Day 10 - Into The Canyon

All -

Number 9, number 9, number 9...

Today I dove into the depths of the canyon. That is after I got up at 5AM to see the sunrise. Unfortunately, the sun was late and did not appear until 7:35AM. Fortunately, the killer elk had vacated the front lawn. Unfortunately, they were replaced by a bull elk. Bigger. Badder. Six points per antler. This guy was probably 1000 pounds and not too happy to have me disturb his nap. For more on elk, check out http://www.bowhunts.com/elk.html.

Being up at 5AM enabled me to interact with the hotel night staff. There is a reason these people are on night shift.

So I re-racked and arose at 7AM to watch the sun come up over the canyon. It was not as spectacular as I suspected. I stood in the cold for about 45 minutes waiting for something to happen. It ended up being like bad sex. Which is worse than no sex because at least with no sex there still is the fantasy.

It was too late to start the day over so I gathered a pack and headed to Bright Angel Trail. I had asked the troll on the night shift which trail I should take and she pointed me to another one because Bright Angel had too many switchbacks and did not give as wide a view. After having done the trail, I am sure that she did not like the trail because she threw a shoe the last time out there.

There are basically five big trails in the canyon. The Rim Trail which rolls along the top of the rim and is for the infermed or people you see on Willard Scott Smucker's jars. The South Kaibab Trail which requires you to take a shuttle form the Visitor's Center to get to it. The Grandview Trail which, per the guide, "the payoff is an up-close look at one of the inner canyon's sagebrush-tufted mesas" and is probably to be avoided by the allergeric. The Hermit Trail which was 8 miles away. The Bright Angel Trail which was 0.2 miles from my door (according to the sign outside). I went for convenience.

Bright Angel Trail is a 12.2 mile round trip from the top through Indian Gardens and on to Plateau Point. You drop almost four thousand feet by the time you get to two thousand feet looking over the Colorado River. Again according to the book, "day hikers and first timers should strongly consider turning around at to safely make the hikes." Ha.

Bright Angel Trail is also used by pack mules. According to the signs, you are supposed to yield to the mules and follow the mule guides directions. They need to make mule diapers. The trail has a generous portion of mule droppings and urine. Mules make the same mess as horses and their urine looks like thick English lager. The total hike is 12.2 miles but I bet I put on another mile or two dodging mule poo.

Mule excrement aside, the change of colors and climates on the way down is amazing and cannot remotely be appreciated from peering into the canyon from the top. In my head I could hear Ricardo Montalban doing the voice-over...

"The jaunt down through the canyon yields a subtle change of textures and tones that is aesthetically pleasing to both the eye and the soul. The canyon is like an elegant woman, my friend. As she sublimely moves from chalky grays to amber reds and on to deep greens and dark corinthian browns, each turn reveals a tantalizing piece of her beauty and a dazzling glimpse of her depth. Oh yes, she can be a fickle dance but if you warm her heart you can capture her spirit."

Going down is easy. And I could really see and feel the color changes (the further down you go, the more moisture you encounter). Indian Gardens is about 4.1 miles down and is an oasis in the middle of a pretty dry climate. The trees all had yellow leaves and a creek rippled through two camp grounds and a mule barn. This was the only place on the trail with potable water as the other stations had been shut down for the winter.

On the other side of Indian Gardens, the trail forks. You actually have to pass through/over the small creek on your way to the Plateau Point trail. The other road takes you to the Phantom Ranch where people can camp overnight. I had passed a few of those people coming up on the way down and they looked like the walking wounded.

Once you cross the creek, the land goes back to cactus and rock. The sign says it is 1.5 miles out in the open to Plateau Point (yes, the math does not work) and you walk out across the plateau with canyon walls far out to all sides. It seems like forever; however, the trek is worth it as you stand about 2000 feet over the roaring Colorado River. You can actually hear it as you approach the end.

The trek back is pretty dramatic as you come in closer and closer to the canyon walls. On my way back through Indian Gardens I encountered a deer and her doe. Then, once through the Garden, you start the long climb back up. End-to-end it took about six hours.

I got to the top about 30 minutes before the sun went down. That gave me time to check out the other Rim lodges. After staying at El Tovar, the Bright Angel Lodge looked like Stuckey's. The other lodges were newer and less 'charming'. However, if I had not been spoiled by El Tovar, the Bright Angel would have been a good, more cost-effective alternative.

The sun going down on the canyon brought an explosion of colors. It is really amazing over the course of a day how many different colors the canyon turns. From the top to the bottom and from dusk 'til dawn, and Ricardo Montalban aside, it is almost chameleon-like. As the sun dipped on the western ridge, all of the sudden peaks and spires lit up in burnt oranges.

Alas with all my talk about the 'fullest' moon, the night had the moon dodging the clouds. Cool from a sky perspective but not much to light up the canyon. There is a sixty percent chance of snow here tomorrow night. But it is time to move on and tomorrow takes me up the road to the Navajo Monument and Monument Valley. I'll probably spend part of the morning wandering the Rim one last time (dodging septuagenarians) and then I'm off. Heading northeast. I smell snow.

Hank