Fall Hiking Adventure 2008
Grand Canyon
Fall Hiking Adventure 2008
# 280901
Saturday, September 27th - Sunday, October 1st, 2008
* The Grand Canyon, of course. How about, you in the Grand Canyon
* Spectacular, more remote trails. Camping without the crowds in the heart of the Grand Canyon
* Dayhike slot canyons, side canyons, time to explore from base camp
* Historic Mining area and Caves
* Water on route to nourish you, glowing sunsets as only found in the Grand Canyon to mesmerize you
* Route to River
* 3 different side canyons from base camps
* Permits provided
* Lodging in mid-range hotel, tenting in canyon, steep trails with 40lb backpacks about 5-6 miles/day
$999 includes transport from Phoenix, two nights lodging, double occupancy, permits, food while on trail, guides, desert stars. ($300 non-refundable deposit due to register. Balance due by check or cash by July 23, 2008. Airfare additional.)
Touted as one of the wonders of the world, here is a chance to hike down into and explore this abyss. Most hikers will stay on the standard routes. Beyond this lies limitless areas to explore and be in an area that feels untouched. Probably the best downhill hike in the world! Join us for this week down into geologic time. This backpack will take you for a week of exploring side canyons and the main river by using off trail routes. Descend to the river that John Wesley Powell defied death to explore. Stand besides the roar of its rapids. The coolness of autumn is a perfect time to head into the canyon. We will take several days to access a remote area of the park and then explore by dayhiking this area before heading back up and out. Sleep under a desert star lit sky. Follow coyote tracks in the washes. Round corner after corner of sculpted, pastel, beauty.
Hello Desert Hiker:
This could be you! Imagine just having left the peace and beauty behind of the Grand Canyon! I have been all over the world and to watch the walls of the canyon glowing at sunrise and sunset rivals any place I have been.
You interested in this hike into a timeless, depth of desert? This letter will help answer some of your questions.
Why go? Hey, it’s the Grand Canyon! It does not need much of an introduction. To spend a week in its depth exploring, hiking and walking down through geologic time is one of those must do adventures for any outdoor person at least once in their life.
To see the Grand Canyon for the first time is an experience few people will forget. The canyon vista -- with its incomprehensible size, deep color, and rich display of rock layers -- is unmatched by any natural display on Earth. But while the rock formations may seem arid and lifeless, the Grand Canyon is home to an astounding variety of creatures. In its mile-deep plunge, the Grand Canyon's terrain ranges from conifer forest to desert, with river niches in between.
These different habitats allow a great diversity of wildlife to live throughout the canyon. Looking down from the rim, you might spot a bighorn sheep casually walking up a nearly vertical grade or a chuckwalla lizard basking in the sun. At the bottom, you might catch a glimpse of the Colorado River as it rushes along the canyon floor.
The canyon is a monument to its own creation, owed mostly to the mighty river. Flowing from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, the Colorado River is the carving force behind this 277-mile-long chasm. This water source is also the lifeline for the many animals that live at the base of the Canyon. From there, you can follow the 6,000-foot walls as they rise from the water, a visual chronology of the six million years it took to form the canyon.
From forest above to desert below, the Grand Canyon is made up of environments of the most extreme nature, and both natives and visitors must adapt to them. Above the canyon, floor birds and bighorn sheep enjoy life on the literal edge as sheer cliffs drop thousands of feet below. Several thousand feet down, Gila monsters hunt for Gambel's quail nests in order to devour the eggs. Walking the canyon can be more demanding for humans than wildlife, since most visitors have never experienced this kind of dry, thin air, high altitude, and frightening vertical drop. A hike down the rocky steeps is not as easy as it looks from the top. While the rock face is a little more than one vertical mile, the walk is seven miles long. Switchback trails take the sting out of the slope, but they lengthen the distance to your destination. Add to this a starting elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level on the South Rim and your heart might start racing rather quickly -- especially on your return ascent. When we make it to the canyon floor and the river, you are still about 2,500 feet above sea level.
Why this area? We think it is the best combination of leaving the crowds of Bright Angel behind. Shorter backpacks with water most days. Great side canyons to explore. Historic mining area. Cave area. Fewer people. At large camping. Several oases like side canyons of water. Moderate trails for the Grand Canyon.
Following is the schedule. The exact route is determined when we send in the permit. It is a complicated process, and you don’t know what you are going to end with until you send in some suggested routes. Final permits can’t go out until 3 months ahead.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 27th-Fly to Phoenix. There is a flight from Rochester that leaves around 6:00 am and gets into Phoenix around 10:00 am. It is running $350 right now. This year we left out of Buffalo for $240 roundtrip and used a van to carpool to Buffalo. Plan to arrive by the evening in Phoenix. I will be arriving mid day to buy food…Once you are in you can take a shuttle to the hotel and we will gather there for a pizza party at the hotel for dinner.
Sunday, -Drive 4 hours to Grand Canyon. Pass through Saguaro Cactus area.
Start Hike-Grandview, Cottonwood Creek, and Grapevine is the preferred route and area. We have to get on the permit system which means we can't guarantee which trail we start on. There are many options. We will reserve a trail when the options become available. The first day we usually descend to Cottonwood Creek. This spectacular route takes us away from the main trafficked area. We pass the mining areas at Horseshoe Mesa and down to the oasis at Cottonwood. 5 miles and lots of downhill.
Monday- 5 miles around to Grapevine on the Tonto Trail. Fairly level. Grapevine is an amazing sandstone slot canyon just below where we intersect it. It has some beautiful pour overs and the dayhike down the canyon rivals any in the Grand Canyon. Don’t tell anyone I told you here how nice it is so that people don’t go there.
Day Hike Grapevine. Great hidden springs and pools on the way down. Seldom hiked area. Expect to see noone.
Tuesday- Hike back to Horseshoe Mesa. 7 miles. If you want to descend to the river we can dayhike it on the way back. There is a very steep trail to the inner gorge. Beautiful route though. Great cave to explore on horseshoe mesa.
Wednesday- Hike out from Horse Mesa. 3 miles. Arrive on top about 11 am. Drive back to Phoenix .
Thursday- Fly home
Group size limited to 9 participants, plus Julie and I.
Temperature: It depends on the elevation. At the top we could get a frost at night and shorts weather in daytime. By the river it will be cool at night and up to 80’s in daytime. Expect dry, sunny weather. October is one of the finest months for hiking.
Equipment: You will need basic backpacking equipment. We can supply what you don’t have for a small rental fee. You won’t need much since it is the desert. Expect to carry around 40 lbs. We will send you a list when you register. Be diligent on not taking much. More on that when you sign up.
Cost: $999 includes transport from Phoenix, two nights lodging double occupancy, permits, food while on trail, guides, desert stars. Airfare additional. $300 nonrefundable deposit due to register
PPS REFUND POLICY
This year we have revised our refund policy to make it easier for people to register further in advance of a trip. We understand that when you register well in advance of a trip, there are many unknowns ahead. It is important that you realize that once you have registered we immediately incur expenses on your behalf. We appreciate that emergencies happen and have set the refund policy below to try to accommodate you and yet maintain quality programs. Many of our groups are small with complicated logistics. Because many people start planning longer trips a year or more in advance it can be difficult to fill your empty spot if you cancel. To receive a refund from the time we receive your written notice the following applies:
For longer courses the following schedule applies as calculated from the date of receipt of the written notice. If you cancel from date of booking to 6 months prior to departure date—Full refund minus expenditures. Three months before the trip—Full refund minus the deposit. If you cancel within 30-60 days of the trip 50% of full trip cost is returned. If you cancel within 30 days of the trip, no refund.
CONTACT: Give Julie a call to register. 585.329.3664