In 2004 we returned the South Bass trailhead to complete our intended itinerary from the previous year. (see
http://cllecr.mindsay.com/grand_canyon_adventure_photos.mws ).
This was no doubt the most challenging route I have ever attempted. . . one my husband had traveled with friends decades before. He had often promised to take me to Elves Chasm someday- a place he described as one of the most beautiful spots he had ever lingered in at the bottom of the Canyon. Although frequented by rafters in the Canyon, getting there on foot requires miles of "boulder scrambling" down Royal Arch Gorge- a route that would not have been advisable a year ago, with the late Spring snowstorm.
We studied our planned route in advance on maps and internet trail reports. One notorious spot called "the ledge", described in trail reports as a finger-and-toe-hold shuffle across extreme exposure, had me worried- I was encouraged to find a couple descriptions of an alternate route on the opposite canyon wall. The final descent into the inner gorge on this loop route also required a 20 foot rappel- a task we practiced in advance and took equipment to manage, but admittedly felt somewhat inexperienced to accomplish. My husband did not even remember these obstacles from his previous trip in the opposite direction along this route many years ago. . . perhaps they were exaggerated, or there were alternate ways to traverse them. Regardless, this was to be an adventure of a lifetime.
To share the major highlights, I will divide this entry . . . here is the first part:
In contrast to the year before, the weather was beautiful as we headed down the trail!
Ruins, fossils and javelina scat discoveries along the first few miles. (I'll spare you the scat photo 
)
The first leg of the trip took us across the Esplanade- a higher plateau at this level of the Canyon- above the Tonto. Here we spotted a red fox lounging in a ravine. He jumped up and sauntered away as we approached. (sorry, no picture other than in our memories)
The first night we camped at the upper end of a sidecanyon to the Royal Arch Gorge.
Potholes for replenishing our water supply were less plentiful this year. We fixed breakfast and used iodine tablets to treat water this first morning.
We had been unsure of exactly what to expect "boulder scrambling" to look like. Here is a typical section of the "trail" which really amounted to picking your way through the riverbed bottom. Some boulders were larger and more wedged between the walls than others.
The infamous "ledge" was beyond my comfort level..... backtracking, we were able to locate the less obvious trail that had been scouted along the other wall. There was a bit more scrambling, but the exposure was not quite as "breath-taking"
Reaching the main canyon gorge, the trail narrowed and deepened. We marveled at the "narrows" area, where the canyon walls towered overhead leaving a mere slit of sky above. We managed to find the canyon bed dry in areas where we had to drop into narrow ravines over wedged boulders- fortunate, as a cold swim would have added much to the challenge! In several places my husband and I would rig up rope tethers to support our weight as we slid over huge boulders and maneuvered our way down awkward crevices to the streambed below. I felt certain that we would never make our way back UP this canyon, we were committed to the rest of the 45 mile loop of our journey!
Pottery chards were an exciting find. We photographed these and left them in the canyon.
We spent the second night just above where we would ultimately find running water again the next morning- and make the final scramble to the first major point of interest along the route- the Royal Arch.
Hidden in the canyon walls, the arch itself lies rather hidden here....
But the 200 ft waterfall that plunges just beyond the arch, makes this a startling turn-around point where frogs and running water add to the unique ambiance.
The view beyond the plunge hints at the expanse of Canyon we have not seen since Day 1.
We linger to refill canteens, relax, and "reflect"....
We have been on the trail for 3 days- and have not encountered any other hikers! The wilderness experience is amazing, and humbling. At this point in the adventure, I approach every hazard with the knowledge that any "emergency" would require approximately 3 days of travel in either direction for help! Caution and alertness takes on new importance.
Now we need to backtrack to our campsite area from the night before, and locate the spur of the trail that will take us up, out of the Royal Arch Gorge and along the Tonto Plateau. A few miles on, we will look for the path down to the 20 foot rappel required to reach the Colorado River in the inner gorge. We plan to camp at the river and hike down river to the much anticipated Elves Chasm the next day- the 28th anniversary of our first "date"- St. Patricks Day. No green beer this year- heck, no cold beverage of any type will be available for some time yet!
(next entry soon)
photos
