Grand Canyon National Park 2010
Photography By: Stephen Lee Ogden All images were shot with all 3 pounds of a Canon 7D Digital SLR using a 20mm f/2.8 lens. Some images were stitched together using photo software to achieve a panoramic composition.
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Hiking The Grand Canyon January 29 - Feburary 2, 2010 In January of 2006, Bryce Nerland and myself, Stephen Lee Ogden, joined a group of friends on a backpacking trip of the Grand Canyon National Park corridor trails. We started down the South Kaibab trail and spent 2 nights at Phantom Ranch campground. On the 3rd day we hiked up the Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden campground. Once there, we hiked out to Plateau Point, an overlook some 3,000 feet below the rim and 1,500 feet above the river. It’s a truly magnificent view to experience. While hiking back from the overlook, Bryce and I discovered trail unfamiliar to us. A trail that meandered across the flat plateau that juts out from the sheer cliffs that make up the canyon’s saw-tooth like features. This unworn trial was so inviting we hiked down it a mile or so just to satisfy the smallest bit of our immense curiosity. After consulting a map, we discovered this to be the Tonto Trail. We agreed, we decided we must return and hike the Tonto. So, in late January of 2010, that’s exactly what we did. Our trip planning came together rather sporadically in November of 2009. Within a week of the idea coming up, we both had flights booked and a permit application submitted to the park. As our trip approached, our focus became the weather. During the winter months, it's not uncommon for the South Rim to receive a few feet of snow. But, in El Nino years and during random cycles of weather, the Canyon can receive extremely uncommon amounts of snow. As it turns out, just days before our planned departure, the Canyon experienced 56" of snow in less than a week (runner-up for the all-time record). With record snows, we planned accordingly and rented 12pt climbing crampons.
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We had permits planned for 4 nights in the Canyon. Our planned route was to descend the Grandview Trail to connect to the Tonto Trail and continue west to the Hermit Trail, which would take us back up to the rim. This route was described by the National Park Service as "Aggressive" and required an additional application for approval that contained more detailed information about our past backcountry experience and planned gear choices (just incase they needed hints to identify our bodies if something were to happen). This itinerary would require an average of 11.5 miles per day across terrain that was hostile and nearly waterless. After being taxied to the trailhead, and negotiating our crampons, as we previously had no experience using them, we set off around 11am, a bit of a late going, but the journey had begun. What happened between January 29th and February 2nd, 2010 is detailed throughout this book.
South Kaibab Trailhead
Grandview Trail
Bright Angel Trail Trailhead Trailhead
Hermit Trail
Trailhead
Campsite 04
Hermit Creek Campsite 01
Campsite 03
Grapevine Creek
Horn Creek Campsite 02
Cremation Creek 3
Bright Angel Trail Overlook Around 11:30pm the night before our trip began, we approached the rim under moonlight to reacquaint ourselves with the Canyon.
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Grandview Trailhead As we drove to the trailhead we witnessed a cloud that completly covered the floor of the canyon. We were told this hasn’t happened in nearly 20 years.
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Horseshoe Mesa The Grandview trail is an historic mining trail that supported several copper mines located on the mesa.
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Grandview Trail Trees on the access trails serve as landmarks that indicate you’re still close to the rim. Lack of reliable water makes it difficult for many trees to grow this large deeper in the canyon. 7
Grandview Trail The snow drifted to the height of many of the shrubs making the trail a few feet higher than its usual path. The snow covered slopes made for a very exposed hike down the first 1000 feet of trail.
Grandview Trail Bryce descending the trail. It was slow going as the powdered snow often gave out beneath our feet. Post-holing was common but manageable.
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Grandview Trail A reminder of the extreme conditions that limit life in the canyon.
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Top Left 12pt crampons made the slippery snow passable. Top Right Several sections of the trail are bolted to the rock face. Bottom Left A trekking pole demonstrates the depth of the snow drfit. Bottom Right Plantlife seen along the trail.
Grandview Trail As we decended, the melting snow revealed the bright red clay of the red wall formation.
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Grandview Trail | Approching the Horseshoe Mesa, clouds rise up around the North Rim across the Colorado River. 14
Grandview Trail As we stepped onto the mesa, we met Jonathan, a native-born Englishman out on a day hike around the Mesa. We had followed his footprints much of the morning as few braved this deep into the canyon that day. He said “None of my mates are mad enough to join me, so I hike alone.” We’re mad enough.
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Horseshoe Mesa | Ruins from the copper mining era are scatterd about the mesa. 16
Tonto Trail As we emerged from Cottonwood Canyon, below the Horseshoe Mesa to the west, we witnessed the moon breach the night sky. The moonlight guided us as we proceeded to hike 2 more hours into the night.
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Tonto Trail: Grapevine Creek Canyon | Campsite 01
Tonto Trail: East of Boulder Creek
After hiking by moonlight for a few hours, we were more than ready to pitch the tent. We located a very small patch of semi-flat ground just east of Grapevine Creek and made camp. Notice how loose the tent was pitched.
A group of 9 backpackers from a small Arizona college crossed our path midmorning on the second day. They were hauling heavy loads but were vibrant in mood. Their college uses outdoor activities to bond the new students prior to each new semester.
Tonto Trail: West of Boulder Creek
Tonto Trail: Below Newton Butte between Boulder Spring & Lonetree Spring
Tonto Trail: Looking Eastward toward the South Rim
Colorado River Around River Miles 82-83
Tonto Trail: Lonetree Creek A stop for lunch in Lonetree Canyon provided fresh water and a pleasant break from the days work. Bryce had a brief stomach cramp scare here. Thankfully it didn’t linger.
Tonto Trail: Beneath the Pattie Butte
Tonto Trail
Tonto Trail: Cremation Creek Canyon | Campsite 02
Tonto Trail: Cremation Creek Canyon | Campsite 02 For the first time in several years of backpacking together, we pitched the tent in daylight. Our campsite was surrounded by walls of rock and fields of canyon shrubs. Right before camp, Bryce lucked upon a mule deer shed. This was arguably the best campsite we’ve ever had.
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Tonto Trail: Cremation Creek Canyon | The morning light bathes the canyon with vibrant colors. 32
Tonto Trail: Cremation Creek Canyon | Shoshone Point towers overhead as day breaks on day 03. 33
Tonto Trail: Cremation Creek Canyon
Tonto Trail: Cremation Creek Canyon Looking toward the north rim from the Tonto Trail. Moments later we would encounter more than a dozen deer grazing for breakfast.
Tonto Trail Bryce hikes up a rise while the Zoroaster Temple towers in the background cutting into the low cloud cover up above.
Tonto Trail We stopped for breakfast at the intersection of the South Kaibab trail. Yavapai Point towers high above on the South rim.
Tonto Trail: Pipe Creek Canyon From high above on Mather Point, top right, you can see the pencil line of the Tonto Trail wind its way through this side canyon. This image displays the worst of the weather we encountered, which by all means was still amazing.
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Tonto Trail A view toward the north as we approached Indian Garden and the intersection of the Bright Angel trail.
Indian Garden A lush area by comparison, Indian Garden serves as an oasis from the barren canyon that surrounds it. With annual fresh water filtered from the Garden Creek, this made for an ideal lunch stop. At Indian Garden, the Tonto Trail intersects the Bright Angel corridor trail, one of the most popular trails in America. 40
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Plateau Point Overlook
Plateau Point Trail
Bryce takes it all in from a perch on the edge of the abyess. The muddied Colorado River roars down below.
Looking back toward the south, the Bright Angel Trail steeply winds its way up to the South Rim. The lush cluster of trees is Indian Garden.
Plateau Point Overlook This stunning overlook is just a short walk from Indian Garden right off the west section of the Tonto Trail. This point dangles nearly 1,500 feet over the Colorado River while still being dwarfed by the South Rim, some 3,000 feet above. Its like being hugged by God’s creation.
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Plateau Point
Tonto Trail
Tim, from Connecticut, was backpacking the opposite direction on the Tonto. He takes a trip every year or so leaving his 2 sons and wife alone at home while he shakes off cabin fever. Nice guy, we chatted for an hour or so.
The sun was setting on our 3rd day as we hiked around The Battleship formation.
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Tonto Trail: Horn Creek Canyon
Tonto Trail: Horn Creek Canyon | Campsite 03
This was the doorstep to our campsite for the evening, Horn Creek. The creek here is radioactive from historic mining deposits.
The site was nested under 2 lonely trees right beside the creek. We ate dinner on a large rock while enjoying the vivid bright star filled sky.
Tonto Trail | Maricopa, Powell, and Hopi point tower above the trail as we departed Horn Creek Canyon. 47
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Bryce’s Pack | xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Stephen’s Pack | Osprey Exos 58
Weighing in at 35lbs at the beginning of the trip, Bryce tipped the scales with luxury items like food fit for a king and a goose-down full length air mattress.
Weighing a managble 25lbs at the beginning of the trip, Stephen’s pack hauled such neccesities as the t-pea style tent and all the photo gear needed to document the trip. Like Bryce, Stephen also packed a banquet of food, much of which was left uneaten.
Colorado River Between River Miles 92-95 49
Tonto Trail: Monument Creek Bryce examines the beautiful rock formations found throughout this area.
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The Monument This 130 foot tower of rock highlights this lush canyon. We stopped for lunch here. The weather on day 4 was clear skys and lots of sun. Yet, another glorious day.
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Tonto Trail | Bryce hiking out of Monument Creek Canyon. The Abyss formation is displayed in the background.
Hermit Creek Canyon | Campsite 04 | After leaving the the Tonto platform, we pitched camp at Hermit Creek and planned our early morning 3,500ft accent of the Hermit Trail.
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Hermit Trail After leaving Hermit Creek campground at 5:30 in the morning, we started our climb up the Hermit. This is the top of the Cathedral Stairs formation.
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Hermit Trail | Bryce takes a breather after nearly 2,000 feet of climbing. 55
Hermit Trail As the sun rose in the morning sky, the canyon displayed its beauty once more.
Hermit Trail | Looking toward the north rim
Hermit Trail This stone trail shelter was a nice surprise. This lush little haven features vines, a spring, and our favorite ... a wooden rocking chair built for two.
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Hermit Trail This trail was one of the original paths from the South Rim to the Colorado River. In it’s heyday, it was cobbled almost entirely and led visitors to a resort style camping area. The only thing that remains are a few steep (Very Steep) sections of cobbled trail.
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Hermit Trail We met Mark just a few hundred yards from the finish, the Hermit Trailhead. Mark apparently spends most of February each year hiking in the remote parts of the canyon. He was very enthusiastic to encourage us to hike the John Muir Trail (we hope to ablidge him).
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Looking Back After 5 days of backpacking, we had covered around 55 miles of trail, taken in some truly breathtaking scenery, and enjoyed the company of quality friendship. This trip ranks among the top of our numerous adventures together. The weather was glorious. The snow was a new challenge conquered with ease and enjoyment. Water is typically scarce in the canyon, but due to record snows and seasonal flow, we never worried about running out. The winter months offer much solitude in the canyon. Over the 5 days, we met very few people (most of which are pictured in this book). We didn’t see a single mule or a park ranger in the canyon, which was a rare treat. The Tonto Trail proved to be a beautiful trail. The views of the river and the open canyon mixed with side canyon excursions were simply amazing. There was always a thrill of anticipation climbing up a raise knowing that once there, you would be able to see far into the unknown. Hiking along the river, as opposed to hiking to the river, offered a broader survey of the canyon in a faster amount of time.
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Our thorough trip planning left nothing to chance. Looking back, we were well prepared for every aspect of a 5 day trip. Thankfully the weather was perfect and we didn’t have to negotiate poor weather or uncomfortable temperatures. We failed miserably at packing the right amount of food. We calculated that we had each carried enough food for several more days of backpacking, maybe as many as five more. Before the trip, we were warned of ravens, rodents, and dessert scorpions. We encountered none of these save a few curious mice and an all talk no action squirrel that made a brave attempt at joining us for lunch. We hope the images and stories found in this book inspire you to get out and see the real thing. The awesome scale, color, and immense detail of the Grand Canyon can not be illustrated with two dementional images. God’s creation is something we both love dearly. When we are so fortunante to behold such immense evidence of God’s power, we cannot help but be spirtually rejuvinated and reminded that the glory He sees for us is far greater than that of rocks.
Sunset as we exited the park.
Š 2010 Stephen Lee Ogden