AZ: Grand Canyon – Garden Creek – November 2018

Prior to this past weekend I had only done Garden Creek while on my way down to the Colorado for river trips so I’ve missed out on the grind back up that makes all Grand Canyon trips so memorable. My wife was heading down to Phantom for a three week trip and I “volunteered” to drive her to the South Rim, day hike down the Bright Angel, meet up with the river crew (who launched 8 day prior from Lees), and make a quick lap though Garden before slogging back up to the rim alone. With the typical 10am rendezvous with the river trippers at the head of Garden we got an early start and just before sunrise we plugged our way down the trail. We made great time and I didn’t even lose a toenail (at BA first for me).

There was 12 of us who dropped the slot in a fairly efficient canyon conga-line with Rich upfront setting anchors and the bird perch rope transfer on the big 400′ rap. The flow was perfect, the down climbs were slippery, and the raps were photogenic as always. After completing the canyon I followed the river crew down to the confluence of Pipe creek and drank a few of their river beers (fuel for the long hike back up). After a long goodbye they launched the rafts and floated off for 20 more days of rapids and slots from the river.

The hike up was a lonely grind and I topped out at 3.5 hours.
13 hour day total, Rim, Garden Creek, River, and back to Rim.
photos….

Kaibab and the Granite Gorge far below.

First light in the Coconino

The river trip hiking up. @Rich Rudow leading the way.

Drysuit crew.

Les

The permit holder

@Dan Ransom in a canyon, put that in your journal.

April

Lindsey on the big one.

looking up

Cant forget Rich