Grand Canyon Traverse

Nick, great report and trip, you should be very happy with the effort. Thanks.

Fantastic trip, Nick – thanks for such a detailed writeup.

I was in the Canyon for the first couple of weeks of December – it's a great time of year to be there. Plenty of water everywhere and cool temperatures.

I'm having a go at the Butte Fault route in March; if I survive that, maybe I'll have a go at your traverse at the end of next year. It looks like an amazing route.

I haven't been west of Trinity, but I think I know the last section where you got a whack on the shin. A couple of weeks I tried going around at the Tonto level (or what passes for it in the Supergroup) from 91-mile back to the Piano Alley drainage – straightforward until the last section, precarious steep slopes below Shinumo cliffs. Bare Hakatai alternating with loose fist-sized rubble, neither of which give you any purchase with a boot edge or a pole. I think this is where Steck recommends going up to the base of the cliff, but that was awful, so I came back down. I pretty much just went straight across, but it was so sketchy I figured that I just hadn't found the right route.

All the best
Ralph

Very nice trip report. Had to chuckle at the 1 lb snickers bar … time to start dropping hints about my upcoming birthday:-)

But those seriously interested in large candy bars should look into the 5 lb salted nut roll!

Great report Nick, and great route. Very creative.

I find it easy to assume that you seriously understated the difficulty of the bushwack through Tapeats Cave and Crazy Jug. I would have gone for the wading.

Ralph: Yep, that's exactly the section. Good to know that you've gone high. Last year we went lower and that was a definite improvement over what I did this year. I don't remember having to cross such gnarly bits of Hakatai.

The Butte Fault route has been on my list for a couple years now, ever since I spent a night on top of Nankoweap Mesa. I'm hoping to do it this May with a river crossing and hiking out Tanner in four days total. Haven't decided whether my river crossing is hitching across or bringing a packraft.

Jim: That 5 lb salted nut roll is impressive! Almost worth buying and bringing on a trip as a gag. Almost.

David: You may be right, although I think we're just used to bushwacking, so it probably felt easier than most. If the weather had been warmer I think I would've tried for the wading. If I'm in that area in a slightly better time, like october, I'll just bring better-draining footwear and neoprene socks and go for it.