Desert Southwest - The Checklist Edition - Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Traverse, Day 1 - South Kaibab TH to Clear Creek Campsite - September 2014

Return to alavigne.net home

NOTE: You have javascript disabled in your browser. This presentation will continue to function, but with only basic capabilities. In order to view this presentation will full capabilities, please enable javascript in your browser, then refresh this page.

[< Previous Page]

[page 1] [page 2] [page 3] [page 4] [page 5] [page 6] [page 7]

[Next Page >]

As we descended, we had clear views across to the other side of the Inner Gorge. If we looked closely, we could see the thin line of the Clear Creek trail as it traversed along below Tapeats sandstone cliffs, roughly at the same elevation we were now at. That trail - and a small point of land on the Tonto platform nearby - was our destination for the day. Our backcountry camping permit became valid at that point, at the beginning of the at-large camping zone along the Clear Creek trail.

courtesy PChen

View to the Clear Creek Trail

Around Blocks of Tapeats

Phantom Ranch Area

courtesy RHanel

Desert Bighorns

With desert Bighorn sheep above and below us, and an ever-better view of the river and of the Phantom Ranch area, we continued our descent down the lower South Kaibab Trail. We could now see the two sturdy steel suspension footbridges allowing passage across the river. We were headed to the upstream of the two - the so-called "Black Bridge".

courtesy JInnes

Down to the Black Bridge

Inner Gorge and Gloomy Sky

Bad Weather Cometh

The skies grew noticeably darker as we descended towards the river. Even so, the temperature continued to climb, such that by the time we neared the 2500-foot river level, it was a fairly uncomfortable 95-ish degrees F (35C). For us, in any case - by inner-canyon standards, a mildly warm day!

courtesy PChen

The Black Bridge

Final Switchbacks to Colorado

Junction with River Trail

The last switchbacks down to the Black Bridge were again of the tedious eroded-by-mules variety. I was glad when I arrived at the drafty black tunnel that drilled fifty-ish feet through the rock to the start of the black bridge. No more pounding descent!

More Bad Erosion

Tunnel before Bridge

Tunnel to Bridge

Kaibab Suspension Bridge

Crossing the Black Bridge

Colorado at Phantom Ranch

The black suspension bridge carried us safely across the muddy-looking waters of the Colorado River. We had now hiked nearly seven miles from the South Kaibab Trailhead and lost nearly 4700 feet of elevation. It was now a quarter to three in the afternoon - about four and one-half hours after we had started out. Quick a brisk pace, really. We had managed to maintain our 1.5 mph (2.4km/hr) average for the whole way. Good job!

courtesy JInnes

courtesy RHanel

Crossing the Colorado

Jagged Inner Gorge

Canyon Bottom Break

We were all warm, sweaty, and perhaps a bit footsore. It was clear that we needed an extended bit of downtime to recharge from our fairly fast descent of the South Kaibab. We dropped our packs a few hundred yards beyond the bridge, at a picnic table within sight of Bright Angel Creek. Here we spread out on the ground and took off our shoes, re-hydrated, ate snacks, and then took a nice, long rest. Chris and Alana went to dip their feet in the Colorado, with many of the rest of us choosing to freshen up in the clear waters of Bright Angel Creek.

courtesy PChen

courtesy JInnes

Colorado Cool-off

Creek Cool-down

Foot refresher

[< Previous Page]

[page 1] [page 2] [page 3] [page 4] [page 5] [page 6] [page 7]

[Next Page >]

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)