Days 67 to 69: Masterpieces of the Colorado River

As the sun set, the sky got brighter and
brighter

The picture that everyone
gets at Desert Point

I arrived to the Grand Canyon just in time for a spectacular sunset on Saturday evening.  My first stop was the scenic overlook at Desert View where throngs of tourists (author included) snap surreal photos of the gaping trough below.  I checked out a few other overlooks in the limited light I had, each as amazing as the last.  It also gave me a sneak preview as to what I'd be up for the next day when I would hike down to the bottom of the canyon and back. 

Someday, maybe I'll actually stay at the
El Tovar lodge at the Grand Canyon

With a few hours still to kill before I crawled into my sleeping cave in the back of the Pathfinder, I went into Grand Canyon Village to find some free wifi and a place where I could relax with a beer.  I settled on El Tovar, a lodge located on the south rim of the canyon near a few other establishments.  The deer and moose heads in the lobby, comfy chairs, and warming fireplace in the corner made it a perfect place to spend some time writing and eavesdrop on the story swapping guests nearby. 

South Kaibab switchbacks near the
rim covered in light snow

I woke up around 6 am on Sunday morning; early, but later than I had planned.  From the trail maps and guide books I'd read, it would take about 5 hours to walk down the South Kaibab trail to the Colorado River and about 6 hours to walk up the Bright Angel trail back to the canyon rim.  The 7.1 mile South Kaibab trail starts at 7260 feet elevation and decsends nearly 5000 feet to the Colorado River.  The Bright Angel trail, which is one of the historic passages into and out of the canyon, then climbs from 2480 feet to 6860 feet along 9.3 miles of well traveled path.  With 4780 feet of descent and 4380 feet back up, the hike ahead of me felt a little daunting. 



Near the rim, the canyon was open
and the trail was exposed



In hindsight, these were some of the best
views, but a the time I really wanted to
get down to the inner canyon below.

The weather report had predicted snow for Sunday, but only a few flurries fell from the sky in the freezing cold morning.  I had parked near the visitors center bus stop the night before so that I'd be close to the bus stop from where I could get a free, warm ride to the trail head and back.  There was only one other party that exited at the trail head stop, a father in son from the look of it, and we passed each other a few times at the start of the hike. Near the rim, the trail was covered in snow and ice, so I put on my crampons, but within 10 minutes it was clear and dry.  After reading that the South Kaibab trail was the steeper of the two trails I'd be hiking that day, I was pleasantly surprised at the gentle grade.  I passed a few other parties and solo hikers who were on their way up, some making it look pretty easy and others on the brink of collapse.  After less than 1.5 hours, I reached a sign that indicated I was half way and about a half hour after that, I was entering the inner canyon and catching my first glimpses of Colorado River. 



The switchbacks looked cool going down
and made for a gentle grade



Grand Canyon Beach!!

Before I knew it, I was hiking along the banks of the Colorado River with towering canyon walls surrounding my view.  Beside the river were some native American ruins that were uncovered a few decades ago and as I read the informational signs about them, a ranger hiked passed and asked me if I stayed warm last night.  "Well it was a bit cold actually" I answered honestly.  He didn't expect that answer and asked what room in the Phantom Ranch I was staying at, perhaps so he could tell them to keep the rooms warmer.  I told him I just slept in my car in the visitors' parking lot.  "Oh, well that's actually illegal you know" he noted.  "I thought they might have some stupid law like that" I replied.  He assured me he had to tell me that because of his job, but it didn't make him any less uncool.  A strange crime I thought.  Harmless and victimless to all but the capitalists who seek fortune on where I lay my head to sleep. 

A long way up still to go
from here on the Bright
Angel Trail

I hiked up to the unimpressive Phantom Ranch and through the cramped and deserted campsites of the Bright Angel campground along the Bright Angel Creek, where I stopped for lunch.  The temperature was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, twenty degrees warmer than the canyon rim so I shed some layers and before starting up the Bright Angel trail. 

I heard you'd be sore
whether you walked or
rode a mule and judging
from the look on their
faces, I was glad I walked



I figured this sign must be for the
summer heat because I was fine

The Bright Angel trail is by far the most popular trail to and from the canyon.  It's less steep, passes more diverse areas, has historical lore and thanks to the mules, smells like shit for most of the way.  It follows as small stream for a while as it rises from the Colorado River before coming to Indian Garden, a mid-canyon oasis with springs and vegetation.  I stopped for a snack and realizing I was making pretty good pace decided to try to get back before 4 so that I could see some more of the scenic overlooks from the rim that I'd missed the day before.  I passed everyone I saw on the trail (except one couple who I passed but then repassed me as I was layering), and most of them were just walking from the river that day.  It made me feel like I was in good shape, and to be honest none of the hike was as strenuous as hiking up to some of the walls at Indian Creek or Diablo Canyon. 



A view of Indian Garden from above



Near the rim on Bright Angel trail

On of my favorite parts of the hike was passing through all the various layers of sediment.  Layers upon layers of different types of rock coming in all shapes and colors.  Near the top of the Bright Angel trail, I even noticed some steep sandstone cliffs that seemed to have climbing potential.  It was also the most exhausting part of the hike.  I felt my energy levels bonk and stopped for a can of mango juice, which gave me the boost I needed to push through to the top.  Evidently the it had snowed a bit more during the day and near the rim flakes were falling and the trail was covered in a few inches of powder.  It was also a lot colder and after reaching the top I was gald to board a warm bus. 

A dusk view from the Rim Canyon trail

The bus I got on was headed west toward Hermit's Rest where the trail head for another, more challenging hike down to the canyon began.  It was difficult to really see the views from the bus however, so I got off after just a few stops and headed west by foot along the Canyon Rim trail.  It provided magnificent views and I was fortunate to have lots of warm clothes since the strong freezing wind would have been unbearable without them.  I hiked for about 3 miles before catching the last bus back to Grand Canyon village where I could transfer to another bus that would take me back to my car. 

I went back to El Tovar so I could write a bit more and get warm.  It had really started snowing a lot more after dark and all I wanted to do was get out of it.  My next stop was the Hoover Dam, but I didn't think I'd be able to make the whole trip that night, especially if it continued to snow as it was.  I made an intermediary goal to just get off the Colorado Plateau where hopefully the weather would be warmer.  I got as far as a Wal-mart in Kingman, AZ where I parked and slept in the car. 

Water is pulled in through these columns
behind the dam to the generators

From Kingman, it was only about an hour to the Hoover Dam, a place I hadn't planned on going to until I decided to make Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, one of my climbing stops.  In addition to just seeing the dam, Paul and Julie had recommended some hot springs in the area I could soak in as well. 

The Hoover Dam from
the Bypass Bridge

On my way to the dam I got to go over the Hoover Dam Bypass (or  Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge) which was completed just this past October and provides great views of the dam from 900 feet above the Colorado River.  On my way to the parking area for the bridge walk, I was asked by security to pull over for a search.  The officer was nice and seemed to be quite interested in my trip and how I was able to save some money for this trip in another country.  Once he discovered that the first bin he told me to open was filled with dirty dishes and cookware, he permitted me to go through. 

Looking down the Hoover
Dam



The Hoover Dam Bypass
Bridge with a hot spring
Canyon below on the right

After walking the bridge, I circled back around an drove over the actual dam.  I parked and walked back over it, leaning over the edge for some wild views of the smooth white concrete bowling down 726 feet.  It was amazing how much water these walls were holding back and how much electricity it could generate.  I declined to visit the museum or take a tour partially to avoid the high cost but also because I really wanted to have enough time to visit the nearby hot springs. 

Finding the Gold Strike Canyon, where the hot springs were located was surprisingly easy.  It was just on the other side of route 93 from the dam; the way that nobody turns when exiting there.  About 3 other cars arrived at the same time I did, carrying almost a dozen people.  Before they headed down the trail I confirmed with one of them that this was in fact the hot spring area and it was.  I packed a bunch of food as I was planning to cook dinner near the springs and started down the canyon.  The path followed a nice gentle stream bed that was impossible to get lost on unless you started climbing the high canyon walls.  There were a few sections that required scrambling over big boulders that rested across the canyon, making the hike fun and exciting.  Finally, at one of the last boulder passes, I caught up to the group that had left before me and introduced myself properly.  They were from the Las Vegas area and some of them had visited the Gold Strike hot springs before.  We chatted as we walked and they were friendly enough to invite me to bath with them (even though I didn't really need an invitation). 

New friends at Gold Strike
hot springs, the source was
back in the cave

About six of us actually got in the spring together which could have fit a few more if necessary.  They told me that during wetter times of the year, many other pools are created but during these seasons, only the one we were in had warm water.  They showed me how to swim underwater through a narrow passage to the source, which was significantly warmer than the rest of the pool, albeit in the dark.  I spent about an hour or so soaking with them in the 90+degree water.  It was even better than a shower and just what I needed after a long day of walking. 

The canyon down to Gold
Strike hot springs

I decided not to cook in the canyon and headed back a bit before they did to start dinner.  I prepared a mean pasta dish that impressed them when they returned to the cars.  Before they left, one of them invited me to stay at their place, but I declined since I wanted to reach Red Rock Canyon where I was planning to meet someone to climb with for the next few days. 

After dinner, I drove another hour and a half before I reached Red Rock Canyon and met Jon, the guy I'd climb with for the next week.  I distinctly remember coming over a hill and seeing for the first time, the lights of Las Vegas.  This city where the brightest wins all made sense to me however; they were just a few miles from the Hoover Dam and electricity was in no short supply.