February 2021
Valentines/President’s day weekend 2021, I ventured down to the south rim of the Grand Canyon for a quick overnighter at the canyon floor. A few days before, I contacted the ranger station to secure a permit. Surprisingly, I had no problem obtaining an overnight permit for the bright angel campground on a Saturday night of a holiday weekend.
I left my home in Salt Lake City after work on a Friday and made the long drive to Grand Canyon. This time of year, the south rim drive takes a little longer due to winter road closures. I’m routed through Flagstaff, AZ. Around midnight or 1:00 AM, I pull over in the national forest just outside the National Park and sleep in my prius. I am awakened in the morning to a gorgeous sunrise. The sky looks like it is on fire
I drive to the backcountry office, where I was told a permit would be waiting for me. The box is empty, so I take a picture of the empty box and screenshot the email I receive in case I’m stopped by a ranger. Nearby, I leave my car at the bright angel trailhead and hop on the hiker’s shuttle to the South Kaibab trailhead. I hop off the shuttle and organize my belongings. I camel up at the water source and top off my water bottle. As I’m completing these final chores, some light snow falls on the rim and there is a chilling wind. I hope I will be warm enough tonight, but the dramatic elevation change to the canyon floor should raise the temperatures.
I begin hiking and am greeted by hordes of tourists.
I enjoy the aptly named “ooh aah point” which boasts dramatic views.
The crowds dissipate beyond this point as I continue down trail. I can see the trail winding ahead of me towards the canyon floor. The weather is slightly overcast. I worry some about precipitation at camp, bust mostly I enjoy the interesting lighting it’s creating.
At one point, a mule train passes me and I stand to the side letting them pass. As they continue up trail I capture a rainbow over the grand canyon with grey clouds in the background.
I continue shedding elevation and eventually reach the junction with the tonto trail. Soon after that, I enter a human made tunnel. As I emerge from the tunnel, I find myself on a bridge over the Colorado River.
The views from this vantage are dramatic. The magnitude of this river is overwhelming. To think that the mighty force of this river has slowly carved this canyon over time is unfathomable.
Across the bridge, I continue downstream a short distance and observe some sandy shores. Soon I arrive at the bright angel trail and veer north towards the bright angel campground. I find myself at camp quite early. I’m not quite sure how to fill the time. Generally when I’m backpacking I enjoy hiking all day and then setting up camp once exhausted. In this situation, coming downhill was easy. Tomorrow I need to do the same mileage but with all my elevation ascending. This was a short hiking day today but tomorrow will likely be brutal. I try to think of how to pass some time at camp. I do the usual camp chores, setting up my tent and getting organized. The campsite that I select is next to the bathrooms. Normally you would think this is not a desirable location. In this instance it makes sense for one reason. Facing my campsite on the side of the bathroom building is a bench built into the wall fully protected by the eaves of the building.
Soon after I’ve set up my tent, it begins raining in a downpour. I’m able to sit on this bench guarded from the rain and ride out the storm. A few pitiful hikers walk enter the campground during the rainstorm and marvel at my good fortune. A few even tell me I have the best camp. They’re right.
Eventually the rain storm subsides. I mosey up trail a little further to explore the Phantom ranch. This facility is posh to say the least. It provides bunking, dorms, and showers to its guests. Though I’m happy to sleep in my tent tonight, I do make good use of the “cantina”. From the cantina I purchase a hot tea and a couple of postcards for my family members. I sit outside the cantina and write notes to my loved ones. Here I’m able to stamp the postcards “delivered by mule from the floor of the grand canyon” or something to that effect. As I return to camp I observe many deer.
I wander back to my camp and wonder if it’s too early to make my dinner. This time of year the days are short. I convince myself it’s fine to make some grub. As I’m finishing up my dinner another light rainstorm passes through. I return to the sanctuary of my sheltered bench. The storm eventually subsides and I’m greeted by a fellow hiker. We chat for awhile and I appreciate the company to pass the time. He invites me on an evening hike and we return to the Colorado River. We do a quick loop over two bridges, the bright angel bridge and the south kaibab bridge (or whatever they are called).
Here we part ways and I return to my camp and prepare for bed. Although I’ve experienced some precipitation up here and even snow at the canyon rim, the nighttime temperatures are still plenty warm. It’s a pleasant night and I am comfortable in my 30 degree bag.
The next morning, I rise early. I quickly break camp and make breakfast and coffee. I return once more to the Colorado River and cross the same bridge I had the night before with my hiker friend.
The trail instantly becomes slightly steep. I push on and by mid-morning I find myself at Indian Garden. This milestone offers an opportunity to eat, fill up water, and rest. Additionally, there is a hilarious sign that warns summer hikers about the dangers of heat exhaustion.
From here the trail seems to steepen a bit more, but it might just be my fatigue. There are some nice milestones (rest houses) beyond this point. They are appropriately named for the distance they are from the rim (3 mile resthouse and 1 1/2 mile resthouse). There doesn’t seem to be any water available at these rest houses during the winter months. But luckily I stocked up on plenty of water at indian garden, so I’m fine. As I near the canyon rim, the trail becomes icy and the tourist crowds become thick. I throw the microspikes on my shoes and push along. The last mile or so are tough and I’m a little beat from all the elevation gain today. But all in all the hike was easier than I had imagined building up to this trip. I’m relieved to finally reach the top and even more relieved to be back at my car.
From here I make the drive through Flagstaff, AZ and four corners and ultimately arriving at my Sunday night destination of Green River, UT. My wife and kids meet me here at a hotel Sunday night.
Monday we spend the day in Moab and enjoy some time together hiking around Kane Creek Road and BLM land between highway 191 and Canyonlands Island in the Sky. They brought the dogs so we are avoiding any national parks. My legs are pretty sore from the Grand Canyon trek and we do some light hiking mostly just goofing around outdoors and enjoying the sunshine. Late in the day monday, we drive our two cars back home to Salt Lake City. This weekend was a lot of driving and a lot of elevation hiking but well worth the effort.
Western Compass 