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

Royal Arch & Elves Chasm Loop, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
April 12-April 18, 2009

Highlights:

See exquisite views in remote area of the Grand Canyon
Enjoy waterfalls, swimming holes and Colorado River beaches
Visit Royal Arch and Elves Chasm

Includes:

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

Please Note: 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 whole 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 now a route that avoids this obstacle and makes for some difficult hiking for about a half mile, but there are no death defying drops to deal with. The other obstacle is a 20-foot drop along the route. 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 degrees during the day and 35 degrees 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 1: At the South Bass Trailhead we will sort out the commissary and gear. We will start hiking as early as possible after a brief trailhead talk. Our hike will take us down the South Bass Trail about one and a half miles to the Esplanade which is about a 1,500-foot descent on good trail. We will then leave the South Bass trail turning west and continue cross country along the Esplanade. The hiking is mostly level and easy along great sheets of rock. Around side canyons the hiking is more arduous as we have to hike over rubble and boulders to get to the opposite side. We will plan to camp in the east arm of the Royal Arch drainage where there is usually a modest amount of water. The distance is about 7 miles.

Day 2: A gradual descent down 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 dry fall which we have to avoid. We take the alternative route to the Ledge (described above). Once in Royal Arch drainage (also called the Redwall Gorge) the hiking becomes 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. A spring begins about a half mile before Royal Arch providing us with plenty of water for camping. It is about 7 miles from our first camp to Royal Arch.

Day 3: We will linger for a couple hours to enjoy this beautiful spot and then ascend a route marked by cairns to leave the Redwall Gorge. We then make our way along a path to Toltec beach next to the Colorado. Along the way we will come to the 20-foot cliff where the leader will lower everyone on a climbing rope (see above). It is only 3 miles to Toltec beach from Royal Arch but negotiating the 20-foot cliff will take two to three hours.

Day 4: Today is a layover day to allow us to hike about 1.5 miles down the Colorado on a poor to fair trail to Elves Chasm. We will linger in this beautiful oasis exploring the several waterfalls in the area. After our return to Toltec Beach there will be time to relax and enjoy Toltec Beach and the Colorado.

Day 5: An early start will take us on a route near the Colorado to Garnet Canyon where we 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 descend off trail to Bass's old mine where we will spend 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.

Day 6: We will start early ascending on a poor to fair trail on the other side of Copper Canyon until we connect again with the Tonto Trail on the opposite side of Copper Canyon. After about 3 miles we steeply descend into Bass Canyon. We will drop our packs and hike a little less than a mile to a lovely beach where Bass Canyon meets the Colorado. After lunch we will return to our packs and start a steady and sometimes steep ascent to the Esplanade along the well maintained South Bass trail. Our afternoon hike involves an ascent of 3,000 vertical feet. Our distance will be about 7 - 8 miles for the day with packs.

Day 7: For those interested we will awake before dawn and hike to the top of Mt. Huethawali where we will have splendid views of the entire area we have hiked during the week. After returning to camp and picking up our packs we will continue some fairly easy hiking along the South Bass trail to our starting point. It is about 3 � 4 miles and 1,500-foot of elevation gain to the cars. We should arrive at the cars by noon.

Note: The exact itinerary for the trip may vary from what is described above depending on the weather, water availability and the strength and preferences of the group.

We will meet in Tusayan at 6:30 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. We will caravan together to the South Bass trailhead where we will leave our vehicles and where our trip begins and ends. We need to traverse 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 us about 2 hours of driving. A high clearance vehicle is necessary to get to the trailhead. We have to cross two to three miles of the Havasupai Reservation and they will charge us $25 per vehicle.

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 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 make. Sarah is a good cook and everyone will likely be more than satisfied.

We cover approximately 40 miles with packs on this trip and have over 10,000 feet of elevation change considering our descent into the Canyon and our hike back out. And in between there is plenty of more minor up and down hiking that will keep our heart rates up. Our average daily distance is less than 7 miles. We will also do several miles of day hiking without packs during the week. Some of the hiking is easy but there is considerable arduous hiking as well. The hiking is surprisingly varied with stretches of easy flat hiking on the Esplanade alternating with stretches of continuous boulder hopping. About a half to two thirds of the trip is off trail but is still on a well traveled route and the remainder is on excellent trails on the Tonto Plateau and South Bass. All backpack trips are physically demanding and Grand Canyon backpack trips can be especially demanding with dramatic elevation changes, exposure to the sun and potentially hot conditions. This trip is rated moderate to strenuous but is probably closer to the strenuous end of the moderate to strenuous continuum then the moderate end.

We bring the 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 lbs. of group food and gear for each participant to carry at the beginning of the trip. Group water will be purified with MicroPur chlorine tablets or boiling. We will distribute Micropur tablets to participants for purification of personal drinking water. Bring enough water containers to carry 4 quarts of water and have them filled when we meet on Sunday, April 12, 2009. We strongly discourage anyone from bringing a heavy pack. If your pack seems too heavy we will work with you to remove non-essential items to lighten your load. This trip will be much easier and more pleasant if you keep your weight to the minimum. The trip leaders will start the trip with 39 lbs. Their pack weight includes 4 quarts of water, 12-14 lbs. of group food and gear and all personal gear (sleeping bag, clothes, camera, etc).

A very specific equipment list will be sent after you have signed up for the trip.

• The following USGS 7.5 minute series maps will cover our route; Explorers Monument and Havasupai Point. Maps can be purchased from Map Express 800-627-0039 or http://mapexp.com/ .

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 the Glen Canyon Dam and visitor management including backcountry use. The biggest issue though is water use in the West by burgeoning cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson. These cities largely depend on the Colorado River for their 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 and Central America where he enjoys the varied cultures, Mayan history and magnificent birds and 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 educates people about the need to protect these fragile corners of our planet and leave an environmentally sound legacy for future generations.

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.