The Grand Canyon side trip on the Arizona Trail

Grand Canyon South Rim Adventures

The Grand Canyon is amazing. I wish I could have spent more time than the almost week I was there (4 days off trail, 2.5 on the AZT). I’m already scheming about how to get back and do more nights in the canyon.

I arrived in Grand Canyon national park just before noon. I was so excited to be there again. The last time I was there I was 10, 26 years ago. I don’t remember much other than doing a little hike on what I presume was the South Kaibab trail, but I guess it could have been Bright Angel. The walk to Mather campground, where I would find the hiker/biker group camp, was lovely pine forests on an easy paved walking/bike path. I made a side tour to the main car gate to get a map. I had a nice chat with the people working there about the AZT and the Grand Canyon. The two maps I got, bus map and hiking map, I put to good use in my time hanging around. I continued the walk to camp uneventfully and made the trek across the campground to the office. Ravens and elk were everywhere in the camp.

The rangers were at lunch when I arrived, but the volunteers manning the check in told me to go set up and pay when they came back. I claimed a spot in the quickly filling camp. I still had 5 days until the trail opened so more hikers would be coming in. It would soon be pretty crowded. I talked to three of the people already there for a while until it was time to pay. The camp is great for those walking in, only $6 a night, access to showers and laundromat, bus picks up really close, the main market is just around the corner. I grabbed my pack with limited supplies after attaching the tag to my tent and headed to the bus to get to the backcountry office. I wanted to get this done as soon as possible since permits are very limited at the camp in the canyon. I needed to visit the office to see what was available and get my spot booked for the 15th. Since it was only the 9th and I had lots of time, I also wanted to see if they had a cool itinerary for an overnight in the canyon. The ranger who helped me was amazing. She originally told me I’d have to do the walk up for Cottonwood camp, the camp in the canyon on the AZT, closer to the date, but she set me up with a fun and slightly challenging overnight the day after next. I rode the bus back to take care of the my standard town chores.

While washing my laundry and charging my devices, I got a phone call. It was the ranger I had talked to at the backcountry office. She could in fact get me my Cottonwood camp permit and I didn’t need to wait! She got me booked over the phone and I added on the additional zone camping within the park on the north rim in case I wanted an extra day in the park. I still intended to camp outside the boundary, but it was nice to have a backup in case I was tired.

After chores, I grabbed a frozen burrito and blueberries from the market (which is a full on grocery store and bigger than others on trail). At camp, I sat by the entrance station charging devices and writing for a while until it was time to call it a night.

The next morning, I was up early. I did my usual read in bed for a bit before packing up to explore.

My first stop was the Yavapai lodge for a breakfast buffet. It was a lot of food and I even missed some stations. Perfect for a hiker and very affordable, $22.44 after tax.

I ended up walking the mile to the main village area of the park instead of bussing. I had just missed it. All the paths in the park are paved and easy so it didn’t take long to get to the Verkamp’s visitor center and my first real view of the canyon. I must admit, I cried a little when I saw it. Luckily I had my sunnies on so no one could tell.

I went into all the shops and museums in the area. The Hopi house was a really cool building and had lots of items from local tribes for sale.

The Kolb studio had art displays and some historical information on the Kolb brothers and their photography and videography of the canyon in the early 1900s.

I also had a nice chat with a retired couple at the overlook at the studio where I used my hiking map to point out all the trails we could see and told them about my AZT hikes and upcoming side trip in the canyon. After, I hopped on the bus again for a short ways back to the backcountry office to get my permits printed.

I got off the bus after grabbing my permits near the Verkamp’s visitor center again and headed back up to the rim. I wanted to do some of the rim walk, a lovely paved path along the south rim to the geological museum and main visitor center. The walk was beautiful and a bonus I didn’t realize, took me through the geological timeline of the Grand Canyon, called the Trail of Time. Every meter signifies one million years. They have examples of the rock layers when you arrive at the corresponding time and informational signs along the way.

The trail, for me, ended at the Yavapai geology museum. The museum was cool, but insanely packed. I looked at the displays quickly and bought a few small items at the gift shop: pin, sticker, and laminated field guide pamphlet.

I continued my walk along the rim to Mather point, the same person Mather pass is named for in Yosemite, the first NPS director. The views were great, but lots of people.

I checked out the main visitor center and shops then caught the orange line bus to the farther view point, Yaki point.

The views continued to be amazing. I kept riding the busses around from orange to blue to red to view the far side of the main visitor area on the South rim. I got off a few times to enjoy the views.

Eventually I made it to Hermits Rest, the end of the line, where the next day I would be starting my side adventure into the canyon.

It was a long day of exploring the south rim and riding busses. I made it back to the camp area and Yavapai lodge around 1630 where I grabbed a salad.

I did a quick stop in the grocery store to buy my food for my overnight and eat another frozen burrito. I also ate a pint of gelato back at camp. I wanted to use the container for cold soaking since it would be over 100F most of the time in the canyon. A new group of hikers rolled in. They were all on the Hayduke, an ~800 mile route that travels the many canyons in southern Utah and northern Arizona. They had a campfire in the fire ring and we all hung out and chatted a good bit before retiring to bed at hiker midnight (sometime around 2030).

I wasn’t in too much of a rush the next morning since I couldn’t catch the bus to my starting point until 08. After fully packing up, I hopped on the blue line to the village for breakfast. I ended up at the wrong cafe from where I intended to go, but as I was waiting to be seated, I looked behind me and found the couple I was talking to the day before. The three of us ate breakfast together and had a really nice chat. They were headed home shortly after breakfast.

Breakfast went on longer than I intended but it was worth the time talking to the couple. I caught my next bus and was to Hermit’s Rest and starting the trail by 0930. Only 30 minutes before the signs say to start out of the canyon for the heat. They don’t recommend hiking between 1000-1600. Heat exhaustion is a serious threat in the canyon. There’s no shade and little water. Later, after the hike, I asked a ranger what the temp was and she said over 100F (38C) in the SHADE the day I went down.

Luckily my route had decent water, more than I had for much of the AZT. My first stop along the first trail, Hermits trail, was at Santa Maria spring, a super cute rest area with a trough of water filled with tadpoles.

The walk was incredibly hot. Luckily I had my umbrella. It made the walking pretty nice. It really helped that I just spent the last 5 weeks acclimating to desert weather. There were a decent amount of overhangs as well where I could take shade breaks before the sun passed to the other side.

The views and vastness of the canyon were even better and more powerful when inside of it and having it completely surrounding me. Despite the heat, I was loving being there.

I made it to the next water 8 miles in at 1400, Hermit Creek. I took an hour break hanging out next to the water laying on my ground sheet in just my underclothes and enjoying lunch.

I wanted to go at least 5.5 miles to the next water before I could camp. I had a couple miles on the Tonto trail before turning to head back up the canyon on the Boucher trail. I had amazing views of the Colorado River on Tonto. It was so beautiful. 

A little before 1800, I reached the junction for Boucher creek along the Tonto and the Boucher trail. I needed to load up on water since this was my last source for about 9 miles, all uphill. I dropped my pack, grabbed my bladder, filter, and bottle and started down. It was a long way to the creek; however, there’s also a spring. It was on my map, but didn’t have a trail to it so I wasn’t sure about it. I could hear it though and soon see it in the distance. Luckily, there was a well used social trail with some cairns marking the way! I made my way across and ended up at a beautiful little oasis of plants and water in the dry desolate canyon.

I filled my bladder and drank a bit. I wanted close to 4 liters for the uphill battle. If the next day was as hot, I’d easily go through all of it. Back at my pack, I turned and began the climb up Boucher. It was steep and slippery with the dust and marble like rocks. I was so glad I was going up and not down. I definitely would have fallen and had to butt slide down. I had 1500’ of climbing in the next mile and a half to get to my planned camp at White Butte and it was already 1830.

After the initial slippery exposed section, the trail turned into an outright class 3 scramble for some small parts. It was actually a lot of fun and I was racing the clock. I didn’t want to have to pull out my headlamp. There were quite a few times I had to use both hands to pull myself and my pack up and over, but I eventually reached the top! I’m so glad that scramble was in a tight reentrant/side canyon though and not exposed. It would have been a lot less fun for me if I felt like I’d fall off a cliff.

I got to my camp on the butte at 2000. Perfectly timed for last light. No headlamp needed. I set up a cowboy camp and ate dinner under the stars surrounded by the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

Unfortunately it was kind of cloudy so the stars were not as plentiful as I’d hoped. Whenever I woke up in the night.

I was up early the next morning at first light. I wanted to get as much hiking done as possible before the heat. If it was like the day before, I’d be struggling with the climb.

The sunrise wasn’t the spectacular color explosion I was hoping for, but subtle coloring behind the clouds. I’d take the clouds. They’d help with the heat a little.

The trail was really cool, taking me into a side canyon where I did lots of climbing and more scrambling up where I had to throw the poles up and climb up with both hands. I’ve grown a lot in my tolerance for exposure. This type of hiking would have had me crying in the past. Instead I loved (almost) every minute of it. 

I did a large chunk of the climbing early in the morning while my section of canyon was still in the shade. I can’t stop saying how beautiful it was. I have to go back now. 

My trail leveled out and the hike was more leisurely, still very exposed and on the edge of cliffs.

On the far side I could see where I camped on the flat butte. So cool to see where I came from and camped at.

I took a few breaks in the shade as I made my way around to the last water stop of the hike, Dripping Springs.

I didn’t really need water, but the ranger said it was a cool spot, so I went anyway. It was in fact really cool and super cute. The water was, as the name implies, dripping from the overhang above into a shallow pool. The area was full of life and bugs and lizards gorging on said bugs.

On the way out, I admired more blooming cacti and gorgeous views.

Soon I hit the junction with the Hermits trail again.

I started my final climb out around 1000 on the well used path. I stopped to talk to quite a few day hikers on the way before reaching the top.

Back at Hermit’s Rest, I bought a magnet and celebratory coke to enjoy while looking over the canyon I just hiked through. So magical.

I spent a little while at the rest before catching the bus in the direction back to Mather camp where I’d be for two more nights until I could hike out. Apparently I couldn’t get enough of the canyon and walking because I hopped off the bus to walk another mile on the rim trail on my way back, while trying to see the area I just hiked through.

Eventually I did make it to the camp where I chatted with Mike, and AZT hiker I met back at Roosevelt lake. He was in the spot I had been in, but had such terrible sleep, he was headed to the hotel for the next two nights. I reclaimed my previous spot. As I was setting up, another hiker asked if I was AZT. We hadn’t met yet. Her name’s Little G, the G is for giggle. She told me about a geology talk at the Yavapai geology museum in an hour and a half. I decided why not, I’d try to make it. It was still early. I threw my stuff in my tent, ran to the restroom, and grabbed the next bus out. I forgot I needed to take two busses to get there. I was cutting it close on time. It worked out perfectly though and I arrived with 10 minutes to spare. I chatted with the ranger who’d give the talk while Little G grabbed her stuff and we headed over to the seating area together. The talk was fun and Ranger Annie was great and very engaging. I already new all the things she talked about after watching the IMAX movie, all the visitor centers, and museums, but I still enjoyed it. After, I told Little G about the Trail of Time which would be a nice supplement to the talk. She did that while I headed back to the market area to get some food. I grabbed a few items at the grocery store and a sandwich at the deli. On my way out, I saw some other hikers. One asked if I was AZT, but before he could finish I said “I know you.” I recognized him from the PCT. I double checked he did in fact hike it. I knew his name had something to do with SpongeBob, but couldn’t quite remember. It’s Smitty. We chatted for a minute before he and the other hiker, Icy, headed to the camp. I went to the laundry area to charge my devices for a little bit. I saw them again there and they mentioned a bunch of people were headed to watch the sunset. I was in. I had nothing to do the next day. Back at camp, we gathered a pretty big group and headed to the bus. We needed to get on the blue and transfer to the red to get out to the proposed location. We arrived shortly before sunset. 

A car of more hikers rolled up who were staying with a local. We had a group of 10 AZT hikers and one Hayduke sitting on the wall watching the sunset together. This was more AZT hikers than I had seen all trail. We had a great time hanging out and socializing. Smitty (@phoenix_jeremy on instagram) got some great silhouette photos. Eventually we made it back to the bus to get to camp.

The next morning after my usual reading for a bit, I headed over to the breakfast buffet. One hiker was there already so we ate together. A little before I finished the others started rolling in. We moved to the table which kept expanding. Eventually everyone from the night before and a couple more were all eating together. I spent almost 3 hours there with the others, chatting and charging electronics.

I spent the rest of the day doing very little. I actually treated it as a rest day and stayed in camp reading. People came and went. A few hikers were headed to Bright Angel camp to hike out on the 15th when the North Kaibab trail opened. My permit was for Cottonwood camp beyond the closure on the 15th. That evening, the group went out to sunset again. I stayed behind because I wanted an early start to watch sunrise and get to the bottom of the canyon before the heat of the day. I didn’t make it to bed as early as I intended because Machine (AZT), Bailey (Hayduke), and I sat and talked for a couple hours. I did eventually make it to my tent around 2100. The next morning, I’d be continuing my AZT hike down into the canyon!  

To be continued…

Look for the next post on Thursday!