Friday, June 16, 2006 - Grand Canyon, Arizona

Day One: South Rim to Hermit Rapids CG Click to view map
Hermit Trailhead, 6,640 feet
Santa Maria Spring 4,889 feet
Hermit Camp 2,880 feet
Hermit Rapid Camp 2,360 feet

Sue wrote:

Bob woke up early and was raring to go. I drove him to Hermit’s Rest where the trailhead starts. The road to Hermit’s Rest is closed to most traffic. The park has bus service that shuttles people from the Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest. The Backcountry Information Center gives backcountry hikers a code number to use at the beginning of the road to open the gate.

When I was driving Bob to Hermit’s Rest at 5:00 in the morning, it was in the cool 40’s. At the Grand Canyon, the temperatures cool down to 40 at night but warms up to 80 during the day. When we arrived at Hermit’s Rest, I took pictures of Bob before he started on his hike.

I drove back to the camper and started on a jigsaw puzzle, which I worked on all day.
 

Bob wrote:

Sue drove me to the Hermit Trail trailhead at Hermit's Rest. Sue took some pictures and we said goodbye. I started down at 5:15AM. The initial descent was difficult because of the steepness and rocky path. However, it would prove to be one of the easier parts. The first junction was with the Waldron Trail junction. I continued to Dripping Springs Trail junction. There was a flat rest area with some trees at the junction. Since I am writing this on Sunday, I am considering using this area as a possible overnight stop if I can't make it all the way back in one day.

My next milestone was Santa Maria Springs, the only water source on the trail until Hermit Camp. Just before reaching the spring, I encountered the first of many rock slides. These falls require some crawling, squeezing and jumping and can be very confusing. One fall occurred at a switchback and the trail which was at a 180° angle from me was almost impossible to find. The National Park Service does not clear rock falls, but does place cairns along the fall. A cairn is usually a pile of three rocks, with the largest at the bottom. They indicate the trail and are noticeable because they must be man made. I did not replenish my water supply here, since there were small fish, tadpoles, mud, leaves, etc. in the water. Bad mistake! All water taken in the Grand Canyon must be filtered with a water filter pump. I did have a filter, but I did not realize how difficult the trip would be and decided to pass on this opportunity.

Next, I approached the next landmark, Lookout Point. By this time, I knew I had a problem. I did not anticipate the amount of rocks on the trail and the effect they would have on my feet. In hindsight, I make two additional mistakes because of my inexperience. I should have used two pair of socks, one thin liner and another thicker layer. The socks would rub against each other instead of against my toe. The other mistake was the way I laced my boots. There is a technique that prevents the boot from slipping while going downhill. At any rate, I developed a large blister under my left toe, which tore the skin away. My progress was slowed drastically, since I had to favor my left toe. I did stop and tape my toe to try to prevent any additional injury. That, in addition to the backpack that did not fit properly, affected my sense of balance.

I finally made it past Lookout Point and hiked to the Cathedral Stairs. This is a series of very steep switchbacks spanning between two ridges. The switchbacks lengthen as they descend and terminate at the Tonto Plateau. When I saw the junction with the Tonto Trail, my spirits lifted. In the distance there seemed, at last, to be a flat piece of land. Actually, there is no such thing on the trails. There is up and down, nothing else. From this point, I had about two miles left to hike on a gradually descending trail. While the trail was not exceptional, my lack of water and the discomfort from my left toe made the final leg more of a trial.

When I arrived at Hermit Creek Camp, I made a desperate scramble to the creek for water. The creek is in a deep gorge with a steep, hazardous trail. I filtered the water and filled my water packs. I was scheduled to continue to Hermits Rapids, but I decided to stop and set up camp. There were five other people already here; Laura and Aaron, a married couple who are returning to the trailhead tomorrow, Ryan, whom I would get to know better later and two other young adult male hikers that passed my on the way down.

When I decided to fix dinner, I discovered that I had not packed my stove and cooking pot. I checked the stove the night before, but must not have placed it in my backpack. I asked Laura and Aaron if I could use their stove and they agreed. I had fuel, but they used their own to fix some hot water for me. I brought freeze dried meals that came in a bag that I could just add hot water and eat. After I ate, I went to bed. It was early, but I was exhausted. This trail is much more difficult than the Bright Angle or South Kibab trails.