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I’ve just received confirmation of the hiking permit I applied for to explore the Grand Canyon in April of 2015. I’m stoked. The backcountry of the Grand Canyon has become one of my favorite places to go backpacking. For its isolation, beauty, and challenge, there’s nothing better.
Kanab Creek, April 2014
To tide myself through the winter, I’m happy to look back through these photos of our trip from earlier this year. Willie, Colin and I started from the overlook near the Indian Hollow trailhead, and followed a route from George Steck’s guidebook, Grand Canyon Loop Hikes . Our upcoming trip is another chapter from the same book, and will travel through similar terrain, mostly cross-country, in Tuckup Canyon.
There is also a video from this hike here .
At the Indian Hollow overlook
The view to the southwest, featuring Mt. Sinyella
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Heading down to the Esplanade, with a view down the chasm of Deer Creek
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Looking for Ghost Rock and Cranberry Canyon
Another false Ghost Rock
We dropped a Spot Check from the point where we turned around. Colin was right; Ghost Rock was further to the southwest
Back at the trail, time for Plan B: proceed to Surprise Valley
The right side of the big boulder looks like a face
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Rainfall to the west from below Bridger’s Knoll
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Fishtail Mesa at the horizon - our path took us all the way around it over the course of the trip
The overlook of Surprise Valley
Surprise Valley
Eat your heart out, Schwarzenegger
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View of Tapeats Amphitheater
Tapeats Creek cliffs
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Thunder Falls - the river springs out of the side of the cliff
At Thunder River
Thunder Falls
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The descent to Deer Creek
Deer Spring
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Deer Creek valley
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Deer Creek narrows
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Native American handprints along Deer Creek
First overlook of the big Colorado River
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Deer Falls
Walking down the Colorado
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The kindness of rafters is our boon, once again
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At the beach near Fishtail Rapids
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Sunrise, Fishtail Rapids
The hot, rocky way downriver
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Finding a bit of shade
More gifts from rafters
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Our camp at the confluence of Kanab Creek and the Colorado
Lots of sucker fish in Kanab Creek
Early morning, starting up Kanab Creek
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Springs
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Lunchtime is a happy time
Going feral
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Scotty’s Castle, a giant fin of rock in a riverbend
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Rainbow trout in Kanab Creek
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George Steck, the guidebook author, calls these big rocks chockstones. They make the going slow
Showerbath Springs
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Near where the water dries up
No more water in the creek
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At the intersection of Jumpup Canyon, on the right
In Jumpup Canyon
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Flowering western redbud
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At the infamous Obstacle Pool, which in this low rainfall year is dry
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Heading up Indian Hollow
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Mother nature finds a way
Near the end of the water in Indian Hollow
Following Indian Hollow up
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It gets a bit hairy in the upper reaches of Indian Hollow. Colin uses rope to get his pack down
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Hoisting the packs up
Almost there . . .
Almost there . . .
Back at the start
Sweet deliverance
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Ravaged footwear from “carnivorous limestone”
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