South Canyon - Grand Canyon

[Bo_Beck]

Tanya and I headed to GC on sunday with intentions of going to Vaseys Paradise and back in a day via a suggested shortcut. I sort of made some unintentional errors and we didn't get all the way to the river, but had fun exploring a canyon that feeds into South Canyon. Our plans were to take a non-traditional shortcut into South Canyon that put us a short distance from the Colorado River and Vaseys Paradise. We made it as far as South Canyon and Bedrock Canyon confluence before I made the decision to head back. We got a late start and the "route" is very little used so I had no intention of trying to backtrack at night. A couple photos and maybe Tanya will have a few to add? Bedrock Canyon is really cool though and I would suggest it as a wonderful dayhike, but not the best entrance for a backpacking trip to Vaseys Paradise.

[Felicia]

....but where are the pictures?

You guys always have fun. :nod:

[Bo_Beck]

....but where are the pictures?

You guys always have fun. :nod:

Dang! I loaded a couple pictures with the original post, but I wasn't happy with them, so I deleted them and was going to replace them with new ones and my CF card died!? Sorry Felicia, but I bet Tanya might have a few to post?
:2thumbs:

[tanya]

We just climbed down a hill then back up. I took one of the route, but nothing worth posting.

[denaliguide]

did you lose the one of the map?

[Bo_Beck]

did you lose the one of the map?

The map I had posted was very poor resolution. I'll try to re-do the map and post it for you.

[Bo_Beck]

did you lose the one of the map?

Here is the somewhat messed up gps route, but the blue dots indicate waypoints of the route down into Bedrock. We then hiked down to the confluence with South Canyon and then returned the same way back out.

[accadacca]

Wait a minute. . .WTH. Did someone say pixatures. :jump_nutt:

http://www.bogley.com/forum/images/avatars/201088744747bb6ca2005e5.jpg

[denaliguide]

thanks bo.

[tanya]

Looks like we are going to give this one another try this weekend.

[stefan]

I sort of made some unintentional errors and we didn't get all the way to the river, but had fun exploring a canyon that feeds into South Canyon. Our plans were to take a non-traditional shortcut into South Canyon that put us a short distance from the Colorado River and Vaseys Paradise. We made it as far as South Canyon and Bedrock Canyon confluence before I made the decision to head back.


interesting shortcut. the lower canyon is a marvelous spot. when you return will you have time to explore the slot down there. it's upclimbable too, if you choose to explore from the bottom as far as you have time for.

looking forward to the photos. pretty area. can't remember if you guys have already been there or not.

[tanya]

Stefan! You have been there! Is there anything there for Courtney to play on? You know he likes to get to the top of things. He might go, but probably only if there is something to summit.


I don't know how much time we are going to have since we are probably doing it as a one day on Saturday.

[stefan]

Stefan! You have been there! Is there anything there for Courtney to play on? You know he likes to get to the top of things. He might go, but probably only if there is something to summit.

not sure if there is something that suits his fancy. finding routes through interesting, layered canyon walls?



I don't know how much time we are going to have since we are probably doing it as a one day on Saturday.

well, as long as there is time for the springs ... the views of the canyons along the approach to bedrock canyon must be pretty cool

[Bo_Beck]

Proposed route down to Vaseys this weekend?

[tanya]

Last call on this! If you want to do it we leave at 4:30 am from the Tbird ... so get with us! Its a one day hike.

[Iceaxe]

we leave at 4:30 am from the Tbird

Heck.... I didn't even know there was a 4:30 am.

:lol8:

[tanya]

Yeah... you probably drag yourself back to the house by 4am after your wild nights out. It's good to make it to bed before 4:30 am! :five:

[Iceaxe]

OH... you mean that's the same 4:30 am????

I've only visited it from the top side.

:lol8:

[tanya]

We actually got going about 4:45 and were on the trail by 7:30am. This short cut is the way to go! It was only 2 hours to get to the canyon floor, then another 2 hours to the river. The weather was great!!! 80 degrees at the river, then cool and shady for our hike out of the canyon. At the end of the day we could feel a storm starting to settle in.

[tanya]

:popcorn:

[Sombeech]

It's about time we got some wet t shirt photos up here. :lol8:

http://www.bogley.com/forum/files/tanyavp.jpg

[tanya]

Just a shiny shirt.. totally dry and with one of those flattening sports bras beneath. Sorry :mrgreen:

[Win]

Awesome!! That looks like a beautiful place. Bet you're glad you went Saturday!

Win

[tanya]

Yes, the weather was magnificent! We could not have asked for anything better! I think the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is my favorite place. It was hard to leave!

[Felicia]

Great pictures! :nod:

[oldno7]

Great trip you guys, what about Bob?

[tanya]

Thanks Felicia.....

I figured you were wondering Kurt...

He laughed about your out of the frying pan and into the fire statement a couple of times on the hike down into the canyon.

Bob had a rough time on the hike down. His legs starting shaking after we hit the Esplanade. He made it down to South Canyon and rested there for a couple of hours until Bo and I made it back from the river. We picked up a Doctor though.... so Bob had lots of attention on the hike out from Both Doc John and Bo. He was thrilled with what he was able to do even though he did not make it to the river. He was great company and a joy to be around!

On the other trip.. It's good Bob did not choose that one. Courtney tells me his was near epic but seems to be withholding details until we get together.. maybe this Sunday. You should come with us!

Here is the updated trail report....

I am going to try and get the photo album done. There is an old album back from when I use to post the photos small, but I am redoing it.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/south-canyon-grand-canyon.htm

[oldno7]

your stormfront picture is INCREDIBLE :2thumbs: :2thumbs:

[sparker1]

Love the pix, Tanya. The one of the storm is magnificent.

[tanya]

Thanks guys! It was so cool looking! I did not really want to get out and shoot it but since Bob did... I did too. Glad I did! :2thumbs:

[stefan]

hey tanya & bo

i very much enjoyed the report and the photos.

it made me reflect on a trip i did with nat and our friend pieter about 4 years ago. we came down south canyon via the std route. we then hiked along the redwall limestone ledge most of the way to nankoweap, the final bit along the river. then out the nankoweap trail.

if i have this correct, the arrow points to the ledges we walked along on river right

and the vantage point here in your photo looks spendid! lucky you!!

[tanya]

hey tanya & bo

i very much enjoyed the report and the photos.

it made me reflect on a trip i did with nat and our friend pieter about 4 years ago. we came down south canyon via the std route. we then hiked along the redwall limestone ledge most of the way to nankoweap, the final bit along the river. then out the nankoweap trail.

if i have this correct, the arrow points to the ledges we walked along on river right

and the vantage point here in your photo looks spendid! lucky you!!

Do you ever get down to the river on that route? Where did you go up and out of South Canyon?

[stefan]

Do you ever get down to the river on that route?

we took about 3 long days of hiking before the first (non-technical, though intense) route down to the river (lovely). water was also a serious concern (even with a midway water cache). then it's a part day trip along the river itself to nankoweap.



Where did you go up and out of South Canyon?

from our camp on the river, we hiked back up to the rim of the redwall limestone, contoured around the lower slot of south canyon at that level, and continued down marble canyon. contouring around the sidecanyons dropping into marble was a regular theme, adding many extra miles to the river miles.

[tanya]

Do you ever get down to the river on that route?

we took about 3 long days of hiking before the first (non-technical, though intense) route down to the river (lovely). water was also a serious concern (even with a midway water cache). then it's a part day trip along the river itself to nankoweap.



Where did you go up and out of South Canyon?

from our camp on the river, we hiked back up to the rim of the redwall limestone, contoured around the lower slot of south canyon at that level, and continued down marble canyon. contouring around the sidecanyons dropping into marble was a regular theme, adding many extra miles to the river miles.

What did you think of the route? Is it written up somewhere or where you just exploring? Have photos?

[Bo_Beck]

it made me reflect on a trip i did with nat and our friend pieter about 4 years ago. we came down south canyon via the std route. we then hiked along the redwall limestone ledge most of the way to nankoweap, the final bit along the river. then out the nankoweap trail.

That must've been an AMAZING trip! What? Like 50 miles total?

if i have this correct, the arrow points to the ledges we walked along on river right

Thats correct

and the vantage point here in your photo looks spendid! lucky you!

The vantage from the top of the UPS Trail all the way down is great. By far the most scenic 1 mile hike to get to South Canyon

[stefan]

What did you think of the route? Is it written up somewhere or where you just exploring? Have photos?

it was a hard hike, amplified by very warm march weather. it was amazing to be able to follow that bench (which widens considerably over the distance towards nankoweap). the grand canyon is an incredible place. the beach we finally landed at, after the "goat trail" route down to the river, was simply sublime. walking along the river was lovely, though quite challenging trying to push our packs through the thicket. the nankoweap trail was great.

Steck's two books Grand Canyon Loop Hike I & II have been our source for GC stuff. these are out of print (still can be found used). falcon, however, has released a book with the same title. i have not looked at it, so i don't know whether or not it contains all of I&II.

harvey butchard's book is another good source for the gc backcountry.

photos ... yes, however, they are slides, and i have been SUPER lazy about scanning them




That must've been an AMAZING trip! What? Like 50 miles total?


yes it was pretty amazing. will get back to you on the length.



The vantage from the top of the UPS Trail all the way down is great. By far the most scenic 1 mile hike to get to South Canyon


i'll have to get down there sometime. thanks for posting.

[stefan]

What? Like 50 miles total?


yeah, maybe 50 miles (assuming 9 hiking-miles to 6 river-miles along the redwall). i am not sure, but it could be more. one could estimate the additional miles more accurately with the maps.

water is very scarce along this route. we only found water in a couple of potholes in the redwall in a couple of the sidecanyons, which helped to augment our midway water cache.

[tanya]

Sounds like a great trip Stefan! It's so pretty down there I can wanting to stick around. Water would help though. :popcorn:

[stefan]

so, bo, yeah. i have to admit the trip was pretty incredible. i think one (of many) way(s) it was incredible is that it is but one piece ... one glimpse of what it would be like to hike the entire length of the grand canyon. one approach which has been done, e.g., steck, is to place caches along the way to do the entire length of the canyon in one contiguous push. nat's following a course, doing a series of loop hikes over many years, ultimately seeing the whole canyon with sections of the river as pieces of loops. it's neat to have a glimpse of this wonderful goal

[tanya]

I have our photo album done for South Canyon to Vasey's ...

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index61.htm


Couple from the album of Bo and I

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-zc_jpg.jpg

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-zd_jpg.jpg

[tanya]

Couple more

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-c_jpg.jpg

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-w_jpg.jpg

[tanya]

:popcorn:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-zf_jpg.jpg


http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-zb_jpg.jpg

[tanya]

so, bo, yeah. i have to admit the trip was pretty incredible. i think one (of many) way(s) it was incredible is that it is but one piece ... one glimpse of what it would be like to hike the entire length of the grand canyon. one approach which has been done, e.g., steck, is to place caches along the way to do the entire length of the canyon in one contiguous push. nat's following a course, doing a series of loop hikes over many years, ultimately seeing the whole canyon with sections of the river as pieces of loops. it's neat to have a glimpse of this wonderful goal


That would be so awesome to do!!!! The Grand Canyon can be an overwhelming place to hike though.

[Bo_Beck]

Here's a map showing the routes we've now taken to the Colorado River and Vaseys Paradise.

[stefan]

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/vaseys-zf_jpg.jpg


:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[oldno7]

yep--another incredible "photo by Tanya"