Bright Angel Trail/South Kaibab Trails, Grand Canyon National Park

Bright Angel/South Kaibab Trails: These trails are two distinct and different trails. However, I’m going to lump these trails together for one reason: they are usually swarming with people. Similarly, I think enough has been written about them, so I’m going to keep my comments here very short.

How to Get There:

1. Kaibab Trail: During the summer, visitors have to take the “Kaibab Trail Shuttle Bus”. During the winter, look for the turn-off on the Desert View Drive.

2. Bright Angel Trail: The trail leaves from the signed trailhead in the Grand Canyon Village.

The Trails : From my experience working at two parks, and from my travels, there are certain places and things people have heard of and feel that they have to do or experience when they visit. Often, these “must-do” trails are clogged with people, leaving one to see not the natural splendor, but the back of the person in front of you, as well as the detritus (e.g., trash) that people bring with them. Equally as often, these trails don’t even have the “best” views or are the “best” trails for people to take. The result is in my opinion, tragic. People become disenchanted with the experience and the area becomes damaged from overuse. This is a textbook lose-lose situation. I’m not to sit here and say that I’ve never done things that haven’t been recommended to me. However, I will say that more often then not, when I have done “must-do” things, I have not enjoyed it for the above reasons. My advice in this situation is simple: when you’re on vacation, there is nothing that is a “must-do”. One should relax and find what they want to do. Chances are you will enjoy it better than what you were told to do.

If you absolutely are a person that has to do “must-do” things, my recommendation is as follows: go in the non-peak season. It will be less busy, and you too will enjoy it more. Peak season for the Grand Canyon is summer. The Canyon is very hot in the summer since it is in the high desert. During the summer, these two trails are packed with people. Packed is not even the correct term. During the summer, hiking these trails is like being in a herd of cattle, or a traffic jam – you pick your analogy. I will almost guarantee that there will be people in front of you and behind you. There will be people trying to pass you. There will be people you want to pass. It will be hot – and the temperature will only increase as you descend into the canyon. Yes, the views will be good. Will they be better than the other trails I’ve suggested? That’s a question of perspective. These trails are steep; perhaps not as steep as the Grandview, but still very steep in places. There is very little shade in the first several miles on both trails, and during the summer, both are very dusty. (It is, after all, the desert.)

Logistically, the Bright Angel Trail has sources for water on it in several early locations. The South Kaibab does not. In the summer, Rangers will be on one – or both trails checking to see if people are hydrated. I would recommend getting an early start should one be hiking either of these trails in the summer. Do not think that an early start will mean less people. The early start is to protect your body from the scorching heat. As noted above, if you absolutely must do these trails, I would recommend that you go in the Spring – or fall – not during peak season. These trails are still busy then, but not as busy as the summer. Regardless of what season you go, be sure to bring plenty of water.

The Grandview Trail to Horseshoe Mesa

This is not a bad option for those people who don’t want to wait for the Hermit’s Rest bus; or sit through the one hour bus ride. The trailhead for this trail is also not found in the village area; however as the trailhead is at the Grandview Point Overlook, it does receive a fair amount of foot traffic. Despite there being more hikers on this trail than the Hermit Trail, I can say that I observed the majority of the traffic hanging out and “hiking” within fifty to one hundred feet of the overlook.

How to Get There: Grandview Point is located off of the Desert View Drive. It is well-signed in both directions, and about a half mile drive on a paved road from the Desert View Drive. There is ample parking day use; as well as overnight parking for backpackers.

The Trail to Horseshoe Mesa: We had decided to day-hike the trail to Horseshoe Mesa; approximately six and one half miles round trip. Like the Hermit Trail, I was not that familiar with the Grandview Trail before I arrived at its location. Before I had arrived at the Grandview Trail, the word I had heard used most about it was “steep”. As descriptors go, I have always been unimpressed with “steep”. Everyone knows that climbing a mountain is steep; everyone also hopefully knows that 99% of the trails in the Grand Canyon are also “steep”. (The only exception that I know of is the Rim Trail on the South Rim that meanders from lookout to lookout along the park road, and is mostly flat – and almost completely paved!) As everyone more or less intuitively knows these things, the word fails to bring any information to the discussion. All I knew about the trail before I hiked it was what I could see on the map

After my group had made the necessary adjustments by the car to their gear on a cool March morning, we cut through the herd of people meandering around the viewpoint and onto the trail. I mentioned above that most of the “hikers” turned around within the first fifty to one hundred feet. This is because the Grandview Trail descends immediately with knee-shaking vigor through a series of tight switchbacks. Or as some people would say, the start of the trail is “steep”. One of the interesting things my group and I noticed is that in several early sections, the trail is shored up through a tough lattice/cribbing of logs and rocks. Having done a fair amount of trail work in my past, I was impressed by these sections, because most of them came on narrow, sandy, cliff-type sections of trail.

We were headed to Horseshoe Mesa, because I was interested in viewing some of the ancient mining ruins in the park. I find it interesting to wonder what would have happened to many of our national treasures had the Organic Act not been passed by Congress. A short list of some of the other Western Parks that were affected by human activities prior to becoming protected include the Borax mining in Death Valley, as well as logging and mining in Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. I definitely feel lucky that people had the foresight to preserve these and other areas from development. In order to view these ruins, we had to keep hiking down the switchbacks that cover the first portion of the Grandview trail.

Unlike the Hermit Trail, the first portion of the Grandview Trail is covered with the short switchbacks mentioned above that cause the rim to rapidly recede from view. In a very short distance, we were well into the Canyon, and traversing our first flat stretch of the trail, across a saddle that had seemed incredibly distant from the viewpoint. The flat section was short lived. As we traversed around the corner through the sporadic oaks, there were several more long downhill stretches that lost a lot of elevation as well.

Before we began to traverse down further, we took a moment to admire the view. The Grandview Trail has an appropriate name. From the start, the view is simply amazing because the trail possesses a classic, traditional canyon view. The view is “traditional” because from the moment you leave the viewpoint, you are continually facing the main body of the canyon. Whereas the Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs provided interesting views of some of the slot canyons that the Grand Canyon has, the Grandview Trail provides amazing views into the heart of the Canyon and its formations. The next section that descended was basically a series of stone ramps.

I am tempted to say that these ramps are more like steps, but I will not for two reasons. One, there is no “stepping” like a staircase. Two, I don’t want to get a bunch of e-mails telling me that I’m an idiot because there are no real “steps” on the trail. The reason I equate these cobbled sections as steps is for two good reasons of my own. One: when I’m hiking, and I reach a stone or cobbled section, laid by the trail crew, I view it as akin to pavement. In dry conditions – meaning no snow, ice, or rain, they are an easy traverse in my book, as I don’t have to worry as much about my footing. Two: the grade on these cobbled sections is quite sharp. Each downhill step drops you quite a bit further into the canyon. Since I was descending sharply with each step I took, I found it to be reminiscent of a staircase, rather than the actual ramp-type bed of cobbles that it was.

And this is the point where I can more fully lay out my system of descriptors that I would use instead of “steep”. I could say at this point that this cobbled section is “steep”, and it would be true. But it would ignore the fact that the trail was also “steep” to this point. I could say that it was “very steep” in the cobbled section and it was. I would rather say that this section was such a rough descent that it caused the cartilage in your knees to grind audibly – and mercilessly against the tendons and kneecap within. It was such a quick descent that if my legs were not fresh, I would hesitate to walk down the section, because one mis-step – even on cobbles – would mean a definite painful fall, and roll down a long section of hill. It was a section that if we had been driving a car, at the bottom, the interior would reek of burnt brakes. That was how “steep” I thought the section was.

Even though it was quick and hard on the knees, it was not that bad because it was short. I would recommend trekking poles, to balance out the weight of a backpack or daypack, and to take some of the pressure off the body. As an aside, trekking poles are a great help on any hike in the Canyon, especially if one does already have rickety knees! After that descent, the trail lurches to a stop at a notch that divides Hance Creek Canyon from Cottonwood Creek Canyon. This is a great spot to stop for lunch, which our group did. The area is shaded by a number of trees, and has a great view of a separated butte. The area also seemed to be a great spot to cache water, whether for a day or a multi-day hike, as I stumbled across several water caches while looking around.

Upon resuming hiking after lunch, we realized that we had descended the bulk of the altitude to Horseshoe Mesa, as we passed a USGS Marker that stated that we were approximately twelve hundred feet lower than the rim. (The marker doesn’t say this in particular terms; it marks the elevation that it’s at, so if you do the math like we did, you should come up with a similar number!) The trail then slowly – every so slowly – begins to level out as it traverses along the butte. Slowly, the trees distanced themselves from their neighbors, becoming more and more spread apart.

As we trekked along this section of trail, our group elected to turn around because some people were trying to get over some spring colds. So, alas, we did not make it to the actual Horseshoe Mesa to see the ruins. When I reviewed the map later, it appeared to me we had stopped about one mile short of the Mesa, making a four mile round trip instead of the six miles. It is my opinion that we probably could have made it to the Mesa and back, but it is always better to be cautious than risky. Besides, the ruins have been there for a long time, and I’m sure they’ll still be there by the time I get back. I will say that the tough sections of the descent did make for a vigorous uphill climb on the return trip, so if one does take this hike, be sure to save a little extra energy for those sections.

The Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs, Grand Canyon National Park

Mid-way down Hermit Trail

Directions: The trailhead is about five hundred feet west of the Hermit’s Rest viewpoint. The trail starts and descends through a series of switchbacks in a sparsely populated pinyon pine forest. Prior to hiking ther Hermit Trail, I had heard that it was unmantained, but from what I saw, the trail is in good to excellent condition, and is very easy to follow. In all fairness, I did not hike the whole trail; but from what I could see in the first four miles of trail, there were no route finding difficulties.

The trail snakes south at first, into an “finger” or “slot” of the Grand Canyon, which is a different – and somewhat welcome change from the Rim, Kaibab, Bright Angel, and Longview Trails which all head directly North into the main body of the Canyon. The descent at this point is gradual, and the view allows views of the rim along the Southern, Northern, and Western regions of the canyon. The trail then levels out into long, sloping switchbacks that descend into the Canyon, some of which are covered with rocky “cobbles”. One thing to bear in mind is that after descending roughly five hundred feet, there is little to no shade for this portion of the trail. The obvious tip about this is that one should have plenty of sunscreen and water before attempting any sort of hike in the Grand Canyon.

Looking into the Canyon from the Hermit Trail

In this area, some people will go so far as to “cache” water bottles under rocks and other areas surrounding the trails in order not to have to carry the extra weight. On their return trip, these parties will then retrieve the water. While water caching can be a help for multiple day trips in the desert, I’m on the fence about advocating it for day hikers. My personal preference is to carry an excess of water, in case of emergencies, even on day hikes, but hikers should do what makes them comfortable. After the long, rocky switchbacks end, the trail levels out into a lightly forested plateau – otherwise known as the “Hermit Basin”. Aside from the comforting shade that the trees provide, this first plateau also demonstrates the grand size of the canyon. At this point, a person is approximately – by my inaccurate calculations – one quarter of the way into the Canyon – about fourteen hundred feet under the rim.

If you look up at this point (and there’s no reason why you wouldn’t) the enormous rock walls of the canyon attest that this distance is absolutely humongous. However, there are several convenient vantage points in this area of that display the lower canyon in all of its redness and challenge your perspective about just how “big” the above walls are. Once you are done admiring the view, a decision will need to be made about which portion of the trail you want to follow. The main Hermit Trail splits off to the North, and begins to descend into the canyon proper. The rest of the trail continues toward the Southwest, and is the “Dripping Springs/Boucher Trail”. At this juncture, I’ll note that ascending the switchbacks back to the rim on any of the trails of the Grand Canyon is more difficult than descending. Therefore, while the distance to the first plateau is comparatively short, less experienced hikers may want to consider turning around for the rim, as the return trip does take longer in most cases, and definitely requires more energy.

 Cobbles on the Hermit Creek Trail

At this point, the trail follows what I call a series of small “dips”. It snakes right under the rim, and ascends, and descends a series of small hills. Depending on what time of the year it is, and what time of day it is, the rim above provides some much needed shade over the trail, cooling the temperature dramatically. In conjunction with the mild up and down motion, the trail snakes in and out of a series of very small slot canyons that provide excellent cut-away views of the main canyon to the north. After this series of dips and right and left turns, the trail arrives at Dripping Springs. This hike was a spectacular hike with a variety of terrain and features, and provided excellent views of the canyon, with less traffic than some of the main trails in the South Rim region. 

The Last Adventurer’s Short Guide and Tips to the Grand Canyon, Part 1

After my most recent visit to the Grand Canyon, I thought I would share some of the wisdom I had acquired from visiting – and hiking the Grand Canyon. In a very uncharacteristic move, I’m going to share some of my favorite places in the Canyon to hike. I don’t usually proffer this type of advice, because I’m a hiking purist. I’m a cantankerous, cranky person, who believes that some places, as beautiful as they are, are best seen in the absence of other people. Right now, some of you are probably thinking the following questions: “1. Why reveal these locations and not others? Do you have something against the Grand Canyon? 2. Why do you believe what you just said?” The answers are simple. I don’t have anything against the Grand Canyon or any Canyon in particular. It’s just that the tips I’m about to dish out are not that secret. The unfortunate truth is that some of my tips about the Grand Canyon, as great as they are have been covered in a myriad of publications, word of mouth, or somewhere else. This doesn’t make my some of my tips bad - but in the interests of full disclosure, I’d feel bad about labeling them as state secrets! But enough disclosures – onto the information, which is conveniently broken down into two categories; 1. Hiking; and 2. Other. And as for why I’m cranky, well, I suppose that’s a diatribe for another time.

Hiking:

Let’s narrow the scope of this section even further. Most of the visitors of the Grand Canyon only visit the South Rim, and according to the Park Ranger I listened to, only stay for three hours on average. Having been to both sides of the Canyon, North and South several times, I think more people should visit the North Rim because it does have some great trails. But, for purposes of this guide, I’m only going to talk about trails on the South Rim. As for the official “three hour” average, all I have to say is that people should stay longer and walk more. I’m also not going to talk about how long the Canyon is (roughly 277 miles), how wide the Canyon is (between eight and sixteen miles), how old the canyon is (rocks at the top are roughly 270 million years old, the ones at the bottom are roughly 1.84 billion years old), or how deep the canyon is (approximately 4,600 feet), because the way I see it, there’s much better sources of information to find out these amazing facts from. What I’m going to focus my time on is the trails, and also make a few short comments about apparel.

1. The Hermit Trail: From what I have seen in and around the Grand Canyon, this trail rates as my favorite trail. Let me break it down simply: the Hermit Trail is separated from the majority of the South Rim facilities by an seven mile stretch of road that only can be traveled by the National Park Service bus system (unless one has an overnight wilderness permit). In my experience, this isolation from the village drastically cuts down on the number of people hiking the trail.

How to get there: Well, like I said, for most people, it’s all about the bus. The bus leaves from a bus stop just west of the various lodges on the South Rim. By my watch, the buses were running about every fifteen minutes – but I imagine in the busy, busy summer, things might be a little slower! Don’t be deceived by the amount of people waiting for the bus. While the bus may be full, there are several overlooks along the way that people congregate at, and most people appear to ride the bus for two reasons: 1. to visit the Hermit’s Point Overlook; or 2. to view the South Rim at Sunset. One warning about the bus ride: go to the bathroom first! The ride to Hermit’s Point takes almost an hour despite the short distance, and if you need to go, it is quite uncomfortable – at least from what I heard from the person next to me!

California Horned Lizard

I saw this guy on a hike near the town of Julian, California recently. Rather than sprint off as most lizards do, he decided to pose for the camera. I later learned that they're endangered, so keep an eye out for them - they could use some help!

Lizard, lizard, burning bryght!

A Photo from the Lyrid Meteor Shower of 2007

Here is the best photo I took from our escapade, and after talking with a few people, I’m told it does contain actual meteors in it, even though I didn’t see them. Take a look, and be the judge yourself!

Lyrid Meteors!(Maybe...)