Grand Canyon: Great Thumb Access

[sonnylawrence]

On Friday, December 6th, a letter appeared on various internet sites from Grand Canyon Superintendent David Uberuaga to Havasupai Tribal Chairman Don Watahomigie. The letter suggested that 10 permits per year be created to afford access to the Great Thumb Mesa and that day hike use north and west of Pasture Wash be eliminated.

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Grand_Canyon_Hikers/conversations/messages/74648[COLOR=#000000][FONT=arial]

The Coalition of American Canyoneers quickly composed a letter to the Superintendent seeking clarification on this

[outsider]

Rich Rudow and Rick Demarest of the CAC have been giving a photo tour on Facebook of the lands and canyons below Great Thumb Mesa. Serious eye candy!

Sinyella Canyon
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.570626513012657.1073741831.391884644220179&type=1

Fossil Canyon
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.571086869633288.1073741833.391884644220179&type=1

Esplanade
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.571639116244730.1073741835.391884644220179&type=1

Easy to see why Rich and the CAC are working hard for sensible access to this place.

-john

[Taylor]

I've gotta get down there to do some Grand Canyoneering!

[outsider]

More on Great Thumb canyons from Rich and Rick at the CAC (FB and non-FB links for each photo set):

140 Mile Canyon
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.572088516199790.1073741836.391884644220179&type=1
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/140-mile-canyon/

SOlo - a short tributary of Olo
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.572626116146030.1073741837.391884644220179&type=1
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/solo-canyon/

Olo Canyon
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.573266532748655.1073741838.391884644220179&type=3
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/olo-canyon/
^ wow!

-john

[Rick Demarest]

When you arrive at Matkatamiba Canyon on a river trip you find a quaint slot canyon that completely hides one basic fact. Matkat is big. REALLY big. It cuts deeply into the western side of Great Thumb and it hides many tributaries. The latest in CAC's Great Thumb Mesa Photo Series:

Matkatamiba Canyon
On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.574780742597234.1073741839.391884644220179&type=1 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.574780742597234.1073741839.391884644220179&type=1)

CAC's website:
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/matkat/ (http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/matkat/)

One of those tributaries is a slot canyon called LapKat located on the western side of Matkat South of the Sinyella Fault line. LapKat hasn’t been published until now. And it’s another great reason to remind us why access to GCNP under Great Thumb is such a big deal.

LapKat Canyon:
On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.579486675459974.1073741840.391884644220179&type=1

CAC's website:
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/lapkat/

Another of the fantastic tributaries to Matkat is Panameta Canyon. These are photos from the February 2011 Canyoneering/Rafting trip. At present, the only other way to access Panameta is the arduous entry from the North Rim - down 150 mile canyon, packraft across the Colorado, hike up to Matkat from Matkat Hotel camp, hike up Matkat, climb out to the Redwall, hike the Redwall rim to the head of Panameta.

Free the Thumb!

On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.582414958500479.1073741841.391884644220179&type=1

On CAC's website:
http://www.americancanyoneers.org/gcnp/great-thumb-mesa/panameta/