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Nankoweap to Phantom Ranch! |
This was to be a great one! Nankoweap to Phantom Ranch and up the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim. Mike "Slick" Isaacs, Steve Pillow, Bill Keryan, and his brother "Horse" Keryan, and I, all started from the trailhead at Saddle Mountain early one Sunday. The weather was great and we were all young experienced canyon hikers with many miles under our belts. Even Horse from Dallas had a rim to rim to boast of! The trip down the Nankoweap was fairly uneventful with nothing more than the usual shenanigans of the boys. At Nankoweap Creek we set up a camp and relaxed for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we would dayhike to the river for looks at the ruins and some fishing for Rainbows and Browns.
Day two started a little cloudy, but we were unconcerned and ready to fish. Bill, as usual was hauling them in , but we threw most back, keeping only a couple for our main course. I had left my day gear about ten feet from the creek at its confluence with the river. Looking back up to the North Rim it was snowing and raining and obscured by clouds. The next thing I knew my toilet paper came floating by me in the suddenly swollen Nankoweap Creek. Shocked, I lunged for that precious paper, successfully, but there was now a hole in the baggie and the paper was soaked. I prayed our camp was still there as the creek had risen a couple of feet and flowed red. The clouds were moving down canyon as the day grew later so we headed back to camp and prepared for rain. The trout was great and we all stayed reasonable dry with our tarps and bivy sacks. No tents here - too heavy.
Day three Slick, Steve and I said goodbye to Bill and Horse. They were going to spend another day and then hike back up Nankoweap Trail. Slick, Steve and I headed down creek to begin our journey to the South Rim. At the Colorado River we were to head downstream along the river to past the Little Colorado confluence where we would mount the Tonto. the going was rough despite the nice day. Thistle, Tamarisks, oaks, willows, and mesquites all fought us. Sometimes we could walk the beach at water's edge. At other times we headed above the vegetation but that was a battle in itself. There was no easy way. We were glad to see the beach at Malgosa, our camp for the night.
Day four seemed to go better. Sometimes it takes a day or two to get used to being offtrail and finding the path of least resistance. Our goal today was the Little Colorado confluence, a fairly easy day, so Steve and Slick went ahead while I fished some holes. The Tapeats began to appear and made for nice sidewalks and fast going at water edge. It was fun following the ledges. I had no luck fishing. Big brown trouts swam within casting range but made no move toward my Rostertail or spinners. Very frustrating. The beach at the Little Colorado was nice and had some small airplane wreckage on it. The Little Colorado was raging. the Colorado suddenly changed form cool, clear, green to muddy red. A spectacular sight! Soon, though, it started to rain again, but the tapeats overhangs made a nice refuge.
Day five, started with no rain, but the rim was shrouded and clouds threatened. We decided to keep moving as the day was cool. Today, we were to mount the tapeats in front of Chuar Butte and leave the river. We had lunch between Chuar and Temple Butte. There was pieces of airplanes all over the place from the midair crash of two jetliners back in the fifties. None very big, but hoses, metal, and even a ladies handbag could be found. It was very sad and eerie. We made a run down the canyon to the river just to see if it would work. The Colorado was raging and Clorox bottles, Penzoil bottles and various other trash floated by from somewhere on the Navaho Reservation. It did not look like the Colorado, it looked like a culvert in Phoenix after a big moonsoon. After our lunch we continued in front of Temple Butte toward our destination Carbon Creek. It was now raining like hell, and the tonto became very muddy. Rocks, formerly cemented in place, would jump out at the slightest pressure. Finally we made Carbon, and settled down in a nice overhang in the Tapeats. Out of the rain and in some dry clothes we were comfortable for the afternoon. The rain finally let up so we dayhiked to the river once again before dinner.
Day six dawned bright and clear. After yesterdays beating we were a little low on the biorythmns and took it easy. All we had to do was cut over to Lava Creek, hike down to the river again to see if it worked and then head up creek to the spring and our camp for the night. This day we were sweating and broke out the gatoraid. It was brushy and a wet socker but we made camp in time to do some laundry and relax. That night Slick broke out the shortwave and we enjoyed the BBC from Great Britain. Lava has a good flow and the water is good. We saw some Anasazi ruins and felt a ghost walking around our camp in the full moon. The first confirmed ghost I have experienced. It was hard to sleep after that!
Day seven was a rest day and well deserved. Steve and Slick hung out around camp, so I headed up Lava creek to look for the Atoka Point route from below. The redwall was tricky but doable with the aid of a tree and the Supai, as usual, was tough. By lunch I was looking over to Kwagunt and the route down. Atoka Point was right above me, but that would have to wait awhile and the brush looked bad. I headed back down, and made good time and even saw the Hartman Natural Bridge. Steve and Slick and a dinner going and soon we had the BBC again. This area was so nice, we wished we had food to spend a couple more days, kind of like Phantom Creek. We were already rationing our food and counting the days to the ranch. Steve and Slick had originally opted to go cold turkey on coffee but changed their minds. Consequently, we had three quarters of a teaspoon a piece each morning from my stash. Almost cold turkey! My slowly drying toilet paper was also a concern. The wet wipes were becoming less and less and I was voting to quicken our pace a little. Slick gave me a myriad of natural alternatives readily available in the canyon which I would consider during each days travel.
Day eight was the beginning of the trip out. We planned to go over the redwall to Unkar, then to Vishnu, Clear Creek, Phantom, and out. Five more days. the climb up the south arm of Lava Creek was not too bad till almost the top of the redwall. Harvey describes a deertrail but we lost it toward the top. We had to raise our packs with the rope and do some fingernail and toe climbing to make the top. I am not sure we took the easiest way. The unkar side was a fast run down to the dry bed of Unkar Creek in the Tapeats. We saw some nice ruins in the bed toward the Angels Window. Harvey described Unkar as fast to the river and he is correct. It is level and dry most of the way and like walking in a shopping mall. Part of it is lined with tamarisks but water only appears in one or two places. We camped at Unkar Rapid and settled out the still muddy river water. We Slept well with the noise of the rapid but were damp form the mist in the morning.
Day nine, off to Unkar. Gradually back up to the tapeats and away form the river for the last time. It was cool, the rim cloudy and snow covered, but not raining on us. The views of the South Rim as we gained elevation were spectacular. The clouds fell off the rim in a dance. The sun poked through and bathed us in light while it was snowing on both the North and South Rims. The heat from the canyon pushing the clouds up and to the rims. These views this day were awesome and alone were worth the effort of the entire hike. Steve's pack was finally lightening up to a tolerable level and he was leading now, easily with his long legs. Suddenly we became swarmed by nats. All afternoon we brushed them away from our faces. We had lunch in Asbestos Canyon, but pushed on for Vishnu. The rain came again as the sun set, but we had a big boulder in the bed of Vishnu for shelter. We had shelter every night except the nights on the beaches. Our packs were so light now they were like day packs. We were seasoned and could keep moving on the rough terrain from dusk to dawn; then get up the next day and do it again.
Day nine was just that. Get up and move for Clear Creek and civilization! On the tonto we rounded Disappointment and Double Disappointment easily. My first time to Disappointment from Clear Creek was a complete failure and a big disappointment, but things went well this time. We were at Clear Creek by just after lunch! We had a hot lunch, then Steve and Slick headed for Phantom. From Vishnu to Phantom in a day! they are the best! I did not feel comfortable imposing on the Phantom Ranchers so I hung out at Clear Creek under an overhang for shelter. It turned out to be a bad move as I was bored with no BBC or Steve or Slick for entertainment. I slept a little, watched the stars and finally determined that it must be close to sunrise. I had no watch, but was attuned to nature after nine days. I packed up and headed out by a waning moon to Phantom. I did the entire Clear Creek Trail in the dark. It was amazing. The rims and Zoroaster above me I did not use my light, I only lost the trail once going through Zoroaster Canyon. At Phantom it was raining and even the breakfast cook was not up. Nine days and I still didn't have a clue as to the time. I saw the flag in front of the ranger station and was shocked that they refused to bring it in out of the rain! I headed through the campground and across the Silver Bridge eating snacks to keep my energy up. The Devil's Corkscrew was hell. At the three mile house the sun began to rise and a laser beam of sunlight fell on Zoroaster. If I was a Neanderthal I would of been on my knees bowing to the gods. As it was I was on my knees bowing to exhaustion but not so tired I could not appreciate a miracle. A couple more hours and I was sitting in the Tusayan/Grand Canyon Shuttle with Dave McClung at the wheel hauling my exhausted ass back to Tusayan and my nice trailer.
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