November 1994

South Kaibab to Bright Angel Campground, up Bright Angel Trail with a night at Indian Gardens.

The Hikers, left to right: Tom Ralston, Cheech Calenti, Linda Furlani, Mike Calenti
This was a quick pre-Thanksgiving trip planned so that my brother and sister-in-law could experience first hand what I've been raving about for years, mainly, exploring the Grand Canyon on foot. They had come in from the east coast and their packs were ready to go. We arrived at the south rim from Tucson on the night before our hike began and had rooms at the Maswik lodge. A cold front has recently arrived in Arizona and left the northern part of the state cold and blanketed in snow, something our visitors from the east really weren't thrilled about. Monday morning the ??? we did one final check of our packs, divided up some shared supplies, and headed for El Tovar for a luxurious breakfast.
After breakfast we went to Babbitts General Store. We decided to play it safe and use crampons for the descent off the plateau. The entire rim was covered in newly fallen snow, and while beautiful to look at, it could be fatal if one slipped on the rather steep Kaibab.
We dressed in layers, first a tee shirt, then long sleeved shirt, then sweat shirt and finally a jacket. Yes, it was that cold, even in Arizona. By the time we had descended into the Coconino Sandstone we had already shed a couple of layers and were very comfortable.
About 2 miles down on the trail there is a flat area and an outhouse with the loveliest view imaginable. We sat down on some rocks, shed some more clothing, including hats and gloves, and took off our crampons. The day was bright and sunny and at the lower elevation the snow was already gone.
We proceeded down the trail and lunched at the tipoff, a popular location for day hikers since it offers an incredible view of the river and across the river to the Bright Angel Campground and Phantom Ranch. We were lucky in that they had not released water from the dam upstream and consequently the Colorado River water was a beautiful turquoise instead of the muddy brown it has become since the building of the dam. The next day it was muddy brown again.

The trail drops sharply at that point, heading into the inner gorge and the old rocks and then enters a small tunnel which is the entrance to the footbridge crossing the Colorado.
We crossed the bridge, and followed the trail up the east side of Bright Angel Creek to the bridge which crosses over to the west side. We were met by a ranger who politely asked to see our permit. We found a nice campsite right up against the black shist walls and set up camp.
There are quite a few deer hanging around the Bright Angel camping areas. Don't feed them!!. Many have already been destroyed by the park service because they have become nuisances and because their digestive systems have been ruined by food given to them by well meaning campers.

Dinner was pasta, red sauce, red wine and fresh salad. (hey, this was a short trip, we could afford to spoil ourselves a bit.)
The sun sets early in the side canyons and it cooled off quickly. Even at the bottom of the canyon it was cold. We bundled up, and headed for a talk presented by one of the park rangers. We huddled closely together and passed around a flask of peppermint schnaps. When the talk was finished, everyone headed for the lodge, where we talked with folks from all over the world while sipping hot cocoa.
Eventually though, it was time to return to our tents. We slept comfortably.

The next morning I woke to the humming sound of some electrical device. Very unusual to say the least, and it continued for about 15 minutes. A few minutes after it stopped, my sister-in-law came up the trail. She had been to the restrooms and had plunked herself under the electric hand warmer until the early morning chill had left her. She was a warm and happy camper. Bright Angel Creek is clear and wide at the bottom. I've also heard there are large trout in it, though I haven't fished it. If you plan on fishing, make sure you have a valid Arizona fishing license.

The next morning after breakfast we headed back across the river, this time taking the western bridge. The water had reverted back to it's muddy color. We arrived at Indian Gardens about noon. It was cold and the walls above us were blanketed with snow. We set up camp quickly. This picture gives you some idea of how cold it was! Dinner was cheese and chili fondue with italian bread.

We hiked out the next day in crisp but comfortable weather.

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