It's been awhile since our last blog. Auby chose a lateral move within the organization, he will be team lead for the accounting department. As CEO I have taken over social media for Auby's Adventures LLC. I am reporting on recent trip to the Grand Canyon.
We received our permits for our backpacking trip which had a note: Aggressive Itenerary, North Rim Closed! Hiker insisted on Itinerary. I accept their vote of confidence and prepared for Yurt or Bust on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
At the beginning of the trail there were signs of a recent storm that passed through weeks before our hiking date which was set on Tuesday March 11th 2015. We brought crampons which wrapped around our shoes and had spikes on the heels and balls of our feet. A couple of sketchy spots with ice were no problem with traction. The South Kaibab trail descends 7 miles with 4,780 feet until you reach the bridge which gets you over the Colorado River and onto Phantom Ranch.
We passed through Phantom Ranch Campground (7.2 miles with 1,600 feet of elevation gain) on our first day to hike up the box onto Cottonwood Campground. This was a tough day due to the distance and slight uphill elevation gain once passing the Colorado River. The best part about this trip was the temperatures where very moderate as you don't want to be stuck in the box midday during hotter months. Cottonwood is a nice campground located on the Bright Angel Creek Nestled just below the North Rim. The hike from Cottonwood to the North Kaibab Trail Head consist of 6.8 miles with 4,161 feet of elevation gain.
The North Kaibab Trail had a nice mixture of snow, running water, ice, and falling debris. The trail demanded full attention at all times, and the snow at the top made for a calorie burning extravaganza. There are bridges, tunnels, some exposure, and fantastic views.
The hike between this lodge and the yurt was about 1.5 miles in packed snow. There were a couple of snowmobiles which packed the snow on the way to the Lodge. We spent some time on the patio and tried to charge our phones make calls and upload pictures. We hiked back to the yurt and I cooked up one of my new favorite backpacking meals. I like to cook lentils with summer sausage along with pre packed dried noodles with spices. This combination provided plenty of nutrients along with the necessary calories and protein. The next day was get down the North Rim and onto Phantom Ranch Camp Ground. We had no issues on this trip through the box thanks to cool temperatures. We spent the night in the campground not without standing a trip to the Cantina for a couple of Tecates. Ending in the grunt up the South Kaibab trail and the end of this excellent adventure.
This hike was made in association with Stoltenberg Enterprises.
We received our permits for our backpacking trip which had a note: Aggressive Itenerary, North Rim Closed! Hiker insisted on Itinerary. I accept their vote of confidence and prepared for Yurt or Bust on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
We passed through Phantom Ranch Campground (7.2 miles with 1,600 feet of elevation gain) on our first day to hike up the box onto Cottonwood Campground. This was a tough day due to the distance and slight uphill elevation gain once passing the Colorado River. The best part about this trip was the temperatures where very moderate as you don't want to be stuck in the box midday during hotter months. Cottonwood is a nice campground located on the Bright Angel Creek Nestled just below the North Rim. The hike from Cottonwood to the North Kaibab Trail Head consist of 6.8 miles with 4,161 feet of elevation gain.
I was very impressed with how the yurt was properly maintained and provided dry wood, axe and wood buring stove to heat up our socks, shoes, clothes etc. It was a short hike to get to the yurt, and it was a bit difficult to find. We got to the yurt early enough to consider another hike to get to the Lodge on the North Rim. The patio at this lodge provides excellent views of the Bright Angel Corridor leading down to the Colorado River. I took a panoramic picture which gives the view no justice.
This hike was made in association with Stoltenberg Enterprises.
