Grand Canyon rim to rim hike - grandcanyonrimtorimhike

The trail starts innocuously enough
However, after the next bend it plunges nearly 2,000 feet in about three-quarters of a mile, as the raven flies

View down Tanner Canyon early in the hike
Escalante and Cardenas Buttes are on the left, while the sheer walls of the Palisades of the Desert are on the right

View northeast from high in the Kaibab, early in the hike
Cape Final is in the distance, along with numerous buttes of the eastern part of the Canyon

A glimpse of Escalante Butte through pines and limestone blocks
The blocks are Kaibab limestone, which is the highest and at 270 million years, the youngest strata of rock in the Grand Canyon

Another view of Tanner Canyon and the Palisades of the Desert
We're still descending through the Kabibab, but we're lower and the perspective is changing

Isis Temple, Zoroaster Temple, Wotans Throne, Vishnu Temple and Cape Ro
Looking northwest from high in the Supai, on the west side of the ravine below Lipan Point

Seventyfive Mile Creek
View from the Stegosaurus Rocks atop Seventyfive saddle, which is a "catwalk" at the head of Seventyfive Mile and Tanner canyons, bridging the headwaters of both

Desert Watch Tower high above Tanner Canyonsigned by M
The tower was designed by Mary Colter, who is justly famous for many of her designs in the Grand Canyon; the tower was built in 1932

First night
A brief early evening snow shower hastened our effort to set up the tent!

View to the Supai ridge above our campsite
The rocks beneath the pinyon pine served as our dinner table, and we hung our OutSak food bag from its branches

Escalante Butte from our first campsite
Note its eroded cap of Coconino sandstone

Desert Watch Tower high above Tanner Canyon,The tower was designed by M
The watchtower dominates much of the Tanner Trail, but note that we've now drawn even with it

Cardenas Butte, from the first campsite
Cardenas is part of the same ridge separating Tanner Canyon from the main canyon as is Escalante Butte; its pinnacle is composed of the red rocks of the Supai group and Hermit formation

A small un-named butte on the ridge between Escalante and Cardenas Buttes
Again, from the first campsite

As we proceeded on the along the Supai ridge the view began to cpen up
The trail along the Supai ridge on the west side of Tanner Canyon was more or less level, and with the expanding views to the north made for very pleasant hiking

Further along the Supai ridge, the river finally becomes visible
The cliffs of the Desert Facade are on the right, while on the left is Lava Butte, tilted by ancient tectonic activity.

Blythe, hiking through the Supai
Note the Desert Watchtower high on the rim behind her

Looking northwest from above the Redwall
A good view of the tilted rocks of the super group - the Nankoweap formation, Cardenas lava and the Dox formation - below the level strata of the newer strata

Looking from the trail at the top of the Redwall descent
The view extends from Cape Final on the North Rim to the Desert Facade,Tanner Creek, dry at this time of the year, feeds into the river from the center of the photo

Another view of the river and the Canyon from above the Redwall
At this point, the trail is about 2,200 feet above the river, and 2,300 feet below the rim

View to the west from atop the Redwall
Vishnu Temple, Wotans Throne and Cape Royal are in the far distance, with the northern arm of Cardenas Butte is in the middle distance

Two hikers descending through the Redwall
On the Tanner Trail, the only gap in the Redwall permitting access to the canyon below is near the northern end of the Redwall

Muav cliffs are rather unusual, but good examples can be found in Tanner Canyon
Note the trail skirting the slope far below the greenish cliffs (This photo was actually taken 2 days later, during our ascent)

Looking down on Muav cliffs below the gap in the Redwall
I sprained my ankle crossing rockslides on the right side of this side canyon

My sprained ankle
Later the entire foot turned a really lurid green, but fortunately it wasn't a bad sprain and I continued hiking without much difficulty

Close-up of one of the Muav cliffs
The greenish cast to the Muav limestone and Tonto mudstone is due to the mineral glauconite

A good view of the tilted rocks of the "super group"
The rocks of the Nankoweap formation, Cardenas lava and Dox sandstone, as well as several newer strata above them, were eroded away in the central portion of what is now the Canyon before the much younger Tapeats sandstone was laid down.

Looking down the Canyon past a crumbling Muav slope
Comanche Point and Espejo Butte are to the right, and the Colorado disappears upriver into the Marble Canyon

The trail descends through more typical Muav talus slopes here
The river is now about thirteen hundred feet below the trail

We are now below the Muav and Tapeats sandstone, and traversing a Dox slope
A Dox formation slope can be seen as well on the opposite side of Tanner Canyon

Blythe descending the steep trail through the Dox
Scree on the Dox tended to be flat rather than rounded, and provided better footing than the scree of any other rock strata

Tanner Beach and the river, drawing ever closer as we descend
The rocks on the left (north) side of the river testify to the power of the ancient Butte fault, which dropped the block of dark Cardenas lava on the right several hundred feet below the sloping Dox formation to its right, and also tilted Lava Butte beyond

Comanche Point, towering over the Tapeats and Dox formations at its feet
Comanche Point isn't very noticeable from the rim, but it dominates the view from Tanner Beach

Almost there!
The dry bed of Tanner Creek

Success! Tanner Beach
From the left: a bluff of Cardenas lava, Tanner rapids and the Palisades of the Desert in the afternoon sun

The campsite at Tanner Beach
Tanner rapids are fifteen feet to the left of the tent. The site had a sandy floor, and was shaded by tamarisk

Tanner Beach sand dunes
The foreboding backdrop is a combination of the super group rocks of Cardenas lava and Dox formation

Globemallow blooming on Tanner Beach
A sign of the march of seasons: last May we found globemallow (Sphaeralcea) blooming on Horseshoe Mesa and in the Supai group soils of the Hermit Trail, but not in the bottom of the Canyon

The Palisades of the Desert, glowing above Tanner Beach in late afternoon
Note, too, the vegetation covering the dunes in the foreground

Comanche Point from Tanner Beach
Our weather at Tanner Beach was perfect - nice temperatures, brilliant blue skies, puffy white clouds and gentle breezes, with a nearly full moon at night

Tanner Beach, late afternoon
Just above Tanner Rapids is a wonderful spot to watch the late afternoon sun "paint" the Canyon

Close-up of the cliffs and vegetation at Tanner Beach
The Canyon can be appreciated on so many levels!

Moonrise over Comanche Point
The moon was waxing for our hike, becoming full on our last night

Escalante Trails end, entering Tanner Beach
On our by-day, we took a short hike west along the Escalante, which parallels the river

View up the Canyon from the Escalante Trail
The gap in the eastern wall is the junction with the canyon of the little Colorado River

Dunes along the river
Looking south, towards Escalante Butte

An early Opuntia bloom
By May the lower Canyon is covered with these beautiful flowers

Another moonrise over Tanner Beach
The rock is a detail of the Palisades of the Desert, with the red being Esplanade sandstone

View west from Tanner Beach
Vishnu Temple rises in the distance

Starting our climb back up to the rim
Looking over the trail through the Dox formation at the huge block of Cardenas lava dropped by a paroxysm of the Butte fault hundreds of years ago

Trail through the Dox, above Tanner creek and heading down towards the
Note the tilting Lava Butte, the dry bed of Tanner Creek and of course the trail snaking up the Dox slope

Looking back as we climb out on the Dox
Note the trail slicing across the steep Dox slope, as we climb higher and higher, leaving the river

Clouds over the North Rim
Wotans Throne and the rim from Cape Royal to Cape Final, above some Tonto hills along the Tanner

The trail through the Tonto
The river is about 1,500 feet beneath us but only a mile and a quarter behind us

Looking back at Tanner Creek and the tilted "super group" formations
This is one of the best examples of the super group rocks tilting up to the much younger Tapeats sandstone - seen here are not only some of the older supergroup formations (Dox and Cardenas) but also one of the Canyon's only exposures of the of the "newer" Sixtymile formation and Chuar subgroup of the supergroup's upper half

Comanche Point looming over the trail as we climb back up the Muav slopes
This section of the trail is one of the few respites in the otherwise relentless climb out of the river to the top of the Redwall

The trail looks almost level here, but in fact it is still steadily rising
We're heading for the gap through between the Redwall cliffs in the foreground and distance on the right

Blythe climbing the Redwall
The trail here is STEEP!

Comanche Point and the Palisades of the Desert
We're about halfway up the Redwall, as the afternoon shadows start to lengthen

Rest for the weary
Blythe, resting after climbing the Redwall

Another look back at the river, now 2700 feet below
View from a short side trail atop the Redwall -- one of the Canyon's most dramatic camping spots is located here

The trail levels off considerably once it reaches the red rocks atop the Redwall
The trail levels off considerably in the soils of the Supai group above the Redwall, and we were able to cover a lot more territory as the afternoon wore on

Once again Mary Colter
The Canyon walls glowed in late afternoon sun as we headed south toward the rim

Navajo Point, late afternoon
Considering the importance of the Navajo in this part of the country, Navajo Point is a rather unremarkable promontory on the Canyon wall

The Palisades, glowing in the late afternoon sun
By this point, we were eager to reach the water, food and cool weather clothing we had cached on our way down

Lipan Point
We were quite aware that the toughest part of the trail was still ahead - the next day's ascent of of Lipan Point, straight up the wash in the middle of the photo

Telephoto close-up of Desert Watchtower in the late aftenoon sun
The Desert Watchtower loomed high above our final night's campsite, and as dusk turned to night we could see the lights in the building

The last night on the trail
Both of our campsites in the Supai below Escalante Point offered tremendous views, but the fly was necessary to keep out the chilly wind

Seventyfive Mile Creek from Stegasorus rocks, on the way back up
These rocks top Seventyfive Mile saddle, about a half mile south of our campsite

Looking up at the final ascent, 1,500 ft in three-quarters of a mile
The trail heads straight up the ravine in the middle of the photo

View northwest from above Seventyfive Mile Saddle
Vishnu Temple and Wotans Throne are in the distance

By now we
Looking up at a Kaibab limestone spire atill far above us, but still below the rim

Looking back at Tanner Canyon from up in the Coconino
Comanche Point is the upward tilting promontory in the center of the photo

Blythe climbing up through the Coconino
The trail didn't ease up until we reached the rim

Toroweap pillars on a Coconino ridgeline
Such structures are unusual, as Toroweap generally erodes into fairly gentle slopes between the Kaibab and Coconino

A final look back towards Tanner Beach from high in the Kaibab
Escalante and Cardenas Buttes sit atop the ridgeline in the center, along which we walked for the middle of the hike

Tired but happy
Blythe at the trailhead

At last, the trailhead!
Jim, sprained ankle and all, but still happy

Morning at the Grand View trailhead
May 9: we're ready to go!

Zoroaster, Brahma and Deva Temples on a cloudy day
Viewed from the upper Grand View trail, May 9

View from our first campsite
Angel's Gate looms over the namesake trees of Cottonwood Creek, May 9

Our first morning in
Angel's Gate at sunrise, from the first campsite, at Cottonwood Creek, May 10

Zoroaster Temple, from Lonetree Creek
The North Rim was getting rain, while Hath and Nancy were starting the hike down the South Kaibab; May 11

Brahma and Zoroaster in the clouds
view from Bright Angel Point on the North Rim

Hikers descending through Tapeats gorge along Garden Creek
Although its little by Grand Canyon standards, this gorge is remarkably pretty and well worth the effort for energetic day hikers from the South Rim

Brahma and Zoroaster Temples; Skeleton Point is on the right
View across the Tonto platform from below the "Battleship"

Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) just west of Salt Creek
Also known as claret cup cactus

Late afternoon view to the northeast over Monument Creek
Isis Temple catches the sun

Looking west at dawn
Blythe contemplating the Canyon's beauty on our last morning in the Canyon

Cope Butte in the morning sun
Hermit Gorge stretches back on the right

Looking north up Hermit Creek Gorge, past Lookout Point
Beyond the inner gorge, the Tower of Ra stands in shadow with Osiris Temple to its right

Pinyon pine in Hermit Creek Gorge
Columbus Point is on the left and the Tower of Ra in the distance behind us

Santa Maria Spring is within reach of day hikers
Like Hermit trail, the rest house was built by the Santa Fe RR when it was developing Hermit Trail as a travel destination back around 1910

Looking back from near the Hermit trailhead
The Tower of Ra and Mencius temple and Point Sublime are in the distance

Morning at the Grand View trailhead
Looking over Horseshoe Mesa to Cape Royal

The morning started out beautifully
Looking northwest from the trailhead into the Grapevine Creek drainage

Blythe at the Grand View trailhead
Ready to descend

Jim, ready at the Grandview trailhead too
Jim was the "mule" and carried most of the supplies

Hail collecting on the upper trail
The sky clouded over just as we began, and shortly after it began hailing

Hail falling to the west, over Grapevine Creek
The hail continued for over an hour, but fortunately didn't affect the footing

Clouds, mist and falling hail over Horseshoe Mesa
Cape Royal and the eastern Canyon are in the background

Hail falling on the upper Grand View trail
The New Hance Creek drainage is beyond the ridge

Rain and hail in the New Hance drainage
The view is to the northeast

Grapevine Creek drainage through a veil
The view is to the northwest, through falling precipitation

The trail really IS that precipitous
Note the low overhang, the drop-off and the hail as Blythe inches her way down

Blythe descending through the Kaibab limestone
The hail didn't interfere much, but it did complicate matters

View Northwest from the upper Grand View
In the foreground is the ridge separating Cottonwood and Grapevine Creeks, with Zoroaster and Brahma Temples in the background

The Colorado and the eastern Canyon
View to the east through the veil of rain and hail

Zoroaster, Brahma and Deva Temples
View from the upper Grand View trail

Sun breaking through
The ever-changing cloud patterns made for beautiful and dramatic vistas

Horseshoe Mesa and the Eastern Canyon from the upper Grand View
The Colorado River shimmers in the distance

Horseshoe Mesa, the Grand View trail
Vishnu temple is in the distance beyond

To the right, the "Sinking Ship"
To the left, a formation looking like a WWII Yorktown class carrier which might have done the sinking

Starting to descend enough to change perspective
Looking northwest toward Zoroaster

A level section of the trail winds through the Coconino
Just below is the Coconino saddle, where we met a party coming up after hiking the Tanner trail and the Escalante route

A pretty, blooming up in the Coconino sandstone
We found the Canyon abloom with myriad species of wildflowers

Looking northwest past an overhang
We had to duck!

Zoroaster in the misty sunlight from a break in the clouds
The upper reaches of the trail passed by many pinyon pine and Utah junipers

Getting closer to the Coconino saddle
Again, note the lush vegetation at the higher elevations within the Canyon

Some of the trail was built for hauling copper a century ago
Nevertheless, these portions of the trail are still in good shape

Desert Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja augustifolia) in the Coconino
Indian Paintbrush was pretty common throughout much of the Canyon

Meanwhile, some of the trail has deteriorated considerably
The Grand View is considerably more difficult than any of the corridor trails

We are now dropping below the Coconino and entering the Supai
Note the cross-bedded Coconino sandstone on the left; Angel's Gate is across the river in the distance

The view of Horseshoe Mesa kept changing as we descended
Angel's Gate, Wotan's Throne and Vishnu Temple are in the distance

The trail was descending more slowly through the Supai strata
We crossed a saddle at this point and "contoured" along the talus slope on a fairly level trail

The trail crosses a saddle between Cottonwood and Grapevine Creeks
Zoroaster Temple, Brahma Temple and Angel's Gate are in the distance

Another pretty blooming in the soils of the Supai group
We saw these flowers at similar elevations elsewhere in the Canyon

The Cremation fault dramatically tilted the bluff in the middle left
Such tilting is common along the Grandview-Phantom monocline

Looking back towards the trailhead
Most obvious are the Supai, Hermit and Coconino strata, but above them a portion of the Kaibab limestone and the South rim itself are visible.

Looking northeast, towards Vishnu Temple and Rama Shrine
The small trees and shrubs characteristic of the Supai are in the foreground

Stansbury Cliffrose (Purshia stansburiana) in the soils of the Supai
The Stansbury Cliffrose is a fairly sizable bush, and was used for a variety of purposes by Native Americans

Almost down to Horseshoe Mesa
Looking north, with Angel's Gate and Wotan's Throne in the distance

Grand View trail approaching Horseshoe Mesa
By now the hail had stopped, but we were getting occasional light rain and the temperatures remained quite cool

More blooms just above Horseshoe Mesa
It seemed that the number of wildflowers bloom in early May was even greater than what I had noted in early June of 2009

A close-up
The flower was about an inch across

Ruins of the Pete Berry cabin at the old copper mine
Berry's mine operated from 1880 to 1916, but the high costs of transporting ore out of the Canyon doomed the effort

Another view of the Berry cabin ruins
Horseshoe Mesa looms in the background

Parts of the Canyon are rich in uranium
Uranium was mined in the Canyon, with the last mine (the Orphan mine above Salt Creek) closing in 1972

Rest stop on Horseshoe Mesa
We tried to stop for extended rests every hour and a half, or thereabouts

Rain clouds approaching Horseshoe Mesa
Although we didn't get much rain, or any heavy rain, the skies were threatening throughout the day

Globemallow (Sphaeralcea) on Horseshoe Mesa
Globemallow was prevalent throughout the Canyon, at least from the Tonto platform up into the Supai

Close up of a Globemallow bloom
Globemallow blooms are small but brilliant

Vegetation was fairly heavy on Horseshoe Mesa
Because of the greenery, the ruins and the scenic vistas, Horseshoe Mesa is a fairly popular goal for day hikers and overnight campers

The west trail down to Cottonwood Creek, diverging from the Grand View
The trail was steep, narrow, strewn with gravel and punishing on the feet

The Cottonwood Creek trail descends through the Redwall
Note the trail on the right, and the prominent monocline across the side Canyon

Blythe negotiating the talus slope below the redwall
This trail was fairly difficult, and our progress was slow, albeit steady

Looking back at the trail down the redwall
Note the hiker in red on the talus slope. He is one of a group of friends and relatives hiking with Wayne Jones; we met up with them several times later on - very nice and helpful people

Looking up Cottonwood Creek towards the South Rim
From this angle, one can no longer see the South Rim itself

Hikers on the punishing descent to Cottonwood Creek
The camera angle diminishes the apparent slope, but that trail was steep, with lots of short switchbacks and very poor footing

Blythe nearing the end of the day
We descended about 4,400 feet, with most of the descent on narrow, steep trails

Approaching Cottonwood Creek
We were glad to reach more level ground!

Our campsite at Cottonwood Creek
The sky was still threatening, so the tent fly was a necessity

View north from our campsite
This and the four following photos were taken from the campsite -- it was definitely a room with a view

View east from our campsite
This is the western base of Horseshoe Mesa

View northeast from our campsite
This is also part of the western base of Horseshoe Mesa

View south from our campsite
Upper Cottonwood Creek, looking up towards the South Rim

Another view south from our campsite
Note the cottonwood trees in the foreground as well as Angel's gate in the distance -- this was a beautiful campsite!

Looking west from the Cottonwood Creek campsite
Just after dawn, a beautiful morning, before the clouds moved in

Looking north from the first night
Angel's Gate just after sunrise

Cottonwood Creek springs, as we broke camp
Note the cottonwood, yucca and other vegetation in the foreground and Angel's Gate beyond

Looking back up towards Horseshoe Mesa
We were just beginning the day's hike, bound for Boulder Creek

Looking back up to the South Rim from Cottonwood Creek
The Grand View trailhead is above and beyond the promontory on the left

Cottonwood Creek iteslf, a perennial stream important to hikers
Looking north towards Angel's Gate

The canyon of Cottonwood Creek opened up as we began hiking
Angle's Gate and Wotan's Throne dominate the view in the distance

A similar view from further along the trail
Vishnu Temple looms to the right of Wotan's Throne

Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) on the Tonto
Also known as claret cup cactus, these weren't as numerous as Opuntia, but we did see - and enjoy - them a lot.

Redwall limestone cliff looming over blackbrush of the Tonto
Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) is easily the most common bush throughout the Tonto platform

Blooming yucca (Yucca angustissima) in a dry wash
The need to contour around the many dry washes and creeks adds miles to any trans-Canyon hike

As we hiked along the edge of Cottonwood Creek, vistas of the Canyon opened up
Newberry Butte and Vishnu temple loom in the distance

Purple prickly pear (Opuntia macrocentra) are common on the Tonto platform
We did not see many elsewhere in the Canyon, however. Note the lack of spines.

Close-up of a small limestone cliff along the Tonto trail
These cliffs were common in the sloping soils of the Tonto platform

Another pretty opuntia flower along the Tonto trail
These were also fairly common; it may be a pancake prickly pear (Opuntia chlorotica) or desert prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii). Note the spines

A view across the inner gorge from the trail along Cottonwood Creek
Zoroaster and Brahma Temples are in the distance on the right

Note the trail in the foreground
It skirts the edge of the precipice as it rounds the point ahead; that is where the trail became somewhat nerve-wracking

Looking across to the mouth of Vishnu Creek canyon
Vishnu Temple is in the distance to the right

Looking south from the trail
We were skirting the edge of the inner gorge between the Cottonwood and Grapevine drainages at this point

Looking up the western branch of the Grapevine Creek canyon
Note the opuntia along the trail, and the clouds obscuring the South Rim; we realized later that it was snowing on the rim

Rounding the bend and entering the Grapevine Creek drainage
Note the trail hugging the slope on the left

Looking across the canyon of Grapevine Creek
Zoroaster and Brahma Temples loom in the distance

Grapevine Creek, the other perennial water source on the trail
This and Cottonwood Creek are the only dependable perennial water sources on the East Tonto between Horseshoe Mesa and Indian Garden

Blythe filtering water from Grapevine Creek
We brought an MSR Miniwork EX water filter, which worked really well

Looking downstream on Grapevine Creek
The creek is cutting through the Tapeats sandstone here; Lyell Butte in in the background

Looking south to the rim from the west side of Grapevine Creek
We made much better time on this side of the drainage

Kaibab century plant on the west side of Grapevine Creek
Kaibab century plant (Agave utahensis var. kaibabensis) is a variety of the Utah Century plant common to the Grand Canyon; it has an unusually tall flower stalk

The trail skirts the west side of the Grapevine Creek Canyon
The trail was set back further from the edge on this side of the creek, and was far more comfortable as a consequence!

Pinnacle below Lyell Butte, viewed from the west
Although not large by Canyon standards, this pinnacle is a prominent feature in this part of the trail

Zoroaster and Brahma Temples, from near the mouth of the Grapevine Creek canyon
Of course, Zoroaster is one of the most prominent features of the Canyon, period.

View across the inner gorge towards Vishnu Temple
The trail is turning the corner into a minor side canyon on the inner gorge, north of Grapevine

Another species of opuntia common to the Tonto platform
A variety of beavertail or prickly pear species can be found in the Canyon, and their mid-Spring blooms are a delight to the hiker

View of the pinnacle below Lyell Butte
Looking from the north, on the rim of the inner gorge

Another view of the pinnacle below Lyell Butte
The trail is turning into a minor side canyon of the inner gorge, east of Boulder Creek

Our campsite near Boulder Creek
We reached the campsite at about 7:30 p.m., tired, but grateful to have found such a lovely spot

Looking north from our second campsite
We were on the top of a low hill about a half mile short of the Boulder Creek crossing

Morning sentinel
Ravens were prevalent throughout the Canyon; this one was watching us break camp, hoping we'd leave some food unguarded

Lyell Butte, just east of our campsite
We protected our food with an Outsak animal resistant storage bag, and it worked perfectly

Early morning photographer
Due to persistent cloud cover, we never had a dramatically beautiful sunrise or sunset

Second sunrise on the trail
The South Rim above Boulder Creek

The intrepid hikers at Boulder Creek
The South Rim's Shoshone Point is in the background

Looking northeast from Boulder Creek
Angel's Gate, Wotan's Throne and Vishnu Temple are in the distance beyond

Wayne Jones and his group cooking breakfast
We re-met Wayne and his group at Boulder Creek; it turned out they had been worried about us

Looking east over Boulder Creek canyon
A well-defined section of the Tonto trail is in the foreground, and the pinnacle below Lyell Butte is silhouetted beyond

Eastern arm of Newton Butte
Looking up from the Tonto trail

Contouring around a side canyon west of Boulder Creek
Zoroaster and Brahma Temples in the distance, with the North Rim in the clouds beyond

Looking back up Boulder Creek to the South Rim
Extensions of Lyell Butte are to the left and Newton Butte to the right

Looking over the Tonto platform to Zoroaster and Brahma
The North Rim beyond is shrouded in cloud

Looking back to the northeast from below Newton Butte
Angel's Gate and Wotan's Throne are still prominent, but now they're behind us

Looking past Newton Butte to Yaki Point
my brother and his spouse were beginning their descent of the South Kaibab at about the same time

Looking east from below Newton Butte
The North Rim was still shrouded in cloud, but down on the Tonto platform it was mostly sunny

The changing face of Zoroaster in the play of sun and cloud
The view is from Lonetree Creek

Zoroaster, from Lonetree Creek
the vista encompasses the inner Canyon to the east

Blythe hiking along a short Muav limestone cliff near Lonetree Creek
Such small cliffs were common in the Muav limestone, with smaller ledges more common in the Bright Angel shale lower on the Tonto platform

Lonetree Creek canyon
Wotan's Throne is in the distance, with Angel's Gate just before it, almost lost in the mass of the larger formation

3 hikers on the Tonto trail, on the west side of Lonetree Creek
They had already contoured around a deep wash between us. Note the shallow ledge in the Bright Angel shale, and Wotan's Throne looming in the distance

Blackbrush on the Tonto platform below Pattie Butte
The South Rim is in the distance to the left

Zoroaster Temple under a dramatic sky
The inner gorge cuts between the blackbrush in the foreground and Zoroaster

Another pretty opuntia along the trail
This may be a desert prickly pear (Opuntia phaeacantha)

Looking into Clear Creek canyon from below Pattie Butte
We had planned to hike to Clear Creek canyon from Phantom the next day, but decided to cancel that part of our itinerary in favor of less rigorous day hiking instead

Tonto trail approaching Cremation Creek
In the distance are Cedar Ridge, Skeleton Point and the South Kaibab Trail; my brother and his wife were descending that trail as we approached it

The Grand Canyon
Looking west from below Pattie's Butte

Looking east from below Pattie
Note the Tonto trail in the foreground, with Blythe approaching from the right along it

Zoroaster Temple viewed from Cremation Creek.JPG
Note the Tonto trail in the foreground

The Tonto trail descends through the Tapeats to cross 2 arms of Cremation Creek
Note the trail's switchbacks; We were nervous about both crossings of Cremation Creek as they were marked "expert" on the map but they proved to be fairly easy

View up Cremation Creek canyon
Pattie's Butte is the spire in the middle left

Looking back to the northeast from Cremation Creek
Wotan's Throne and Angel's Gate are receding into the distance as we head west

Another look back
At this point, the trail has ascended from the first "DD" or "expert" crossing through the Tapeats, and is now between the descents into the 2 arms of Cremation Creek

Just about to the junction with the South Kaibab trail
Zoroaster Temple with Sumner Butte to the left

East Tonto junction with the South Kaibab trail
Only 3 miles to go before we reach Phantom Ranch; no wonder Blythe is looking relieved!

South Kaibab trail descending from Skeleton Point
We arrived here just 30 minutes later than when we anticipated, back at the very beginning of the trip. My brother and his wife had passed through about an hour earlier

Looking west from the trail junction
For now we're turning to the north, but in a week's time we'll be hiking into the what we can now see in the distance

Jim on the South Kaibab, heading for the Tip Off
The inner gorge is ahead, and Sumner Butte is in the distance to the right

The inner gorge from below the Tip-Off
Buddha Temple is in the distance and Sumner Butte is on the right

South Kaibab trail descending into the inner gorge
Note the trail descending through the reddish Hakatai shale, and note the trees at the far left shading Bright Angel campground at the Canyon's bottom

Looking back up the South Kaibab
The trail zig-zags down into the inner gorge by way of this gully in the Cremation graben

Almost there! Looking down the Colorado from the "Black Bridge"
The Black Bridge connects the South and North Kaibab Trails

Phantom Ranch cabins, designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter
After hiking and wilderness camping along the Grand View and Tonto Trails, we met up with Hath and Nancy at Phantom Ranch for a couple of days of relaxation and day-hiking

Hath and Nancy, At Phantom Ranch
They had hiked down the South Kaibab Trail, and were to return to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail when we headed up the North Kaibab Trail

Bright Angel Creek and the North Kaibab Trail, Looking up "The Box"
On May 12 the four of us day-hiked from Phantom up the North Kaibab Trail, through "The Box," or the inner gorge of the Bright Angel Canyon, and on up to Ribbon Falls

A nearly pure white Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii)
There are many of these flowers along the trail deep in the shadows of Bright Angel Canyon inner gorge

The trail crosses Bright Angel Creek 4 times within "The Box"
Nancy, Blythe and Hath talk to other hikers at the first bridge

A sacred Datura with delicate lavender tints
Sacred Datura is in the same genus as jimsonweed, and is used in religious rituals by some native American peoples

It
Hath, Nancy and Blythe on the trail through the Vishnu schist of The Box

Hedgehog Cactus anchored to the canyon wall
Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) are found throughout Arizona

Hath hiking up the North Kaibab Trail in "The Box"
Note the sheer walls of Vishnu schist cut by Bright Angel Creek

Opuntia bloom along the trail,
Possibly Pancake pricklypear (Opuntia chlorotica)

Hath, Nancy and Blythe taking a break along the trail
Note the globemallow in the foreground and the Vishnu schist of the canyon wall in the background

More lavender-tinted sacred datura in "The Box"
These flowers open before dawn and close before the mid-day sun reaches them

The North Kaibab Trail follows Bright Angel Creek through "The Box"
Note the rugged Vishnu schist capped by the layered Tapeats sandstone above

Bright Angel Creek, cutting "The Box" even deeper
Bright Angel Creek is a lovely perennial stream which over the course of this hike drops 1200 feet over a seemingly never-ending string of rapids

Hedgehog cactus inside "The Box"
Although common in the lower parts of the Canyon, hedgehog cactus is not nearly as ubiquitous as Opuntia

Nancy, Blythe and Hath hiking along Bright Angel Creek
The trail is relatively wide and well maintained, but is subject to occasional flooding

The second crossing of Bright Angel Creek in the box canyon
This gives an idea of narrowness of the inner gorge of Bright Angel Creek

A whiptail lizard along the trail towards the upper end of the box canyon
This might be a tiger whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris)

Out of "The Box" and Vishnu schist, and into a more open canyon
Nancy, Hath and Blythe hike up the North Kaibab Trail in the vicinity of Hillers Butte

Yet another beautiful prickly pear bloom
This plant, possibly Opuntia basilaris, was near Hillers Butte, but we found many more further up the trail

Bright Angel Creek rushing along below Clement Powell Butte
The canyon above here more resembles a narrow valley irrigated by the creek, and the Havasupai farmed the area long before the national park was created

Looking up Bright Angel Canyon towards Ribbon Falls
Komo Point is in the distance

Yet another opuntia bloom
The canyon is fairly open here, below Deva Temple

Our first view of Ribbon Falls
Impressive as they are up close, the falls are dwarfed by the setting

Looking back down Bright Angel Canyon
The old telephone pole visible in the center is a registered national historical landmark

Oddly shaped bloom on a Kaibab century (Agave utahensis kaibabensis)
Century plant flower stalks are normally unbranched and fairly straight

Getting closer to Ribbon Falls
The North Rim's Widforss Point and its forest loom in the background

Collared lizard along the trail, below Deva Temple
Probably a Great Basin collared lizard, Crotaphytus bicinctores

Nancy and Hath on the North Kaibab Trail down the hill below Deva Temple
This little hill is a real pain, whether you're bound for Ribbon Falls or the North Rim

Another beaver tail bloom
We kept admiring the beauty at our feet as well as the grandeur of the Canyon

Komo Point from the Ribbon Falls trail
An arm of Deva Temple is on the right

Looking up at Deva Temple
View from near the junction with the Ribbon Falls trail

Ribbon Falls trail bridge over Bright Angel Creek
Note the Kaibab century plant flower stalk on the left, and the Dox formation of 1.1 billion year old sandstones and mudstones

Ribbon Falls Creek, rushing down to join Bright Angel Creek
This is just a short way below the falls

Top of Ribbon Falls
Ribbon Falls plunges 120 feet, cascading on to a travertine cone that has formed from limestone precipitating from the falls

Pools and cascades atop the travertine cone
The major stream is on the right, but much of it splashes on the top of the cone and cascades down on the left

Ribbon Falls and its travertine cone
This is taken from a ledge halfway up and behind the fall, and to the northeast of it

Bottom of Ribbon Falls
The travertine cone is partly hollow

Blythe, Hath and Nancy at Ribbon Falls
The moss-covered travertine cone is pretty impressive

Ribbon Falls splashing off the travertine cone it has created
The cone itself is brown, with moss providing the rich green remembered by hiker

Travertine base of Ribbon Falls
With the spray off the falls, the shallow pool, and the shade from the canyon walls, Ribbon Falls is a wonderful oasis for the hiker

Jim, Nancy and Hath at the base of the falls
The canyon walls here are Shinumo quartzite

Through the veil of Ribbon Falls
The view east, is towards Deva Temple

Ribbon Falls in its entirety
The height water falls uninterrupted depends on how much water is in the creek; there was a good deal more flowing than when I visited the falls in 2009

Bright Angel Canyon with Komo Point beyond
Starting the hike back, looking north from near the junction with the Ribbon Falls trail

North Kaibab Trail back through "The Box"
Note how the trail had to be blasted out of the narrow canyon's wall

An afternoon view of the tapeats sandstone cap on the Vishnu schist canyon walls
Contrast this with photo 5, of roughly the same view backlit by the morning sun

Late afternoon in "The Box"
The deep shadows of the afternoon provide welcome relief from the sun's heat reflecting off the canyon walls

A Phantom Ranch cabin near dusk
We stayed in the more utilitarian dorms!

Morning near Bright Angel campground
Sunlit canyon walls and deep shadows

Cottonwood and Vishnu schist
Bright Angel Canyon meets the Colorado's Granite Gorge

More Colter-designed cabins at Phantom Ranch
Most hikers stayed in the dorms, while those who came by mule train typically stayed in the more private cabins

One of the larger cabins
The canyon walls of Vishnu schist provides a dramatic backdrop to all of Phantom Ranch

Bright Angel Creek flowing past the campground
The green of the trees and other vegetation along the creek contrasts with the craggy canyon walls above

Spiny lizard (Sceloporus) along the river trail near Silver Bridge
We saw lots of lizards and a couple of ringtail cats, but few other animals

The Bright Angel Creek and the North Kaibab Trail near Phantom Ranch
The campground is on the left, beyond the cottonwood trees; the trail to Phantom Ranch is on the right

Mule train arriving with supplies for Phantom Ranch
Phantom is one of only two hotels in the U.S. supplied exclusively by mule train

Whiptail lizard, (Aspidoscelis) basking in the sun
Near the beach at the confluence of the Bright Angel and Colorado

Kim and Jeff Hurst by the Silver Bridge
Kim and Jeff are hikers Steve and I met in 2009; by sheerest chance, they were dining at Phantom Ranch's cantina when we arrived in 2011, too!

Ancestral Puebloan home site from 900-1000 years ago
These ruins are along the trail between the mouth of Bright Angel Creek and the Black Bridge

Common side-bloctched lizard near the mouth of Bright Angel Creek
Note the regrown lower portion of the tail of this side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)

The beach where Bright Angel Creek empties into the Colorado
Note Hopi Point and the South Rim far in the distance

Black Bridge and Cremation Grabben
View from the trail on the north bank of the Colorado

Sacred Datura in "The Box"
Sacred Datura (Datura meteloides, a member of the nightshade family) are a highlight of a morning hike through the Box

The trail through the Box
The Vishnu schist forming the walls of the Box (and the inner gorge) is harder, rougher and has a more chaotic appearance than the younger sedimentary strata above it4

Clement Powell Butte
We're through the Box and almost up to the top of the Vishnu schist, and are entering the narrow valley that makes up much of the middle section of Bright Angel Canyon

Clump of Opuntia along the trail
An amazing number of plants bloom in the Canyon from April through early June, adding their beauty to the splendor of the Canyon's walls

Looking back at the trail we
The upper end of the Box is behind us, with the South Rim in the distance

We stopped and rested in the shade of a little oasis along the trail
Looking north towards Komo Point

Errant boulders of Tapeats sandstone above the trail
View south from our little oasis rest stop

Blythe on the trail
This portion traverses an area formerly farmed by Native Americans and is fairly level

Ribbon Falls, with Oza Butte looming high above it
Note the trail ascending the steep little hill on the right; the junction with the Ribbon Falls Trail is just beyond the hill

Close-up of Ribbon Falls
As seen from the North Kaibab Trail; the creek has carved a narrow passage through the Redwall limestone above the falls

There is a steep little hill just south of the junction with the Ribbon Falls trail
Looking back towards the South Rim from atop that hill

Ribbon Falls with its travertine cone
The falls drops 140 ft

The top of the falls and its travertine cone
Note how the wind is blowing the falls sideways

The top of the travertine cone
The vibrant green on the travertine is moss

The base of Ribbon Falls and its tavertine cone
After the falls hits the top of the cone, splattering forms a number of smaller but still noteworthy smaller cascades down the side of the travertine cone

A cave in the travertine cone beneath the falls
Hikers can duck down inside this cave

Cascade at the bottom of Ribbon Falls
This was my third visit to Ribbon Falls; I love the place!

A moist cool oasis exists In the shade of the falls
A lovely patch of these flowers was just below the pool

Looking across Bright Angel Canyon towards the gap between Deva and Brahma
View from the shelf partway up the cliff behind Ribbon Falls

Looking east toward Deva Temple
View from the side trail to Ribbon Falls

Komo Point looms over the Bright Angel Canyon
Note the trail ascending a small rise to the right (east) of the creek

Wall Creek
This little falls drops about six feet; the trail runs right across its top

Trail along a Dox formation cliff skirting Bright Angel Creek
Looking up the canyon to Cottonwood Campground

Looking up towards Oza Butte
Every strata of the Canyon is visible, from the Kaibab limestone at the top to the ancient Dox formation at the bottom

Looking up towards Obi Point
Obi Point sits at the top of the long spine capped by Brahma, Deva and Zoroaster Temples

Our tent at Cottonwood Campground
The campsite is pretty basic, but it's nicely located; note that we had to use rocks to tie the tent down, as the ground is much too rocky to use stakes

Beginning our second day on the North Kaibab Trail
Our destination is Bright Angel Point, visible on the upper left, 4,100 feet above us and 8.6 trail miles away

Bright Angel Creek cascade
This creek is a seemingly unending string of small cascades and rapid

Looking up Bright Angel Canyon, where the old trail climbed to the rim
I had hoped to dayhike here, but couldn't get the necessary permit to camp at Cottonwood

Turning the corner, from Bright Angel to Roaring Springs Canyon
This is also where the trail starts to climb pretty steeply

Looking up Roaring Springs Canyon from its bottom
Note the trail in the foreground

Blythe, hiking below Uncle Jim Point
Note one of the cataracts of Roaring Springs behind her.

Roaring Springs and Uncle Jim Point
Roaring Springs provides all the potable water for the North and South Rims and Phantom Ranch

The Needle, a prominent landmark below Uncle jim Point
The Needle and its adjoining cliffs are Redwall limestone

Almost to the Redwall
Note the trail skirting the talus slope just above some Muav cliffs

A dry ravine, and almost vertical slice through the Redwall
We stopped here for a pleasant lunch in the shade, but I sure wouldn't want to be here during a thunderstorm!

Hikers ascending through the Muav limestone
The trail reaches the famed Redwall limestone passage just beyond this point

Looking back at the Redwall and the trail skirting along it
View from an alcove along the canyon wall

Looking back at the narrow canyon through the Redwall
Note the Century plant bloomrising into the photo

Looking back from under an overhang
Note the trail traversing the Muav limestone slope further down

Looking back at the trail
As is true in most of the Grand Canyon, the Redwall forms imposing, sheer cliffs through this section of Roaring Springs Canyon

Looking up Roaring Springs Canyon
The trail climbs along the path of the Roaring Springs Fault

Looking back at the narrow canyon through the Redwall
Notice how narrow the slot through the tough Redwall limestone is

Redwall bridge
The bridge marks the beginning of the real grind, the final climb to the rim

Redbud in bloom along the trail in the Supai
Note the Esplanade sandstone cliff beyond

Close-up of redbud blooms along the trail
Western redbud (Cercis orbiculata) blooms closely resemble their eastern cousin's

Looking down Roaring Springs Canyon
Note the trail winding down through the Esplanade sandstone, and then climbing back up to the passage along the Redwall

Hikers ascending the North kaibab Trail
They've reached the Hermit shale, nearing the end of their hike

Looking down to the bridge
Note the trail winding down through the Esplanade sandstone, and then crossing the bridge to the far side of the creek

The Coconino wall at the upper end of Roaring Springs Canyon.JPG
The gap in the Coconino wall on the left was formed by the Roaring Springs fault, and provides the path taken by the trail

Coconino wall and Hermit shale slope on the eastern side of the canyon
Note the late afternoon shadows climbing up the slope

Late afternoon from upper Roaring Springs Canyon
Komo Point is still in bright sunshine, but the North Kaibab Trail up Roaring Springs Canyon is in deep shade

The Coconino Wall of Roaring Springs Canyon in afternoon shadow
We had been traveling slowly, so the afternoon was well advanced by the time we reached the Coconino

Success!
Blythe happy to be at the North Kaibab trailhead

Finally at the top!
I was so glad to get that pack off my back, yet moments later we had to shoulder our packs again and hike off to the campground a mile away

Our campsite at the North Rim campground
The weather was pretty chilly, so the tent fly was a must

Morning light over Bright Angel Canyon, an iconic North Rim vista
This album of North Rim views proceeds north to south and then west, then seemingly moves from early spring to late winter before ending with the return of brilliant sunshine

We began touring the North Rim at Vista Encantada, above Nankoweap Canyon
Looking northeast, with Brady Peak on the right and Mt. Hayden and Tilted Mesa in the distance beyond

Alsap Butte above Nankoweap Canyon
Tilted Mesa is beyond. with the Painted Desert in the distance

Looking northeast over Brady Peak to the Painted Desert beyond
Tilted Mesa in the distance on the left testifies to the tectonic forces that have shaped the Canyon's rocks

Detail of the Desert Facade
The Marble Plateau beyond and the Navajo reservation are beyond

Nankoweap Valley, with Alsap Butte to the left and Tritle Peak at right
View from north of the Roosevelt Point Trail

Another view of the Nankoweap Valley from Vista Encantada
The cliffs of the Desert Facade escarpment and the Marble Plateau of the Painted Desert are beyond

The upper Nankoweap Valley, viewed from Vista Encantada
Tritle Peak ridge at right and Colter Butte in center distance

Tritle Peak from Vista Encantada overlook
Colter Butte is to the left

Steve and Jackie at Vista Encantada
It was a chilly day, and would snow the next day

Southern rim of Nankoweap Valley
Tritle Peak, a narrow ridge of Kaibab limestone, is at right

A closer view of Tritle Peak
The peak is a narrow ridge of Kaibab limestone below Roosevelt Point

Roosevelt Point and Tritle Peak
Kwagunt Creek Canyon extends beyond, with the Marble Plateau of the Painted Desert in the distance, beyond the Grand Canyon

Blythe at Roosevelt Point
The uppermost promontory of Tritle Peak looms behind her

Hutton Butte, the Desert Facade, and Navajo country
Looking east from Roosevelt Point

Kwagunt Valley, from Roosevelt Point
Malgossa Crest and Kwagunt Butte are in the distance, west of the river

Atoko Point, with the Little Colorado River Gorge in the distance
Gunther Castel is visible on the west side of the river to the left of Atoko Point

The eastern wall of Kwagunt Valley and Gunther Castle
View from Roosevelt Point of the Kwagunt Valley on down to the confluence of the Colorado Canyon River, with its canyon beyond

Unkar Delta, from Wahalla Overlook
Desert View with its Colter-designed watchtower is directly beyond the bend in the river

Kaibab cliff overlooking the Unkar Valley
Apollo Temple is in the middle distance with the Palisades of the Desert beyond

Unkar rapids and the Unkar delta, which used to be home to many Puebloan people
Note the tiled layers of the 750 million year old Dox formation of the Grand Canyon Supergroup, especially in the cliffs immediately above the river

Jackie, at Walhalla Overlook
Note the Kaibab formations between her and the distant vista to the east of the Painted Desert

Canyon wall of Kaibab limestone
Near Walhalla Overlook, note the full sized conifers on the Toroweap slope at its base

Walhalla Glades Pueblo
This site is an Anasazi ruin near Walhalla Overlook

Upper Unkar Creek drainage, from Walhalla Overlook
Cape Final and Jupiter Temple are in the middle distance, with the Palisades of the Desert far beyond

Unkar rapids, framed by conifer and the Kaibab limestone of Freya Castle
Our April 2012 hike down Tanner Trail should include a visit to an Anasazi ruin on a bluff above the rapids

Unkar Creek from Cliff Spring trailhead
Jupiter Temple on the left and Palisades of the Desert in the background with Cedar Mountain beyond

Sheer cliffs east of Cliff Springs trailhead
Looking north from Angels Window

Angels Window with Freya Castle beyond
Note the sheer drop beneath the overlook

Angels Window with Cedar Mountain in the distance
Note the people on the overlook on top of the formation

Freya Castle and the upper Vishnu Creek gorge
The striking appearance of Freya Castle results from a heavily eroded and well vegetated Coconino sandstone cap atop a base base composed of the distinctive red cliffs and slopes of the Supai formation

Looking east from Cape Royal
The formations of the northern side of the Unkar Valley stretch below the Kaibab cliffs in the foreground

Looking south from Cape Royal past the "sky island" of Wotans Throne
Krishna Shrine is on the left, with Coronado Butte in the distance beyond

Coconino ridge below Cape Royal
The flanks of Wotans Throne lie beyond

View from Cape Royal over the Clear Creek drainage
Howlands Butte is below to the right and Cremation Creek is on the other side of the river to the right

Coconino and Kaibab walls of Cliff Spring
Looking west from Cape Royal

View west from Cape Royal, taking in the northern side of Clear Creek
The eastern faces of Brahma and Zoroaster Temples are in the center distance

Morning view of Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster from Bright Angel Point
Looking southeast towards Mt. Humphreys

Looking across Roaring Springs Canyon from Bright Angel Point
The North Kaibab trail climbs steeply up this canyon

Roaring Springs, far below Bright Angel Point
The springs themselves are visible as a seemingly tiny stream at the lower right

Morning shadows on Brahma and Zoroaster
Looking across towards Shoshone Point from Bright Angel Point; Bright Angel Canyon is still in shadow

Morning light on Angels Gate, note snow-capped Mt. Humphreys in the distance
Angels Gate catches the sun, while Uncle Jim Point and Deva Temple are still in shade. Wotans Throne is in the middle distance, to the left of Angels Gate.

Two parallel formations stretch towards the South Rim
On the left is the ridgeline topped by Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples, and on the right is Bright Angel Canyon and the North Kaibab Trail

Clinging to the North Rim
Tree along the path to Bright Angel Point

Morning view past Zoroaster Temple to Newton Butte and beyond
The canyon walls below Shoshone Point are in the sun, with Cedar Mountain and the San Francisco Peaks in the far distance

Bright Angel Canyon and Brahma, Zoraster and Oza Buttes
Mid-morning view from the Grand Canyon Lodge

Mid-morning view of Deva, Brahma and Zoaster from Bright Angel Point
This is perhaps the most iconic Canyon view from the North Rim

Jackie and Blythe on Transept Trail
Transept Trail is an easy 1.5 mile hike along the north side of Transept Canyon, from the campground to the lodge

Late afternoon view of Zoroaster from the Transept Trail
The South Rim is in the distance, with Mt. Humphreys even farther away

Jackie identifying a prehistoric ruin
Transept Ruin, a two-room ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) ruin on the Transept Trail. It's not clear from the archeological record whether Steve actually lived there

Dusk over Brahma and Zoroaster, from the Transept trail
The snow-capped San Francisco Peaks and Kendrick Peak are in the far distance, 60 miles away

Looking down at the redwall extremity of Oza Butte
Cottonwood campground is out of sight 4,000 ft below, beneath the promontory

Looking down at Bright Angel Canyon
Ribbon Falls is behind the seemingly low promontory on the left side of the image

The South Rim, from Mather Point to Hopi Point
View from Bright Angel Point on the North Rim

Bright Angel Canyon, and the canyon of Garden Creek beyond
The Bright Angel fault runs in a nearly straight line across the Canyon, following an ancient fault line. Oza Butte is to the right

Lower Oza Butte and the cliffs of the South Rim
Grand Canyon Village is on the South Rim, in the center of the photo

Oza Butte and the east end of Transept Canyon
View from the Grand Canyon Lodge

Oza Butte and Transpet Canyon from Bright Angel Point as storm clouds move in
Manu Temple is visible in the distance

Buddha Temple and Oza Butte, from Bright Angel Point
Mohave and Pima Points on the South Rim are in the distance

Oza Butte, with Isis Temple beyond
The South Rim from Yavapai Point to Mohave Point, is in the distance

Transept Canyon from Bright Angel Point
Transept Canyon opens across Bright Angel Creek from Cottonwood campground

Bright Angel Point Trail
Grand Canyon Lodge in the background

Grand Canyon Lodge, overlooking Transept Canyon
From Bright Angel Point walkway

Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster in heavy cloud and light snow
View from Bright Angel Point

Storm clouds over the Canyon
Angels Gate, in the notch between Brahma and Zoroaster Temples

Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples, under storm clouds
Throughout the hike, the clouds above the North Rim had been dramatic, and now we were in them

Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster under story skies
As the storm clouds swept by, the vistas and lighting were changing every moment it seemed, adding dramatically to an already dramatic scene

Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples on a stormy day
Fresh snow on Bright Angel Point

Obi Point and Deva Temple
Wotan's Throne and Angels Gate catch the light beyond

Uncle Jim Point and Deva Temple obscured by storm clouds
View from Grand Canyon Lodge

Looking past snow-clad Bright Angel Point into Bright Angel Canyon
Oza Butte and the lower end of Transept Canyon are to the right, with Cottonwood campground hidden behind them

Obi Point and Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples, under heavy cloud
View from Grand Canyon Lodge, looking towards Angels Gate

Brahma and Zoroaster through a hole in the clouds
A very dramatic day!

Oza Butte in light snow
Bright Angel Canyon stretches into the distance under the low clouds

Snow on Bright Angel Point
Oza Butte, Transept Canyon and Widforss Point in the background

Clouds high and low, with snow
Transept Canyon from Bright Angel Point

Transept Canyon, snowbound
View from near Bright Angel Point

Snowing on the tourists
Bright Angel Point, with the wall of Transept Canyon in the background

One the lookouts near the Grand Canyon Lodge
A bit of the Transept Canyon wall peeks through the clouds

Grand Canyon Lodge in snow
It snowed two of the days we were on the North rim. with about 3" of accumulation

Not a day for cocktails on the veranda
Despite the weather and despite the evidence of this photo, visitors were outdoors enjoying the snow and dramatic vistas

Visitors on a promentory below the Grand Canyon Lodge
The rim of Transept Canyon is hidden in the clouds

Two visitors above the clouds
Looking at snow and clouds in Transept Canyon, near Bright Angel Point

Snowmen like the Grand Canyon too
On the patio wall at the Grand Canyon Lodge

Jackie and the snow family
Grand Canyon Lodge's porch

Solitude in the mist
Looking back up the path from Bright Angel Point to the Lodge

Cabin 200
Very nice, but we liked Cabin 98 better

The road above the Grand Canyon Lodge
The Kaibab plateau sure is different than the land south of the Canyon

Jackie in snow
It was beautiful, but it was cold

Looking across Roaring Springs Canyon in snow
The snow extended only down through the Coconio sandstone, and didn't reach the red rocks of the Supai group

Blythe in the snow
On the plateau above Roaring Springs Canyon

Aspen and conifers on the North Rim
Along the road to the Lodge

Cliff face, forest and snow across Roaring Springs Canyon
The North Kaibab Trail in below here, at about the point where it begins the long switchbacks climbing from the foot of the Supai group to the rim

Route 67 just north of the North Kaibab trailhead
Snow had closed the road junction near here which we had taken the day before to view the eastern portions of the Canyon

Snow covered spruce
On the Kabiab Plateau above the North Kaibab trailhead

Along the Point Sublime Road, close to the Widforss trailhead
The youngest rock strata in the Grand Canyon is the Kaibab at 255 million years, but the rocks of this cliff are younger

Blythe at the Widforss trailhead
Wait until next time (June 2012)

Mixed forest of Fir, spruce, Ponderosa pine and aspen
On the Kaibab Plateau of the North Rim

The sun breaking through the wintry skies above Bright Angel Canyon
Ribbon Falls is just beyond the sunlit formation in the center of the photo

Cloud and sun over Bright Angel Canyon
Looking down towards Cottonwood campground from Bright Angel Point

Angels Gate, sunlit in the notch between Uncle Jim Point and Deva Temple
When the clouds began to lift, we were treated to some very dramatic views

Deva Temple streaming cloud
Bright Angel Point is on the left

Angels Gate again, sunlit in the notch between Uncle Jim Point and Deva Temple
Viewed from Bright Angel Point

Clouds streaming from Brahma Temple
At this point, the South Rim was still under heavy cloud

Brahma and Zoroaster in the clouds
view from Bright Angel Point on the North Rim

Ready for the North Kaibab in snow
At the trail head, with light snow and 3 on the ground

North Kaibab trail in snow
It was still snowing, and visibility was quite limited

However, it was quite pretty and very quiet
Typical mixed Kaibab forest in snow

North Kaibab trail in snow and mud
The mud was quite deep and slippery, and our boots were soon caked with it

Supai tunnel, right at the transition between the Supai and Coconino
A rest stop with water and great views, a common destination for day-hikers from the North Rim, is just above the tunnel (photo taken earlier, during our ascent)

Above Supai tunnel, everything was fog
But as we passed through the tunnel, we suddenly emerged under the clouds

Visibility improved rapidly as we descended
Note the promising sunshine on the Muav limetone slope near the end of the canyon

A lone sentinel atop an cliff of Esplanade sandstone
We were still barely below the cloud here, and its wisps still swirled about us

Looking down Roaring Springs Canyon
Note the trail as it descends through the Supai group, crosses Roaring Springs on the bridge, and then runs along the Redwall

Looking down through passing mist at the trail winding below us
The trail descends over 2,000 feet feet in about three-quarters of a horizontal mile

Komo Point, covered in snow, looms above Bright Angel Canyon in the distance
Roaring Springs Creek flows into Bright Angel Creeks below Komo Point, at the lower end of this side canyon

The snow clings to the rocks of the Kaibab strata
However, by the time we passed below the Coconino it was no longer sticking and trail conditions improved markedly

The trail skirting below an overhang
A good example of the alternating cliffs and slopes of the Supai group lies beyond, partially shrouded in cloud

Clouds above the Esplanade
Looking back up at whence we came

The redbud was still blooming along the trail in the Supai
Western redbud, Cercis orbiculata

The trail was a lot less muddy here than it was above
Note the redbud blooming along the trail

Looking back towards the top of the canyon
Note the solid cloud cover, the sandstones and mudstones of the Supai group, and the blooming redbud

We
Just the same, we haven't moved very far along the canyon yet; note how the trail climbs back up to the Redwall cliffs from the bridge

More redbud along the trail
Steve and I hardly noticed the small trees when we were here in June 2009, after its blooms were gone for that year

Snow covered Coconino promontory looming above the red Supai
Note that there's no snow in the Supai

Redwall
We've now crossed the bridge to the other side of Roaring Springs Canyon

As we descended, we kept looking back from whence we came
Snowy Coconino cliffs above the red Supai

Looking back up at the Esplanade sandstone cliffs and the Coconino cliffs above
The trail's switchbacks are visible as they descend down the fault line piercing these cliffs

Redwall detail
Redwall limestone is actually grey, but is commonly stained by erosion from the red Supai layers above it

Some of the snowy Coconino promontories resembled iced cakes on a red tablecloth
It was chilly, but we considered ourselves very fortunate to see the Canyon like this

The famed stretch of the trail along the Redwall
Many view this passage as precarious, but after what we had seen on the East Tonto it seemed comforting

Again, looking back from whence we came
The famed Redwall is on the left, while the trail to the rim climbs switchbacks up the far end of the canyon

Sometimes the snowy Cocino looked more like fairy castles disappearing in mist
These loom above the west wall of Roaring Springs Canyon

Further along the Redwall
Note the snowy flanks of Komo Point ahead

An imposing spire of Redwall limestone rises next to the trail
Note how grey this Redwall is, in the absence of erosional staining from any Supai rock above

Another section of the trail clinging to the Redwall
Note that the canyon is fairly narrow here, with precipitous Redwall cliffs on both sides

Another look down Roaring Springs Canyon
Note the trail contouring along the Muav slope just below the Redwall further on

Hikers below the Redwall
After descending the final section of the Redwall, the trail skirts along it at the top of the Muav limestone

Looking back up the canyon from the top of the Muav limestone
Note the snow covered Coconino, now far above

Fossilized tubular worm burrows
These are near a small lens of Temple Butte limestone, which had been mostly eroded away before the Redwall formed

The Needle pokes skyward from the Redwall near Roaring Springs
The cliffs in the distance form the eastern wall of the upper Bright Angel Canyon

Looking back up Roaring Springs Canyon from the canyon
Note the power lines connecting the North Rim and the pumping station at Roaring Springs

One of the lesser springs at the base of Uncle Jim
Several smaller springs flow from the base of Uncle Jim near the larger, more dramatic Roaring Springs

Looking up Bright Angel Canyon from its junction with Roaring Springs Canyon
The North Kaibab Trail turns left here, while the old trail to the North Rim continues up Bright Angel Canyon

A more detailed photo of upper Bright Angel Canyon
We had hoped to dayhike up the old trail but could not get the necessary permit to spend an extra night at Cottonwood Campground

Uncle Jim Point and Roaring Springs under heavy cloud
We're approaching mid-day, yet the snow is still clinging to the North Rim in the distance

Looking downhill as the trail descends through the Muav limestone
Note the two hikers below us, descending to Bright Angel Canyon

Another view of the trail through the Muav
The tree is the one behind the hikers in the previous photograph

Bright Angel Creek
This stretch of the creek is above its confluence with the torrent from Roaring Springs

Dox formation, slanting upwards toward the Tapeats sandstone above it
Note the blue sky - the morning's storm clouds were starting to give way to nicer weather by the time we reached Bright Angel Creek

Looking down Bright Angel Canyon to Cottonwood Campground and the South Rim
Note the upward sloping Dox formation below the Tapeats layer; the Dox is part of the ancient "super group" layers missing from the geological record further downstream

Looking up towards Oza Butte from Cottonwood Campground
Lunchtime, in front of the ranger's residence

Ranger
We enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the welcome sunshine

Another lunchtime view from Cottonwood Campground
The weather was rapidly improving

Looking back up towards Bright Angel Point
We're now about 4,200 feet below the trailhead, 6.8 miles up the trail

Looking back up past Cottonwood Campground to the spire of Manzanita Point
Note the Tapeats sandstone cliffs on the left, with Dox formation rock beneath them

The trail crosses the top of this 6 ft water fall on Wall Creek
I've read that there is an impressive travertine cone up Wall Creek as well

Looking back at the trail
We're just above the junction with the side trail to Ribbon Falls

Opuntia bloom along the trail below Manu Temple.JPG
The Opuntia were out in force all along Bright Angel Canyon

Errant boulders of Tapeats sandstone precariously perched above the trail
The trail here is still wending its way through the Dox formation

An eroded block of Tapeats sandstone that tumbled onto its side
We're not far from the upper entrance to the Box and the Vishnu schist of the inner canyon

Just above the Box
This part of Bright Angel Canyon was farmed for hundreds of years until the creation of the national park forced the Native American farmers off the land

Opuntia bloom in the Box
We're almost to Phantom - 14 miles and 5,600 feet from where we began our day

Bright Angel Creek in the morning light, below Phantom Ranch
Technically, this is still the North Kaibab Trail, but its the starting point for anybody headed for the South Rim from Phantom ranch

The Silver Bridge, carrying the River Trail across the Colorado.JPG
The River Trail becomes the Bright Angel Trail when it turns south from the river a mile and a half downstream

Looking dwonstream from the silver Bridge
The water is green and cold rather than warm and muddy as it would naturally be because it was released from the bottom of Glen Canyon Dam

The Colorado and the inner canyon just below the Silver Bridge
The tree in the foreground isn't dead, but only now leafing out after its dormant period

The Silver Bridge, Sumner Butte and Zoroaster back-lit by the morning sun
Those "pebbles" along the river are actually very sizable boulders deposited by the river during floods

River resthouse, at the junction of the Bright Angel and River Trails
The trail leaves the river here and heads up Pipe Creek

Looking up Pipe Creek canyon towards the South Rim
Mather Point on the South Rim looms far above

Johnson Point from Devil
The trail follows the creek visible at the bottom of the canyon

Bright Angel Trail climbing up out of the Vishnu schist
The trail, seen cutting across the cliffs of Vishnu schist, is about to leave Pipe Creek's canyon and enter the Tapeats canyon cut by Garden Creek

The rugged landscape of the Granite gorge and its Vishnu schist
In the distance are Johnson Point and Zoroaster Temple

Looking down at the Bright Angel Trail along Pipe Creek
As you can infer, the climb up the Devil's Corkscrew is pretty steep

Looking northeast from where Garden Creek plunges into the inner canyon
Bright Angel Canyon goes to the left of Zoroaster and the Granite Gorge and the Colorado River to the right

The Devil
Bright Angel Trail climbs up these switchbacks to get up and out of Pipe Creek

A prickly pear along the trail in the Devil
We never tired of the incongruous beauty of these cactus blooms, or of their variety

Zoroaster above the Hakatai shale of the Granite Gorge
View from the top of Devil's Corkscrew

Spires near the bottom Tapeats gorge
The spires are Tapeats sandstone sitting atop Vishnu schist

Hikers beneath the cliffs of Tapeats gorge
They're right at the Great Unconformity, where 1.8 billion years of geology is missing because it eroded away before the Tapeats sandstone was formed

Zoroaster anf Brahma framed by the cliffs of Tapeats Gorge
Looking back down, from whence we came

Hikers descending through Tapeats gorge along Garden Creek
Although its little by Grand Canyon standards, this gorge is remarkably pretty and well worth the effort for energetic day hikers from the South Rim

The "Battleship" looming above Indian Garden
Classic example of redwall limestone walls, above the cottonwood of Indian Garden

Tonto Trail heading west from Indian Garden
The cottonwood of Indian Garden are to the right, with Buddha Temple in the center distance and Cheops Pyramid to the left

Sumner Butte, Brahama and Zoroaster Temples loom across the Tonto Platform
The Bright Angel Trail ascends through the Tapeats gorge on the left as it approaches Indian Garden

The Battleship, the Tonto and blackbrush
This is a classic Tonto Trail tableau

Day hikers returning from Plateau Point
Sumner Butte and both Brahma and Zoroaster Temples are in the distance

Yaki Point, O'Neill Butte and Skeleton Point from the Tonto trail
Note the rain over Yaki Point. The Plateau Point trail is in the foreground

Brahma and Zoroaster Temples; Skeleton Point is on the right
View across the Tonto platform from below the "Battleship"

Tonto trail heading west across the Tonto Platform
Isis Temple, Cheops Pyramid and and Buddha Temple are in the distance

Tower of Set and Horus Temple
The Tapeats cliff rimming the inner gorge is visible beneath them

Tonto Trail curving to the west
Dana Point, Tower of Set and Horus Temple are in the distance

Isis Temple in the sun with Shiva Temple and Cheops Pyramid in shadow
A typically expansive Tonto Trail vista

Brahma and Zoroaster Temples, viewed across the Tonto platform
We're working our way west here, approaching Horn Creek

Another view of the iconic Brahma and Zoroaster Temples from the Tonto Trail
We're still a little east of Horn Creek, headed west; note how much fainter the trail is here than is the much more heavily used Bright Angel Trail

The Battleship under threatening skies
The weather was still rather changeable, but was somewhat more settled, as well as warmer and drier, than it had been earlier in the week

Isis Temple, from a low rise in the Tonto Platform north of Dana Butte
We're halfway between the Horn and Salt Creek basins

Tonto Trail rounding Dana Butte
The Tower of Set is prominent in the landscape across the river

A brief rest on the "flat" Tonto Trail
Near Dana Butte, with the seemingly ever present Brahma and Zoroaster in the distance

Isis Temple
Viewed from the Tonto Trail on a low hill of the Tonto Platform below Dana Butte

Tower of Set, from below Dana Butte
Note the forbidding, dark Vishnu schist of the inner gorge

Salt Creek Rapids, viewed from below Dana Butte
Note the Tonto Trail curving away to the left

The South Rim's Hopi and Mohave Points
Looking up from east of Salt Creek

Dana Butte, from near the mouth of the Salt Creek gorge
Again, note how hilly the "flat" Tonto Platform is, and how lush the vegetation in this desert environment is

Isis Temple with Buddha Temple beyond
This viewed west of Dana Butte gives a good sense of how abruptly the inner gorge with its Tapeats rim cuts into the Tonto Platform

Two hikers heading east towards Horn Creek
We passed them as we headed west to Salt Creek

One of the prettiest flowers we saw
Along the Tonto Trail near Salt Creek

Redwall cliff below Hopi Point
Late afternoon sun in the Salt Creek basin

Hopi Point in the late afternoon, from Salt Creek basin
The "Hopi Wall" is a sheer drop of over 2,000 feet!

Tower of Set, from our campsite at Salt Creek
Morning, May 21

Mohave Point, looming above the Hopi Wall above Salt Creek
The Hopi Wall is a sheer cliff describing a big arc between Hopi and Mohave Points

Redwall cliff and talus slope of Muav limestone
This formation, called "The Alligator," is the western wall of the canyon enclosing Salt Creek

Climbing up out of Salt Creek
Note the signpost marking the side-trail to the campsite; Blythe encountered a nasty cactus just up the trail from here

Tonto Trail, heading west towards Cedar Creek
This day was another day of true solitude, with no other people on the trail

More globemallow along the trail
This globemallow (Sphaeralcea) bush was in the vicinity of Cedar Spring

Tower of Set from near Cedar Spring
The strata of Tapeats sandstone is typical of the rim of the inner gorge

The Tower of Set, Isis Temple and Buddha Temple
these three, along with the Tower of Ra and Osiris Temple, are the dominant scenic elements of this portion of the Canyon

View of the Tower of Ra to the northwest
We're now about halfway between Cedar Spring and Monument Creek

On the Tonto trail, between Cedar Spring and Monument Creek
Note the Kaibab century plant (Agave utahensis), an iconic plant of the Canyon

Looking west past the southern end of the Tower of Ra formation
The canyon entering from the left is Monument Creek's

Approaching Monument Creek
Cope Butte looms above the Tonto Platform

Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) just west of Salt Creek
Also known as claret cup cactus

Dana Butte, from near Cedar Spring
Looking back from beyond Cedar Spring

Hiking west on the Tonto, approaching Monument Creek
By in large, the Tonto Trail was fairly easy to hike and to follow from Indian Garden to Monument Creek

Another species of opuntia common to the Tonto platform
Opuntia flowers come in reds, pinks, yellows and oranges, and all are a delight to the hiker

The Monument, from the east rim of Monument Creek gorge
Note the Tonto trail snaking along the cliff and up the wash at the upper right as well as the Monument Creek trail descending past the Monument

The Monument of Monument Creek
This view is from half way down the Tonto trail's descent into Monument Creek gorge; we didn't like this section of the trail as it was steep, precipitous and covered with loose rock and gravel

Desert spiny lizard in Monument Creek Canyonr the campground.JPG
The Monument Creek campground was the only campsite we saw which we didn't much like, but that's no fault of this lizard!

The Monument from below
Note the clearly delineated Great Unconformity in its base

Rafters running Granite Rapids
We hiked down a side trail to the river at Granite Rapids

The forboding inner canyon and the Colorado, above Granite Rapids
The river looks deceptively calm here, but the current is quite powerful

Campsite at Granite Rapids
The tamarisk is an invasive species, but its shade was welcome as we experienced our hottest weather here

Desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister)
Sitting on a branch by our tent

The inner gorge from the beach at Granite Rapids
Dana Butte is in the distance to the east

A bush with white and light purple blooms
This was growing on a sandy beach near the river

Looking south from Granite Rapids
Pima Point on the South Rim looms in the distance

Granite Rapids, looking upstream
Dana Butte is in the distance

Sand dunes at Granite Rapids
The inner gorge's Vishnu schist rises on the opposite side of the river, with part of the Temple of Ra looming to the north

The Monument, late afternoon
From Monument Creek gorge, looking up towards Pima Point to the south

Afternoon sun high above the shadows deep in the gorge of Monument Creek
Cope Butte is visible through the notch; the Tonto Trail will climb through that notch headed west

Pima Point catches the late afternoon sun
Dusk falls early in the canyon below

Tonto Trail, heading west from Monument Creek
The Tower of Set catches the late afternoon sun

Late afternoon view to the northeast over Monument Creek
Isis Temple catches the sun

Monument Creek winding down to the Colorado
The "trail" down the creek is nothing more than a series of cairns down the dry wash, which presumably get replaced by hikers after floods rearrange things

Sunset from the Tonto Trail west of Monument Creek
Isis, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples and Dana Butte are in the distance

Tonto trail heading west, around Cope Butte
View from our last campsite in the Canyon

The Tower of Ra and Ninetyfour Mile Creek
View from our campsite below Cope Butte

Our last campsite, looking west
Note the inner gorge cutting through the Tonto Platform

Our last dawn in the Canyon, looking east
This was a spectacular campsite, perhaps the best of the trip

Looking west at dawn
Blythe contemplating the Canyon's beauty on our last morning of the hike

Cope Butte in the morning sun
Hermit Gorge stretches back on the right

Yuma Poiint, catching the morning sun
View from our final camp site

A small flowering bush was on the Tonto Platform, near our last campsite
This might be brittlebush or bahia (Bahia absinthifolia)

Hermit Rapids, west of Cope Butte
White and Marsh Buttes are in the distance

The Tower of Ra, the inner gorge, and the river that carved it all
Ninetyfour Mile Creek's gorge extends back along the east flank of Ra

Hiking west, approaching the Hermit trail
The Tower of Ra, Osiris Temple and the Tower of Set are across the river; note the Tonto trail contouring on the right

The Tower of Ra and 94 Mile Creek gorge
Looking across the river on our last morning of hiking

Looking up the east side of Hermit Gorge
Cope Butte is to the left, with Pima Point on the South Rim, high in the distance

Looking up the west side of Hermit Gorge
Yuma Point on the South Rim looms far above Columbus Point across the gorge

Looking up towards Pima Point
All the major rock strata above the Tonto are clearly delineated here, from Bright Angel Shale up to Kaibab limestone

Junction of the Tonto and Hermit trails
We started the day on the Tonto trail, but it was still fairly early in the morning when we reached the trail junction

Looking northwest shortly after joining the Hermit
The trail begins by climbing a talus slope of eroded Muav limestone, rising gently at first

We are now climbing a long series of short, steep switchbacks
Mencius Temple looms over the small hill in the foreground

The trail has become even steeper, but the vistas are opening
The Tower for Ra looms across the river

We are now climbing a long series of short, steep switchbacks
The low hill which loomed above us earlier is now far below, and the vista reaches out to Marsh butte and Mencius Temple to the west

Cathedral Stairs now awaits us
This climb is the route up and through the generally impenetrable barrier of the Redwall

Dominating the view across the river is the Tower of Ra
We're climbing Cathedral Stairs through the Redwall, some of which is in deep shadow to the right

Remarkable spires in the Redwall below Cathedral Stairs
View to the east

This flower was also fairly common in the higher reaches of the Canyon
This may be hoary aster, which is sometimes known as Machaeranthera canescens and sometimes as Dieteria canescnes, but if so, they were blooming unusually early this year

Another, higher view of the spires on the narrow ridge of Redwall
This ridge is part of Cope Butte; note how narrow it is. Isis Temple looms in the distance, back-lit by the morning sun

Above Cathedral stairs and the Redwall, and starting to traverse the Supai
The Tower of Set is in the distance beyond Cathedral Stairs

Looking northwest "down" the Canyon towards Marsh Butte and beyond
We're past Cathedral Stairs and far above that little hill (lower right) that rose above us when we began ascending the Hermit trail

Trail approaching Breezy Point
Looking south, towards Dripping Springs and the South Rim

Looking towards Breezy Point and on up Hermit Gorge
The trail contours along the talus slope between the Redwall cliffs below and the Esplanade cliffs above

Trail ascending through Hermit shale near Breezy Point
Trail ascending through Hermit shale near Breezy Point; Looking down Hermit gorge towards the northwest

Looking north along the east side of Hermit Gorge
Note the trail snaking along the Hermit shale slope

Looking north from the talus slope of the Hermit shale
The Tower of Ra and Horus Temple loom beyond the pinyon pine and across the inner gorge

Lookout Point
The Tower of Ra is in the distance on the far right

Still contoring through Hermit shale slope towards upper rock slide area
Looking south towards Dripping Springs; Boucher trail on opposite side of Hermit Gorge

Talus slope marking the boundary between the Supai and Redwall formations
Breezy Point and Lookout Point are ahead of us

Looking north, past Lookout Point
Beyond the inner gorge, the Tower of Ra stands in shadow with Osiris Temple to its right

Two lengthy stretches of the trailhad been obliterated by a series of massive r
Hikers had reclaimed the trails, setting cairns to guide subsequent hikers, but a lot of scrambling was still required

A good example of cross-bedded Coconino sandstone
The patterns in the rock reflect the shifting sand dunes of an ancient desert

Another block of crossbedded Coconino sandstone
These were among the many boulders which had tumbled down over the trail

More beavertail, probably Opuntia basilaris
The multitude of Opuntia in bloom throughout the Canyon was a real joy

A classic example of the Supai Group
We're still contouring on Hermit shale as we negotiate the second set of rock falls obstructing the trail

Looking back down Hermit Gorge as we continue to climb
Columbus Point is on the left, and the Tower or Ra formations are in the center distance

Indian paintbrush, possibly wooly Indian paintbrush (Castilleja lanata)
These were fairly common along the trails

Pinyon pine in Hermit shale
We're past the rock slides, Columbus Point is on the left and the Tower of Ra in the distance behind us

Columbus Point, which is the eastern arm of Yuma Point
Boucher trail traverses Columbus Point above the talus slopes of Hermit shale

A lovely small bush along the trail
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi), a small bush common in the highlands of southwestern deserts

Looking back down Hermit Gorge
The Hermit trail comes in along the right, Columbus Point is on the left, and the Tower of Ra is in the shadows across the inner gorge

The Hermit trail above the rock slides
Note the Esplanade sandstone cliffs, with the Coconino sandstone cliffs above them

We found Karen Knorowski, artist and educator, in her studio
She was on a ledge below the trail, painting, when we happened by, and we liked her work so much we bought it!

Looking north, up Hermit gorge
The Tower of Set and Shiva temple in the distance

Blythe, hiking along a Hermit formation talus slope
We're well up in the Hermit by now; notice all the vegetation

View to the west, towards Dripping Springs
Boucher trail traverses the opposite side of Hermit gorge

The view narrows towards the top of Hermit gorge
View to the north, past the upper red Hermit shales and Esplanade sandstones of the Supai formation

Santa Maria Spring, an incongruous oasis on the trail
A delightful rest stop, with lots of water

Blythe relaxing at Santa Maria Spring
Shady, with comfortable benches and a beautiful view

Santa Maria Spring is within reach of day hikers
Like Hermit trail, the rest house was built by the Santa Fe RR when it was developing Hermit Trail as a travel destination back around 1910

The Boucher and Dripping Spring trails head west from here
This junction is 1.6 miles below the Hermit's trailhead

The topography changed a lot just above the junction with the Boucher trail
As Hermit Creek has cut through the Kaibab limestone and Coconino sandstone, it has created something more like a steep valley than the gorge that exists further downstream

Sonoran collared lizard (Crotaphytus nebrius)
We saw these throughout the Canyon; this one was up in the Kaibab limestone not far below the rim

Looking back from above the Coconino, near the trailhead
The Tower of Ra and Mencius temple and Point Sublime are in the distance

A Kaibab limestone cliff, at the little side canyon leading up to the trailhead
Nearly finished!

Almost to the trailhead, looking back down the Canyon
Pinyon pine in the foreground, Columbus Point on the left and Point Sublime in the distance

We did it!
Blythe at the trailhead, after hiking 102 miles

1 We spent 1 day as tourists on the South Rim before beginning our hike
View of Cape Final

2 Our hike would begin by descending along Cedar Ridge
Late afternoon view of Cedar Ridge, looking east

3 View to the west, Yavapai and Maricopa Points and the Tower of Set
This photo was taken shortly after we began our descent of the South Kaibab trail

4 We began shortly after sunrise, with both sunlight and shadow in the Canyon
View of Maricopa Point to the west from the upper South Kaibab trail

5 Cypress holding on to boulder near O
A surprise to us was how much vegetation we saw in the Canyon, some of which was remarkably beautiful

6O
Descending to this vantage point would make a nice day hike from the South Rim

7 Steve seemingly on the edge of the world
We are still on the South Kaibab trail descending Cedar Ridge. The view is to the northwest

8 This breccia pipe formation is below O
Breccia pipes are formed when caves collapse and are filled in by rubble from above, which over time solidify. Many of t

9 Switchbacks take the South Kaibab down the east face of Skeleton Point
Zoroaster and Brahma Temples are in the background, across the Colorado River and the Granite Gorge

10 Steve descending the South Kaibab trail aorund Skeleton Point
Zoroaster Temple in the background

11 Steve admiring the view to the south from below Skeleton Point
Sumner Butte is in the background, across the inner gorge

12 Steve on trail through Hakatai shale, descending into the inner gorge
Again, Sumner Butte is in the background

13 Looking down into the Inner Gorge from a quarter mile above
The Colorado River, Bright Angel creek, the campground just below Phantom ranch, the Silver Bridge and part of River tra

14 The Phanton Ranch cantina
This is the restaurant/store/social center of Phantom Ranch (Steve's photo)

15 We headed up the North Kaibab trail the next morning
Here, the trail is nearing north end of the "Box," the inner canyon of Bright Angel creek

16 Hiking throgh the "Box" we saw many Sacred Datura growing along the creek
Sacred Datura (Datura meteloides) blooms open before dawn and shrivel up well before noon. It is toxic and hallucinogeni

17 Hillers Butte at the upper end of the "Box"
At this point, the Bright Angel canyon opens up from the narrow slot the creek had cut through the ancient Vishnu schist

18 Clement Powell Butte in the early morning light
At this point we're about 4 miles up the North Kaibab from Phantom Ranch

19 View back down the Bright Angel
Once the North Kaibab trail climbs above the "Box" the canyon opens up to be a surprisingly verdant valley

20 Oza Butte towering over Ribbon Falls
At this point, we're at about the half way point on the North Kaibab trail

21 Ribbon Falls and its travertine mound
Ribbon Falls is a side-hike about a half mile from the North Kaibab trail

22 Jim at Ribbon Falls
The travertine mound is formed from minerals deposited by the falls

23 Trail below Cottonwood campground along the North Kaibab trail
It was a little unnerving to walk beneath what seemed to be perilously loose rocks in the Muav sandstone above us

24 There was a field of Silver leaf nightshade by the Cottonwood campground
We also saw Silver leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) in the Hatakai shale of the inner gorge

25 Looking back down the North Kaibab trail to Deva Temple
At this point we're near the point where the trail turns away from Bright Angel creek and ascends the canyon formed by R

26 Unnamed butte below Oza Butte
Scattered along the North Kaibab trail were innumerable rock formations that would have been truly unique in almost any

27 Call it prickly pear, beaver tail or Opuntia, they were prevalent throughout
The Opuntia were in bloom when we hiked, with brilliant yellow, pink and yellow & orange flowers

28 Steve descending lower Roaring Springs
The North Kaibab trail turns at the confluence of Roaring Springs and Bright Angel creeks

29 Uncle Jim Point marks the confluence of the two creeks
The old trail to the North Rim continues up this canyon, but the "new" (crica 1922) North Kaibab trail turns left here

30 Uncle Jim Point and Roaring Springs
Roaring Springs provides the water supply for both the North Rim and the South Rim - dwarfed by the rock formation above

31 The century plant (Agave utahensis) blossoms were very picturesque
Looking back at Roaring Springs Canyon from the North Kaibab trail

32 Redwall bluff of Uncle Jim Point
Upper Bright Angle canyon is beyond

33 Looking back at the North Kaibab trail ascending Roaring Springs canyon
The trail climbs along the boundary between Muav limestone and the precipitous Redwall limestone walls of the canyon

34 This is not a trail for acrophobics!
North Kaibab trail along the Redwall cliffs

35 Trail across sheer wall of Redwall
This stretch of the North Kaibab trail was probably the most memorable part of the entire hike

36 looking down Roaring Springs canyon at the Redwall cliffs
Oddly, the gray rock is native Redwall; the characteristic color of most Redwall cliffs comes from eroded soils from the

37 Looking down Roaring Spring canyon towards the Bright Angel canyon
This photo was taken in the morning of our descent of the North Kaibab

38 The North Kaibab trail is clearly visible as it climbs Roaring Spring canyon
The bridge over the creek is visible in the lower center of the photo

39 Steve on trail under a Hermit shale wall on the North Kaibab trail
In some places the Hermit shale really is this odd color of red

40 An early morning view of cliffs of upper Roaring Springs canyon
The Grand Canyon Lodge is on the plateau above these cliffs

41 Early morning view of canyon wall from the North Kaibab trail
We had just begun our descent after a day's rest on the North Rim

42 Coconino wall catches the morning sun
The day's hike down Roaring Springs canyon lies ahead of us

43 Looking towards the South Rim from the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim
43 This photo captures our route along Bright Angel canyon's straight path toward Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim

44 Silver Bridge, early morning
Our path back to the South Rim starts here, where the Bright Angel trail crosses the Colorado River beneath the forbiddi

45 The inner canyon and Colorado River below the Silver Bridge
When seen from the South Rim, the Colorado looks rather puny, but seen from within the inner gorge it's actually a very

46 Colorado winding through inner Canyon
Notice the raft in the river, and our trail winding along the cliffs on the left

47 Mule drain going down the "Corkscrew" in a scene unchanged for a century
Phantom Ranch is one of only two hotels in America supplied entirely by mule train

48 Pipe Creek Gorge
This gives an idea of how rugged the inner gorge is

49 Looking north across the cottonwood of Indian Graden
Sumner Butte, Brahma Temple and Zoroaster Temple are visible on the far side of the Colorado

50 Mules and muleskinners at Plateau Point
I hiked the side-trip to Plateau Point for the spectacular views of the upper canyon it affords, but some tourists get t

51 Inner Canyon and Colorade from Plateau Point
The river is a quarter mile below me

52 Cedar Ridge and Yavapai Point as seen from Plateau Point
We hiked down the spine of this ridge on the South Kaibab trail

53 Hopi Point and the South Rim from Plateau Point
The views from here were spectacular, but with the skies overcast and the sun directly overhead, photography was not opt

54 Looking west to Dana Butte and beyond under mottled sunlight
Notice how thickly overgrown the Tonto Platform is with black brush and other shrubs

55 Looking north from the Bright Angel Trail
Bright Angel Canyon, which we followed to the North Rim, is in the distance

56 We
The view is towards Indian Garden and its cottonwood trees, with Bright Angel canyon stretching away into the distance

58 Three Mile Resthouse on the Bright Angel trail
Not surprising, but Three Mile Resthouse is three miles from the trailhead on the South rim. This is where we met a grou

58 Bright Angel trail ascending the red Esplanade sandstone formation
This trail and the Bright Angel canyon on the far side of the river follow the ancient Bright Angel fault

59 Another view to the north, from higher on the Bright Angel trail
The butte on the left is part of the "Battleship" formation below Maricopa Point

60 We
Looking down on the Battleship, with Cheops and Isis Temples on the other side of the river

61 Grandeur and Yavapai Points from the upper Bright Angel trail
Notice the sheer wall of Coconino sandstone, one of the Canyon's most distinctive features

62 We
View of Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples, with Sumner Butte below them

1 Odd clouds over the Needles
We met up in Santa Clarita and drove to the Grand Canyon via Needles, California, which is named after this striking ran

2 Western Arizona
The drive across northern Arizona was beautiful

3 The tourist arrives
We stopped at Mather Point the moment we reached the Grand Canyon

4 View from Mather Point
Our hike would follow Cedar ridge approaching Skeleton Point from the right, descending down into Granite Gorge and up B

5 Looking east from Mather Point
Our trail will follow Cedar Ridge, pictured in the foreground

6 Yaki Point and Cedar Ridge
Note the South Kaibab trail following the ridgeline down

7 O
The South Kaibab trail follows the ridge on the east side of the peninsula

8 Skeleton Point
On the first day of our hike, we stopped for lunch at the top of the cliff facing west, where we watched 2 California co

9 Pipe creek gorge and Isis Temple beyond
The trail to Plateau Point crosses the Tonto Plateau in the center of the photo; I took the trail as a side-hike on the

10 Angel
Viewed from Mather Point

11 Yavapai Point
Weathered Kaibab limestone can take fantastic shapes

12 Rescue at Yavapai Point
Note the rescue worker wearing bright red below the rim, saving a tourist who had fallen backwards while foolishly posin

13 Yaki Point, late afternoon
Viewed from Mather Point

14 Cedar Ridge, late afternoon
Looking towards Desert View to the east

15 Tower at Desert View
This popular overlook is about 25 miles east of Grand Canyon village

16 Multicolor beavertail blossoms at Desert View
Beavertail (Opuntia erinacea), also known as prickly pear, is common in the area and its blooms provided a colorful acce

17 Cedar Mountain, just east of Desert View
Notice that the plateau two miles east of Desert View is about 500 ft. lower

18 Canyon and Colorado north of Desert View
Looking toward Cape Solitude and the confluence with the Little Colorado River

19 Looking west from Desert View
Note 75 Mile creek coming in from the left

20 75 Mile creek
View to the west from Desert View

21 Looking west from Escalante Butte
75 Mile creek is to the left of the ridge

22 Steve at the Grand Canyon
We're near Lippan Point

23 Cape Final
The view is from Lippan Point to the north, across the Canyon

24 Risk
The park rangers we met didn't like working the Rim because so many tourists take foolish chances. In the previous two m

25 View towards Cape Final
In the foreground is the weather Kaibab limestone of Lippan Point

26 View north towards Shoshone Point
Seen from west of Grandview Point

27 2118 Steve, above Grapevine creek
Looking north, towards Cape Final

28 Weathered Kaibab limestone pinnacle
Jupiter Temple is in the distance

29 Jim above Grapevine creek
The eastern part of the Canyon stretches towards Marble Canyon far beyond

30 View to the east
The tower at Desert View is barely visible on the rim at center-left

31 Smoky eastern vista
The smoke is from a controlled burn set by the Park Service to manage the forest and, ironically, to protect against cat

32 Pipe creek
View from Pipe Creek Vista; Cedar Ridge and the South Kaibab trail are on the right

33 Beavertail blooms on the South Rim
We were surprised by the colorful variety of Beavertail blooms we saw along the trails

34 Tourists in Grand Canyon Village
Note the people casually sitting on the wall, with death-defying drops on the other side

35 Butte on Hopi Point in the afternoon sun
The best time for taking most photos of the Grand Canyon are taken shortly after sunrise or near sunset

36 Grandeur and Yavapai Points, late afternoon.JPG
As we'll discover the next evening at Phantom Ranch, twilight comes much earlier to the Canyon's bottom than it does on

1 Yaki Point and the start of the South Kaibab trail
Note the trail descending the Toroweap formation. The Chimney is in the cleft between the promontory at the far right an

2 Steve at the South Kaibab trailhead
The start of the adventure, 6:10 a.m., June 5, 2009

3 View from South Kaibab trail head
Looking south, with Bright Angel Canyon below in the distance

4 View west from trailhead
Yavapai Point is in the middle distance

5 Beginning descent
Looking west from The Chimney, Kaibab sandstone cliffs to the right

6 Looking west from The Chimney
Kaibab limestone cliffs to the right; the trail at the lower left

7 Steve descending switchbacks of The Chimney
View is to the west

8 Trail switchbacks in the Chimney, just below the trailhead
Jim is at the upper turn

9 View of switchbacks in the Chimney
Looking down at the trail as it descends through the Kaibab limestone

10 View of the Chimney
The trail here is descending the Kaibab limestone just below the rim

11 Looking towards Yaki point
Kaibab limestone sits above the Toroweap formation

12 Steve hiking along the trail
Here the trail follows the Toroweap Formation just below the Kaibab limestone

13 Cliffs between Yaki and Mather Points
Kaibab limestone is at top, with the foliage-covered Toroweap formation below, and the Coconino sandstone forming sheer

14 View to the west
The sun is breaking through the morning clouds to illuminate the Canyon well to the west

15 View from upper South Kaibab trail
Looking to the northwest

16 Looking west from the Toroweap formation
View of Mather Point and beyond

17 Promontory near Yaki Point
Looking east

18 Another view of cliffs near Yaki Point
Note the Toreva (slumping) block of Kaibab limestone which has been undermined and is leaning toward the wall

19 Trail descending the Kaibab formation
Yavapai Point is in the distance on the left

20 Steve on the trail along the base of the Kaibab limestone
The Toroweap formation is below the Kaibab

21 Jim descending steps down through the Coconino
Note the Kaibab limestone and Toroweap formation above

22 View back up the stairs
Note the Toroweap formation above the Coconino, with Kaibab limestone just visible above it

23 On the edge of the world
Steps descend through the Coconino

24 Beavertail and Coconino sandstone at trail
We were surprised by the amount of vegetation we saw throughout the Canyon

25 Steve at a switchback in the Coconino
Yavapai and Maricopa Points are in the distance

26 Stairs descending Coconino
Steve has just turned the corner at the bottom of the switchback

27 Steps down the Coconino
O'Neill Butte is below, to the right

28 View west from swithcback
Bright Angel Canyon heads north into the morning shadows.

29 Lone hiker descending the switchbacks
Pipe Creek gorge is visible below

30 Cross beds of ancient sand dunes
Part of the Coconino sandstone wall

31 Jumbled Coconino sandstone in foreground
Cliffs of Kaibab limestone, the Toroweap formation, Coconino sandstone and Hermit shale are across the way

32 Utah juniper and Coconino
These junipers are one of the most common large plants in the Canyon

33 Trail to Oh-Ah Point
Looking east, with Pattie Butte in the middle distance

35 O
The trail follows switchbacks down towards the butte, then zig-zags across the base of the butte, extends along the mesa

36 Angel
Pattie Butte in the lower pinnacle in the middle distance

37 Steve descending beyond Oh-Ah Point
The Bright Angel trail threads between Yavapai and Maricopa Points in the middle distance

38 Cedar Ridge and its composting toilet
The Park Service maintains a number of similar facilities along all three corridor trails

39 O
Note the trail slanting down the butte's flank

40 Yavapai and Maricopa Points are shadowed in the middle distance
Hopi Point is sunlit beyond

41 Cremation Creek with Zoroaster Temple across the river
Note how green the Tonto Plateau, due to both the foliage which covers it and the Bright Angel shale which forms it

42 Steve descending Cedar Ridge
Note the Plateau Point trail far below him; I would take this trail as a side-hike 4 days later

43 "Cedar" clinging to boulder near O'Neill Butte
The characteristic tree of Cedar Ridge is actually the Utah juniper, Juniperus osteosperma)

44 Steve on trail down towards O
Cheops Pyramid is across the river in the distance

45 Steve looking at O
The Hermit shale cliffs below Mather Point form the backdrop

46 Looking west over Cedar Ridge
On the left is the escarpment east of Yavapai Point

47 Steve on trail below Yaki Point
The trail here circles around Yaki Point towards the escarpment, before reversing

48 Kaibab century plant below Yaki Point
The wall beyond runs west towards Mather Point

49 View northwest over Cedar Ridge towards Trinity creek
Isis and Shiva Temples are on the right of the creek, with Horus Temple on the left

50 Jim at Cedar Ridge
Looking out at O'Neil Butte with Bright Angel Canyon beyond

51 Thief with the fruit of his crime
While we were talking to another hiker, this guy stole her apple; after we ran him down and recovered the loot, his vict

52 Cedar Ridge and O
Bright Angel canyon and Cheops Pyramid are to the left of the Butte

53 Trail down Cedar Ridge
Utah junipers line the trail

54 Steve on trail below Cedar Ridge
South Kaibab is the steepest of the three "corridor" trails, dropping 4,700 ft. in 6.9 miles, averaging almost 13% the e

55 Steve on trail below Cedar Ridge
Because the trail follows the ridgeline for much of its descent, it offers some spectacular views of the Canyon

56 View to the west
Yavapai and Maricopa Points to the left, Tower of Set in center

57 View to west
Tower of Set and Horus Temple. in the distance, Granite Gorge in the middle distance, and Pipe creek just below Cedar Ri

58 View to the east
Pattie and Newton Buttes in the middle distance

59 Steve approaching O
Bright Angel canyon is in the far distance

60 Steve on the edge of the world
Cheops Pyramid and Utah Flats are behind him

61 Kaibab century plant below Yaki Point
We're below O'Neil Point

62 O
Oddly, O'Neil Butte seems smaller, the closer one gets to it

63 Esplanade sandstone below O
Some of the rocks along the trail were rather interesting in their own right

64 The photographer
The tree is a Utah juniper, one of the more prevalent small trees in the Canyon

65 Steve descending along Esplanade sandstone wall
The trail is well below O'Neil Butte here

66 Switchbacks below Skeleton Point
Sumner Butte, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples are on the far side of Granite Gorge and the Colorado river

67 Trail descending Cedar Ridge
Horus Temple and the Tower of Set are in the distance to the west

68 Trail approaching Skeleton Point
Cheops Pyramid and Shiva Temple are beyond the saddle in Cedar Ridge

69 View to west, with Horus Temple and the Tower of Set in the distance
Note the Tonto trail skirting under Yavapai and Mather Points to avoid Pipe creek gorge

70 Promontory beyond O
Beyond this point, the trail descend to Skeleton Point

71 Breccia pipe below O
Breccia pipes are formed when rock from higher strata collapses into limestone caverns

72 Skeleton Point
View toward Bright Angel canyon, with Cheops Pyramid to the left

73 Looking back at O
Note trail slanting across the base of the butte

74 Kaibab century plant flower
View is to northwest, towards Pipe creek gorge

75 Jim looking back up towards O
We're on the trail just above Skeleton Point

76 Brahma and Zoroaster Temples from Skeleton Point
Note the century plant blooms along the ridgeline

77 Looking down on Phantom Ranch from Skeleton Point
Phantom Ranch is over half a mile below us at this point; the reflective roof, by the way, is the ranger station

78 Looking down at Colorado from Skeleton Point
The river is 2,700 ft below us; in 4 days we'll be walking past the island in midstream at the start of our hike back up

79 Lunch break at Skeleton Point
From here we watched two California Condors sweep low, right over our heads

80 Skeleton Point
Cheops Pyramid and Isis Temple are visible beyond the brow of the point

81 Starting descent of Skeleton Point
The day was rather cloudy most of the time, which was better for hiking than for photography

82 Kaibab and Muav limestone of Skeleton Point
We were surprised at how green this part of the Canyon is; that's due to the Muav limestone, Bright Angel shale, and the

83 Tonto Plateau below Skeleton Point
Note the Tonto trail skirting the edge of the Pipe creek gorge

84 Jim on trail down to Skeleton Point
Tower of Set and Horus Temple in the distance, with the Granite Gorge and the Colorado River in the middle

85 Notch in Skeleton Point
The trail is about to descend the switchbacks down the Redwall on the east side of Skeleton Point

86 Trail through Skeleton Point notch
The trail is about to descend the switchbacks below Skeleton Point

87 Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
We're descending the upper part of the trail down from Skeleton Point

88 Looking east from Skeleton Point
Wotans Throne and Vishnu Temple dominate the horizon at this point

89 Switchbacks at Skeleton Point
It was here that we had an extended conversation with a ranger patrolling the trail, and listened to her describing some

90 View west through Skeleton Point notch
Note the Tonto trail on the plateau below; The Tower of Set and Horus Temple are in the distance, with the Granite Gorge

91 Another view of Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
At this point, we're farther down the switchbacks

92 Face of cliff below Skeleton Point
Note the hemispherical grotto eroded in the face of this Redwall limestone

93 Descending Skeleton Point switchback
Note the caves in the cliff face

94 Looking back at O
Note the sheer Redwall limestone face below O'Neil Butte

95 Yaki Point frm the Skeleton Point switchback
Note all the major strata of rock: Kaibab limestone at the South Rim, then the Toroweap formation, Coconino sandstone, H

96 Steve descending Skeleton Point
Zoroaster Temple is in the background

97 Cremation creek cuts through the Tonto Plateau east of Skeleton Point
Wotans Throne and Vishnu Temple are on the horizon, with Angels Gate in front of Wotans Throne

98 Steve descending to the Tonto Plateau
Looking across river to Buddha Temple and the mouth of Bright Angel canyon

99 View northwest across Tonto Plateau
The horizon is defined by Dana Butte, the Tower of Set, Horus Temple and Isis Temple, with the red rocks of Granite Gorg

100 Looking back at Skeleton Point
Yaki Point looms in the background, 3,300 above usl (May 2011 photo)

101 Detail of the lower end of Skeleton Point
The Redwall limestone bluff stands above its Muav limestone base and the Bright Angel shale slopes below

102 Brahma and Zoroaster Temples on the north side of the river
Granite Gorge and the Colorado Rive area are hidden by the rolling hills of the Tonto Plateau

103 Isolated rest stop dwarfed by Sumner Butte across the river
Bright Angel canyon is to the left of the Butte

104 View west toward Dana Butte
A??loping hill covered with black brush is seemingly capped by the promontories of the South Rim from Maricopa Point the

105 Yavapai and Maricopa Points
From the South Rim 3,500 feet above, the rolling hills of the Tonto Plateau appear flat

106 Steve admiring the view to the south
Sumner Butte, to the right of Steve, is on the other side of the river and overlooks Phantom Ranch

107 View of Pipe creek gorge, Dana Butte and Whites Butte
Notice the Tapeats sandstone walls of the gorge; the Tapeats underlies the Bright Angel shale of the Tonto Plateau

108 View to the east, across the black brush
Wotans Throne towers behind Angel's Gate

109 Emergency tephone at the junction of the South Kaibab and Tonto trails
Another view of Buddha Temple and Sumner Butte

110 Over the edge at the Tipoff
From here, the trail drops 1,400 ft. in 1.9 miles, a grade of 14%

111 Switchback just below the Tipoff
Looking north, over the Colorado (lower left), Granite Gorge with its ancient Vishnu schist wall, and the undulating Tap

112 Trail slanting down into Hakatai shale below the cap of Tapeats sandstone
The Hakatai shale here was preserved from eroding away because the rock of the Cremation Graben was dropped several hund

113 View of Colorado River with Isis Temple beyond
The river at the bottom of Granite Gorge is 1,400 ft. below

114 The trail is down into the Vishnu schist of the Granite Gorge
The trail has descended from the Tapeats sandstone into the upper levels of the 1.8 billion year old Vishnu schist

115 Steve on trail through Hakatai shale
Sumner Butte in background looms over the confluence of the Colorado River and Bright Angel creek

116 Granite Gorge walls of Vishnu shcist and Zoroaster granite
Maricopa Point is in the distance

117 Looking into the Inner Gorge over a quarter mile down
Visible from here are the Colorado River, Bright Angel Campground, the silver Bridge and the River trail headed towards

118 Granite Gorge wall of Vishnu schist, with its Tapeats cap
Sumner Butte and Zoroaster Temple rise above

119 Granite Gorge and the river that created it
The metamorphic Vishnu schist and Zoroaster granite of the inner canyon are more resistant to erosion than the higher sa

120 Vishnu schist walls, Tapeats sandstone cap and Hatakai shale of the inner gorge
Note Isis and Buddha Temples above

121 Inner gorge
The Vishnu schist walls of the Granite Gorge appear almost tortured by the tectonic forces that broke apart the ancient

122 Silver leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) growing in the soil of the Hakatai shale
We were continually amazed at the quantity and diversity of the Canyon's vegetation

123 Looking down at the Black bridge
Note the switchbacks as the trail descends steeply down the Cremation Graben

124 Steve chatting with two hikers
We didn't see many hikers on the South or North Kaibab trails, but the trails never seemed empty

125 Looking up the Cremation Graben
From this angle, it was easy to see the section of Hatakai shale that had been dropped several hundred feet by the ancie

126 Looking down on the Silver bridge
The bridge carries the Bright Angel trail across the Colorado

127 View of the Black bridge
The South Kaibab trail crosses the river on this bridge

128 The confluence of the Colorado and Bright Angel creek
Phantom Ranch is up the tree-lined canyon to the right

129 Jim at the Black Bridge tunnel portal
Each of the "corridor" trails has at least one tunnel

130 Steve crossing black bridge
The heavy planks in the bridge floor are for the mule trains, which all use this bridge instead of the Silver Bridge

131 Black bridge and its tunnel
The south end of the bridge ends at the tunnel entrance

132 The Colorado at its confluence with Bright Angel creek
Note the people on the beach; swimming at this part of the river is extremely dangerous due to the strong current and th

133 Black bridge
Each cable used for the bridge were carried down into the Canyon by crews of 42 Havasupai workers

134 Black bridge from downstream
Steve is on the last leg of the hike

135 Two mule trains on the river trail
Mule trains coming down the Bright Angel trail follow the River trail to cross the river trail on the Black bridge

136 Anasazi ruins at the confluence of the river and the creek
The circular structure is thought to be the remains of a kiva, while the rectangular ruins are thought to be from reside

137 Steve at the junction of the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails
We still have a little ways to go, but just the same, we knew we'd made it at this point

138 Bright Angel campground, just below Phantom Ranch
Up to 90 people can camp at these sites strung along the creek

139 Phanton Ranch cantina
The cantina serves as restaurant, store, coffee house and bar, depending on the time of day

140 Phantom Ranch fire engine
Everything at Phantom Ranch comes in by mule train, so technology is pretty simple

141 Typical cabin at Phantom Ranch
Phantom Ranch has 7 smaller cabins like this, which accommodate 4, and 2 larger ones that can accommodate 10

142 Trail
Steve is reviewing photographs by our dorm; there are 2 men's dorms, and 2 women's; each accommodates 10 people

144 Late afternoon at Phantom Ranch
The inner canyon is already in shadow, but the sun is still shining on the South Rim

145 Jim cooling off in Bright Angel creek
The water was cold, but it sure felt good

146 Bright Angel creek by our dorm
Looking upstream, in the direction we'd be hiking the next day

146 Yavapai Point lit by the setting sun
The end of our first day's hike

1 Starting ascent of Bright Angel Canyon
We departed Phantom Ranch at 6:15 a.m., June 6

2 The canyon starts to narrow immediately above Phantom Ranch
This is still part of the inner canyon, and is cut through Vishnu schist and related ancient, hard rock

3 Looking back at South Rim
The Colorado flows between the nearer Vishnu schist and that in the middle distance

4 Entering the narrow canyon called the Box
The Vishnu schist of the Box is comparatively hard rock

5 Trail in the Box, with morning sun catching the top
Because the canyon here is so narrow, its floor is in shadow for much of the day

6 Sacred Datura in the Box
The Sacred Datura (Datura meteloides) favors the shadier parts of the canyon

7 First bridge across creek
Note the narrowness of the canyon

8 Tapeats pillar atop Vishnu schist
The trail has already climbed through about half of the visible Vishnu schist

9 Sunlight and shadow
Note the horizontally foliated Tapeats sandstone above the Great Unconformity, 1.2 billion years of missing geological r

10 The trail crosses the creek 4 times in the first 2.7 miles
The dark walls contrast sharply with the spring green of the plants along the creek

11 Trail and creek in the Box
Note rugged Vishnu schist wall

12 Trail along the creek through the Box
Jim is the nearer hiker

13 Tapeats sandstone formation in sunlight
Note the eroded Vishnu schist in the shadows

14 Nearing the top of the Box
The narrow canyon twists and turns in the resistant schist

15 The canyon widens here as its floor nears the top of the Vishnu schist
Hillers Butte towers in the distance

16 Nearing north end of the Box
Note the old telephone pole on the left; it's a registered historic structure, built by the CCC in the 1930s

17 Nearing north end of the Box
Note that the Tapeats sandstone sitting atop of Vishnu schist

18 Great Unconformity is clearly visible
Between the Tapeats and the Vishnu schist is a missing gap of 1.2 billion years in the geological record

19 Steve hiking out of the Box towards the sunlight
Johnson Point looms above

20 Bright Angel Creek flowing down through Tapeats
The canyon floor is quite lush from here on up to Roaring Springs

21 Looking up Bright Angel canyon in the early morning
The top of the Vishnu schist can be seen on the right

22 Hillers Butte
The butte is Redwall limestone, with Muav and, Bright Angel shale below, and Tapeats sandstone below that

23 Clement Powell Butte
The trail is about 4 miles up the North Kaibab at this point

24 Steve ascending Bright Angel Canyon
The final ascent of the Bright Angel Trail is barely visible in the far background

025 Jim on trail studying map
022 DSCN0259 JIm on trail studying map.JPG 2009-06-05

26 View back down canyon
The South Rim receding into the distance is now about 7 miles away

27 Looking up Bright Angel Creek
Manzanita Point is in the distance, marking the turn into Roaring Springs canyon

28 Fallen block along trail
The canyon walls are constantly eroding!

29 Steve walking pas Kaibab century plant
Note the boulders rounded by flash floods

30 Looking back at the Box and South Rim
The final ascent of the Bright Angel trail is visible in the far distance

31 Steve hiking towards Manzanita and Komo Points
The Walhalla Plateau is in the distance, above Manzanita Point

32 Muav limestone bluff
The greenish, easily eronded Bright Angel shale is below it

33 Steve ascending trail
Note all the boulders that have fallen as the eroding eroding shale undermines the rocks above

34 Promontory below Manu Point
The Redwall limestone forms sheer walls that contrast with the more easily eroded Muav limestones and Bright Angel shale

35 Looking up tpwards the confluence with Ribbon Falls creek
Oza Butte rises up on the far side of Ribbon Falls creek

36 Oza Butte, high over the canyon floor
Ribbon Falls creek flows from the side canyon on the left

37 Oza Butte towering over Ribbon Falls
Ribbon Falls, 120 ft high, is dwarfed by the scale of the canyon

38 Ribbon Falls
Ribbon Falls is up a short side-trail, which I'll explore later, on the descent from the North Rim

39 Ribbon Falls and its travertine pedestal
The travertine is from calcium and carbonate picked up by the creek from limestones higher up precipitating as the creek

40 Looking south from opposite Ribbon Falls
The South Rim is now about 9 miles distant

41 Meeting another hiker along the trail
The trail is descending from a hill opposite Ribbon Falls

42 East end of Oza Butte
Oza Butte is peninsula separating Transept canyon from the gorge cut by Ribbon Falls creek

43 Hikers approaching Wall Creek ford
Wall Creek comes down fro Walhalla Plateau in the east, between Komo Point and Deva Temmple

44 Oza Butte
Oza Butte ends in 2 arms reaching down towards Bright Angel creek

45 Redwall Butte below Oza Butte
This butte stands at the end of the northern arm of Oza Butte

46 Oza Butte
A broader perspective on the east end of Oza Butte

47 Deva Temple towers over the east side of the canyon
Deva Temple is one of the most prominent features of the central portion of the Grand Canyon

48 Cavern hollowed out by erosion
The cavity formed is probably about 60 feet high

49 Rubble from a canyon wall below Oza Butte
The larger blocks are considerably larger than an automobile

50 Trail blasted along a bluff by the creek
Note Steve hiking up the trail

51 Trail towards Cottonwood
The campground begins in the cottonwood trees in the distance; Manzanita Point, where the trail turns up Roaring Springs

52 Trail below Cottonwood
The cliff is formed from the mudstones of the Dox formation

53 Jeff and Kim at Cottonwood
We met Jeff and Kim at Phantom Ranch the evening before, and would meet them a day later on the North Rim

54 Park Service building at Cottonwood
Note the wind sock. The Park Service has several emergency heliports along the trails for evacuation of injured hikers

55 View of South rim from junction with Transpet canyon
Note Park Service buildings and camp sites at Cottonwood

56 End of the north arm of Oza Butte
The bluff is Redwall limestone

57 Southeast end of Bright Angel Point
Nearly all the major rock strata of the Gran canyon are visible except the Vishnu schist

58 Lower part of Bright Angel Point
The highest promontory is topped with Kaibab limestone, the one on the right is Hermit shale, and the one on the left is

59 South Rim from mouth of Roaring Springs canyon
The South Rim is now about ten miles distant

60 View down Bright Angel canyon from just below Roaring Springs canyon
Note the uplifted strata of Tapeats sandstone, compared with the horizontal strata above it

61 Bluff below east end of Bright Angel Point
The trail turns up Roaring Springs canyon just beyond this bluff

62 Redwall formation east of trail
Eroded Muav limestone below the Redwall

63 About to turn up Roaring Springs canyon
Vegetation is lush all along the creeks

64 Under Komo Point
A Redwall promontory looms over a Muav wall

65 Prickly pear and Muav limestone
We saw several varieties of prickly pear, with several different colors of flowers

66 Looking back to Deva Temple
Manzanita Point is opposite the trail to the left

67 Cascade on Bright Angel creek
In the 10 miles from Roaring Springs to the Colorado, Bright Angel creek drops 2,400 feet

68 Bridge just below the residence
Manzanita creek joins the Bright Angel here, and the old Bright angel trail diverges to head to the top of its namesake

69 Upper Bright Angel canyon from the residence
The Roaring Creek pump operator lives here

70 Upper Bright Angel canyon, from confluence with Roaring Springs
The trail turns up Roaring Springs canyon just ahead

71 Jim photographing Uncle Jim Point
The pumphouse operator's residence is around the corner ahead

72 Upper Bright Angel canyon from the residence
The operator of the Roaring Springs pump facility lives at the junction of the two canyons, and his yard provides a rest

73 Manzanita Point from the residence
We're about 8.7 miles from Phantom Ranch, but have climbed only 2,400 feet so far; now the real climb begins

073a Prickly pear and Manzanita Point
For some reason, the beavertail blooms along this trail were mostly yellow

74 Lower end of Bright Angel Point, from lower end of Roaring Springs canyon
This Redwall promontory sits atop greenish Muav limestone

75 Looking down Roaring Springs canyon past the residence
The flat-top building is another emergency helipad

76 Looking straight up upper Bright Angel canyon
The trail used to head straight up this canyon, but in 1928 the current trail climbing Roaring Springs canyon was opened

77 Uncle Jim marks the beginning of upper Bright Angel canyon
The North Kaibab trail turns left just beyond the low slope in the foreground

78 Lower Uncle Jim Point
Uncle Jim Point is actually a mile long ridge sloping downward from the North Rim, dividing the two canyons

79 Steve on trail, looking at Roaring Springs
The trail climbs 3,400 ft in its last 5.7 miles

80 Jim photographing Roaring Springs
The cascade from the springs is probably over 300 ft. high

81 Uncle Jim Point and Roaring Springs
Water from Roaring Springs is pumped up to both the North and South Rims

82 Roaring Springs
The springs form where groundwater meets an impermeable barrier near the the boundary between Muav limestone and Bright

83 Uncle Jim Point
The Redwall limestone promontory towers over the canyon

84 Looking back at Manzanita and Komo Point
The bottom of Uncle Jim Point is on the left

85 Kaibab limestone knob over Manzanita creek
The knob is part of the Walhalla Plateau

86 East wall of upper Bright Angel canyon
The ridge topped with red Hermit shale separates Bright Angel canyon form the canyon formed by Manzaita creek

87 Jim walking up Muav slope toward the Redwall
Note the power lines sloping down to the Roaring Springs pumping station

88 Redwall bluff of Uncle Jim Point
Bright Angel canyon's east wall is beyond

89 View up Roaring Springs canyon
Note the power lines to the pumping station

90 Eroded vertical wash in Redwall
Falsh floods play a major role in the erosin which formed and continues to shape the Canyon

91 Entering the Redwall of Roaring Springs canyon
The Needle is in the column at right

92 Steve hiking up trail at near Muav-Redwall boundary
120 million years of the geological record are missing at this boundary

93 Eroded Redwall face
Further indication of the power of flash floods

94 Hikers in Redwall grotto
The grotto was blasted out of the limestone to provide a path up the precipitous Redwall

95 Lower Roaring Springs canyon and Komo Point from grotto
Note the trail snaking along the cliff

96 Trail along boundary between Muav and Redwall
The Redwall presents a serious barrier to the climb

97 Trail climbing into the narrow gap between the redwall
The canyon walls here are quite precipitous

98 Trail along the Redwall
Nearly every hiker we met considered this to be the most nerve-wracking part of the trail

99 Trail along the Redwall
A turn in the canyon and trail obscures the vertical drop from the trail along the cliff

100 Kaibab century plant and the Redwall
The wall behind the flower is the opposite wall of the canyon

101 Trail along the Redwall
The slope disguises the sheer drop beneath the trail in the foreground

102 Looking up Roaring Springs canyon
Notice the tall confers appearing at this elevation

103 Redwall bridge
The trail descends to the bridge from both directions

104 Looking back from the bridge, down the canyon towards Komo Point
Note the narrowness of canyon through the relatively hard Redwall limestone

105 Looking from the bridge up Roaring Springs canyon
Note that above the Roaring Springs cataract, the creek is usually dry

106 Looking from bridge up at rampart above trail
The hiker is continually amazed at the forms the Canyon takes

107 Climbing up from the Redwall bridge
Note how narrow the canyon is through the Redwall

108 Trail climbing up from the Redwall bridge
The canyon follows a fault line; notice how the strata on the right have been lifted higher than those on the left

109 Looking back at the trail along the Redwall
This well captures the sheer drop beneath the trail along the face of the Redwall

110 Redwall bridge and the lower Roaring Springs canyon
Note the trail climbing on the left, or east side of the canyon

111 Steve climbing the relentless grade up from the Redwall bridge
Only 2.7 miles to go, but 2,000 ft. to climb; that's a steady 14% grade

112 Redwall bridge and Roaring Springs canyon
The bridge is already far below, but the canyon walls still rise far above the trail

113 Lone tree on crag
Although the crag towers above, it's still far below the rim

114 2768 Redwall bridge and Roaring Springs canyon
Looking back at where the trail turned from Bright Angel canyon, 3 miles away and nearly 2,000 feet below

115 Roaring Spring Canyon Komo Point in the distance
Note all the twists and turns of the trail as it climbs the canyon

116 Redwall bridge and Redwall trail
The steepness of the trail's climb is quite apparent

117 Komo and Obi Points in the distance
Komo Point looms over the junction of the Bright Angel and Roaring Springs canyon, and is where the North Kaibab turns

118 Note the hikers on the trail on the left
We've now climbed 4,300 feet since leaving Phantom Ranch

119 Hiker descending from Supai tunnel
Only 2 miles to go and 1,450 ft to climb; we're getting tired!

120 North Kaibab Trail snaking along the Redwall
View from the downhill portal of Supai tunnel

121 Supai tunnel and the Coconino wall beyond
The Supai tunnel is cut through red Esplanade sandstone, the uppermost formation of the Supai group

122 Rim-to-rim hikers
These two were very experienced Canyon hikers, knew what to expect and were traveling very light. They left the South Ri

123 Looking down the full length of Roaring Springs canyon
Note how the Redwall on the west side of the canyon is significantly higher than the Redwall on the east; ancient earthq

124 Upper Roaring Springs canyon walls in afternoon light
Coconino walls loom over the tree-covered Supai slopes

125 West wall of canyon
The Cocononno sandstone wall towers over the mature confers beneath it

126 Coconino wall scaled by confiers growing above and below
The vertical striping is from pigments washing down from the Toroweap formation above

127 Coconino of the canyon
The sheer walls of light colored Coconino is one of the most distinctive features of the Grand Canyon

128 View of entire Roaring Springs canyon
Notice how straight the Coconino wall is

129 Obi Point and Deva Temple
The main canyon along the Colorado is beyond, and Mt. Humphreys is visible, 65 miles away

130 Top of Uncle Jim Point
The ridge that descends from here slopes all the way to Bright Angel canyon

131 Quaking aspen just below the rim
The North Rim is about 1,000 feet higher than the South, and is host to many species of trees normally associated with m

132 Steve at the top of North Kaibab trail.JPG
14.5 miles and 11 hours later, we reach the North Rim!

1 Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
The San Francisco peaks are on the horizon, 65 miles away

2 Grand Canyon Lodge
The lodge was built in 1927 by the Union Pacific Railroad

3 Kim, Steve and Jeff at Grand Canyon Lodge
We met Kim and Jeff at Phantom Ranch; they're are frequent Canyon hikers from Florida

4 Steve and Jim at Grand Canyon Lodge
Angel's Gate, Deva and Zoroaster Temples are behind us

5 Dining room at the Grand Canyon Lodge
Our waitress, like many employees there, is a frequent Canyon hiker

6 Our cabin
We were right on the edge of Transept Canyon

7 Transept Canyon from our cabin
The Kaibab Plateau is heavily forested, in contrast with the desert below

8 Transept Canyon
Transept is a straight and narrow displaying all the Grand Canyon's major rock strata above the Tapeats sandstone

9 Oza Butte, the southern face of Transept Canyon
Note the Kaibab, Toroweap, Hermit and Supai formations, with the caverns in the Redwall below

10 Transept and Bright Angel Canyons
Oza Butte slopes away to the east

11 Afternoon view of Bright Angel Point and Oza Butte
A vista point below Grand Canyon Lodge is in the foreground

12 View down Bright Angel Canyon towards the Colorado
Note the South Kaibab trail descending toward the Tip-Off

13 Angels Gate, Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
Mid-morning, with Bright Angel Point in the foreground and the San Francisco Peaks in the distance

14 French couple admiring the view
Angel's Gate and Deva Temple are in the distance

15 Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
Late afternoon; Note the smoke from a controlled burn on the South rim

16 Angel
The shoulder of Mt. Humphreys is in the distance

17 Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
Late afternoon view from the Grand Canyon Lodge

18 View southeast from Grand Canyon Lodge
Angel's Gate and Deva Temple

19 Uncle Jim Point
The upper Bright Angel canyon is beyond the point

1 Beginning of the North Kaibab trail descent
Mt. Humphreys, 65 miles away, is framed by a Douglas fir and a quaking aspen

2 Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine just below the North Rim
We started hiking down the North Kaibab at 5:35 a.m., June 9, 2009

3 Looking down Roaring Springs canyon
The sheer wall of Coconino and the vegetation covered slopes of Toroweap above and Hermit shale below dominate the view

4 Steve descending through the Coconino layer
The sheer wall of Coconino shale had been jumbled here by ancient earthquakes along the Roaring Springs fault

5 Coconino sandstone on the northeast wall of the canyon
Pine and fir are prevalent here, as the Coconino is about a thousand feet higher than the Coconino of the South rim

6 Morning sun on the southwest wall
Note how narrow the canyon is between the walls of Redwall limestone; the trail can be seen snaking along the middle of

7 Coconino wall on the southwest side of the canyon
The Grand Canyon Lodge is directly above this wall

8 Steve hiking down through the trees
This part of the trail descends through Hermit shale

9 Jim turning corner beneath flowering wisteria
The wall of Coconino sandstone is to the right

10 Coconino on northeast side of canyon
Again, note the density of the trees and shrubs on the sloping Hermit shale

11 Coconino catches the morning sun
View looks down Roaring Springs canyon, through the narrow Redwall gorge, and on to Komo Point

12 Looking down Roaring Springs Canyon
The canyon's junction with the Bright Angel Canyon is in the distance

13 Coconino sandstone wall of Roaring Springs Canyon
Grand Canyon Lodge is above the Canyon rim at about this point

14 Entrance to Supai tunnel
The tunnel is at the 2.7 mile mark

15 Steve descending through Esplanade sandstone
This is in the uppermost level of the Supai Group

16 Steve at Supai tunnel
The tunnel is cut through Esplanade sandstone, and marks the end of the forested portions of the canyon

17 Supai tunnel
The tunnel was cut in the 1930s when the Roaring Creek section of the trail for constructed

18 Steve on trail under an Esplanade sandstone wall
This part of the trail is still in part of the Supai Group

19 Trail drops towards Redwall
Switchbacks carry the trail down to the Redwall bridge, from where it climbs again to skirt the precipitous Redwall on t

20 Switchbacks down to the Redwall bridge
This view takes in about half of the elevation change in the North Kaibab trail

21 View down Roaring Creek Canyon
A lone Douglas fir stands well below the level of most

22 The trail uses switchbacks to descend along fault
The trail zig-zags up the defile

23 The southeast wall of the canyon, below the Grand Canyon Lodge
The cliffs visible include Coconino sandstone, Hermit shale and Esplanade sandstone of the Supai Group

24 Trail descends towards Redwall bridge
Once across the bridge, it ascends before snaking along the Redwall, towards the Bright Angel Canyon in the distance

25 Descent to Redwall bridge
Note the narrowness of the canyon at the bottom

26 Redwall bridge
Keep in mind that all building materials come in by pack mule

27 Looking down Roaring Springs Canyon to Bright Angel
Peninsula between Bright Angel and Manzanita Creeks looms over the junction of the two trails

28 Trail ascending from Redwall bridge towards the Redwall itself
Note the hikes along the trail

29 The trail cuts across at the bottom of this cavern in Redwall
Note how sheer the Redwall is

30 The canyon narrows through the Redwall
Notice the trail's switchbacks beyond the cavern

31 Jim on the trail through the Redwall
Komo Point is in the distance

32 Steve hiking along Redwall
This is shortly before the upper end of the most precipitous drop along the trail

33 Cavern eroded in Redwall
The trail was blasted out of the bottom of this cavern

34 Fracture marks from dynamite used to cut trail
It appears that much of the trail up Roaring Springs Canyon was blasted out of the sheer rock walls

35 Steve on trail through the Redwall
He is photographing columbine clinging to the rock wall

36 Upper end of the slot canyon below the Redwall
Roaring Springs creek has been able to cut only a narrow slot through the Redwall

37 View into slot canyon
The Redwall is really grey, except where its colored by redish material eroded from the Supai and Hermit strata above

38 Trail approaching precipitous portion of Redwall
The far side of Bright Angel Canyon is in the distance

39 Trail across sheer wall of Redwall
Every hiker we met remarked upon this section of the trail

40 Jim on the Redwall
The drop below this portion of the trail is precipitous

41 3011 Trail across the Redwall
Fortunately, we met no oncoming traffic

42 Looking down into narrow canyon
The rock visible is all Redwall limestone

43 Steve on precipitous part of Redwall trail
Every hiker we met said they hugged the wall all the way through this section

44 Further down the Redwall
Bright Angel Canyon is in the distance

45 The trail descends further along the Redwall
Note the sheer wall ahead of the hiker

46 Looking down into Roaring Springs Canyon
The Canyon cuts through the Muav limestone beneath the Redwall

47 Trail snakes along the Redwall
Komo Point is in the distance

48 Jim on the Redwall
Almost down to the Muav limestone

49 Jim descending the Redwall
Uncle Jim Point and Bright Angel Canyon are ahead

50 Steve hiking through Redwall
View is back up towards the North Rim in the distance

51 Trail snaking along the base of the Redwall
Bright Angel Canyon is in the distance

52 Trail at the boundary between the Redwall and Muav limestone
The trail is nearing the lower end of Roaring Springs Canyon

53 Looking back up Roaring Springs canyon
Note the boundary between the Muav and Redwall limestone

54 Muav cliffs in lower Roaring Springs Canyon
The trail is above this cliff

55 Looking back up Roaring Springs Canyon
Note the "Needle" on the far wall, and the North Rim above

56 Muav-Redwall boundary
Formation eroded by runoff from heavy rains

57 Trail snaking around Muav slope
The trail is nearing the junction with Bright Angel Canyon

58 Trail past Muav formation
The east wall of Bright Angel Canyon is ahead

59 Kaibab century plant and Utah juniper
The trail descends towards Manzanita Point and Bright Angel Canyon

60 Looking back at Roaring Springs Canyon
Kaibab century plant flowers in foreground

61 Roaring Springs and Uncle Jim Point
Roaring Springs forms a cascade well over 100 ft high

62 Roaring Springs
The spring flows through the Redwall limestone until it reaches a relatively impermeable barrier low in the Muav limesto

63 Steve and Rim to Rim to Rim South African
We met this hiker at almost the same point in our hikes going north and south

64 Two rim to rim to rim hikers at Roaring Springs
Roaring Creek cascade and Uncle Jim Point are behind us

65 View of upper Bright Angel Canyon
Kaibab century plant (Agave utahensis) in foreground

66 Steve descending lower Roaring Springs
Manzanita Point and Bright Angel Canyon are ahead of him

67 Trail nears end of Roaring Springs Canyon
The trail turns to the right shortly after this bend

68 Bright Angel Creek just above its confluence with Roaring Springs
Note the twisted trunk of the Utah juniper

69 Steve leaving Roaring Springs Canyon
Note the Tapeats sandstone formation to the right

70 Looking back up toward Uncle Jim Point
The residence of the Roaring Springs pump operator is nestled in the trees

71 Looking down Bright Angel Canyon from the residence
This is the junction of the Bright Angel and Roaring Springs Canyons

72 Steve hiking down just past the residence
The trail will shortly turn to follow the Bright Angel fault

73 Looking down canyon from near Manzanita Point
The promontory is the bottom end of Bright Angel Point

74 Tapeats sandstone bluffs overlooking trail
The South Rim visible in distance

75 Steve descending through Tapeats sandstone
Redwall clifffs on left form the lower end of Komo Point

76 Limestone spire above Tapeats sandstone
Spires are probably combination of Redwall and Muav limestones, with a 120 million year gap between them

77 Redwall bluffs above Muav, Bright Angel and Tapeats
Bright Angel Point with Grand Canyon Lodge loom in the distance

78 Redwall bluff is the lower end of Oza Butte
Transept Creek flows out the drainage below the Tapeats beneath the Redwall

79 Bright Angel Canyon above Cottonwood
The Park Service buildings of Cottonwood Campground are under the larger trees in the distance

80 Transept Creek flows out of Transept Canyon here
Bright Angel Point looms above

81 Bright Angel Canyon wall above Cottonwood
The campground is in the trees and shrubs on the left

82 Silver leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) at Cottonwood
There was a whole field of these in the campground

83 Park Service residence at Cottonwood
The Park Service has a ranger stationed full time at Cottonwood (and Phantom, and Indian Spring) during the warm-weather

84 Bluff overlooking Cottonwood picnic tables
This is part of the bottom end of Oza Butte

85 Trail leading south from Cottonwood
Note the hikers underneath the Muav limestone overhang

86 Looking back up at Cottonwood
The campground area is in the trees at the bend in the creek. Manzanita Point in distance

87 Steve pushing south out of Cottonwood
The South Rim is in the far distance

88 Trail heading south
The trail is through Tapeats sandstone at this point, as the canyon is getting deeper

89 Bright Angel Creek flows through Tapeats strata
Note the uplift of the Tapeats

90 Redwall promontory
This is the southern end of Oza Butte

91 The trail fords Wall Creek just above these falls
Wall Creek flows between Komo Point and Deva Temple

92 Slot canyon between arms of Deva Temple outliers
This is the next drainage south of Wall Creek

93 Redwall promontory above trail
This is the end of the more southerly arm of Oza Butte

94 Ribbon Falls and its travertine pedestal
Ribbon Falls is 120 feet high, counting the travertine pedestal

95 Ribbon Falls
The pedestal is partially hollow

96 Flora around Ribbon Falls
Mosses, maidenhair fern, columbine and other plants live in the microclimate formed here

97 Looking through Ribbon Falls
The trail curves around the back of the falls

98 Pool behind Ribbon Falls
The falls forms a very pleasant oasis along the trail

99 Ribbon Falls and its alcove
The travertine pedestal is 30 feet high

100 Jim at Ribbon Falls
Note the moss-covered travertine pedestal

101 View across canyon from Ribbon Falls
Deva Temple and its arms loom over Bright Angel Canyon

102 Promontory below Manu Temple
The promontory is a redwall outcrop above Muav and Bright Angel rock

103 Canyon wall below Ribbon Falls
The trail follows the creek along rubble covered slopes below Dox formation outcrops

104 Eroded fallen block
Over the centuries, the softer rock has eroded away leaving the harder rock to form vertical walls 15 feet tall

105 Same formation from a different angle
Some of the fallen blocks along the trail were huge

106 Steve hiking down the trail
Water bars along this trail were very tall, but he didn't trip over any of them!

107 Clement Powell Butte
Note the Great Uncomformity along its base; note too that nearly every major strata of rock in the Grand Canyon is visib

108 The canyon narrows at Hillers Butte
Here the creek enters the upper portions of the Vishnu schist, and will soon enter the top of the Box

109 Looking back up to Hillers Butte
This is the last large vista the hiker has before entering the narrow canyon of the Box

110 Entering the Box
The creek is not far below the Tapeats sandstone yet, but the gorge through the harder Vishnu schist is already narrow

111 Trail down through Box
The trail is now on a narrow shelf between cliff and creek

112 Looking back at creek and trail in the Box
The vertical foliation of the inner canyon is clearly visible beneath the cap of Tapeats sandstone

113 Wall of schist with Tapeats cap
The Great Unconformity is clearly visible

114 Jim approaching middle bridge in the Box
Considerable masonry work has been employed to protect the trail from flooding

115 Creek and trail winding through the Box.JPG
The rounded rocks are testimony to the strength of the flash floods

116 Bright Angel Creek bottom in the Box
The Redwall bluff of Johnson Point above above the inner gorge

117 The creek and trail descend through the Box
At this point, the Box is beginning to widen as the trail nears Phantom Ranch

118 Out of the Box and close to Phantom
We were both happy to be reaching the end of the day's hike

1 Lower trailhead of the Bright Angel trail
6:15 a.m., Tuesday morning, June 9

2 Departing Phantom Ranch
Heading up the Bright Angel trail, looking back towards the north

3 Vishnu schist rising above Phantom Creek
Inner canyon, across the Colorado from Phantom Ranch

4 Phantom in the morning
Looking back up Bright Angel Creek

5 Wall of the inner Canyon
Looking south to cliffs across the Colorado River from Phantom

6 Vishnu schist across the Colorado from Phantom Creek
Early morning lightens the dark reddish-gray, 1.7 billion year old rock

7 Silver Bridge, Tuesday morning
View to the south, from Phantom Ranch area

8 Looking downstream from Silver Bridge
The far bank is sandy with huge, rounded boulders deposited by the river

9 3284 Steve on Silver Bridge
The Silver Bridge is narrower than the Black Bridge upstream

10 Turbulence in the Colorado River
The Colorado is a very powerful river

11 Silver Bridge and Sumner Butte
View towards Phantom, to the east

12 Canyon and Colorado below Silver Springs
Note the rapids and powerful eddies

13 Silver Bridge viewed from downstream
The river trail is carved into the far cliff

14 Trail curving around a corner in the inner Canyon
The wall of Vishnu schist in the background is north of the Colorado River

15 Steve on river trail
Zoroaster Temple is in the distant background

16 Hikers on river trail, heading downriver
The river trail is the most level part of the Rim-to-Rim hike

17 Hikers watching rafts in rapids
The rafts are nearing the end of their journey at Pipe Creek beach

18 Colorado winding through inner Canyon
Looking west; note the raft in the river bend

19 Rafts at the Pipe Creek beach takeout
Hikers disembark to hike up the Bright Angel trail for the South Rim, often wearing sandals

20 River Rest House
Just up from the Colorado, at the mouth of the Pipe Creek Gorge; 7:30 a.m.

21 Trail ascending along Pipe Creek
The trail rises along Pipe Creek Gorge from Colorado into the Vishnu schist of the inner Canyon

22 Hikers ascending lower Pipe Creek canyon
Many of these hikers had disembarked from the rafts we had watched in the rapids

23 First view of South Rim
As the trail started to ascend Pipe Creek gorge, Yavapai Point came into view

24 Climbing through Pipe Creek Gorge
Trail winding along Pipe Creek through Vishnu schist with South Rim in the distance

25 Trail winding through upper Pipe Creek canyon
Tapeats Sandstone formations loom over the Vishnu schist of the lower canyon

26 Hiker ascending trail through Pipe Creek Gorge
At this point, the trail has reached the upper levels of the Vishnu schist

27 Trail ascending Pipe Creek gorge
The inner canyon, or Granite gorge, is in the middle distance

28 Buttes and ramparts north of river
Cheops Pyramid to the left and Buddha Temple to the right tower over inner Canyon

29 Steve climbing out of Pipe Creek gorge
Trail is above confluence of Pipe and Garden Creeks; Buddha Temple in distance

30 Looking down at Devils Corkscrew
The trail climbs out of Pipe Creek gorge at this point, and leaves Pipe Creek behind

31 Top of Pipe Creek gorge
O'Neill Butte and Yaki Point visible beyond

32 1st mule drain going down corkscrew
The pack mules are carrying supplies for Phantom Ranch

33 Two mule trains head down Devils Corkscrew for Phantom
Phantom Ranch is one of only 2 hotels in U.S. supplied exclusively by pack animals

34 Steve ascending Devil
The trail is nearing to top of the Vishnu schist, here heavily eroded

35 Pipe Creek gorge
The North Rim is visible in the distance

36 Bright Angel trail ascending Devil
Trail climbs through Vishnu schist towards Tapeats sandstone, with Bright Angel shale, Muav limestone and Redwall limest

37 Pipe Creek gorge from Plateau Point
The Bright Angel trail zig-zags up the Devil's Corkscrew as it leave Pipe Creek for the Garden Creek drainage

38 Garden Creek
Buddha Temple visible in distance, beyond Colorado River

39 Garden Creek disappearing into slot canyon
The slot canyon is very narrow, with almost vertical walls

40 Twisted strata of Unkar group rock
View from the top of Devil's Corkscrew looking into Pipe Creek gorge

41 Garden Creek falls in lower Tapeats gorge
Each fall is at least 6 to 10 tall

42 3403 Hikers ascending Tapeats gorge
Yavapai Point looms above

43 View down Tapeats gorge
Brahma Temple in distance, beyond the Colorado River

44 Trees against Tapeats gorge wall
The bottom of Tapeats gorge was quite verdant

45 Tapeats gorge
Brahma and Zoroaster Temples beyond loom in the distance

46 Trail through Tapeats gorge
The trail is nearing both the top of the Tapeats gorge, and the top of the Tapeats sandstone

47 Tapeats gorge, with South Rim far above
Eroded Bright Angel shale is visible above the Tapeats sandstone of the gorge

48 "The Battlesip" looming above upper Tapeats gorge
The junction with the Tonto trail and Indian Gardens are beyond the turn

49 Waterfall in Tapeats gorge
Note hikers on trail above

50 Trail near the top of Tapeats gorge
Yavapai Point looms over Canyon on the left

51 "The Battleshhip" rising above Tapeats gorge
"The Battleshhip" is a prominent formation of Hermit shale, the Supai group, and Redwall limestone beyond Maricopa Point

52 Sonoran collared lizard
We saw many lizards, mostly collared lizards, desert spiny lizards and whiptails.

53 Buddha, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
View north from Indian Gardens

54 Bright Angel Canyon and Brahma Temple
Garden Creek and the top of Tapeats canyon are in the foreground

55 Tapeats Canyon cuts through the Tonto Plateau
Brahma and Zoroaster Temples rise in the distance, on the far side of the Colorado River

56 Tapeats Canyon cuts through the Tonto Plateau
Howlands Butte with Angel's Gate beyond are to the east. Note the surprisingly lush vegetation on the Tonto Plateau

57 Jim entering Indian Garden
We arrived at 9:45 a.m.

58 Indian Garden
The Battleship is in the background

59 Looking up from Indian Garden to the trailhead
The last portion of the trail can be seen just below the rim

60 Climbing the Muav limestone up from Indian Garden
Buddha and Manu Temples framed between Maricopa and Grandeur Points

61 Nearing the top of the Muav limestone
Buddha and Manu Temples and Bright Angel Canyon, from the Bright Angel trail

62 Bright Angel Canyon trail from the bottom of the Redwall
Note the Bright Angel trail in the foreground, and the Plateau Point trail in the middle distance

63 Bright Angel Canyon, framed by Maricopa and Grandeur Points
View to south as Bright Angel trail starts to ascend the Redwall limestone formation

64 Trail up from Indian Garden
Grandeur and Yavapai Points are in the middle distance

65 Trail up from Indian Garden
The trail is about to start climbing the Redwall

66 View towards Indian Garden
Three Mile Resthouse is above the cliff at right

67 Switchbacks up collapsed Red Wall
The Red Wall is nearly inaccessible, but here it was collapsed by ancient earthquakes along the Bright Angle fault

68 Promontory on the Battleship
Eroding Hermit shale supports the Esplanade sandstone butte

69 View of Bright Angel trail
The trail visible here is slowly ascending the Bright Angel shale underlying the Tonto platform

70 Three Mile Resthouse in the Supai Group, just above the Redwall
Plateau Point Trail and Buddha Temple are beyond. This is where we met the young Australians spending their summer exploring America's great western national parks

71 Three Mile Resthouse
The thermometer reads just 76 degree; we were very fortuante with our weather!

72 Bright Angel trail ascending the Hermit formation
Bright Angel Canyon is in dappled sunlight beyond

73 Bright Angel Canyon and Indian Gardens
View from high on the Bright Angel Trail

74 Puebloan pictographs from circa 1,000
These paintings are on Esplanade sandstone

75 Isis Temple
View is through a notch in the "Battleship" formation below Maricopa Point

76 Bright Angel Canyon and Indian Garden
Viewed from high on the Bright Angel Trail

77 Yavapai Point in dappled sunlight
Bright Angel Canyon is in the distance

78 Lower of two tunnels on Bright Angel trail
Cuts through the Kaibab limestone near the top of the trail

79 Fossilized sand dune cross beds
Coconino sandstone was formed from massive sand dune formations 275 million years ago

80 Grandeur and Yavapai Points
The sheer wall of Coconino is in the right foreground

81 Hikers ascending the top of the Hermit shale
Note the sharp boundary between the red Hermit shale and the blond Coconino wall

82 Looking down on the Battleship
Isis and Buddha Temples are in the sunlight beyond

83 View from near the top of the trail
Deva, Brahma and Zoroaster Temples are sunlit

84 Steve climbs through upper tunnel
Upper tunnel of the Bright Angel trail pierces Kaibab limestone tunnel near the trailhead

85 View from the last stretch of the trail
Maricopa Point is on the left

86 Friendly frequent hikers
We walked up the last of the trail with these two, who have frequently hiked the Canyon over the years

86 Rim to rim to rim hike as history
We finished our hike at 4:12 p.m., June 9, 2009

1 Plateau Point
Plateau was a 3.0 mile (round trip) side hike from Indian Garden to a point on the Tonto Platform overlooking the inner

2 Bluff below Yaki Point
10:05 a.m. Note the Tonto trail crossing the slope in the foreground

3 Tonto Trail leaves Indian Gardens
Buddha Temple and the bottom of Bright Angel Canyon are in the distance

4 Tonto trail northwest from Indian Garden
Horus and Isis Temples and Cheops Pyramid are in the background

5 Mules and muleskinners at Plateau Point
Cheops Pyramid behind the mules looms over the Pipe Creek beach landing used by rafters

6 Inner Canyon from Plateau Point
In the background is the opening of Bright Angel Canyon, while visible in the left foreground is the trail up Pipe Creek

7 Inner Canyon from Plateau Point
Notice in the foreground the serpentine path of the trail up Pipe Creek gorge

8 Inner Canyon from Plateau Point
The Colorado runs westward through the forbiddingly steep, grey walls of Vishnu schist. Notice the Tapeats sandstone cap

9 Plateau Point Panorama #1
This is the first of a series of panoramic photographs taken from the same point near Plateau Point. The view is to the

10 Plateau Point Panorama #2
View towards Bright Angel Canyon and the buttes overlooking its eastern rim

11 Plateau Point Panorama #3
View northeast towards Brahma and Zoroaster Temples, with Sumner Butte below Brahma Temple

12 Another view of Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
Note Sumner Butte below Brahma Temple, and the Plateau Point trail to the left

13 Another view of Brahma and Zoroaster Temples
Garden Creek flows through the trees and shrubs in the foreground into the top of Tapeats gorge visible just beyond. Not

14 Plateau Point Panorama #4
Angel's Gate Butte rises to the east beyond Howlands Butte, with the rim of Tapeats gorge visible in the foreground

15 Plateau Point Panroma #5
Skeleton Point lies at the end of Cedar Ridge. While lunching there on our hike down the South Kaibab, we watched two Ca

16 Plateau Point Panorama #6
View of Skeleton Point, O'Neil Butte, Cedar Ridge and Saki Point. The South Kaibab trailhead is in the upper right of th

17 Another view of Cedar Ridge and Yaki Point
Note the sheer wall of Redrock limestone beneath O'Neil Butte

18 Another view of Skeleton Point, O
Note Pipe Creek gorge below the ridge

19 Plateua Point Panorama #7
View of Yaki and Mather Points on South Rim. The top of Pipe Creek gorge is visible in the foreground

20 Pipe Creek gorge from Plateau Point
Yaki Point looms above Pipe Creek. Note Devils Corkscrew ascending the gorge

21 Plateau Point Panorama #8
Yavapai Point on the South Rim

22 Plateau Point Panorama #9
Grandeur Point with Indian Garden below. Note the Tonto trail leaving the oasis on the right

23 Another view of Indian Garden
Note the Tonto trail heading west from Indian Garden

24 Plateau Point Panorama #10
The Battleship below Maricopa Point

25 The flank of the Battleship below Maricopa Point.JPG
Note the greenish cast of the Muav limestone, the reds of the Redwall limestone and Hermit formations of the Battleship

26 Plateau Point Panorama #11
Powell and Hopi Points

27 Plateau Point Panorama #12
Dana Butte. Note the Tapeats sandstone bluffs marking the top of the Inner gorge

28 Another view of Dana Butte
Dana Butte. Note the Muav limestone below the sheer Redwall limestone

29 Dana Butte in mottled sunlight
The inner gorge and the Colorado are just to the right of the pinacle

30 A wider view of Dana Butte
The Tower of Set is to the north, or to the right

31 Plateau Point Panorama #13
Dana Butte outlier to the left and the Tower of Set across the river to the right

32 Outliers of Dana Butte and Temple of Set
Outliers of Dana Butte and Temple of Set, with the inner gorge visible beneath them

33 Temple of Set in mottled sunlight
Again, a portion of the inner gorge is visible in the foreground

34 Another view Temple of Set under mottled sunlight
Note the abundant black bush in the foreground

35 Horus Temple
The low cliff in the foreground is the top of the inner gorge

36 Plateau Point Panorama #14
The Tower of Set and Horus Temple. The Great Unconformity, a 1.2 billion year gap in the geological record, is clearly v

37 Plateau Point Panorama #15
Isis Temple and Cheops Pyramid

38 Plateau Point Panorama #16
Isis Temple, with Cheops Pyramid looming over the inner Canyon

39 Plateau Point Panorama #17
Buddha Temple and Utah Flats, with Plateau Point trail in the foreground

1 Kaibab bluff above Hance creek on South Rim
Kaibab limestone was laid down in a shallow ancient sea about 270 million years ago

2 Kaibab limestone of Yavapai Point on south rim
This sea was formed was inhabited by sponges, bivalves, coral and other fairly primitive marine creatures

3 Massive block of fallen Kaibab limestone
This block, termed a Toreva block, was undermined by the softer Toroweap formation below sliding downhill beneath it

4 Chert nodules from the spicules of ancient sponges in Kaibab limestone
This boulder is beside the South Kaibab trail

5 Kaibab limestone near Yaki Point
Most Kaibab limestone we saw is a light grey rather than reddish

6 The Toroweap formation was formed about 273 million years ago
The Toroweap formation, next below the Kaibab limestone layer, was laid down in the intertidal region of a shallow sea a

7 Coconio sandstone is the most distinctive geological feature of the Canyon
Seen here in morning sunlight is the Coconino of Roaring Springs canyon with the prominent Coconino strata of Komo Point

8 275 million years ago, huge dunes extended from Arizona to Montana
The dunes became Coconino sandstone; seen here are the Coconino cliffs of Roaring Springs canyon in the morning sun

9 Cross beds of shifting sand dunes are preserved in the Cocoino sandstone
This sandstone is along Bright Angel trail

10 Bounding line between ancient sand dune cross beds
This example is on the South Kaibab trail

11 Boundary between Coconino sandstone and Hermit shale
The Hermit shale is about 5 million years older. Seen here is an example on the Bright Angel Trail

12 Boundary between Hermit shale and Coconino sandstone
Note how clearly the relative softness of the easily eroded Hermit shale is apparent. This helps explain why the Coconi

13 The slope below the Coconino wall is the easily eroded red Hermit shale
Hermit shale is a mudstone deposited by meandering rivers 280 million years ago. The cliff on the left is part of Marico

14 The Hermit shale slope blends into the Esplanade sandstone
However, the Hermit shale is much softer and more easily eroded than the red Esplanade sandstone cliffs beneath it. Not

15 Esplanade sandstone below the Coconino sandstone wall
A small section of Hermit shale slope is visible in between

16 The red Supai sandstones form these ridges below Yavapai and Maricopa Points
The red sandstones and mudstones of the Supai group form the bulk of the sloping, terraced small cliffs forming the of t

17 Red Esplanade sandstone is the top and visually dominant Supai component
The Supai group is between the vertical Coconino and Redwall cliffs, such as those of Komo Point in the distance and Unc

18 O
The rocks of the Supai group form bold vertical cliffs as well as sloping assemblages of smaller, terraced cliffs. O'Ne

19 The Supai is the thickest strata of the Canyon, at about 1,000 feet
Both the sloping and vertical red rocks seen here, above the Redwall bridge, are of the Supai group

20 The Supai soils were deposited during alternating periods of glaciation
Weather patterns shifted dramatically while the super continent Gondwanaland occupied the South Pole

21 The Supai was deposited in a tropical sea from 310 and 285 million years ago
This section seen from the North Kaibab trail is an example of the Supai's Esplanade sandstone cliffs

22 As the Supai was deposited, conditions varied from shallow seas to deserts
The Supai group thus consists of a succession of limestones and sandstones. Supai tunnel, shown here, cuts through Espla

23 Esplanade sandstone wall below O
This is on the South Kaibab trail, which Steve is descending

24 Crossbeds from shifting dunes characterize Esplanade sandstone
This pattern is also seen in the younger Coconino sandstone. The Esplanade sandstone seen here is below O'Neil Butte

25 Thief scampers down some Supai group mudstone
This is at Cedar Ridge, above O'Neil Butte

26 Breccia pipe below O
The polygonal cracks seen here were formed when this area buckled into a collapsed limestone cave

27 Quartz intrusion in Esplanade sandstone
This sample is near O'Neil Butte

28 Supai group starta of Esplanade sandstone and mudstone atop Redwall cliff
View is to the north from near the Battleship formation below Maricopa Point

29 Sheer Redwall cliffs are one of the hallmarks of the Canyon
These cliffs are below Yavapai and Maricopa Points

30 Redwall limestone was formed between 340 and 325 million years ago
At the time, a Mississippian period ocean covered what are now the western states. The South Kaibab trail descends from

31 Redwall promontories such as Hillers Butte contrast with eroded slopes below
The softer Muav limestone below the Redwall and the Supai group rocks above have eroded to form a mixture of slopes and

32 Redwall limestone get its color from Supai and Hermits soils washing down
Here the North Kaibab trail approaches red tinted and untinted, naturally gray sections of Redwall limestone cliffs

33 "Redwall" means this stretch of the North Kaibab trail to many hikers
Here the trail is carved out of the sheer face of a Redwall cliff

34 In Roaring Springs canyon Redwall forms a narrow chasm
The canyon is wider in the softer strata above the Redwall, and also below where the erosion of softer rocks undercut a

35 Lens of Temple Butte formation between Redwall and Muav limestone layers
Temple Butte limestone was formed about 374 million years ago, but was largely eroded away before the Redwall limestone

36 Boundary between Muav and Redwall limestones
Between these two formations is an unconformity of 130 million years. Steve on the North Kaibab trail

37 Trail at boundary of Redwall and Muav limestones
The missing layer between the Redwall and Muav were the softer sediments of a shallow sea which eroded away when the sea

38 Muav limestone often erodes into gracefull, greenish slopes below the Redwall
Seen here are Bright Angel trail with Cheops Pyramid in the distance framed by the eroded Muav slopes

39 Eroded Muav limestone beneath Redwall promontory below Manu Temple
Note the eroded Bright Angel shale and the low Tapeats sandstone cliffs below the Muav layer

40 Eroded Muav limestone slopes of upper Bright Angel canyon
The redwall cliffs of Uncle Jim Point are in the upper left

41 Roaring Springs gushes from the Muav slopes below Uncle Jim Point
The springs form where groundwater reaches a relatively impermeable layer near the boundary between the Muav limestone a

42 Typical slopes and low cliffs of Muav limestone
Steve descending lower Roaring Springs Canyon on the North Kaibab trail

43 Muav strata opposite Roaring Springs
Notice the greenish tint to the soil, which is accentuated by the abundant vegetation found on the Muav and Bright Angel

44 Bright Angel shale is a soft mudstone beneath the sloping Muav limestone
View west across Tonto Platform

45 The low rolling hills of the Tonto platform are Bright Angel shale
The "Battleship" looms over Muav cliffs and the rolling, vegetation-covered Bright Angel hills in the foreground

46 Hortizontal strata of Tapeats underlies the Bright Angel shale of the Tonto
Angel's Gate and Wotans Throne tower in the background

47 Tapeats forms a cap over the much older Unkar group and Vishnu schist below
In some areas, such as the Cremation Grabben pictured here, elements of the Unkar group were protected from eroding away

48 The Great Unconformity divides the Tapeats sandstone and the Vishnu schist
This view includes the red wall limestone of Clement Powell Butte, the greenish Muav limestone below it, the Tapeats san

49 The characteristic thin layers of Tapeats standstone is readily apparent
The Bright Angel trail ascends through Tapeats gorge to the Tonto platform

50 Close-up of Tapeats sandstone
This rockface is on the North Kaibab trail at the top of "The Box"

51 Outcrops of the Dox formation tilt upwards beneath horizontal Tapeats stata
Dox was laid down about 1.1 billion years ago, just before the supercontinent Rodina was formed

52 Boundary between Tapeats and Dox formations
This is below the confluence of Bright Angel and Roaring Springs creeks

53 View of the inner gorge with red Hakatai shale near and far
Hakatai shale, part of the Grand Canyon supergroup along with the Dox formation, Shinumo quartzite and Bass limestone, i

54 Twisted strata of Unkar group rock in Pipe Creek gorge
View is from Pipe Creek gorge, looking back towards the river. Note the orange Hakatai shale on the opposite side of the

55 Below the Tapeats sandstone is the Great Unconformity
About 1.2 billion years of material above the Vishnu schist was eroded away before the Tapeats sandstone was deposited

56 The Great Unconformity is clearly visible here
The horizontal Tapeats sandstone sits atop the vertical strata of the Vishnu schist. Bright Angel creek enters the narro

57 Close-up of the Great Unconformity, in the Box
The rock above the divide is 1.2 billion years younger than the rock below.

58 In some areas, Unkar group rocks were preserved
Tectonic activity which lowered some of the Vishnu schist in this area protected the higher Unkar group formations from

59 The hard Vishnu schist resists erosion more than sandstones and shales
As a result, the inner canyon of the Colorado and its tributaries are relatively narrow, as in this example of Bright An

60 Even among the precambrian rock, some forms resist erosion more than others
This formation has withstood flooding of the Colorado through the Granite gorge below Phantom Ranch

61 The Cremation Grabben was formed when the supercontinent Rodina broke up
The Grabben was formed along when tectonic activity along the Cremation fault offset adjoining formations, preserving so

62 The Vishnu schist is a tortured landscape
Devil's Corkscrew ascends through Vishnu schist as it climbs out of Pipe Creek gorge

63 The Vishnu schist was twisted by tectonic process into vertical foliations
This wall of the Granite gorge is between the black and silver bridges; note the mule train on the River trail

64 Zoroaster granite intruded into the Vishnu schist
Note the vertical foliation of the schist and granite. This is at the lower end of the Box, just upstream from Phantom R

65 Zoroaster grantie intrusion into Vishnu shcist
This is in the Box, the narrow canyon formed as Bright Angel creek cut through the Vishnu schist

66 Close-up of Zooaster granite and Vishnu schist
This is in the Box

67 Detail of Zoroaster granite intrusion into Vishnu schist
This 1.8 billion year old rock face is in the Box, on the North Kaibab trail not far from Phantom Ranch

68 Of course, plant life was most obvious near water courses
Bright Angel Creek flowing down through Tapeats sandstone

69 We saw a lot more vegetation than we had anticipated
View up Bright Angel canyon

70 But it was true throughout the Canyon
Near the north rim, vegetation was often dense, and included large trees such as Douglas and white fir, ponderosa pine,

71 The dryer soils below the South Rim also support a lot of vegetation
View of Bright Angel trail leading up to up to 3 Mile Resthouse

72 Even the arid Tonto platform is covered with plants
Jim on south Kaibab trail, with Skeleton Point in the background

73 Similarly, even the parched mesas and ridges are fairly lush
Viewed here are the red soils of Supai group formations at the lower end of Cedar Ridge

74 A Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) holding on to a esplanade boulder
This tree is on Cedar ridge along the South Kaibab trail

75 We found Utah juniper in many areas of the Canyon
However, it seemed most picturesque on the misnamed Cedar Ridge

76 The other iconic tree of the Canyon is the cottonwood.JPG
Steve is seen here photographing a mule train on the River trail, opposite the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the

77 Cottonwood was most prevalent at three locations we saw
The three were Indian Garden, shown here, as well as Phantom Ranch and the aptly named Cottonwood campground on the Nort

78 The pinon pine is another common tree in the Canyon .JPG
This tree is near the confluence of Bright Angel and Roaring Springs creeks; the west side of upper Bright Angel canyon

79 The slopes just below the North Rim are fairly heavily wooded
Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, white fir and aspen are common here

80 Call it prickly pear, beavertail or Opuntia, it was everywhere we hiked
Prickly pear and Muav limestone along the North Kaibab trail

81 And it was in bloom, both on the South Rim and at the Canyon
These are along the South Kaibab trail near the Coconino sandstone

82 Most prickly pear we saw was green but on the Tonto platform it was purple
These were near Plateau Point

83 Most of the prickly pear blooms we saw were yellow
These were in Bright Angel Canyon near Roaring Springs

84 The yellow contrasted beautifully with the reds of the Canyon walls
View of prickly pear at bottom of Roaring Springs canyon

85 Some were yellow with orange centers, and very pretty
These beavertail blooms are near Desert View on the South Rim

86 And some was bright pink
these were on the South Rim near Yavapai Point

87 Kaibab century plant (Agave utahensis) is another iconic plant of the Canyon
This agave is near a Redwall cliff on the North Kaibab trail

88 The flower stalks of Kaibab century plant can be as much as 30 feet tall
This agave is on Cedar Ridge below O'Neil Butte

89 The Kaibab century plant was an important food source for the Havasupai
This agave is in upper Bright Angel Canyon

90 The dead flower stalks visible here shows how common agave is in the Canyon
The view is from the Tonto platform near Skeleton Point, with Brahma and Zoroaster Temples beyond

91 Sacred Datura (Datura meteloides) in The Box upstream from Phantom Ranch
Of all the flowers we saw, I was least prepared for these, beautiful big blooms in a narrow canyon of dark, tortured roc

92 We found Sacred Datura in several places along our hike
However, it was most prevalent in the dark and moist inner canyon of Bright Angel creek

93 Datura blooms open before dawn, and close well before noon
By afternoon, the blooms are all shriveled

94 Sacred Datura is highly toxic, although insects seem to feed on its pollen
Its hallucinogenic properties have been used in the rituals of several Native American peoples

95 Silver leaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) at Cottonwood
There was a field of this flower about an acre in size, just north of the buildings at Cottonwood

96 We also saw silver leaf nightshade in Hatakai shale of the Cremation Grabben
These plants, however, are at Cottonwood

97 Flowers beside the South Kaibab trail
These were in Coconino sandstone

98 We found this flowering bush on Cedar Ridge
This is below Oh-Ah Point on the South Kaibab trail

99 Hoary-aster (Machaeranthera canescens) on Cedar Ridge
This wre just below O'Neill Butte

100 More hoary-aster, on the North Kaibab trail
These were on the floor of Bright Angel canyon below Cottonwood

101 3000 Columbine (Aquilegia) growing in fissure in Redwall limestone
This improbable splash of color adorned the most forbidding portion of the hike, the North Kaibab trail along the sheer

102 Flower on Redwall
After the North Kaibab trail ascended past the sheer Redwall cliff, it encountered a far more lush and varied flora than

103 Flowers near the top of the North Kaibab trail
These are possibly a form of aster

104 Southern mountain phlox (Phlox austromontana) on North Rim
These were in the Kaibab limestone near the top of the Canyon

105 I don
These two were growing along the North Kaibab trail as it ascended through the Kaibab limestone

106 These ranged in color from white to lavender
These were also along the upper portion of the North Kaibab trail

107 These flowering bushes were in the upper reaches of Roaring Springs Canyon
They grew along side of Douglas and white fir, aspen and other upland trees just below the North Rim

108 Some hikers called them wisteria, but I think that
These were also in upper Roaring Springs canyon

109 Flower near Esplanade sandstone
These were also along the North Kaibab trail

110 Parking lot traffic
We saw several elk, all in areas of the South Rim frequented by humans

112 Thief
Every squirrel we met was a thief, aggressively accosting hikers at every opportunity, chewing through gear, carrying of

111 Mule deer at Phantom Ranch
We saw evidence of deer in many places, but actually saw them only at Phantom

114 Sonoran collared lizard near Ribbon Falls
We saw a lot of Sonoran collared lizards (Crotaphytus nebrius), all on or below the Tonto Platform

113 Whiptail lizard in lower Bright Angel canyon
We saw a number of whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis) but rarely got close enough to photograph them. They were found in t

115 Sonoran collared lizard
This one was at Plateau Point

116 Close-up of the same Sonoran collared lizard
These were probably the most common lizard we saw

117 Lizard on the rock wall of the Box
I don't know what this one is, and didn't see any others of the species

118 Desert spiny lizard near Ribbon Falls
We saw a lot of sesert spiny lizards (Sceloporus magister) along the lower portion of Bright Angel canyon

119 Desert spiny lizard in The Box
Like most of the lizards we saw, this one was basking in the sun of a relatively cool day

120 Raven at Plateau Point
Unlike crows, ravens can soar, and are actually rather beautiful in the context of the Canyon

121 Not my photo, but the most awesome animal we saw in the Canyon
Two California condor flew over us while we were lunching above Skeleton Point; they were this close to us as they passe