Brian Lane - Hikernuts Grand Canyon Companion: A Guide to Hiking and Backpacking the Most Popular Trails into the Canyon ()

2007, 2012 by:

aSenseofNature,LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

Edited by Kathleen Bryant
Art Direction by Larry Lindahl
Text, photographs, maps, and graphics by
Brian J. Lane (unless otherwise specified)
(additional thanks to Pamela & John Chionis)

NOTE: The author assumes no liability for any injury or damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. The maps provided in this guide are for illustrative purposes only. They are not to scale and are not intended for use in route finding. Each has been hand drawn, and if you dont see inconsistencies between each map, youre not looking hard enough. A detailed topographic map of the area is necessary for hiking and backpacking.

SECOND EDITION

ISBN: 978-1-581-57160-8
ISBN 978-1-581-57770-9 (e-book)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2006910176

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091

Distributed by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Printed in the United States of America

Hikernut is a registered trademark of A Sense of Nature, LLC.

Background photo: Bright Angel Creek looking toward the South Rim from the bridge at Bright Angel Campground.

B orn and raised in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, Ive lived in Arizona since 1992. My wife La Quita and I have a small ranch near Sedona where we raise our animals and grow veggies. A former U.S. Marine, Ive attended Clark University, Massachusetts College of Art, and Kaplan University, majoring in art, media, and paralegal studies, among others. A NOLS/WMI certified Wilderness First Responder, I am also a horticulturist, forestry and wildlife conservationist, and master watershed steward advocating for watershed ecosystems and sustainable resource management.

Brian at Bright Angel Trailhead after hiking out from Phantom Ranch.

As for the Hikernut moniker Ive been using it since the first time I signed up for an email account many years ago. I figured that giving myself such an address would help ensure that I continued to get out there and keep hiking. The nickname also came about due to the so called crazy pace I tend to keep when hiking uphill.

La Quita says that some people are called to the canyon, and I guess Im one. The canyon is an odd dichotomy of beauty and harshness. In the early morning climbing out, panting and puffing, all I have to do is look at the sunlight slowly pouring into the canyon and I cant help but smile. I hike the canyon to experience its incomparable scenery, for the challenge of hiking such a rugged area, and as a test of my fitness. Hiking the canyon forces me to get out there, stay fit, and physically push myself. I believe those who dont test themselvesexerting oneself past the point of physical discomfortwill never really know themselves.

Hike Safe and Have Fun! Brian Lane Sedona, Arizona

S o, you want to hike into the Grand Canyon. I dont blame you. It is one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the world, and the only way to really see it in all its splendor is by going below the rim. On a partly cloudy day as the clouds cause shadows to undulate in, out, and around the multi-colored rock formations, it is incomparable in its beauty. To venture and explore the inner canyon is to gain a fresh perspective that very few of the nearly five million visitors each year ever dare to undertake.

I have written this guide as an introduction, mainly for novices, to the most popular trails of the inner canyon, commonly called the Central Corridor Trails: Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and North Kaibab Trails. These are the easily followed, well-maintained trails. There are usually plenty of other folks on the trail to assist you if you find yourself in a predicament. All other trails into the Grand Canyon are considered wilderness trails. They are not maintained, require advanced route-finding skills, and are not advised for first-time canyon travelers.

A view of the Inner Canyon looking down at the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River from South Kaibab Trail.

If you have never hiked or backpacked into the canyon, this condensed book has been designed so it could be taken with you during the trip. It includes trail descriptions, trip planning information, some helpful hints, rudimentary maps, and contact information.

As for my own personal background, I have been hiking and backpacking in the canyon for over two decades now, and have traveled most inner canyon trails during nearly 50 overnight trips. I have had my day pack opened and riffled through by a raven, fallen on the trail more than once, and suffered through a bout of stomach virus that kept me up all night prior to one hike out. Add to that some of my other backpacking experiences in the High Sierras, San Juan Mountains, and Alaska (to name a few favorites), and I figure I have enough experience to issue a little practical advice, providing the reader and potential canyon traveler with a few of my perceptions on how to manage it all. I hope youll find most of this information useful, and hope even more that you enjoy your Grand Canyon Central Corridor experience as much as I have always enjoyed my own. The canyon is truly one of the most visually stunning, spectacular, and awe inspiring sights in the world.

Side Step:Canyon Facts

The Grand Canyon is over 5,000vertical feetdeep, 18 miles wide, 277 river miles long, and the North Rim is nearly 1,200 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim. While the South Rim receives about 5 million visitors each year, the North Rim sees only about one-tenth that amount of visitation. This is primarily due to easier highway access to the South Rim, the greater amount of canyon views and services available on the South Rim, and the fact that the North Rim is officially closed from mid-October through mid-May.