Grand Canyon: The parent’s view

 

Phantom Ranch deep in the valley with the trees.
View from Mather Point

Earlier in the year we had wanted to walk down to the bottom of Grand Canyon and camp at Phantom Ranch, however we didn’t have a tent or enough sleeping bags. The plan was to try and do it in November, and with the cold weather descending it was time to go before the north facing trails iced up. The thought of walking next to cliffs on ice with a backpack was not appealing. Many who walk to the bottom of GC get the required backcountry permit 4 months in advance and some will do some training. We decided to roll up to the Backcountry Office on a Monday morning and request a permit, there are always some held for walk-ins. $40 later the permit was in our hands for the next day.

Into the freezer, South Kaibab

That afternoon we did a 5 mile acclimatisation walk from the campground to Mather Point, onto Yavapai Point and back to base. The views were stunning on a clear and cold afternoon, but there was some focus on the bottom of the canyon 4500 ft down and how far away it looked. Back at base and training complete we stuffed our packs for a two night hike and tried to keep weight to a minimum.

Some of the step-downs that produced that calf pain.

Tuesday morning arrived with a clear sky, with light wind and cold. At the Backcountry Office is was goodbye to the RV and we jumped on the ‘hikers special’ bus to South Kaibab trailhead. With puffer jackets still on it was straight into the Chimney, a steep switch backed section of trail that doesn’t see the sun and really could be called the Freezer. We had done the 2000 ft descent to Skeleton Point before and made good time. It was surprising how quiet the trail was in comparison to when we did the walk in early March. We descended another 1400 ft to below the Tip Off for lunch and rested on a rock in the sun with a sweeping view of the Colorado River. We choose a good spot as shortly after a tour guide stopped for lunch with her group at the same spot. We contemplated our final destination, Phantom Ranch, just another 1300ft below. At this stage it was looking daunting, the South Kaibab Trail has steps on it and what was hurting the most was the calf muscles, specifically the soleus (if you are anatomically knowledgeable) as it decelerated our weight down the hill. Not that this was affecting Symi too much, after lunch she rocketed ahead, gliding down the hill with apparent ease. Fiona on the other had shaking legs and was not really able to stand still and keep her balance.

Finally some sun.

After lunch we descended towards the river moving out of the sedimentary layers of rock and into the Vishnu Schist, the 2.5 billion year old metamorphic rock that forms the base of GC. We were relieved to arrive at the Kaibab Suspension Bridge and enjoyed the close up view of the Colorado. It was then a short walk to the campground. We managed to set up camp and get to Phantom Ranch before 4pm, which is the cut off time to get a cold drink (read beer for the parents). At 4pm we attended a Ranger talk about the animals of GC, we were able to hold some animal skulls and furs which helped maintain some focus for our tired and attention wavering brains. There was a large group of tired looking people and we suspect more than one was thinking, “is 4:30pm too early for bed?”

View at lunch

 We headed back to our tent for dinner. To give you some idea of the cool temperatures, our zip lock bag of bolognaise sauce had not defrosted and had been out the freezer for at least 9 hours. After a quick dinner and a bit of chocolate we were all thinking about getting into our sleeping bags as we were cold and weary. There were a lot of people in the campground but it would be surprising if anyone was still up by 8pm.

Big Horned Monster

Next morning it was a little cloudy and calves were a little sore, especially Fiona’s. We had a pretty slow morning with Symi getting her Junior Ranger Patch for those who reach the bottom. They say 1% of Grand Canyon visitors get to the bottom. Of that 1% we suspect not many are 10 year olds carrying their own packs. After we set off we found out that it is possible to pay about $70 to have 15kgs brought down by mule. That explained all the people who were walking down with daypacks. You can join a tour (carrying your own pack) for $900 for three days or you can do a mule assisted tour for about $1100. To us the mule looked like you were swapping sore calves for a costly sore bottom!

The only way is up.

We were pretty happy with our $40 permit and about $30 of food. We considered buying dinner at Phantom Ranch – this would have cost about $150 for the three of us and you had to pre-order. When we were inquiring about this they said we could come back at 6:30am on the day of our hike and they would see if they had any meals. The weight of the bolognaise sauce was seeming less significant at this point.

Pancaked layers of Tapeats Sandstone below Indian Garden

We finally set off for Indian Garden about 10am. The first part was along the river and undulated, the ups were good but the downs were unpleasant to say the least. Fiona commented that the only reason she could continue walking was that we were going to be going uphill! A big call at the bottom of a 20km, 4200ft ascent with a pack on. Upwards we plodded. We were walking along the Columbine Spring which has its own microclimate and was spectacular. After some gradual ascending we came upon the Devils Corkscrew, a well named series of punishing switchbacks climbing up through the Vishnu Schist providing a contrast to the lush canyon below.

Watching Mule Deer as the afternoon sun lights up the canyon.

It was a relief to reach the top of this and rest while enjoying the view. There were a few people resting here and it was heartening to see that although we were finding the walking challenging we were certainly not working the hardest of those on the trail. After this the ascent was not so steep and we were back next to Bright Angel Creek with its vegetation.

Visitor in our camp.

We arrived at the Indian Garden campsite and had our pick of almost any site. We were interested in the one with the most sun. Rob and Symi found a good one which was not too far from the toilets. We put the tent up and sat in the sun. The sun did not last that long and it was only then that Fiona began to realise the less appealing aspect of the site. The toilets near us were closed for the season. To get to the only other ones required walking down from our campsite and then up a small hill for about 100m. Uphill walking = good, downhill walking = near impossible with calves screaming. This situation provided endless amusement for Rob and Symi. This would continue for days as unfortunately for Fiona the muscle soreness had not yet peaked.

We sat drinking cups of soup, amusing ourselves reading the camp books about the Grand Canyon. After a dinner of mac & cheese and tuna followed by chocolate we were once again in bed very early. There were a few nerves as we had only done 1200 feet of the 4200ft climb – only 3000ft to go.

Getting there!

We set off early the next morning with Fiona praying it was all uphill – a very strange thing! After about 30 minutes it became apparent that Symi was flying up the hill. Rob and Fiona were plodding far behind thinking maybe she needed a bigger share of the weight. This was confirmed when a couple walking down said to us “she needs more weight!” We called for her to stop and Rob gave her about a kg from his pack – he had already taken what he could from Fiona. Symi did not even seem to notice this. She did comment a couple of times that her legs were sore but as soon afterwards she would break into a run or do a small dance on the trail we did not feel this was a big issue.

Looking down at Indian Garden from near the top.

We made great time on the steep climb covering the 8km or so in 3 hours. We were very pleased with ourselves when we reached the top and celebrated with a photo. We caught the shuttle bus back to the RV and ate a large packet of chips for lunch. We felt this was necessary as we kept meeting people who said you had to each chips to keep up your salt levels!

Ugg boots, what else would be as good when walking down
into Grand Canyon?

Grand Canyon - The Unforgettable Adventure - by Symi

Last week Mum, Dad and I were going to walk down the Grand Canyon, but first we had to get a permit. We were willing to go down as soon as they would give us one. We rolled up to the Backcountry Office, we asked if we could have a permit for overnight camping in the canyon at Phantom Ranch and Indian Garden. We were able to get one for the next day, so we were all happy. I was excited to experience the mysterious depths of the canyon. We went from Tuesday to Thursday a long journey down the canyon. I was scared but nervous and excited all at the same time.

Early on Tuesday morning we caught the shuttle bus to the South Kaibab Trailhead.  Standing at the top of the canyon we got someone to take a photo for us before we started down the mighty drop. We headed down the trail with our packs on our backs. After a while we stopped for a break at the first rest house, we had some rice crackers and some M&Ms. After that, we headed on back down the trail. On our way down we saw a mule train.

 

When we came to the next rest house, we walked down the trail a little further to find a nice spot for lunch. We found one overlooking the mighty Colorado River and in the sun. For lunch we had sandwiches and snacks. We met a guide while we were having lunch who started to talk to us. By this stage my legs were aching and the bad part was that there was still downhill to go.

After lunch we met some people coming up and they told us that there was a big horned sheep down the trail. We stopped to take some photos of it. It was splendid, but we did feel like it was giving us the evil eye. We were glad to pass it because it was close to the trail. We could see the suspension bridge a way down, at least it wasn’t a long way down.

When we arrived at Phantom Ranch we set up camp and got all the food out of the packs so the critters could not get them. We put all the food in a box and our packs were hung on a high rack. Next we went to a ranger talk at the ranch. It was all about wildlife, she talked about all the animals in the canyon. The ranger showed us some skins and skulls of animals that died, it was an intriguing talk.

When we went back to the Bright Angel Campground I wanted to go to sleep even thought it was only 5:00pm. My legs where so tired it was hard to walk! Next we had dinner, spaghetti bolognaise which was satisfying after a long walk. After that we went to bed. I felt so tired that I went straight to sleep.

The next morning we had oats for breakfast and headed off to Indian Garden. I was happy because it was up hill and my legs would not hurt as much. Today we did not stop for lunch but we had a couple of snacks. We hiked for about two hours up and 4 and a half miles.

 

When we got to Indian Garden we had some lunch and set up camp. All we had for lunch was a cup of soup and crackers with avocado, salami and cheese. After that we hung our bags up again because of the animals. I lay down in the tent while Mum and Dad chatted.

Later Dad and I went out to Plateau Point, it was mainly flat walking out to the overlook. When we got there it was a stunning view. We could see the Colorado River far below us. Someone told us they thought it was the finest view in Grand Canyon.

On our way back we saw a group of mule deer on the side of the path and with its mother there was a fawn. There were 7 of them and we got a lot of photos. I really liked watching them. The plants that they were eating didn’t look appetising. After that we headed to camp, at this moment the sun was setting and it looked lovely. Who should we meet on the trail but Mum. We all walked back and had macaroni and cheese with tuna for dinner and had a good night’s sleep.

We awoke to a sunny day with no clouds and sun. We had breakfast then started up to the rim. Before I knew it I was in front and speeding up the hill. I knew there was going to be a lot of switchbacks. Before long we were all at the 3 mile rest house and we put more weight in my pack. We had a snack and off I went.

Not long after we arrived at the 1.5 mile rest house and I was so tired that I was lagging behind. A little while later I got Dad to get the M&Ms out. I would eat one, then another, then I got to the point where I finished the bag. Close to the top we saw a frozen waterfall and ice.

Finally we got to the top and I was so appreciative I sat on the ground, but then I had to get back up so I could be in the photo. Just as we got to the shuttle bus station a bus arrived so we were all happy. We got to the RV and drove to the showers. After we had a shower we had chips for lunch, yum. We ate the whole packet.

 

Later that day we went to see Grand Canyon - the hidden secrets, IMAX movie. We did this to reward ourselves for our adventure. We all thought this was an easier way to experience the wonders of the Grand Canyon. When we talked about it we realised we were privileged to have experienced the wonders of the Grand Canyon on foot. It was a marvellous experience and impossible to know how big it is if you stay at the top. 

  

Moab: The second time

Amasa Back parking lot. Tombstone above the
front wheel.

Glamping, Colorado River, 3 miles from Moab

After returning to Salt Lake City from Connecticut we picked up the RV from the long term parking and headed south. In the month since we dropped the RV off snow had appeared in the mountains around SLC. On the way to Moab we drove over the 7500ft Soldiers Pass and Symi jumped out to have a quick play in the thin spread of new snow. She is still very excited by seeing fresh snow on the ground. We arrived in Moab early afternoon to a beautiful sunny and warm day.  We stopped off at the Moab Brands trails and Rob went for a quick ride to blow the cobwebs away. We were all surprised at how beautiful we found the red rock and desert colours after a few months of trees.

2 of 14 fluffy animals come out to play at sunset

Still some Fall colours on display as we ride into the Amasa Back trails

We spent the next 10 days doing some riding and some exploring. After a warm-up at Moab Brands Symi and Fiona were talked into riding in the Amasa Back area and we did the (blue/black) Hymasa trail. Rob felt they shouldn’t miss out on the stunning scenery the trail has to offer, however it’s a 

big technical climb of 1400 ft. Symi was offered dollars to spend on itunes, increasing at strategic points on the trail. After three falls early in the climb (the hardest part), Symi needed the incentive, and we did pull out some bonus dollars after the third fall. Huge credit to her (and Fiona of course – who was offered nothing as an incentive!) as we all made it to the top. Fiona and Symi impressed with their massively improved technical riding both up and down. Hymasa is a hard trail. While they descended Hymasa, Rob continued on the double black (its difficulty probably over rated) Ahab Trail, huge fun.

Symi descending Hymasa

The view top of Hymasa and a well earned rest

We managed to repeat this ride twice over the next week.   The second time we met an Aussie, Brett, who is travelling the USA with his family (8 year old daughter and 10 year old son) and surprise, surprise - into mountain biking. The third time we pulled into the  Hymasa parking lot it was full of base jumpers. Never having seen anyone do this before we waited for one of them to throw himself off the aptly named Tombstone. We warned Symi about how these jumps can go wrong but all was fine. The parachute opened with a massive crack and it was all over very quickly.

Trail re-routed from here second run :(

 

Photo opportunities Gold Bar

Rob also managed two runs of the Magnificent 7. The first time on the shuttle, luckily meeting two riders from Durango doing the Gold Bar/Portal exit. One of them, Will, had dinner a few days previously with Jim who we had stayed with in April! Talk about a small world. Most go an easier option as the Portal has many nick names including America’s deadliest trail. It’s obviously comforting for Fiona if Rob has company on this style of ride, not that company can stop anyone falling off a cliff. However, Rob wouldn’t ride around the outside of another rider next to a cliff face like you can see here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erk4BR2GNPo&app=desktop . The first run was in perfect weather, blue sky and no wind. The second run was with Brett and we were kindly shuttled by Brett’s wife Suzie. The start of the ride was in temperatures well below freezing. The first 15km’s or so of this ride is down, ouch, fingers went completely numb and ice cream headaches were the order of the day. The Mag 7 with a Portal exit is epic and a classic. There is a new section of trail that interestingly opened between the first and second runs. It’s called Gold Bar and runs from the top of the Gold Bar jeep track along the Moab fault to the Portal Trail. It was even re-routed so it doesn’t go past the overhang in the photo above, probably a good idea as it would be a dodgy section of trail if it was windy.

Looking towards the beginning of the Portal Trail

Survived again, end of the 'death' section Portal Trail, trail somehow runs behind

When we visited Moab in March/April it was very busy. We had wanted to do a walk into the Fiery Furnace that requires you to be led by a Ranger and these walks were completely sold out. This visit we easily booked a tour and we thoroughly enjoyed the three hour walk despite the cold wind. We enjoyed the talk from the ranger, interesting rock formations

Fiery Furnace

 

Scrambling involved

 

Park Avenue

 

Sunset, Delicate Arch

and as usual on these walks had some interesting chats. One man lived in Manhattan and was near Wall Street, on the street, when the twin towers collapsed. He had an amazing story to tell. We also revisited Park Avenue and walked up to Delicate Arch to watch the sunset. The conditions were freezing, on the way to Delicate Arch we passed a puddle that had 1cm of ice on top of it. We tried to huddle out of the wind while the spectacular sunset then quickly walked the 2.5 km back to the RV.

Quote from the book Desert Solataire

Some states in the USA, including Wyoming, Colorado and Montana, have been experiencing their coldest November for decades. On the last day in Moab Rob jumped on the shuttle to ride lower Porcupine Singletrack and Porcupine rim. At the top there was a light dusting of snow. That evening we had a spontaneous dinner party in the RV as Brett and family had pulled up next to us at the RV Park. The kids enjoyed playing Lego in Symi world and the parents compared RV travel notes. At about 9 pm it started snowing and being typical Aussie kids, still fascinated by snow, the kids grabbed their snow thongs to head outside and play in the freezing conditions.

RV social life

The next morning we said our goodbyes with perhaps a potential plan to catch up in Sedona. We drove south from Moab and as we ascended there was increasing snow cover. Our exit from Moab was timed perfectly, the trails would have been unrideable due to the snow and Rob most likely had one of the last rides down Porcupine Rim for the season. We were headed for Grand Canyon to try and do the walk down to the Colorado River. As we drove south west the snow was spectacular against the red rock. Whilst admiring the beauty we were hoping that the trails at GC were still going to be walkable and not packed with ice.

Almost an 'RV movie' moment. Repairing the pipe that
became dislodged from the black water (that's the
unpleasant stuff) tank. Smell NOT pleasant in there!

 

The LaSal Mountains and fresh snow on our drive out

 

Snow gone by Monument Valley southern Utah

 

Connecticut - Part Two

After our return from New York and Washington we had one week left in Plainfield before we flew back to Salt Lake City and our RV. The fall colours were still evident but there were many more trees that had completely lots their leaves.We managed a few walks in the area and really enjoyed being among the fall colours.

Fiona and Rob with Bailey close behind

The next big thing on the agenda was Halloween. Symi had decided to go as a cat and we had put together an appropriate outfit. We have been amazed at the decorations here for Halloween. There are carved pumpkins everywhere and people decorate their front gardens. The night of Halloween turned out a little cold and drizzly but we had a great time going around the houses in the dark collecting copious amounts of candy. Simone also had the opportunity to go to a Halloween Party, with Lori the girl she met up the road, which was fun.

Halloween decorations outside a shop

Symi knocking on Rae and John's door where she is sure to get Candy. Symi carved these pumpkins.

 We have been out for a few lunches at the local diners which has been fun. Symi loves playing tunes on the jukeboxes they have on the tables.

 Thanks to John and Rae (and their grandson Aaron who gave up his room!) for being so kind and welcoming to us. We loved our month in the east and it was lovely to catch up with family.

John,Rae, Symi and Fiona ready for lunch