Grand Canyon National Park: Dripping Springs

Today was the last day of Fundamentals II at the Albright Center. It was a half-day of classes and since I have some time before I need to be back in Carlsbad, I decided to go for a hike before I left the Grand Canyon. I opted to head west and hike the trail from Hermit's Rest to Dripping Springs.

The hike started in cold but calm, sunny conditions.

The trail started on the rim and soon headed down into a side canyon. Parts of the trail bed were lined with rock riprap.

It made for a visually interesting hiking surface. The views off to the side of the trail were great as usual. After I reached a flat area the trail headed into a drainage and skirted around its side. There were lots of great views.

Soon I reached the intersection of two trails, I took the one that headed to Dripping Springs.

I saw a few people as I hiked, mostly guys out hiking alone like me.

Eventually I found myself at Dripping Springs.

While it wasn't the most spectacular place I had ever hiked to, it was interesting nonetheless. I spent a little bit of time exploring the area and found the foundation of a trough reputed to have been used by a hermit who lived there to raise goldfish in.

I then hit the trail to retrace my steps to the car. Again there were great views, somewhat changed from earlier due to the changing angle of the sun.

Meteor Crater

Today, as part of a field trip for my training at the Albright Center, we headed east on I-40 to the Meteor Crater. The Crater is a privately owned and managed natural attraction near Winslow, Arizona. Interestingly the Meteor Crater is owned by a family from Philadelphia, the Barringers.

View of the San Francisco Peaks from Meteor Crater

Our visit to the crater included a talk and question and answer session with the site manager. After the talk we explored the museum there a bit and then headed outside to see the actual meteor crater. While the site was interesting, I am glad that I didn't have to pay the$16 admission.

Grand Canyon National Park: Bright Angel Trail

Last night we went back to the Canteen at Phantom Ranch to play some cards and warm up for a bit before heading back to camp for sleep. I slept pretty well last night given the cold sleeping conditions. This morning everyone seemed ready to get moving and head out of camp. After eating a quick breakfast and packing up camp we hit the trail. We would ascend back to the rim on the Bright Angel Trail instead of retracing our steps on the South Kaibab Trail.

At the start of the hike we headed over to the Silver Bridge to cross over the Colorado River.

After crossing the river I had expected to start ascending immediately, but instead the trail meandered along the river on a gently undulating trail for a bit

before starting the real ascent at Pipe Creek.

The trail along the creek was quite enjoyable to hike with lots of pleasant scenery.

Soon we could see the snow that lay waiting for us when we ascended higher.

We also found an old mine along the trail that we just had to check out a little bit.

After following Pipe Creek for a bit the trail meandered over to Garden Creek.
We would follow Garden Creek up to Indian Garden. We stopped at Indian Garden for a snack and then hit the trail again. Shortly after leaving Indian Garden we started to make our way up into the snow again.

The closer to the rim we got, the harsher the conditions. Again, I was glad to have my Microspikes. Just before reaching the rim, conditions got really rough.

It was very cold, snowy and the wind was blowing something fierce. We passed through two small tunnels

and shortly after the second one we were on the rim.

Once we reached the rim it was a short, slippery walk on the paved trail back to the housing at the Albright Center.

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.

Grand Canyon National Park: Rim Trail Pipe Creek Vista to South Kaibab Trailhead

Today after training I headed over to the Rim Trail again to hike the last remaining section that I had not previously hiked. The walk turned out to be scenic as always and I had the trail all to myself.

In addition, I was treated to a wonderful sunset from near the South Kaibab Trailhead.

Grand Canyon National Park: Rim Trail Mather Point to Pipe Creek Overlook

This evening after class I took the opportunity to head over to Mather Point to hike a portion of the Rim Trail that runs along the south rim of the Grand canyon. Noelle and I had hiked a portion of the trail when we visited last summer, but I wanted to hike a different portion I had never been on before so I hit the trail and headed east.

I didn't have a whole lot of time before sunset, but I figured I would just hike as far as I could get before it got dark. I ended up making it to the Pipe Creek Overlook before I decided I would have to turn around and head back to the car. Along the way I saw some amazing views of the canyon!