South Canyon

[desertgirl]

A foray into South Canyon to spend a night on the shores of the Colorado tempted me again....the element of intrigue for this edition of the venture was some vertical cliff climbing as we headed down to intercept the main South Canyon trail via a route (may be a trail ) that drops down from the tip of the intersection of Bedrock Canyon and South Canyon and ends up joining the main South Canyon trail just top of the drop off at Bedrock Canyon. As always was the tempting targets of riparian wonderment that is Vasey's Paradise. Trying to get across from Redwall cavern was an added element on the "to-do" list.

It was the usual cast (Todd, Linda, Diane, Tracy, Susan, Tim, Hank, Tom and Ambika). Tracy, Tom and Ambika made it to the TH just in time to watch the day's last rays light South Canyon. Perfect trail directions ( Thanks Susan n' Hank) get us quicky to our destination. We duly note the "Little cactus needs you help" signs along the way and we head to the road's end. The camp spot of choice is already claimed and we now haveto make camp large enough for the group at a spot a bit further back along the road. Tom finds us a old camp spot complete with a fire ring and rusted cans! The camp that was being reclaimed back into nature had to be resurructed ...the fire ring fixed and functional and some rocks cleared away. Protective barriers of rocks were erected around some of the "cactus needing our help". Thanks Tracy! Campsite views are expansive....the brush dotted terrain framed by the Vermillion cliffs out in the distance with the gash that is South Canyon opening up in the foreground. Saddle Mountain behind us are still snow dusted ... The river -emerald green snaking its way deep in the canyon punctuated by the whitecaps of the riffles that are near Vasey's Paradise. We would be there tomorrow and as I took in the views, I reminised on my past trips to South Canyon. One thing that is unique about this TH is that you can virtually see all of the terrain you will be hiking through. Peering over the edge, the canyon walls drops off sharply..descending down in what we will come to call "Stairmaster to Hell"...The limestone ledges have weather into a really rough surface that is quick to shred your skin!

Camp set up I walk over and around to the "trailhead" and its flanked by a pair of cairns..welcoming you into the depths of the Grandcanyon. The views in the eastern end of the canyon ( Marble Canyon) is quite different from the "typical" Grand canyon view that you are treated to mid canyon. The canyon walls are narrow and sheer and the side canyons short and steep rushing headlong to meet up with main canyon. The rock layers in this area goes down to the redwall...(Redwall looks greyish here - the color its
supposed to be rather than the usual Supai stained red we all fondly look upon as Redwall!) The last fleeting shades of orange on the canyon walls fade as the day draws to a close and the air gets a cool bite to it...I head back to camp and we collectively nurse our 3-hr log to get it going, trading stories and just hanging out watching the day give way to night. The sky is clear and stars pop out and moon light is bright -- Yeah! the weather will hold out and we can go lightweight sans our tents! The fire seems to lack
warmth so we get to coaxing the previously sputtering "Safeway" log to life and soon are huddled around the fire again...About 10:00 pm we make moves to turn in and soon enough Susan, Diane, Tim and Hank come on into camp ...and settle in! "Susan's SUV is running on fumes..." so the news is! and we will have a leisurely start! I snuggle in for a long rest....until the morning chill is punctuated by a car alarm...its 5:45 and there's a darn car alarm shrieking away in the morning stillness....Soon the mystery is solved and the car alarm is replaced with chatter or muttering ....Oh! Todd and Linda had made it in as well ....Anyway we were up and about. Can't really recall what went on ...but we finally made our way down the road to the TH by about 9:00 am ish.

We were soon climbing down hand over foot through the top end of the cliff face. The downclimb was challenging and intimidating at time ...you were looking down some significant exposures and many a times just a handhold or foothold made te difference between you clinging on to the rockface and being "On Trail" and being condor fodder!
The base of the 1st section ..a semblance of a trail emerges and we quickly make it down to a flat area. Regrouping, we head down the next stretch...this is a quick descent down a chute and the rock debri fan that followed it down to the Esplande level. The descent is difficult - loose rocks and scree make it rather tedious. Soon we are replinshing our flagging energy and stash some water into an alcove that we will use on the way up. We cool off for a while and take in the views. South Canyon heads in directly before us and Bedrock canyon comes in to our right ...Our target is the confluence and we are one more descent away from the stream bottom of Bedrock Canyon.

We soon pick our way down this next chute and and shortly are wandering along the bottom of Bedrock Canyon ...Its 2hrs so far! Any my mind wanders on to tomorrow when I must climb up what we had just descended .....We come up to the pouroff just down stream of Bedrock Canyon confluence with Southcanyon and we peer over the edge .....~ 40ft-50ft below at a deep hole at the base of the pouroff filled with water ...Tim edges up to the very end and soon he is reeled back in by a concerned group ...after all its a fairly long drop to some slickrock. We take the trail off to the cayon right and skirt the pouroff and soon descend down to the stream bottom. From here on for about a mile its picking your way around boulders ..some times the luxury of a use trail and cairns marking you way. Soon we encounter a bunch of carins on canyon left that maek the way up to the top of the redwall where in the trail stays until it drops down the redwall to the silky sands on the banks. This trail is up hill for a good measure, looking down below you see the main stream bed coursing over slickrock and heading into narrows. On one section you will see a series of choke stones and deep pools of water -definitely a challenge for those that choose to follow the stream bed. If you choose to do this go prepared....from all I have read its a quasi-technical section (Doable for those that have the skills and difficult and dangerous for those that lack.) As you meander along the trail high up.. (it is a trail here that sometimes get a tad close to the edge), the far wall of the canyon seems tanatlizingly close, you can hear the river and you starin for glimpse of the river around each bend ...the walls below have a bunch of caves of varying sizes and if you look carefully you might even spot an arch or two ...on canyon right. Finally, round that one last bend you see the river and are treated to a wonderful view of Vasey's Paradise on the right and a far reaching upstream view of the Colorado on the other. From here you have a bit to go still ...that one last down climb to reach the river.Watch you footing and soon you will be on solid terrain..A quick trail takes you up to the main beach. You walk past a few ruins of Anazazi(?) pithouses and a few more are located upriver from where the trail heads to the beach.

We stopped for munchies ...a few wandered up canyon and got past the 1st dropoff and scaled a few caves. The 2nd dropoff did not lend itself to be climbed so after a few attempts we wandered on back to the group. Some time in the ensuing lethargy - Susan and Tracy decamped to go check out Vasey's and Redwall Cavern view and I missed them. We wandered on to the beach and set up camp...a group of 3 other hikers vacated and we moved in. The South canyon area was one crowded place.. a couple of hiking parties, a private boat trip as well as a commercial trip that had stopped for a while ...Yikes! I had never seen so many people on my previous trips ..infact on my last trip we saw no one! Well, our turf staked out with our tarps, we hid in the meger shade the tamarisks offered....we cooled aching feet in the icy river and padded about the soft silt in bare feet -- heavenly! The water was far out from the beach only to rise up as the day progressed ... water would soon lap back at the high water mark...The rush of the river and the ever so slight breeze off the river was cooling ....

Todd and Linda were up for Vasey's so I scampered to join them ...and off we went. As we set out Susan and Tracy walked into camp and we traded notes. I had been there before so we quickly picked our way up along the river past the party camped on the beach (We should have had this site ) and past the other beach where a boat party had camped and on the rocks ....Ideally there is a high route you can take that puts you on a trail that goes past Stanton's cave and then you drop down to the beach next to Vasey's but as always we picked our way along the shore line till we could go no further and then scaled up a slab to get up near Stanton' cave ...a brief stop to gaze up at the grilled cave front and off we went picking our way across another exposed slab and down to the beach...Linda did not really care for this exposed climbing but she forged on....What a trooper! Soon we picked our way across the slick rock to Vasey's ...it was not too bad ..the moss and algage was not too slick this time around and we eventually made it all the way around to see the full glory of Vasey's wreathed in red and yellow monkey flowers and the purple blooms of redbuds...and not a sign of the poison ivy .

[center:b8b04b36c8][/center:b8b04b36c8]
[center:b8b04b36c8]Vasey's Paradise[/center:b8b04b36c8]
We picked our way around carefully...I just had to drink off the spring and play in the icy streams. There 2 main falls coming out of the contact in the wall and they cascade over rocks breaking into hundereds of streamlets that come together and separate again cascading downhill -- like a veil of intricate lace. I wanted to play some more ...I wanted to follow the bank to see redwall cavern ...but the golden glow of the setting sun was reflecting in the river and prudence pervailed and I reluctantly turned around. This time we took the much easier trail back ....photo ops abound upriver as the river turned gold in the setting sun. We had a few minor encounters with cacti thorns ...and we were soon back at camp. I was glad I went to Vasey's ...I was happy Linda & Todd made it there too....

Camp looked welcoming ...now I was to find out what I did not like about light weight backpacking ...I wanted a warm meal ...but I had my tortilla wrap again...I wanted to fill my water bladder but I did not have something to pour in water ...I miss my Nalgene! Public pity on my whining got me a bottle and I addressed my water situation ....Note to self .....never hit the trail without the Nalgene bottle. I had carried in a super lightweight full size tripod and I was quite satisfied with the performance of my 10$ 1lb el-cheapo tripod! I could have shaved off some weight on some of the stuff I did not use and got my bottle and may be a stove ? Everyone was tired and we soon ended up retiring for the night ...I sat up gazing at the darting bats and caught 2 falling stars ....and some where before the 3rd drifted off to sleep. Some how I missed all the entertainment the ringtails provided so I will leave it to those that were blessed by their visit to elaborate ...

<Insert "The Ringtail Show">

Morning came early and watched the sky slowly loose its inky darkness and details emerge on the canyon walls. Coffee and packing and we were back on the trail by 8:15 am ....Return was a focused activity for the most part ....each hiking along. We reached the base of our climb-out in 2 hrs and soon we heading up the 3 stage ascent! We picked up our stash and wow! I located some crinoids (per Hank) fossils ...I was excited and explored the limestone chunks for more of them .... We soon headed up and were out with the lead folks topping at 12:30 ish and pretty much everyone out by 1:30 pm. I personally enjoyed the climb up and it definitely was not everyone's cup o tea...we all made it out safe and with just a few scratches to show ....Cooling sodas and beers soon had us bantering ....a stop for lunch and a long drive home....another one for the memory books ...for some "a been there done that" for others "temptation to return!".....

Thanks for the great time You all are the best!

Photos: http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/modules.php?set_albumName=albvg56&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
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Photos: http://www.pbase.com/desertgirl/galleries
Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream!

[GeorgAz]

Great writeup! All the challenges were well met! Very cool! Grand time at the Grand!

[BoyNhisDog]

That sounds like an intense adventure. Good writing and now awaiting photos.
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Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
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[Davis2001R6]

Thanks for the great write-up Amibika, I was hoping someone would be up to the task. What an awesome Hike, this one will be a favorite of mine. The hike had a little bit of everything. Some Rock Climbing, some trail finding, a few scree sections, some bouldering through a creek, and a good section of ups and downs that makes you think the river is still a mile a way. 20 minutes later your hearing rapids and seeing rafts float by. 2 Night would make this trip great!

For all of you Canon Camera Lovers beware of the dreaded E-18 error, www.e18error.com Seems my camera fell victim too if between my last picture on the trail and the car ride home. People want $150-200 just to take a look at the camera. Mine is the SD400 is your wondering.

I'll have my pics up by tomorrow.

TIM

[Suz]

What a place!

I knew I had to get there, I'm so glad I did and I'm incredibly thankful for all of you that were willing and able to join in the experience.

Quivering quads while clinging to cliffs, Tales of fresh breathed Ringtails and Cat Brat Burglars lurking in the night, an incredible display of colors at Vasey's Paradise and all the glory of the Colorado River in a Grand setting were more fun and adventure than our words and photos will ever capture.

I wonder what's next?????????????


---245 photos to sort through here so mine might take a week or so to get posted. (I'll start a gallery with 2 now because I know how hard it is to wait and will let you all know when the others are up)

[Davis2001R6]

Ok I lied, my photos are up today instead of tomorrow

[Shihiyea]

Great write up and pic's! WOW, nice area....a place for my 'to do list'.
Mary
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Courage affects what we are willing to do for ourselves as well as what we are willing to do for an other person.
C. Myss

[wanderingsoul]

The pictures I've seen so far are spectacular. Did Tim look like a happy camper or what? Nice write up Ambika, sounds like a trip to remember.
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Wanderingsoul (Michelle)

Positive Thinking Is the Spark that Makes Dreams Happen~~~Unknown

[Davis2001R6]

Ok people now I've posted my pictures and Diane's pictures. The rest of you should be ashamed!

[paintninaz]

[Davis2001R6]

How about a new rule?

The last person of the group to post the photo's has to do the write-up for the next hike!

[Shawn]

Did you all go into Stanton's Cave?
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The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

[Suz]

Stanton's Cave is grilled up.

[desertgirl]

[Hnak]

The gate is to protect the bat colony that nests in there... Also there are (were?) a lot of artifacts that were buried in the dirt on the floor of the cave that need to be protected too.
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The world is older and bigger than we are. This is a hard truth for some folks to swallow. —EDWARD ABBEY