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| Looking at North Bass Trail from Muav Saddle. |
Drive day: Dan took me to York at 7 a.m. to pick up Jeep. Picked up Sandra and head out at 8:25. Pit stops at Walmart in Flagstaff to get flat fix (and ace bandage). Gas up at Chevron outside Flagstaff. Stop at Marble Canyon for postcard but no stamps. Arrived at Jacob Lake Lodge at 1:50 pm.
Day 1: Leave Jacob Lake at 8:40 and arrive at trailhead at 10:40. On trail at 10:50 and at White Creek at 11:50. Leave water at 1:30, at base of redwall at 3:15. At Muav Falls at 4:25 for camp. Very tiring day. Too much down down down. Gary, Helen, Sandra and I stayed at Falls. Harvey, Tim, Carl, Phil and Rita continued down about 1.5 miles to BM 3480. Saw what I thought was a fire-fly tonight...was a glow worm. Plan to get early start tomorrow, to be at Shinumo before noon. Frogs in creek. Lots of water. Got a blister on toe. Think I carried too much water down, too heavy pack.
Summary: Trailhead to last water in White Creek is 2 hours 45 minutes. White Creek last water to base of Redwall is 1 hour 45 minutes. Redwall to Muav Falls is 1 hour 10 minutes.
Day 2: Up at 5 a.m. and on trail at 6:05. Saw other group leaving BM3480 at 7:20. Arrived at Shinumo at about 9:30. At 10:40, Harvey and Sandra headed down to Shinumo Camp for lunch, then on to Bass camp. Carl, Phil & Rita headed down at 11:15. Cloud cover at 12:45, didn't last but it did come back later with light rain. Someone suggested taking 3 days out..will discuss at camp. If we do...Day 1--Shinumo to Muav Falls (3+ hours), Day 2--Muaf Falls to Redwall (1 hr 10 min) and Redwall to White Creek first water (1 hr 45 min) (total 3 hours), and Day 3--White Creek to trailhead (2 hrs 45 min).
Day 3: Up at 7:00 while others up much earlier. Carl and Phil headed up Shinumo at 7:10. Tim left about 6 a.m. to head out! Sandra ad Rita went up to confluence. Gary took us down to see matatai and we also found walls and geologic oddity. Moved to shade. Two hikers down for 6 days. Harvey plans to leave after noon to go up through White Creek. Will see him at Muav Falls. Rita and Sandra returned about 11:30. Snake in trail near camp. Harvey left for Muav Falls at 1:50. Sandra and I left at 4:45, at top of descent to Shinumo at 5:10. Reached wash at BM3480 at 6:15. Good shade all the way. Found a note from Harvey. Arrived Muav Falls at 7:35. Harvey has been here for about 1 hour. To bed at 9 p.m.
Day 4: Up at 5 a.m. Sandra packed. Harvey left at 5:10. Allergies starting to bother me. We left at 5:40. At base of redwall at 6:30. Still in shade. BM4527 mid descent. Couldn't find BM5001. Arrived at White Creek at 8:15. Found camps closer to creek. Left note at high camps. Camping about Natural Bridge at BM5181 (5175 on map). Gary and Helen arrived at 12:40 (they left at 5:30, with 35 minute break at Muav) Report: Carl and Phil arrived back in camp within one hour after we left. YRMC group left about 6:15 this morning. Arrived at about 2:30 (or 3:30). From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Gary talked about the Secret to the Age of the Universe (also published in Plateau Journal, 3 to 5 years ago) as Ten Easy Steps to the Creation of the Universe. Great talk! Plan for tomorrow...up at 5, on trail at 5:30/5:45, wait at trailhead for everyone.
Day 5: On trail at 5:30. At BM5697 (head of White Creek) at 6:15. Break. On trail again at 6:30. At cabin at 7:15. Out at 8:10. Gary and Helen out at 8:30. YRMC group out at 8:43.
Trail info: At bed of White Creek (BM5692), go 1 mile then trail goes right (west) to leave creek bottom for about 1 miles (with no water). Crosses three ravines (second is steep). At base of redwall (about 1/2 mile up and over on left) go 2 miles in creek at pools (before BM3480) trail leaves creek on left to get around a fall, passes BM3480 (20 feet left of cairn) then back down to creek. Cross creek. climb out, White Creek on right. Good pools above BM3480. Last water before Shinumo.
Photos
October 1-10, 1992
Trip leader: Dan. 7-day/6-night backpack, just the two of us.
Drive day 1: Left house at 5:30 am stopped at Mobil Gas to fill up and finally got the screaming cats to the sitters at 6 AM. At Bookman's in Flagstaff at 8:45--opens at 9:00. Stuck around there while Dan napped, then went to library and downtown. I had pizza and Dan had a VB hot dog. Back on the road about noon. Swung up to Page to Powell Museum and Sonic for snack. At Marble Canyon about 4:30 pm. Walked out to the overlook behind air strip. Talked to the Mable Canyon Lodge cook, Marley, for about 15 minutes. Had an extremely leisurely dinner, Dan wrote his postcards and I watched some of HomeFront. I'm not breathing very well--allergies are bad.
Drive day 2: Up early to some old man trying to start his truck at 6:30. Had breakfast and then headed for Ranger Station. Tom Workman not there. Two rangers said "check in" service not available. Found Tom Workman at River Office--he had our permit all ready, and he offered us the "check in" service and phone number (638-7805 = dispatch). Fueled up at Jacobs Lake, and bought bread and jam for lunch. Stopped at Kaibab Lodge to check it out. From first turn off--it's 12 miles to Park Boundary. From there it takes about 1 hour of bumpy road to trailhead. Several pullouts/campsites just before trailhead (overflow parking). Arrived at Swamp Point. Ate lunch, then headed down trail. It is 30 minutes to Muav Saddle. I had to doze off at the cabin--can't breath. But, Dan seemed too winded especially without a pack, and then he napped. At 6:00 pm it is 60 degrees.
Hike day 1: Started down trail at 8:22 am. Visited springs and stone cabin. Started down talus slope from springs at 9:35--crossed head of wash before creek at 10:10. Took pictures at trailhead looking down Muav canyon and another toward north rim, a third down White from Muav Saddle and another of Dan at break across head of wash before creek, and one of Dan above Redwall. Left White Creek at 12:35. At Redwall at 2:00--didn't totem-size cairn -- hopefully we're on the right trail --yes! Down redwall at 2:15. At White Creek at base of redwall at about 2:30. Ran into two backpackers at creek--part of a party of 6 camped down creek five minutes--on their way up/out. Not very friendly. One guy (from 7th Street/Cheryl) forgot his food cache one hour down creek -- heading for it at 3:30. Suggestion for out to below redwall, elev. 4,000 feet to White Creek - head, elev. 5,697 feet. Dan fractured his right hand preventing a fall. Later, he twisted his left ankle pretty bad. Cached water bottle at Muav Saddle. Cached water jug at top of redwall across from drill bit and log. Summary: Hiked 7 hours to base of redwall for camp.
Hike day 2: We're up at 7:45 and hobbling--it's 60 degrees, clear sky. Headed down at 8:33. Beautiful creek--but smells--left water at 10:10. At chockstone at 11:45 in White Creek and water (picture). Left chockstone at 12:35. Arrived at Shinumo Creek at 2:00. Missed Redwall Canyon! It's 84 degrees. I asked Dan "why do we do this?" He said, he knew 45 minutes ago that I was going to ask that. Since Dan has now completed his goal of hiking the trails of the Grand Canyon, we discussed what our future vacations would be. This hike was just too hard to enjoy--and we haven't hiked out yet. We talked about rim hiking (Powell Plateau), North Rim biking, National Street Rods (1995 NRA Convention). Nice talk. Took evening pictures looking up Shinumo and up White from upper campsites and of campsite--another from second table of upper campsites. Shooting starts and owl! Summary: Hiked 5.5 hours to second camp at Shinumo Creek.
Hike day 3: Up at 6:30 and on trail at 8:35. At Bass Camp at 10:00. Trash, trash, trash. (Five creek crossings.) Left Bass Camp at 10:35--arrived at River at 11:50. Private trip of 9 rafts, with Nels Niemi who entertained and invited us to dinner--spaghetti. Nels is a talker and the girls are usually naked, or at least bare chested. More shooting starts. Light clouds rolled inso we set up the tarps. (My visitors showed up this afternoon.) Dan and I took a bath up river. I found big horn tracks on the beach just up from our bath beach. Summary: Hiked 1.5 hours to river camp.
Hike day 4: Up before 7:00 to the noise of the rafters preparing to depart. I need to save my breakfast bar lunch for the last three days--should eat raisins or other stuff instead. Rafts out of here at 9:00. Did laundry. Alone all day (94 degrees) until kayakers at 4:30. Naked men! Mostly from Boulder Colorado--kayakers. The ring-tail cat visited us once, early--then he must have gone to the boats. Summary: Layover day.
Hike day 5: Up at 6:00 and out at 7:50. At Shinumo by about 10:00. Looking for upper trail to avoid chockstone and pour offs. Headed up wash at about 11:00--back down at 12:00. Found a trail, and a cairn up the wall of Tapeats--but I couldn't climb the wall--I wimped out and we came back down the creek. Left again at 12:35. Top of chockstone at 2:00. At camp just below redwall narrows at 4:30. Ran into 2 old hikers before our camp, from Prescott. Long day--I tuckered out at 4:00 and had to rest! But I told Dan we should continue. I'm glad we did. Completed about 9 miles. Clear night; more shooters. Summary: Hiked 6.5 hours to camp below redwall narrows.
Hike day 6: Up at 7:15 (55 degrees, white sky) and on trial at 9:10. To redwall trail at 9:30. Up redwall trail at 9:35; missed the trail--ended up on land slide. Back on trail after getting stuck with a stick in the back of the left thigh. Top of trail at water cache at 10:45. Break at White Creek at about 12:00. Don't remember hiking down this! Ran into a group of 12 male hikers from Sedona and California with lawn chairs at 2:05 (1 hour from top). Camped on side of lower talus slope (red). Should be about 1 hours from top. Owl visited us just after sunset. Great! Summary: Hiked 5.5 hours.
Hike day 7: Up early (50 degrees) and on trail at 7:52. Up to springs in 24 minutes. Took pictures of stone cabin. Ran into one hiker coming down trail at Muav Saddle, and then a large group of Sierra Clubbers coming up trail--departed at first light from below redwall. At top about 9:30. Turns out the Sierra Club leader was Bert Fingerhut of Pueblo Colorado, a Grand Canyon collector. Summary: Hiked 1.5 hours.
Dan and I washed and changed and headed out about 11:00. Saw eight turkeys. Stopped at Jacob Lake for lunch about 1:00. Headed for Kanab for night. Stayed at Best Western-Red Hills.
Summary: Hike out: River to Bass Camp...1.5 hours; Bass to Shinumo...1.5 hours; Shinumo to Chockstone...1.5 hours; Chockstone to water at White Creek...1.75 hours; First water to base redwall...1.5 hours; redwall base to White Creek (high)...2 hours; first water at White Creek to Springs...3 hours; Springs to top...1 hour.
Photos