Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Who: DB, Double-A, Jon Arnow & Devin Lebsack
When: March 2013
Showing posts with label Grand Canyon National Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grand Canyon National Park. Show all posts
Colorado River in Grand Canyon
Four Days in Grand Canyon
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: March 2010
Who: DB, HW Stockman, Sarah Thompson and Andy Mac
Spring Break 2009 was such a huge success in Grand Canyon that DB and I recruited a handful of friends to join us for another round. Unfortunately, heavy snow/ice conditions and a storm in the forecast shoved us away after only four days...then we went elsewhere.
But in the meantime...O'Neill Butte:
DB and I climbed O'Neill Butte in 2008 or 2009 and found it a highly enjoyable, half-day scramble/climb that was well worth the minimal effort. Good fun!
Whites Butte: The beta said Whites was an 11 mile roundtrip via Hermit's Rest, but as it turned out, it was 16 miles, very hot, quite a slog, but totally fun too!
Unnamed Butte (6,633): While Andy and Sarah headed off to Horseshoe Mesa, DB, Harlan and I explored our way to the unnamed butte north of Grandview. With interesting route-finding, it took several hours for us to reach the top.
Cedar Mountain: The last of 6 peaks we did in 4 days in Grand Canyon. Apparently it's a 1 mile roundtrip in clear conditions ~ it was 10 miles for us.
Unfortunately, that's all the pictures I have for now.
***Harlan posted several great shots (and maps too) on his site: www.hwstock.org
***And Sarah posted some fantastic photos (and entertaining narrative) on hers too: http://www.13ergirl.com/arizona.html
Coronado Butte
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
DB and I started down the rugged and lesser-traveled New Hance Trail in order to climb Coronado Butte. Leaving the trail at a point that allowed us to gain the saddle south of the butte, we scampered north around the various minor obstacles until we could gain the east side of the feature.
After some interesting work in the third gully, we bailed and then I left DB to explore the next gully north. With awesomely interesting route-finding, I picked my way to the summit!
A fantastic Grand Canyon butte!
Escalante & Cardenas Buttes
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
Starting down the Tanner Trail from Lipan Point one morning, DB and I soon left the trail and headed up the south slope of Escalante Butte. Eventually reaching the base of Escalante's summit mass, we proceeded to the top, where we found an exciting and exposed step-across move to gain the highpoint. Sweet!
Once off the summit, we headed down the butte's east slope to the Escalante Boulder camp. Once there, I headed off solo to bag Cardenas Butte via its southwest ridge (from the south slope). Surmounting a few minor obstacles, which made for great route-finding fun, I soon found myself on the summit.
Great day out!
Condors at Navajo Bridge
Where: Near Lee's Ferry, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
As much as I've explored the West, I'd not yet made it to Navajo Bridge. Spectacular by all accounts, the greatest thrill for us was seeing a couple of condors resting below the bridge!
South Fork of Badger Canyon
Where: Marble Canyon, Arizona
When: April 2009
Partners: DB
Since we missed out on the Grand Canyon Canyoneering Rendezvous in February 2009, DB and I decided to head on over in April to check out the scene. The short version goes something like this:
With a short approach, we encountered three short rappels, a quick bit of pretty narrows, and then the confluence with the north fork, where we found a mother, father and baby bighorn.
Once in the north fork, we found one more rappel and then made the short walk to the Colorado River. Pretty as hell, we then walked a bit down-river to a class 4-5 escape via the next drainage on the right. A short walk back to the car followed.
Although we'd planned on spending a few days in the Marble Canyon area, we weren't particularly impressed and decided to head for greener pastures. While the south fork of Badger was nice, it wasn't a destination canyon.
Kinda Hard to Climb Hayden Butte When You're Staring at Brady Peak!
In what was once a typical CP move, I did something blockheaded one day and set out with Dow Williams to climb Hayden Butte, a small temple situated just off the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The blockheaded part of it was neglecting to bring a map, opting instead to bring nothing more than a print-out of one of Harvey Butchart's old trip reports, written, oh, about 1960.
Reaching one of the parking areas along the North Rim, we looked out and spied our objective...or so we thought. Following Harvey's directions, we began a tortuous bushwhack descent through the Coconino layer to what we hoped would be an easy traverse on red sand and talus to the base of our climb. But within minutes, the brush was too much. I, of course, a veteran of Zion backcountry bushwhacks, was perfectly fine having my clothing torn to shreds by thickets of acacia, but Dow was not! So let's find another way!
Returning to the rim, we drove over to Point Ensanada, right near the foot of our objective (again, or so we thought...) and worked down through trees, brush and steep sand in hopes of finding remnants of an old trail Harvey had suggested would break through the Coconino.
And so we eventually found ourselves in a committing spot with only a 100-foot rappel to ground that would surely ease up and allow us to walk to the base of our objective. The problem, of course, was the nagging feeling that we were looking at something else, something other than Hayden Butte, and that returning up through the vertical Coconino Sandstone would prove terribly challenging.
And so with the slightest touch of aggravation (read: kicking myself for making the long drive so ill-prepared), Dow and I decided to call it a day and drive back to his place in St. George. The desert tortoises were out and about enjoying spring in Snow Canyon, the brush was too much here...and, well, there was the uncertainty of it all.
As it turns out, we hadn't put forth so much as effort #1 toward Hayden Butte. The whole day we'd been staring at Brady Peak, a delightfully attractive, litle peak in its own right. The wrong friggin' peak!
Now that I've since scored the semi-classic Grand Canyon Summits Select by Pernell Tomasi, I shall return and do them both! Someday soon...
TOPO
The Battleship & Sinking Ship
After a successful summit of Cheops Pyramid in November 2006, I was stoked to finally be making a few fall returns to Grand Canyon National Park and its obscure, funky, loose, often dangerous and always awe-inspiring temple climbing.
This day found DB and I doing the cold and windy approach to The Battleship via the Bright Angel Trail. With folks already on the trail shortly after daybreak, we made good time down to our point of departure from the trail. Doing so, we enjoyed the views and terrain that eventually led us to the saddle south of The Battleship.
Having a quick snack, we worked around to the feature's east side, looking for a supposed 3rd class way to the top. We didn't find it. Instead, I asked DB to wait while I explored a possibility nearby. Heading up, I found a semi-convoluted, meandering route that involved a tree dihedral problem (complete with an old wire hand-hold tied around it), followed immediately by a funky 5.6/7 crack leading to easier ground. A bit more route-finding put me on the summit.
Soon retreating back to DB, she was disappointed that I discouraged her from coming up, as we'd not brought a rope since we believed the route to only be a scramble. Sorry, DB. We'll go back another time. A fine little peak.
Wandering back up the Bright Angel Trail, I was still chomping at the bit for some more exploration. DB wasn't up for it, so I headed off to a likely looking drop-in point from the rim to approach Sinking Ship. With a bit of bushwhacking, easy scrambling, nice scenery, a cliff dwelling and a metate under an overhang, I soon found myself at the base of a 5.3 chimney on the feature's north face.
A funky scramble up the chimney, an exposed traverse, then some easier scrambling put me on the tiny summit. A cairn, but no register.
Turning around so as not to keep DB waiting too long, I took a slightly different way back, reaching the car in a jog 1.5 hours after starting out. Not bad for a guy with flat feet.
South Kaibab's O'Neill Butte
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: November 2007
Partners: DB
Route: North Face (5.4)
DB's mother and daughter were joining us for a long weekend around the Grand Canyon and Sedona, but opted to play tourist while DB and I climbed O'Neill Butte.
Cold and a little windy, but beautiful climbing. We encountered 3 or 4 short pitches of 4th and easy 5th class climbing via a meandering north face route. Starting with 4th class slab, we traversed right to a short dihedral, immediately followed by a very tight squeeze chimney. From there, we got into a tunnel, chimneyed-up, then traversed right around a funky ledge with big exposure. Last, a final easy walk/scramble to the summit.
Awesome views and a very rewarding, albeit short, route.
The route is rated class 4 in Tomasi’s book. But I’d call it 5.4 because of the dihedral.
Cheops Pyramid, A Grand Canyon Classic
Where: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
When: November 2006
Partners: Mike Cressman
Route: Northwest Ridge (Class 4)
Mileage/Gain: 22/9,000
Mike Cressman had made some 35 trips down to the Colorado River before. I'd never been.
Rising on a cold November morning about 2 a.m., we started down the South Kaibab Trail toward the river. Within 15 minutes, my headlamp batteries died. Fortunately, Mike had spares to pass on. Continuing, we stashed some water behind some rocks a bit above the river, and then reached the surprisingly wide flow and its spanning bridge at first light.
Crossing, we soon passed the cabins, filled up a bottle or two of water, then continued up the trail toward Phantom Ranch. Leaving the trail at the bridge, we followed a weakness through the cliffs above and soon found ourselves at Utah Flats. There, for the first time, I was able to view our objective. Okay, so not as big, as intense, or as awe-inspiring as Zoroaster or any of those, but a fine-looking objective in its own right - and it felt great to finally be in the Grand Canyon backcountry!
With some minor ups and downs, I eventually approached the northeast base of the mountain, traversed to the Cheops-Isis saddle, and I, well ahead of Mike by this time, solo climbed the enjoyable ridge to the top, passing a large arch along the way. On the flattish summit, I found a register and some horns.
Downclimbing the ridge, I reversed my route along the northeastern base of the mountain and headed back down to Utah Flats. I passed Mike heading up about this point. Bidding each other farewell, he continued on toward the summit as I headed out.
Easily finding my way back to the trail system, I made fine time, despite the longishness of the day. Finding my stashed water on the way back up the South Kaibab, I chugged a bit and proceeded.
Groaning on as I made my way up the never-ending trail, I returned to the trailhead a full 2.5 hours before sunset and 11.25 hours after starting out. Sweet! Mike arrived at last light, also achieving the summit of Cheops, but ultimately beaten up from the day's effort.
An effort indeed - some 22 miles and 9,000 feet of gain, a fair chunk of it cross-country. Nice dayhike!
Photo by Mike Cressman
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