Grand Canyon Adventure: Backpack & Day Hike Stories and Photos
The Nankoweap-South Rim Hike


April 15-22, 2011


A view toward Saddle Mountain from trail 57 Moss covered rock
Camp site at Nankoweap trailhead Sunrise from the Nankoweap trailhead
Fossilized plants in the Supai along Nankoweap trail Containers left to capture water from a seep near Marion Point
Marion Point Utah Agave
A craggy tree guards the departure point of Nankoweap trail from Tilted Mesa A view down Nankoweap Creek toward the Colorado River
Cairns mark the Nankoweap trail's departure point from Tilted Mesa An improvised stone wall provides shelter from wind and sun along Nankoweap trail
The steep descent from Tilted Mesa An agave stalk reaches for the sky in the Redwall along Nankoweap trail
An isolated column of stone stands sentry along Nankoweap trail Nankoweep Creek
Nankoweap Mesa dominates the horizon in the lower section of Nankoweap trail A Tapeats boulder field along Nankoweap trail
Looking toward the snow-covered North Rim of Grand Canyon Nankoweap Creek
The mouth of the drainage that leads to Nankoweap Saddle and Kwagunt Ascending the boulder-choked drainage to the Nankoweap Saddle
Remnants of a highly mineralized flow through the Nankoweap Saddle drainage The upper section of the Nankoweap Saddle drainage
Nearing Nankoweap Saddle Self portrait of a shadowy hiker
Following a ridgeline from Nankoweap Saddle into Kwagunt Creek Canyon An exposed geological layer lines the drainage leading to Kwagunt
Looking northeast toward Nankoweap Mesa Looking west toward Hutton(isolated pyramidal formation at far left) and Duppa buttes
An exposed rock formation on the route from Kwagunt to Malgosa Looking southeast into Malgosa Canyon with a view of the Butte Fault route leading to Awatubi
Along the Butte Fault route to the saddle between Malgosa and Awatubi canyons Another view from the Butte Fault route to the saddle between Malgosa and Awatubi canyons
Looking southeast into Awatubi Canyon with a view of the route to Sixtymile Canyon Catching a glimpse of dramatic Kwagunt Butte from the Butte Fault route between Awatubi and Sixtytmile canyons
Chuar Butte dominates the southern horizon from the Awatubi-Sixtymile saddle Sunrise in Sixtymile Canyon
Ascending the Butte Fault route from Sixtymile Canyon to Carbon Canyon Looking north toward Kwagunt Butte from the Butte Fault route connnecting Sixtymile and Carbon canyons
Approaching the Sixtymile-Carbon saddle Flowers along the Butte Fault route
Indian Paintbrush A well-defined game track begins the descent into the east arm of Carbon Canyon
I should have used a rope The crumbly route into the east arm of Carbon Canyon
In the east arm of Carbon Canyon Looking west toward Carbon Butte
Roman gods and goddesses Apollo, Venus and Juno temples dot the southwest horizon as seen from Carbon Canyon Interesting geology in the east arm of Carbon Canyon
Hiking the east arm of Carbon Canyon Springtime blooms in Carbon Canyon
Cactus flower A view of the Still Spring in Lava Creek Canyon with Jupiter Temple (top center left) and several unnamed buttes gracing the horizon
Preparing lunch at the Still Spring in Lava Creek Canyon Deconstructed stone in Lava Creek Canyon
One of many small falls in Lava Creek Lava Creek
A series of small falls in Lava Creek The green ribbon of Lava Creek
Emerald falls in Lava Creek A deep pool in upper Lava Creek
Looking north toward Chiavria Point. An ancestral puebloan ruin is located at the base of the Tapeats formation. A view of Jupiter Temple from the Lava-Unkar Redwall saddle
Hiking through the north arm of Unkar Creek Canyon A pouroff in the north arm of Unkar Creek Canyon
A Tapeats pouroff in north Unkar is bypassed on the left using this drainage to re-enter the main creek bed Looking southeast through Unkar Creek toward the river and Escalante Point
A week flow of water in Unkar Creek Looking southwest from Unkar Creek to where the first light of day kisses Rama Shrine (top left) and environs
Looking toward the North Rim from Unkar Creek Unkar Creek Canyon bathed in sunrise
Approaching the Tapeats bypass (left of center) in the south arm of Unkar Creek Canyon A freshly minted agave stalk in south Unkar
Entering the Tapeats bypass route in south Unkar The Tapeats bypass route
A crumbly Tapeats chute in south Unkar Looking back through the Tapeats bypass route
Looking toward the Redwall in south Unkar Looking northeast toward Jupiter Temple in Unkar Creek Canyon
A view of Freya Castle from south Unkar The boulder-choked south arm of Unkar Creek Canyon
A collection of Tapeats blocks in south Unkar A lone tree stretches to reach the sun in Unkar Creek Canyon
Blooming flowers in Unkar Creek Canyon Looking northeast through Unkar toward Apollo and Jupiter temples
Looking back through a downclimb in upper Vishnu Creek Canyon A view to the southwest through Vishnu Creek Canyon
Rounding a Temple Butte formation shelf into a minor drainage in Vishnu Pothole water in upper Vishnu Creek Canyon
A light flow of water in upper Vishnu A strengthening flow in Vishnu Creek Canyon
Above and west of the entrance to the Shinumo Quartzite narrows in Vishnu The Shinumo Quartzite narrows in Vishnu Creek Canyon
A bend in the Shinumo Quartzite narrows in Vishnu Spring clouds crown Vishnu Temple in Grand Canyon
A spring at the Muav contact (upper right corner) releases water through a minor drainage in Vishnu The pouroff where I spent four nights waiting to be evacuated after suffering injuries in a rock slide in March 2010
Seasonal water flow at the pouoff camp site in Vishnu The pouroff camp site in Vishnu Creek Canyon
A view west toward the Vishnu Redwall My Mountain Hardware Sprite I solo backpacking tent set up at the Vishnu pouroff camp site
Looking along the route through the Redwall break to the saddle north of Hall Butte Sunrise paints the Redwall south of Hall Butte
Self portrait in silhouette Utah Agave on the Tonto platform in Vishnu
A view to the southwest through 'Double Disappointment' Canyon and across the Colorado River toward Lyell Butte and the South Rim of Grand Canyon The dry bed of 'Double Disappointment' Canyon
An exit route through the Tapeats in 'Double Disappointment' Canyon Looking back through the exit route from 'Double Disappointment' Canyon
Flowering Hedgehog Cactus Hawkins and Dunn buttes west of 'Double Disappointment' Canyon
Looking toward the South Rim of Grand Canyon from the Tonto platform below Hawkins Butte A trio of Hedgehog Cactus flowers
Flowering Banana Yucca plant Looking southeast toward Horseshoe Mesa, Sinking Ship and the South Rim
Looking northwest across the Tonto platform toward Zoroaster and Brahma temples (upper right corner) A Yucca colony fluorishes below Angels Gate on the Tonto platform below Hawkins Butte
The Howlands Butte (left) and Angels Gate (center) The Howlands Butte rises above a Tapeats shelf
Angels Gate towers over its main drainage Angels Gate
Looking northwest across Clear Creek Canyon toward Zoroaster and Brahma temples A pouroff below The Howlands Butte
A Beavertail Cactus enjoys the view north through Clear Creek Canyon The Howlands Butte catches the late afternoon light
Looking north through Clear Creek Canyon toward Ottoman Amphitheater A view from the Tonto platform to the south of Angels Gate (left) and The Howlands Butte (right)
My camp site above the east arm of Clear Creek The pouroff that seved as my last camp site on this trip
Cairns mark the beginning of the descent route into the east arm of Clear Creek A view of the descent route into the east arm of Clear Creek
A typical Grand Canyon route cairn Looking north through the drainage that connects with the east arm of Clear Creek
A light flow of water in the east arm of Clear Creek Cool, clear and strong flowing Clear Creek
Sunrise greets Clear Creek Looking into Clear Creek from the Tonto platform to the west
Zoroaster Temple A view to the west across the Tonto platform of the South Rim of Grand Canyon
Demaray Point (upper right corner) towers over the Clear Creek trail The Clear Creek Trail passes south of Zoroaster Temple
Clear Creek trail enters a major drainage below Zoroaster Temple Sumner Butte
The cairns marking the entrance to the Corridor use area of Grand Canyon A view of the Colorado River from Clear Creek trail
Phantom Ranch as seen from the Clear Creek trail Spring blooms in Grand Canyon
Bright Angel Creek, swollen by spring snowmelt, rushes toward the Colorado River An excavated ancestral puebloan ruin near the mouth of Bright Angel Creek
The Black Bridge Bright Angel Creek delta
The South Kaibab trail meets the Black Bridge at the Colorado River One last view of the Colorado River
Approaching O'Neill Butte on the South Kaibab trail The facilities at Cedar Ridge
The South Kaibab trailhead sign The Nankoweap to South Rim hike was the swan song for these boots. They have been retired.


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Copyright 2007 / W. D. Ferris