Grand Canyon NP, Mojave Nat'l Preserve & Death Valley NP - January 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Start: Tucson, AZ
Finish: South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Today was the beginning of a trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, then continuing the road trip to Death Valley with my husband. I joined a group of 21 people to hike and stay at Phantom Ranch for 3 nights. The group has been doing this trip in January for the last 20 plus years. I was fortunate enough to be invited to join the group this year, the first year I could make it in January since retiring from teaching last May.
The adventure begins!
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That's me on the left.
We made a quick stop in Phoenix for supplies, then continued north on I-17. Lots of AZ Highway Patrol between Tucson and Phoenix on I-10. (This was also noted by my husband on his drive up several days later.) Lunch was in Black Canyon City at Rock Springs Cafe. This is a landmark along the route north of Phoenix. It is well known as a restaurant and bar, especially known for pie- many kinds available daily. The building is historic and furnished with antiques.
Rock Springs Cafe
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Next stop was for gas in Flagstaff then on to the Grand Canyon. The snow cover on the San Francisco was scant, the least I have ever seen at this time of year. I believe I have seen more snow on them in June and July.
San Francisco Peaks
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We arrived by 4 PM, met up with most of the crowd before checking into rooms at the Maswik Lodge. The group met for dinner at the Bright Angel Lodge. It was a time for old friends to get caught up and for us 'newbies' to meet the group we would be with for the next several days. Based on this first meeting it appeared to be a very congenial group, easy to mix in with.
Wildlife Sightings
Gila Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
Great-tailed Grackle
Mourning Dove
Cactus Wren
Northern Flicker
Mountain Bluebird
House Finch
House Sparrow
Phantom Ranch -Grand Canyon National,Park
Wednesday - Friday: January 22-24, 2014
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Start: South Rim
Finish: Phantom Ranch
As this part of the trip does not qualify as a true road trip I will report the three days at the bottom of the canyon as one post.
Wednesday
The group met at Maswik Lodge cafeteria at 7 AM for breakfast. Many times we grumble about the cost of things in the National Parks, the breakfast I had was an exception. For $6.25 I had 2 eggs, potatoes, chicken fried steak with gravy and 2 slices of thick rye toast! After breakfast everyone made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the trip down and someone provided oatmeal, coconut with chocolate chip cookies - yum!
The weather was amazing - 32 degrees on the rim when we started out, a heat wave! I started hiking with three layers instead of the anticipated four layers. In the past the group has started out hiking at 9 degrees below zero. Also for the first time ice crampons on our boots would not be needed for the first part of the trail. Some ice was reported on the Bright Angel, but able to walk around most patches. No ice was reported on the South Kaibab trail.
Adventure continues
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The group broke into smaller groups and set their own routes. Five of us left Maswik Lodge at 8:15 and headed down Bright Angel Trail - 10 miles to Phantom Ranch and 4,500 ft of down. The scenery was spectacular, much more interesting and diverse than I was expecting. At 5 miles you reach Indian Gardens. At great place to rest, refill with water and a passport stamp opportunity.
Indian Garden
Passport Stamp box
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Relaxing
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The trail out of Indian Garden was wonderful, through a canyon. Along the way you reach a special spot - the Great Unconformity. A gap of over 1 billion years in geological history.
Great Unconformity
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More down until you finally reach the Colorado River at 8 1/2 miles. You walk east along the River until you reach the Silver Bridge, then another 1/2 mile before you arrive at Phantom Ranch. The area contains a NPS campground and lodge, which is managed by Xanterra, the park's concessionaire. A brief stop in the dorm (10 women in a small space) to claim beds. By the time I got there only upper bunks were available. As I was putting my stuff up on the bunk the young lady, only one not in our group in the dorm, arrived to say she would gladly take the upper bunk. Did I look that bad? I gladly took her up on her offer! She was a guide for a national adventure company who guided 3 young men from Chicago to Phantom Ranch.
Inside the dorm
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This hiking group has their priorities well established - Happy Hour outside at picnic table near the dorms. Adult beverages were brought down by most in platypus containers, plus wonderful snacks; gourmet cheeses, salami, crackers, dried fruit, nuts and dark chocolate!
Happy Hour
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Meals at Phantom Ranch are provided in the canteen. Two dinner seatings; steak at 5 and stew at 6:30. The meals ordered for me for the next few days were; stew, steak and stew. Meals are served family style. The first few minutes are hectic with food being passed and requested before it settles into friendly meal chatter.
Meal time
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Bedtime came quickly and easily - yes, even with 10 women in close quarters!
Thursday
One of the women who had been on previous trips announced in the morning that the night had been the quietest she had ever experienced in the dorm! Breakfast is served in two seatings, as well, 5:30 and 7:00. If you are staying over you have the 7 AM seating, for those leaving breakfast is at 5:30.
Weather continued to be exceptional - highs of upper 60s!
I spent the morning tracking down the passport stamp for Phantom Ranch at the ranger station. The office is unmanned, but open from 8 AM to 6 PM and has good displays and reference material. Besides getting impressions for my husband (who had backpacked down there - rim to rim to rim - before the passport program was established in 1988) I also stamped a handful of postcards for family and friends. While at the ranger station I picked up the Phantom Ranch Junior Ranger booklet. I went back to the canteen, which is open from 8:30 until 4:00 PM, then from 8:00 to 10:00 PM for anyone; campers and lodge guests. There is a gift shop, snacks and beer and wine for purchase. A small lending library and board games are available for use, or you can just sit around.
Passport and bonus stamps
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I walked back down to the river and around the ranch area to work on the booklet. After lunch I hiked up the canyon to a side trail to work on a sketch for the booklet. The weather was spectacular. Lunch can be purchased from the lodge, but it basically packaged snacks, not served in the canteen. The group I was with recommended to bring your own snacks which worked well.
The afternoon ritual of Happy Hour, dinner, the bedtime was repeated - just as enjoyable.
Friday
Another breakfast of eggs, bacon, pancakes and peach halves. Plenty of food, just not a lot of variety. I spent the morning hiking back to the river, across the Black Bridge then back across the Silver Bridge with two others from the group, about a two mile hike.
After lunch a small group of us hiked up the North Kaibab trail into the box canyon along the Bright Angel Creek. Another beautiful day. Along the way we were fortunate to spot a bobcat across the creek. It is the largest bobcat I have ever seen, easily four feet from front to back. This was latter confirmed by a park ranger who agreed it was a very large bobcat.
Bobcat
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The highlight of time spent in the canyon bottom was earning my Grand Canyon Junior Ranger badge at Phantom Ranch. Simple things for simple people, or little things make me happy! Park rangers in January at Phantom Ranch are sparse. Luckily on Friday afternoon, about 3:30 I saw a ranger hike in from the North Kaibab trail. She gladly walked to the ranger station with me to review my booklet and award the badge. A unique patch featuring the pink rattlesnake is available for true Junior Rangers, I was able to get a picture of it. Ranger Betsy was very interested in Senior Ranger programs that are offered by some parks. She had me write down names of sites that offer this program for the older crowd. One of the reasons I do complete the junior ranger programs is to promote the senior ranger option. Lots of rangers have been interested and hopefully will have the resources to develop more options for seniors.
Junior Ranger - Phantom Ranch
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Junior Ranger - Phantom Rattler patch
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Afternoon ritual repeated; Happy Hour the dinner. Tonight I did join the after hours crowd in the canteen for a game of hearts. They were glad for my attendance, I garnered the most points!
Passport stamps
Grand Canyon NP
- Indian Gardens
- Phantom Ranch
Bonus stamps
- Scorpion, 3 live scorpions were found in and around while we were there.
- Mailed by Mule at Phantom Ranch - available in the canteen where a mailbag collects mail to be carried back up to the rim.
Wildlife Sightings
Mule Deer
Bobcat
Gray Jay
Stellar Jay
Canyon Wren - heard
American Dipper
American Robin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
A super Grand Time in the Grand!
Pat,
Fabulous field report. Brings back lovely memories. One October, years ago (1980) I spent the entire month below the rim... great hiking, lots of adventures.
Mark
