Grand Canyon Off trail trip - 2 weeks off N Rim

[tshimko]

trying to keep this alive...leaving within 10 days

 

I realize the cc.com may not be the best place to look, but I'm looking for a very adventurous sort of person, not a run-of-the-mill hiker

 

I did much of this trip in Spring 2009. I left much of a two person food cache near Blacktail Canyon, planning on coming back with my partner this fall (I did the Spring trip solo). She won't be going, another friend decided to go, but he tells me his knee is in bad shape.

 

I'd really like to do this again, except start and end at Muav Saddle, Swamp Pt, Powell Plateau trailhead. As mentioned I've done all but the part from Muav saddle to the Tapeats Creek/Thunder River confluence. Food cache has almost enough food for two people, plus a box of Black Box cabernet.

 

This trip was the best hiking trip I have ever done in the GC.

See trip report from 5/20/09, Shinumo......

http://www.arizonahikers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8377&highlight=powell+plateau

Description below, except starts and ends at Muav saddle.

 

Mid to late October after the heat lessens. With rest days, 12-14 days.

 

Following is description of Spring Trip. Fall allows access to Muav saddle directly:

 

A trip along some of the best parts of the Grand Canyon, a circumambulation of the Powell Plateau, via Thunder River, Tapeats Creek, Colorado River, North Bass Trail. See George Steck's Hiking Grand Canyon Loops, pages 79-97. Steck starts and ends the trip at Swamp Point to Muav Saddle, but because I want to do this in the Spring, I'm thinking of going in via the Thunder River Trail. Still access to this trailhead in late March or early April might also have snow problems so might need to do some road walking to trailhead.

 

Bill Hall Trail to Thunder River, down Tapeats Creek to Colorado, up-river past Stone, Galloway, Bedrock canyons (I've been to here in 2008, see trip report coming soon), 128, 127 and 122 mile creeks, Blacktail, Walthenberg, Hakatai canyons to North Bass Trail, up to Muav Saddle, down via Saddle/Stina canyons to upper Tapeats Creek, and back to Thunder River. Possible side trip to Deer Creek area on way out.

 

Probably a two week trip. Might get a food cache dropped along River at midpoint (North Bass perhaps).

 

This is the trip I would have done this past Spring if I had done better research beforehand. Instead some gazing at the map while in Deer Creek area near end of trip, followed by some proper research afterwards hatched this.

 

Looking for 1 or 2 experienced GC backcountry traveler(s) only.

 

Seem also my 2007 Trip report, "Hiking to Unkar and other Adventures"

 

Edited October 9, 2009 by tshimko