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The Trip

Unfortunately, this trip has been cancelled. If you have questions, please contact us.

Note: Applications for backcountry permits in the Grand Canyon will not be confirmed until the middle of December. As a result, the itinerary and dates for this trip could change.

Our journey is managed by only a few people each year and will be an epic challenge. Our route was used by Native Americans who lived in the area for thousands of years and later by horse thieves, prospectors and geologists. We will see Native American ruins and artifacts of early explorers along the way. Legends describe horse thieves riding their loot on ancient routes into Marble Canyon from Utah. These horse rustlers utilized a natural break in the cliffs caused by the Butte Fault to get to a shallow crossing of the Colorado near Unkar Creek. Once across the Colorado the route that would become the Tanner trail was used to get the stolen horses into Arizona where they were sold. These thieves would then steal more horses in Arizona and reverse their route, taking them to Utah for sale. The area was explored in 1870 by John Wesley Powell, director of the US Geologic Survey. Powell returned in 1882 with a group that included Brigham Young Jr, son of the Mormon prophet, to study the Canyon’s strata. During that time they constructed the Nankoweap Trail, which we utilize to leave the Canyon on the last day of our trip.

Starting on the South Rim at the Grand Canyon Village, we will start out hiking down the recently rebuilt South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch. From there we take the Clear Creek Trail to its terminus where we leave all trails behind until the last day of our trip. Visiting some of the most exquisite spots in the Canyon, our off-trail journey has been described as a roller-coaster ride because it crosses a series of saddles to visit nine creeks: Vishnu, Unkar, Lava, Carbon, Sixtymile, Awatubi, Malgosa, Kwagunt, and finally Nankoweap. We will have a geologic feast as we see or hike on virtually all of the strata in the Canyon from the typical Kaibab and Redwall Limestone layers to the infrequently seen Galeros and Sixtymile Formations. The massive Butte Fault is responsible for creating the unique geologic profile that permits us to do this incredible hike. Once at Nankoweap Creek we will once again use a trail -- the remarkable Nankoweap Trail, with its sweeping views from Tilted Mesa and Marion Point -- to exit the Canyon.

Itinerary

Day 1: We will meet in the early morning at the Grand Canyon Backcountry Office in Grand Canyon Village. From there we will take one of the park shuttles to the S Kaibab trailhead to begin our hike. We will have a pleasant hike to the Colorado, descending 4,700’ over 6 miles. It is another .5 miles to Phantom Ranch, where we will fill up on water for our dry camp in Sumner Wash. We will climb about 1,300’ over 4 miles to our camp for the evening, which has splendid sweeping views of the Canyon. Although we will cover 10 miles, today is a relatively easy day on good trails.

Day 2: Our hike will continue on the Tonto platform past Zoraster Canyon and descend to Clear Creek, where the tail ends. We will continue down Clear Creek for about a mile until turning up an unnamed drainage full of Redbud trees (hopefully in bloom) to our camp. The total mileage today is about 8, with 3 of those miles off-trail. The elevation gain and loss is roughly 500’. Today is another relatively easy day with no major obstacles and the possibility of a swim in Clear Creek.

Day 3: Today we continue hiking up our unnamed drainage to an easy break in the Tapeats, which gets us back on the Tonto platform. Hiking continues to be relatively easy as we hike on the Tonto to the drainage that will take us to the saddle between Wotan’s Throne and Angel’s Gate. As we get nearer the saddle the drainage becomes steep and treacherous in places. We break the Redwall with some narrow but solid ramps and shelves to the saddle. We may pass packs in places as we break the Redwall. Once in the saddle we have a lovely and relatively level hike along the Supai to Hall’s Butte where we descend a steep talus slope into Vishnu. We will stop to obtain water part of the way down the slope at a good spring and little oasis. Camp will be in the upper Tapeats in Vishnu Canyon. Today is a big day, even though we have only hiked about 5.5 miles with a 1,600’ elevation gain and loss.

Day 4: Hiking up Vishnu we will fill up with water at another good spring before the water disappears farther up Vishnu. As we approach the saddle that will take us to Unkar, we will have to hike a little way up an unnamed drainage. From there we get to a talus slope that is gentle enough (although still steep) that we can hike up for about 300’ to get to a shelf that we can hike on back to the main drainage. This detour enables us to avoid an impassable 100’ dryfall in the main drainage. Once back in the main drainage, we have a steep but straightforward hike to the saddle. After the saddle and a short ramp that get us through the Redwall, we will hike the unnamed and beautiful side canyon down to Unkar for water, cottonwoods, and camp for the night. Today we have hiked about 6.5 miles, ascending over 1,700’ and descending 2,100.’

Day 5: Hiking up Unkar is pleasant all the way to Juno Saddle. Descending the other side is a challenge as we have to pick just the right spot to break the Redwall -- and the route can be very brushy in places. Once through the Redwall the hiking is steep but becomes easier as we approach Lava. Once in Lava we will look at some intriguing Native American ruins. Upper Lava is an especially pristine spot on our journey. We will hike a couple of miles down Lava to a pleasant camp near some cottonwoods. Today is another big day as we have hiked 6.5 miles with an ascent of over 1,700’ and descent of 1,900.’

Day 6: Today is a leisure day as we hike 3.5 miles down beautiful Lava to the Colorado and camp at the beach. We will pick up our cache at the Colorado and watch the world go by.

Day 7: Today we hike up Lava about 1 mile and then cross over a low ridge to Carbon Creek. We will be carrying fresh supplies and 6 to 8 quarts of water each as we will not get to water again until Kwagunt. Hiking is easy up Carbon for a few miles and then becomes steeper as we approach the saddle behind Chuar Butte. There is the spoor of an old trail near the top, which makes the climb easier. After the saddle we descend into Sixtymile Canyon where we will camp. Today is another big day as we ascend 2,300’ and descend 800’ over 6.5 miles fully loaded with food and water.

Day 8: Our hike takes us over a series of three saddles to Awatubi, Malgosa and finally Kwagunt Creek, where we will have water and camp for the night. Over 4.5 miles we ascend 1,800’ and descend 2,200.’ If we have any energy left over we can take an easy two-mile hike to the Colorado from camp.

Day 9: We will climb to the saddle and make our way to the top of Nankoweap Butte with a 360-degree commanding view of the dramatic landscape all around. We will be able to see back over much of the country we covered in the prior week. We will then hike down to Nankoweap Creek and camp for the night. Today we hike about 4 miles with an elevation gain and loss of about 1,300.’

Day 10: We are back on a trail today for the first time in a week as we hike up the beautiful Nankoweap Trail past Tilted Mesa and Marion Point to Saddle Mountain. We then descend to the Nankoweap trailhead and a shuttle that will take us back to Grand Canyon Village. Today we hike up 4,000’ and down 1,100’ over 10 miles. We will stop for dinner in Marble Canyon on our drive back to the Village and probably won’t arrive at the Grand Canyon Backcountry Office until 10 p.m.

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. The trip officially begins and ends at the Backcountry Office on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Getting There

We will meet at the Backcountry Office at 5 p.m. on April 7, the evening before the trip begins for a trip briefing and to pass out commissary equipment and food. The leaders will be staying at the nearby Maswik Lodge before and after the trip. Since we probably won’t arrive at the Backcountry Office until after 10 p.m. on April 17th, make reservations for a room in Grand Canyon Village after the trip as well as before the trip. After you are approved by the leader, 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. 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).

Accommodations and Food

Our first trip meal will be lunch on day one and the last meal will be lunch on the last day. Trip meals will include some meat, but vegetarians can be accommodated. We will have a cache dropped at Lava so we can resupply about halfway through the hike. Trip participants help with 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

This is the most challenging and spectacular hike the Sierra Club offers in the Grand Canyon. We cover about 65 miles with packs and 40 of the miles are off-trail. We ascend almost 16,000’ over the course of the 10 days and descend almost 17,000'. The hiking is surprisingly varied with stretches of easy flat hiking and stretches of treacherous steep talus. And there is some exposure in places but it is brief and not continuous or extensive. This trip is for experienced backpackers who can hike in challenging off-trail terrain and understand how to set up and strike their camp efficiently. By the end of this trip participants will likely feel a great sense of accomplishment as this trip is difficult for all who undertake it. We have tried to pace the trip so that we do have easier days and downtime to enjoy the solitude and peace of this pristine area of the Canyon.

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 four quarts of water, 12-14 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; Phantom Ranch, Cape Royal, Cape Solitude, Nankoweap Mesa, and Point Imperial. 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.
• Huisinga, Ann, Lori Makarick, and Kate Watters, River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon. Mountain Press Publishing 2006.

Websites:

• The Grand Canyon Association is a great resource with many books of interest. Please visit 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, uranium mining threats, 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.

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:

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

Co-Leader:

Shelly Eberly has loved hiking and backpacking since being old enough to walk, and she has finally balanced work and play enough to have time to share that passion with others. She has led backpacking trips in the ecologically rich Appalachians of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and in the deserts of Utah and Arizona. Regardless of where she is backpacking, Shelly looks forward to sharing the rejuvenating power of the natural world with you. She is a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Email: shelly@shellysoutings.com

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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