Return to alavigne.net home
Southwest 2014
Table of Contents
[< Previous Page]
[page 1] [page 2] [page 3] [page 4] [page 5]
[Next Page >]
After descending the somewhat rough stretch of trail alongside Sumner Wash, we turned a corner and began the base-of-the-Tapeats traverse section. This is indeed an exceptionally nice stretch of trail. More-or-less on the level, with smooth footing, a huge cliff directly above your head, and an excellent view right down to the Colorado on your left, 1000 feet below. Heading west in the early morning also means the canyon ahead of you is perfectly lit.
courtesy JInnes
courtesy RHanel
Scenic Traverse Walk
The Canyon dwarfs Stephanie
Easy traverse
Easy traverse
Rounding a Corner
Canyon of Bright Angel Creek
The wonderful traversing section was over all too soon. We turned a final corner into the drainage of Bright Angel Creek and began descending in switchbacks towards the North Kaibab Trail. Stopping once again at the neat "rock-couch" at Phantom Overlook, we could see far up Bright Angel Canyon. About six more miles up the canyon was our destination for the day - Cottonwood Camp.
courtesy JInnes
The Rock Couch
Couch Break
Phantom Ranch Below
It took us about thirty more minutes to descend the switchbacks of the Clear Creek trail back down to the bottom of Bright Angel Canyon, where we re-intersected with the North Kaibab Trail. Here, we stopped for the first rest break of the day. We had completed the "dry" portion of our backpacking succesfully (in fact, we had water to spare).

Even though we would now have the always-flowing companionship of Bright Angel Creek next to us for the rest of the day, we decided to filter a few litres of fresh water from the creek. While doing this, a few of our group decided to jog the fifteen minutes down to Phantom Ranch to take advantage of their deluxe flush-toilet washrooms.
Descent to Bright Angel Creek
Clear Creek Junction
Junction Break
Bright Angel Creek
Fillup Time
With water replishment and morning functions complete, we started along phase two of our day's journey: the walk up the North Kaibab trail.

The lower part of Bright Angel Canyon is cut into the resistant rock of the Vishnu Schist and Zoroaster Granite. It therefore forms steep slopes, and as we walked upstream, we entered a prolonged section of fairly narrow canyon - perhaps a hundred feet wide in most places. As a result, we walked along in nice, cool shade for more than an hour.
courtesy JInnes
Up the North Kaibab
Excellent trailwork
Shady Creekside Walk
The North Kaibab Trail from Phantom Ranch to Cottonwood Camp is generally a wide, flat, smooth and well-graded trail. It was no more difficult to hike on than would be hiking on a sidewalk, on an only slightly hilly street. As a result, the morning went by as an easy pleasant, relaxed walk - a very scenic one.
courtesy PChen
courtesy JInnes
Shady Creekside Walk
Prickly Pear Fruit
Old Telegraph Lines
The North Kaibab trail is heavily constructed in many locations along its lower length - rock-and-mortar retaining walls, cuts into the bedrock of the canyon's walls, and extremely sturdy foot-bridge crossings. These crossings (of which there were many) were made on what looked like mini railroad bridges - constructed of thick steel and with lots of cross-bracing.
courtesy RHanel
Old Telegraph Lines
Many Sturdy Bridges
Bright Angel Creek
Along with the bridges and good trailwork, we also noticed that periodically there was a round metal access port of some sort embedded in the trail. This, we soon realized, must be part of the infrastructure of the water supply for Phantom Ranch, which probably started somewhere up on the North Rim (or on the slopes below the North Rim). This, then, explained the extra robust trail and bridges. Not only was the trail for foot traffic, but it was also the route of the water infrastructure, which was buried underneath the trail. It would be quite important, therefore, to engineer things such that no section of the pipe could be easily damaged by the flash floods that no doubt occasionally coursed down this canyon. In fact, if one looks at the pictures of the footbridges, you can sometimes see the water pipe running underneath the deck.
[< Previous Page]
[page 1] [page 2] [page 3] [page 4] [page 5]
[Next Page >]

[ Return to "The Checklist Edition" Home page | Introduction | Day 1 : South Kaibab to Clear Creek Trail | Day 2 : Clear Creek Tr to Cottonwood Camp | Day 3 : Cottonwood Camp to North Rim | The North Rim | Drive to Zion | Lady Mountain Redux | The Subway | Angel's Landing | Zion in Flood | Valley of Fire | Wind-up and Return | The "Short Report" | GPS Data ]


Send feedback or leave comments (note: comments in message board below are separate from those in above message board)
send feedback | homemade custom message board
(11 messages)
(last message posted on Thu. Jan. 29, 15:15 EST 2015 by George)
Web Page & Design Copyright 2001-2024 by Andrew Lavigne. (Privacy Policy)