Grand Canyon National Park: South Kaibab Trail

This morning I awoke early, ate a quick breakfast and then got my pack ready for the trip down into the Grand Canyon. The forecast called for snow and I awoke to find about 2 inches of it on the ground. Still, all 11 of us that had signed up for the backpack to Phantom Ranch were ready to go bright and early. We caught a ride from some of the other trainees and hit the trail in a stiff wind and cold temperatures.

Snow fell as we started our ascent.

Not the most promising conditions for the start of a long hike.

As we made our way deeper into the canyon, the views got really spectacular.

The white snow contrasted nicely with the red rocks of the canyon walls. most of the group stopped at a nice little overlook and we took a group shot there.

Eventually the snow got less deep and instead of traveling through  frozen precipitation we had mud to deal with and slide around on.

I was really happy that I had purchased and brought my Microspikes. Others only had the instep crampons that they borrowed from the Albright Center. The crampons did not work very well as they tended to slide up the sides of people's boots and poke them in the legs.

As we made our way down in elevation we could eventually see the Colorado River.

It was brown and muddy looking. The scenery was just as amazing as ever as we descended further and further.

We passed a train of mules

and gradually approached the Colorado River.

Soon the Black Bridge came into view. This bridge would be our way across the river. Before stepping onto the bridge we passed through a tunnel.

The tunnel immediately gave way to the aforementioned suspension bridge.

After crossing the bridge there was a small section of Ancestral Puebloan ruins which John Wesley Powell mentioned in the journal that he kept as he and others floated down the dangerous and unknown Colorado River.

From the pueblo ruins it was a short hike to Bright Angel Creek

and the Bright Angel Campground where we would be spending the night. We sent up camp here and then headed over to the Canteen at Phantom Ranch.

We went inside for a look around and then, with plenty of time to kill, hiked up the North Kaibab Trail for a bit.

We crossed the creek on several bridges

and eventually found ourselves at the site of the burst park water line.

At this point myself and several others turned around to head back to camp.