AZ: Grand Canyon – Garden Creek – Grand Canyon AZ April 18, 2015

This is a canyon in our backyard so it was time to pay the price and do Garden Creek in the Grand Canyon. Our normal crew of Wes, Nick and myself were joined by a newby to canyoneering, Katy. She is not new to outdoor adventures and had actually lived in the canyon as a ranger for years.

We left town at 5:45 and were on the Bright Angel trail 2 hours later.

Down, down, down into the big ditch.

We strolled past the greenery of Indian Gardens then through the Garden Creek section of the trail. As the trail left the drainage, we dropped into the creek and the fun began immediately with pools and sliding.

Quickly the first of many raps was encountered.

This canyon has been bolted since the beta was written in Grand Canyoneering book. All bolts and chains except one small rap with a piton and knot chock. We took 2 – 200’ ropes and a 200’ pull cord. Perfect. The 200’s are needed since there are multiple raps that use the entire 200’.

The water was cool and we were in it a lot. We all had full medium wetsuits and they were perfect. It would have been very cold without wetsuits.

After a few raps, we got to the top of the 400’ descent. It is rather sloped and the midway ledge easily held 3 of us. If pressed, we could have gotten by with a 200’ rope and pull cord, but it would have been really crowded with 4 of us on this ledge. The top part is more of concentrated flow but the last part spreads out across the drop so you have 8’ wide foamy water flowing over the rock as you rap down.

At the bottom the rope would not pull. It was not going through the chains. There were two bolts rigged with chains and GIGANTIC quicklinks. The quicklinks were too big to biner block and our quicklink was already at the bottom when Wes and I were discussing the rigging. I used a tibloc and my newish Petzel Microtraction and easily climbed back up the fun foamy waterfall. Rigged with regular quicklink, rapped down and an easy pull.

A bit later we came to the steepest drop of the day with a really strong concentrated current down the waterfall. As you put your foot in the water, it would shoot out horizontally. Great fun for the person descending and also fun to watch from below.

All too soon we were at the bottom of the canyon and could see the Bright Angel trail at the head of the canyon.

Eat, disrobe and hope some of the wet gear dries so we don’t have to carry too much extra water out of the canyon.

Up, up, up through all sorts of people on the trail.

We reached the top at 5:15. Less than 10 hours in the canyon. Once again another AZ canyon that fits Ram’s description of AZ canyons; long hard approachs and exits. Well worth the trip if you have the fitness to do the descent into and out of the canyon. We decided this really is best done as day trip unless you really want to spend a night in the canyon. Our packs were heavy enough without overnight gear. My pack was 29# going in and 33# coming out. That wet gear adds some weight.

Chris Grove