Grand Canyon: Favorite Hikes

I have to admit I did not appreciate this fact before traveling to the Grand Canyon, but one of the best parts of our journey was the opportunity to explore all the side canyons. We were transported back to a time when rivers were the way to explore the world and new adventures greeted us around each bend. Of course whole books have been written about hiking in the Grand Canyon and I'd recommend two for a river trip: Grand Canyon River Hikes by Tyler Williams and Day Hikes From the River by Tom Martin. It's worth bringing a copy of each along. Tyler covers the classics and has a beta section for each hike that can be quickly scanned (very helpful when you're floating down the river and want to pull out the guide for a quick decision on where to stop for lunch). If you're really into exploring and what to go on some epic adventures, Tom's guide is more comprehensive covering both the classics and some more obscure routes.

We spent several hours each day exploring and here are some images and memories of some of my favorite places.

North Canyon was our first introduction to hiking in the Grand Canyon and well worth a stop.

Climbing up into North Canyon.

Sliding into the pool in North Canyon.

Sometimes it's fun to just discover places on your own and Silver Grotto was one of those finds. Looking for a camp early in the trip we came across the thin sliver of a beach at Silver Grotto up against a massive bedrock wall. It was a cool camp and we got up the next morning to explore our surroundings. Some anchors and a bit of rope help you access the inner reaches of this intimate little side canyon. Coming back down at the end is a fun water slide.

Hilary sizing up the crux move to enter Silver Grotto.

Brian enjoys the slide at the exit of Silver Grotto.

There are a couple of different hikes that highlight the cultural history of the Canyon. One of my favorites was Unkar Delta. Pot shards and the foundations of ancient dwellings are found throughout the delta which is a fun place to explore.

The Unkar Delta.

One of my favorite sections of the whole trip was the Inner Gorge. Downstream of Hance Rapid the walls close in as the river carves a slot through dark Vishnu Schist. Powell wrote this well-known passage as he entered this section of the river:

We are three quarters of a mile in the depths of the earth, and the great river shrinks into insignificance as it dashes its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above; the waves are but puny ripples, and we but pigmies, running up and down the sands or lost among the boulders.

We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not. Ah, well! we may conjecture many things. The men talk as cheerfully as ever; but to me the cheer is somber and the jests are ghastly.

There is a great hike in this section up Clear Creek and we had a great afternoon exploring.

Amanda and Hilary taking a shower under the falls on Clear Creek

Wandering up Clear Creek.

As you pass Phantom Ranch you get a great whitewater section that includes Horn Creek Rapid, Granite, Hermit, and Crystal followed by the Gems. We turned our attention to the whitewater for a couple days but then came upon Elves Chasm, a fabulous lunch stop.

Laura takes the plunge at Elves Chasm

Following Elves you come into one of the best sections of the river for hikes with several classics. It's good to slow down and savor this section and plan a layover day or two. Tapeats Creek to Thunder River is a great hike where you can see the Thunder River as it explodes from the canyon wall. The canyon walls are draped with beautiful hanging gardens that harbor a diversity of plant and animal life--an oasis in the canyon. River guides told us of more places to explore in the area and it would be fun to return for an extended stay.

Hiking up Tapeats Creek with the view back towards the Colorado River.

Thunder River emerges from the canyon wall.

Many groups split up to hike between Thunder River and and Deer Creek and exchange boats but logistics were a little complicated with only 3 rafts and several kayaks so we all paddled down river and hiked up Deer Creek. Deer Creek carves an amazingly beautiful serpentine canyon before plunging over a falls adjacent to the Colorado River. There are several camps here on river left across the river from the falls.

Deer Creek Falls.

Deer Creek Narrows.

After a day at Deer Creek we pulled into camp just downstream of Matkatamiba Canyon or "Matkat". With our plans set on Havasu just downstream we nearly passed up on Matkat until some rafters told us it was a great spot to check out. It turned out to be one of our most enjoyable stops on the trip and it was such a wonderful spot that we chose it as our layover day.

Krista showing off chimney moves at Matkatamiba Canyon ("Matkat")

After a day and two nights at Matkat we set off downstream for Havasu. We should have planned more time for this stop but we did enjoy a full afternoon and made it up to the first set of waterfalls. It's definitely one of the classic canyon hikes and a pretty magical place.

The beauty of Havasu.

The first waterfall on Havasu.

Just downstream are a couple more great canyons to explore--National Canyon and Fern Glen. National Canyon features a great slot canyon with some tricky moves to gain entry. Fern Glen provides a fun challenge of trying to work your way along the wall above a pool.

Tom in National Canyon.

Laurianne reaching for a hand hold above the pool in Fern Glen.

Downstream of Lava Falls we found another interesting cultural site. I've always been fascinated by rock art and enjoyed this short hike up to some pictographs on the canyon wall.

Rock art in the Grand Canyon.

As you near the end of the trip there are still some fun places left to explore. Pumpkin spring is a neat spot and a great camp. As much as a love the beaches it was nice to have a camp with nice flat rocks and no sand.

Pumpkin Springs.

We went all the way down to Mead which provided an opportunity to enjoy Columbine Falls one of the last features of the Canyon before it opens up and comes to an end.

Laurianne stands under Columbine Falls.

We had a great trip and I hope to get back someday to explore more hidden corners of this wonderful place.

Tips for Hikes

• Keep a day bag handy with your shorts, hiking shoes, and a way to carry your lunch (the kitchen supplies our outfitter provided did not include anything to carry lunches).
• You may also want waterproof bags to hold gear inside your day pack--especially for your nice camera--as you will likely find yourself in places where you need to swim across a pool of water.
  
• Remember you will be out for 21 days so don't bring an old pair of shoes that will fall apart--if you hike like we did, footwear takes massive abuse on this trip. I like the Keen Newport H2 or the Montrail Vitesse.
• Consider bringing 10 m of 8 mm rope and a couple of webbing slings. They can be helpful for getting in and out of a couple of the side canyons.
• Climbers might enjoy having their shoes and a bag of chalk. Just keep in mind that you're a long way from help and the majority of injuries on the Canyon happen off the river.

Grand Canyon: Preparing for the Trip

In April of 2007 and I had the honor of joining Midwest paddling legend Harry House on a trip down the Grand Canyon. We ran the river in a C2 (a tandem canoe with a hard deck) on a trip that also included 3 rafts and 7 kayaks. We took 21 days to travel from Lee's Ferry down to Mead. Someday I may get around to posting the full trip report but in the meantime I wanted to post my packing list and thoughts on trip preparation to share with others.

Enjoying the ride through the waves at Hermit

Thoughts on the time of year.

I've only done the river once so I can't really say I'm an expert on the subject but April was pretty wonderful and I would definitely make it a point to try and do it again in the spring. The wild flowers were spectacular (don't forget the macro lens for some great shots). The nights were cool offering comfortable sleeping conditions and most days were hot without being uncomfortably so.

Cactus in bloom

Thoughts on Hikes

I'm a river runner and have been my whole life and although people had told me about the hikes on the Grand Canyon before I left I can't say I thought much about that aspect of the trip before I went. What I had not appreciated was the quality and diversity of hiking opportunities that involve lots of scrambling up side canyons, swimming through pools in side canyon gorges, and chimney moves up narrow slots. After our first journey up North Canyon we started spending at least 4 hours a day exploring the side canyons. Grand Canyon River Hikes by Tyler Williams covers the classics and has a format that's easy to scan quickly when you are in your boat moving down the river (i.e. you can see characteristics of the hike without reading the whole description). Tom Martin's Day Hikes From the River is more comprehensive and has a hike for just about every section along the river. You really need to sit down and read the full descriptions and for that reason it's a great for camp when you are planning out the next day. One important note for the hikes is make sure you have good amphibious shoes. Remember you will be out for 21 days so don't bring an old pair of shoes that will fall apart. I like the Keen Newport H2 or the Montrail Vitesse for trips like this. Chacos are nice for camp but you often want something with a little bit more protection and support for climbing up the side canyons. The one downside with the Newport H2 is that you will be walking up stream beds and small pebbles get lodged inside your shoes. The Montrail Vitesse avoids this problem but doesn't drain as well.

Chimney Moves in Matkatamiba Canyon (Matkat)

One of my favorite spots: Elves Chasm.

Thoughts on Climbing

Several of the hikes involve short climbs or bouldering moves. A couple lengths of rope--a full climbing rope would be overkill but something like 10 m of 8 mm rope works well--and some webbing slings will be useful. Climbers might enjoy having their shoes and a bag of chalk. Just keep in mind that you're a long way from help and the majority of injuries on the Canyon happen off the river.

Climbing up a short pitch at Silver Grotto

Thoughts on Hand and Foot Care

I come from the Pacific Northwest and although I've done some trips to the desert southwest I can't say I've done anything that approaches 21 days. It's a hot, dry climate and you need to take care of your hands and feet. Everyone has their favorite hand cream. I like to use Burt's Bees and I was religious about using it every night and every morning on my hands and feet. A bottle of hand sanitizer is useful too. I never had any skin cracking or open sores. I also went through 4 tubes of lip balm. Being susceptible to sun burn I had a 16 oz. bottle of sun block. It's a good idea to make sure others on your trip are prepared with hand cream, lip balm, and sun block or there will be demand for yours. Sunglasses are essential for long days on the water and it's a good idea to bring a second pair. Under my helmet I wore a nylon cap with visor and sun flaps that covered my neck.

Hands were looking pretty worn. The key is using the hand cream before they start looking like this.

Thoughts on Outfitting

We used Moenkopi Riverworks for our gear and food. Brady was a pleasure to work with. He and his staff seemed as excited about the trip as we were and they helped us get all the gear rigged at the put-in. They stayed with us overnight at the put-in, cooked our first meal, showed us all the kitchen gear, and helped us load the rafts. For a group of kayakers with rookie rafters they were great to work with. Other outfitters include Professional River Outfitters (PRO) and Canyon River Equipment Outfitters (Canyon REO). In addition to an outfitter you will also want a staging area in Flagstaff. We got the whole group in a couple rooms with bunk beds at the DeBeau Hostel. Everyone was able to fly or drive in two days before our launch and we cooked group meals together at the hostel while we got gear packed and boats rigged out in the parking lot.

Getting all the gear ready at Moenkopi Riverworks.

Thoughts on the Whitewater

For experienced whitewater boaters the Canyon is not a hard run. Most of the rapids have a straight forward line so for the most part you position yourself at the top, ride the waves, and then hang on for the dynamic eddy lines and boils at the bottom. The run-out will be the most challenging part of the rapids for those who have not done much big water. The good news is the run is all pool drop and there are good recovery stretches at the bottom of nearly every rapid (Crystal being a notable exception). We had kayakers who were intermediates and oarsmen with limited rafting experience on our trip. Everyone did fine--we had no raft flips and no swims. For kayakers the most important skill is having a solid roll. As for boats you want something that's comfortable. This is really a river cruisers run so a longer boat with a bit of volume is a good choice. You can have great fun in a play boat too and if you go that route I'd recommend something that's good for surfing big waves. For paddling clothing I went with a drysuit which was overkill most days--it was nice on a couple of our cooler days. For a spring trip on the Canyon I'd go with a shorty wet suit, paddle jacket, and board shorts but if your roll is a little rusty or you think there's any chance you'll be spending time out of your boat then a drysuit is a good idea. As for the rapids, everyone knows the big rapids that include Hance, Horn, Crystal, and Lava Falls but there are a few others that are worth checking out.

• House Rock Rapid: This is the first significant rapid on the run. It's not a difficult move but it's the first rapid where everyone will get to experience the power of the river and the first test for the rafters who need to make a hard pull to avoid the hole at bottom left.
• Sockdolager and Zoroaster: These rapids come after you enter the Upper Granite Gorge following a run of Hance. The canyon walls are tight and the waves and holes can be punched but it's chaotic.
• Bedrock: It's worth scouting this one to make sure you avoid the left side. It's not a hard move to get right but it's helpful to take a look especially for the rafts.
• Deubendorff: This is not a hard rapid but it is helpful to see the move you need to make to the right about midway down.
• 135 Mile Rapid (Helicopter Eddy): This rapid is just below Tapeats Creek and although the rapid is not hard you do need to make the move to avoid ending up in Helicopter Eddy.
• Upset Rapid: This is just above Havasu and rafts will want to avoid the hole. The name gives you can idea of what happens if you don't.
  

The first test of the trip: making the cut to the right at House Rock

Complete Grand Canyon Gear List
This was my gear list for a 21 day trip on the Grand Canyon. For the most part it represents what I took with a couple minor modifications.

Sleeping
Sleeping Bag: REI Nooksack PrimaLoft® MXL
Sleeping Pad: Therm-a-Rest ProLite 3 Sleeping Pad with chair kit
Bivy: Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy

Clothing (camp and river)
Sunglasses: Smith (x2)
Hat: Nylon cap with sun flaps
Patagonia Rain Shadow Pants
Patagonia Rain Shadow Jacket
Patagonia R4 Polyester Jacket
Patagonia Stand Up Nylon Pants
Down Vest
Capilene 1 T-Shirt (x2)
Capilene 1 Long Sleeve
Capilene 1 Bottoms
Capilene 4 Long Sleeve
Capilene 4 Bottoms
Patagonia Baggies Shorts
Polyester Boxers (x2)
Wool Hat
Polyester/Spandex Gloves
Wool Socks (x 2 pair)
Keen Newport H2 shoes
Cotton Sarong
Eagle Creek Day Pack
Ultimate Fanny Pack

Camp
Nalgene Water Bottle (x2)
Bandanna
Princeton Tec 3 LED Headlamp

Electronics
Palm Tungsten T2 with keyboard (journal)
Nikon D80 (w/ 8 GB flash memory cards)
Pentax Optio WP (w/ 4 GB flash memory cards)
Bogen - Manfrotto 3009 Table Top Tripod with Micro Ball Head
Sony Handycam DCR-TRV27
Pelican Waterproof Case (x2)
Brunton Solar Roll
iGo 12v Charger and Tips
4 extra NiMH AA batteries

Toiletries/Safety
Burt's Bees Hand Cream (x2)
Burt's Bees Lip Balm (x4)
Doctor Bronner's Liquid Soap
Sun Lotion
3 Single Blade Razors
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
2 oz. Hand Sanatizer (x2)
1 qt. Ziplock Bags (x 5)
Leatherman
lighter
matches
candle
personal first aid (band aids, waterproof tape, poison ivy soap, etc.)
photo id, credit card, $20 cash

Paddling
Kokatat Gore-Tex Meridian Drysuit
Kokatat Rescue PFD
Keen Neoprene Booties
Paddle: Werner Bandit
Helmet: Seda Fiberglass
Boat: Hydra Duet (C2)
Snapdragon Skirt
1" tubular webbing slings (x3)
70' spectra throw rope
50' cord
carabiners (x6)
Whistle
Waterproof Watch
River Knife
Watershed ZipDry Duffle

Tom and Harry enter Horn