Sierra Club Outings | Royal Arch & Elves Chasm Loop, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Royal Arch & Elves Chasm Loop, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
April 13-19, 2008

Highlights:

Exquisite views in remote area of the Grand Canyon.
Waterfalls, swimming holes and Colorado River beaches.
Royal Arch and Elves Chasm

Includes:

Good camaraderie and adventure.
All meals and cooking equipment.
Permits and guidance on trails.

Note: A backcountry permit can't be applied for until December 1, 2007, because of Grand Canyon National Park rules. The dates may have to be changed or the trip altered to obtain the needed permit. The permit will be obtained by January, and the dates and itinerary solidified.

Royal Arch and Elves Chasm are spectacular oases in the Grand Canyon. Our journey to visit these Canyon jewels is on a remote and infrequently traveled route off the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The trailhead is near the Havasupai Indian Reservation in the western part of the Park. The Royal Arch drainage is in a wilderness called the Aztec Amphitheater. We will enjoy broad sweeping vistas, narrow shady canyons and beaches on the Colorado as we make our way along this route.

There are a couple of obstacles that make for a little adventure on this route. The first has been referred to as the Ledge which is about 15 feet of a 6-inch ledge with a 100-foot drop below. We will go take a look but there is also a route that avoids this obstacle, although it makes for some gnarly hiking for about a half-mile. The other obstacle along the route is a 20-foot drop. Participants will be lowered down this 20-foot drop. The leader has extensive climbing experience and is very comfortable with this type of obstacle.

We will have some long days but the trip is not rushed and there will be time for just contemplating this vast and magnificent wilderness. It is usually dry this time of year so rain should not be a problem. It should be warm during the day, about 85 degrees, and cooler at night, about 65. On the rim temperatures will be about 70 during the day and 35 at night. Because of the warmth, we can keep our clothing to a minimum and have relatively light packs. We will try to avoid the mid-day heat by hiking in the early morning and later in the afternoon. Canyon weather can vary significantly, and be hotter, cooler or wetter than expected.

Almost 4,000 years ago, man made the first impressions on the area we now know as the Grand Canyon. A few cliff dwellings, a handprint or some carved steps in a vertical wall are the only reminders left of the ancient people who spent time here. John Wesley Powell’s exploration of the Colorado River in 1869 led prospectors, railroad men and promoters to dream of ways to turn the wonders of the Canyon into personal fortunes. It wasn’t until after World War II that tourists and hikers began to visit the area to enjoy its beauty and solitude. Harvey Butchart and his family came to Flagstaff during the post war period to teach mathematics at Northern Arizona University. He discovered the Canyon and for the next 40 years spent much of his free time exploring the backcountry of this fabulous place. Our knowledge of many of the trails and ways of the Canyon come from his detailed notes.

Day 2 - 3: A gradual descent into the east arm of Royal Arch drainage will start our day. The hiking is pretty and easy as we hike down the east arm. There may be pools of water where we can fill up along the way. Just before the main Royal Arch drainage we come to a big dryfall which we have to avoid. We take the alternative route to the Ledge (described above). Once in Royal Arch drainage the hiking gets harder. We will be boulder hopping and slowly descending, sometimes we will pass packs down as we navigate around some big boulders. The canyon is narrower here, providing shade. Depending on the amount of water we may have to wade in places along the drainage. If there is sufficient water we might break this day into two and explore Aztec Amphitheater. If not we will hike to Royal Arch and camp. A spring begins about a half mile before Royal Arch providing us with plenty of water. It is about 8 miles from our last camp all the way to Royal Arch.

Day 4: We go up a route marked by cairns to get out of Royal Arch drainage and then make our way along an easy path to Toltec beach along the Colorado. Along the way we will come to the 20-foot cliff where we will lower everyone on a climbing rope (see above). It is only 3 miles to Toltec beach from Royal Arch. We will camp here and day-hike one and one half miles downriver to Elves Chasm where we can swim and cool off before returning to Toltec beach.

Day 5: An early start will take us over to Garnet Canyon where we will meet up with the Tonto Trail. This is the western most point of this maintained trail that traverses the Tonto Plateau from the Hance Trail to the east. We will continue hiking to Copper Canyon where we will camp for the night. We will have some great views and some easy hiking along the Tonto. It is about 9 miles from Toltec to Copper Canyon. As time allows we will explore Copper Canyon.

Day 6: Our hike continues along the Tonto steeply descending into Bass Canyon. Our route continues down Bass Canyon and traverses a plateau about 150’ above the Colorado till we find the break that takes us to Bass beach where we will camp. Our hike will be about 6 or 7 miles.

Day 7: We will start early and hike up the South Bass trail, which is in excellent condition, to our starting point. It is 7 miles and 4,500’ of elevation gain. We will leave at dawn and return to the trailhead by about noon.

Note: The exact itinerary for the trip may vary from what I describe above. We may do a layover day or spread our hiking out. It depends on the weather, how much water there is and the strength and preferences of the group.

We will meet in Tusayan at 8:30 a.m. on day one. Tusayan is about 70 miles from Flagstaff, AZ and is just a couple of miles before the main Grand Canyon Park Entrance. Make your reservation early and you can stay at one of the hotels in the park on the South Rim. You can also stay at a hotel in Tusayan or Flagstaff.

We will caravan together to the South Bass trailhead where we will leave our vehicles and where our trip begins and ends. It is about 30 miles of dirt road which begins just north of Tusayan and is in pretty good condition until the last 10 miles where it becomes increasingly rutted. It will take about 2-3 hours. A high clearance vehicle is necessary to get to the trailhead. We have to cross about two to three miles of the Havasupai Reservation and they will charge us $25 per vehicle. The leader will facilitate sharing vehicle rentals among participants. If there are enough participants interested, a shuttle can be hired to take several participants to and from the trailhead from Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.

Our first trip meal will be lunch on day one, and the last meal will be breakfast on the last day. Trip meals will include some meat but the vegetarians can be accommodated. Trip participants share in meal preparation and clean up. We try to bring enough food so everyone is satisfied but also want to keep our packs as light as possible. We try to make the food appetizing but fairly simple to prepare. Our main reason for this trip is not cooking, although everyone will likely be more than satisfied. Everybody shares in the cooking chores, which will be easily manageable.

We cover approximately 40 miles with packs on this trip and have roughly 5,000 feet of elevation change up and down. That is an average of less than 7 miles a day. We will also do several miles of day hiking without packs. Some of the hiking is easy but some is pretty arduous. The hiking is surprisingly varied with stretches of easy flat hiking on the Esplanade alternating with areas of continuous boulder hopping. About two thirds of the trip is off trail but still on a well traveled route. The remainder of the trip is on excellent trails on the Tonto Plateau and South Bass.

We will bring pots, stoves and food but you need to bring a Sierra cup and/or dish and spoon for your personal use. We will distribute about 12-14 pounds of group food and gear for each participant to carry at the beginning of the trip. Group water will be purified with chlorine tablets or boiling. We will distribute tablets to participants for purification of personal drinking water. Bring enough water containers to carry four quarts of water and have them filled when we meet on day one.

We strongly discourage anyone from bringing a heavy pack. If your pack seems like you’re going on an Everest expedition we will work with you to remove non-essential items to lighten your load. This trip will be much easier if you keep your weight down to the minimum. The leaders will start the trip with 39 lbs. Their pack weight includes 4 quarts of water, 12-14 pounds of group food and gear and all personal gear (sleeping bag, clothes, camera, etc).

Barry will send a very specific equipment list after you have signed up for the trip.

• Hillerman, Tony, Skeleton Man
A recent novel by this fine Southwest author set partly in the Grand Canyon.

• Zwinger, Ann Haymond, Downcanyon
This book won the 1995 Western Book Award for Creative Nonfiction.

There are numerous conservation issues regarding the Grand Canyon: the introduction of condors; noise from sightseeing aircraft; air quality over the park; control of the Colorado river by Glen Canyon Dam; and visitor management including backcountry use. The biggest issue, though, is water use by burgeoning cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson. These cities largely depend on the Colorado River for water and are running it dry.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Barry Morenz has lived in Tucson for over 25 years and loves to travel in the nearby mountains and canyons, as well as throughout the American West. He has led Sierra Club trips for many years, and travels regularly to the Caribbean where he enjoys the varied cultures, Mayan history and magnificent coral reefs of the region. A lifelong student, Barry enjoys studying the natural and cultural history of the areas he visits, and experiencing with others the wild and historically significant places of the world. The camaraderie of sharing adventure travel with other Sierra Club trip members is especially rewarding, as it provides a way to educate people about the need to protect these fragile corners of our planet and leave an environmentally-sound legacy for generations to come.

E-mail: bmorenz@u.arizona.edu

Sarah Ball was raised in Tucson and now lives in San Diego. She is still partial to the Southwest but loves to travel to beautiful wild places wherever they are. She likes a dose of adventure on trips. She is energetic but usually keeps a steady, moderate pace. Sarah and Barry have led several Sierra Club trips together.