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The Trip

Applications for backcountry permits are not accepted until December 1, 2011, because of Grand Canyon National Park rules. Thus, the dates may have to be changed or the trip altered to obtain the needed permit. Our itinerary and dates will be solidified by early January 2012 after a permit is obtained from the Park Service.

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 entire Royal Arch drainage is in a wilderness unto itself 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' drop below. We will take a look at the Ledge, but there is now a route that avoids this obstacle -- it makes for some gnarly hiking for about a half mile, but there are no death-defying drops. The other obstacle is a 20-foot drop along the route. Participants and their packs will be lowered down this 20-foot drop. The leader has extensive climbing experience and is very comfortable with this type of obstacle.

There are some long days on this journey but there will also be time for contemplating this vast and magnificent wilderness. It is usually dry this time of year so rain is not a frequent problem, but it can be very windy. It is often warm during the day with temperatures in the 80s in the Inner Canyon. Nights will be cooler with temperatures in the 50s. On the rim temperatures are considerably cooler; 60s during the day and 30s at night. Canyon weather can vary dramatically, and be hotter, cooler, windier, or wetter than expected.

About 13,000 years ago, humans made their first impressions in the Grand Canyon area. Tools, figurines, petroglyphs, pictographs, baskets, pithouses and other archaeological artifacts have been found sprinkled throughout the Canyon, including the areas we will visit. John Wesley Powell's exploration of the Colorado River in 1869 led prospectors, railroad men, and promoters (like William Bass) to dream of ways to turn the wonders of the Grand Canyon into personal fortunes. Yet not until after World War II did tourists and hikers began to seek out the area's beauty and solitude. Harvey Butchart and his family came to Flagstaff during the postwar period to teach mathematics at Northern Arizona University. Intrepid backcountry hikers like us are indebted to him for the 40 years he spent exploring and writing in his free time about the trails and routes of this fabulous wilderness.

The geology of the Grand Canyon is appreciated around the world because of its many colorful strata from Kaibab limestone to Tapeats sandstone. These upper layers record our earth's history to the beginning of the Cambrian Period 545 million years ago. In addition to journeying through all the layers, we will also hike on the Elves Chasm Pluton -- the oldest rock formation in the Canyon dating to over 1.8 billion years ago, representing a third of our planet’s history. The Canyon has an incredibly rich and diverse range of plants and animals because of the many ecological niches -- from the Canadian life zone on the North Rim to the Great Basin, and the Sonoran and Mohave deserts that converge in the Inner Canyon. Spring is a great time to enjoy the abundance of wildflowers that occur in the many niches and life zones of the Canyon.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet at 6:30 a.m. on April 21, 2012 at the Backcountry Visitor Center to caravan to the South Bass Trailhead. After a brief trailhead talk, we will hike down the South Bass Trail about one and a half miles to the Esplanade, which is about a 1,500' descent on good trail. We will then leave the South Bass Trail, turning west and continuing 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: Today will be layover day to enable us to hike up to Point Huitzil for some sweeping views of the Aztec Amphitheater. If we are lucky we’ll see some Ancestral Puebloan rock art panels along the way. Our off-trail hike today is only 2.5 miles round-trip, but we will ascend 1,500' and descend the same 1,500' back to camp in that 2.5 miles.

Day 3: 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 dryfall, which we must 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 our packs down as we navigate around and down 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 and a gradual descent from our first camp to Royal Arch.

Day 4: 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 three miles to Toltec Beach from Royal Arch, but negotiating the 20-foot cliff will take two to three hours.

Day 5: 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 6: An early start will take us on a route near the Colorado to Garnet Canyon where we connect with the Tonto Trail. This is the westernmost point of this maintained trail that traverses the Tonto Plateau from the Hance Trail far to the east. We will continue hiking to Copper Canyon and descend off-trail to Bass's old mine, where we will spend the night. We will have some great views and easy hiking along the Tonto. It is about nine miles from Toltec to Copper Canyon.

Day 7: 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 two to three 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 8: 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 with some fairly easy hiking along the South Bass Trail to our starting point. It is about 3-4 miles and 1,500 feet 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 I describe above depending on weather, water availability, and the strength and preferences of the group.

Getting There

At 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 2012 we meet at the Backcountry Visitor Center on the South Rim for a trip briefing and commissary distribution. The leaders will be staying at the Maswik Lodge. Make your lodging reservations promptly as this is a popular time of year at the Canyon http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com. Grand Canyon National Park is about 75 miles from Flagstaff or 180 miles from Phoenix, AZ. Regular flights are available to either Phoenix or Flagstaff and ground shuttles are available from either city to Grand Canyon Village (http://www.arizonashuttle.com). Alternatively, fly into Las Vegas and then schedule a flight to the Tusayan airport just south of the Park entrance. We need to traverse 30 miles of dirt road to the trailhead. The road is in pretty good condition until the last 10 miles, where it becomes increasingly rutted and requires a high clearance vehicle. It will take us about two hours of driving from the Backcountry Visitor Center to the trailhead. We will be charged $25 per vehicle to cross two to three miles of the Havasupai Reservation to access the trailhead.

Accommodations and Food

Our first trip meal will be lunch on Saturday, April 21, 2012 and the last meal will be breakfast on Saturday, April 28, 2012. 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. Everyone will likely be more than satisfied.

Trip Difficulty

On this trip, we will cover approximately 40 miles with packs 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 seven 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 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; the Tonto and South Bass Trails. All backpack trips are physically demanding and Grand Canyon backpack trips can be especially demanding with dramatic levation changes, exposure to the sun, and potentially hot conditions. This trip would be appropriate for an experienced backpacker in good physical condition.

Equipment and Clothing

Pots, stoves, eating utensils, and Sierra cups are provided. We will distribute about 12 to 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 four quarts of water and have them filled when we meet for our briefing before the trip. Carrying a heavy pack, which means more than 40 lbs. fully loaded, is very tiring. The leaders will be pleased to work with you before the trip to choose functional lightweight equipment that will help make your trip much easier and pleasant. The leader's pack weight at the beginning of the trip will be 40 lbs. or less, including 4 quarts of water, 12 to 14 lbs of group food and gear, and all personal gear (sleeping bag, clothes, camera, etc).

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

References

Maps:

• 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/.

Books:

• Ranney, Wayne, Carving Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon Association, 2005. Read about how the Grand Canyon may have come into existence.
• Osborne, Sophie A. H., Condors in Canyon Country: The Return of the California Condor to the Grand Canyon Region. Grand Canyon Association, 2008. An epic attempt to save a great bird.
• Childs, Craig, House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest. Back Bay Books, 2008. A non-fiction cultural adventure about the Anasazi.
• Price, L. Greer, An Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology. Grand Canyon Association, 1999. An accessible book with plenty of illustrations and photos about Grand Canyon geology.
• Anderson, Michael F., Living at the Edge. Grand Canyon Association, 1998. About the colorful people who explored and settled in the Grand Canyon.
• Houk, Rose, An Introduction to Grand Canyon Ecology. Grand Canyon Association, 1996. A brief primer on the complex web of life in the Canyon.
• Coder, Christopher M., An Introduction to Grand Canyon Prehistory. Grand Canyon Association, 2006. A short overview of the early people of the Grand Canyon area.

Websites:

• The Grand Canyon Association is a great resource with many books of interest. See http://www.grandcanyon.org.

Conservation

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 that includes backcountry use. However, the biggest issue 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.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under a permit from Grand Canyon National Park.

Trip Price

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

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.

Staff

Leader:

Dan Pettit has lived in the Chicago area for 17 years, affectionately known as the swamp given its flatness, but travels west at every opportunity to experience deep canyons and soaring peaks. An avid backpacker for 20 years Dan became enamored with Sierra Club Outings program in 2006 and recently completed his 15th Sierra Club trip including leader training in July of 2010. Dan has a deep interest in and passion for the world's diverse cultures having biked solo across Eastern Europe in the early '90s and trekked in Tibet and Nepal. His interests lie closer to home now as he looks forward to helping other explore North America's natural wonders through Sierra Club outings to help protect and preserve these fragile places.

E-mail: djp1162@sbcglobal.net

Co-leader:

Barry Morenz has lived in Tucson for over 30 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

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Carpooling
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback
• Wilderness Manners