section of Tonto to the east of Garden Creek. It was like a little scene out of a western, complete with a little cloud of dust.

Mule Train

Mules under Cottonwood

Entering Lushness

Soon we entered the shady depths of the trees of Indian Garden. It was a lush and shady place in here - a sharp contrast to the open desert-like terrain we had just come from. It felt very springlike in here - chirping birds, lush greenery, lots of sparkling water in the creek.

courtesy PChen

Yellow Spiny Lizard

Lush Springtime view

Corral at Indian Garden

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