Bright Angel / Tonto / Hermit

Cold, brisk air wrapped around me as I stepped out of my car near the Grand Canyon’s Backcountry Office. It was early on the Coconino Plateau, before four in the morning, and the high elevation up here made for a delightfully cool start to the day. The village streets and sidewalks were silent as I walked over to the rim of the Grand Canyon. I peered over the edge, near Bright Angel Trailhead, and saw a few other headlights bobbing along the trail… other early hikers like me heading downhill, some backpackers heading up from Havasupai Gardens (formerly Indian Garden) trying to beat the sun to the rim. With a quick step I joined them, another dim light on the trail, eager to warm up and start my planned route.

The descent down to Havasupai Gardens passed slowly in the dark. I didn’t have anyone to chat with, no one to distract me from the repetitive switchbacks, and the darkness hid the usual impressive rock walls and formations of Bright Angel Trail. Plus, I had a weird stomach bug that kept me wondering if today was even doable. Today’s plan was close to thirty miles, and the last thing I needed was a rumbly tumbly. Thinking about my day’s route, usually something that can keep my mind rolling forward, only kept me worried.

After my last Grand Canyon hike in the somewhat remote eastern trails on the South Rim, today was all about the more well-trod corridor. With luck, I’d reach Plateau Point with the sunrise, a spot just past Havasupai Gardens. After the point I would head west, along the Tonto Trail, to Monument Creek, where a spur trail leads down to the Colorado River. Then there was the mere haul out, some 4,000’ of climb along Hermit Trail. If everything worked out, I would then take a shuttle bus from Hermit’s Rest back to Bright Angel, closing the loop without any roadwalk. There were several reliable sources of water, including Monument Creek and Santa Maria Spring, so I should be able to avoid any of the dehydration problems that I had over on New Hance Trail.

My early start paid off, and I reached Havasupai Gardens well before sunrise, used the restroom, and then pushed on to Plateau Point, which gave me some solid predawn views over the Colorado River. Surprisingly, I had the point to myself - I had assumed that some of the backpackers at the Gardens would have been out here. I wasn’t going to complain. I sat and had a small breakfast and sipped water, watching the sun break over the distant cliffs. With some caffeine and meds in me I shouldered my pack to continue on, backtracking to Tonto before heading west.

There are three large drainages to pass, and I decided to break up my hike into three chunks, with a planned snack break at each one. The Tonto Trail does a great job at staying “mostly” level, which means it swings dramatically inland to cross the drainage, then back out towards the Colorado River, looking like large, swooping arcs from the air. The first drainage was Horn Creek, and I was leaving the Bright Angel Creek drainage, so my westward trail was really the first big arc. This arc gave me some good morning light views before swooping back into the shade, where some bold deer enjoyed their breakfast within a stone’s throw of the trail.

I crossed Horn Creek, which had a somewhat frustrating scramble up the other bank, and decided to skip my first break. Stupid stomach. Instead, I pushed on, heading out on the next large arc, over to Salt Creek. This arc was a big one, and it swooped far to the north, offering a few exciting views down to the muddy river below. I tried to ignore my pained stomach and the growing temperatures, gazing around me in wonder, drinking in the epic views of the surrounding cliffs.

When I reached Salt Creek I forced myself to take a break. This area is just too beautiful to be so bull-headed, to rush through in hopes of outracing my sour gut. I didn’t need water, not quite yet, and I was hesitant to filter from a place called “Salt Creek”. Monument Creek would be showing up soon, a known backcountry camping site, and I was sure that the water there would be easy to access and likely pleasant.

Feeling better after the break, I got up and made good time over the next few miles. There was another good overlook of the river below, and a few minor drainages to cross, and I kept my feet moving and soon reached Monument Creek. I had a half liter when I reached the creek so I stopped to filter, finding a good spot in the shade to stretch my legs and relax for a bit. By now the oven had turned on, the cold morning air long forgotten, and I appreciated the fresh water in both my water bladders and a few splashes over my sweaty forehead.

After a short internal debate I decided to head down Monument Creek. This would add a few miles onto my trip, and yeah, maybe a thousand feet of extra gain, yet it didn’t feel right to hike the Grand Canyon without actually getting to the riverside itself. Heh, it almost felt like I had to pay my respects to the mighty waterway that had created this whole canyon. I found the use trail with little effort, a junction just past the campsite, and headed down the happy, trickling creek.

This trail was a lot more enjoyable than I had thought, mostly shaded and well-developed along the banks. I had half-expected it to be more of a bushwhack, similar to the creek portion of Nankoweap, but it was much better maintained. Along the way I noticed an unconformity along the rock wall, which made geologist-Jacob very happy. Kinda miss geologist-Jacob. He was a nerd, but he knew his rocks.

I heard the rapids long before I saw them, the loud, roaring water echoing up the narrow creek. Man, this water is powerful. Can’t imagine how wild it would be to float on this thing. I took a few photos, had one last look around, and then turned around.

By now the heat was real, and that, combined with the knowledge that it’s “all uphill from here”, made for a painful slog back up Monument Creek. The sandy sections of the creek, which had felt trivial before, now pulled at my feet and slowed my progress. Was I really going to be able to hike out of here in time for that shuttle bus? I mean, worst case, I’d have to hike the miles in the dark to complete the loop, though… I don’t think there’s running water at Hermit’s Rest. Man, I really didn’t want to deal with cramps in the dark, not again.

Once I got out of Monument Creek things got slightly better. The trail continued uphill, although the grade was less, and I made it to the small saddle west of the creek without too much issue. I plopped down here, taking stock of my water and snacks, and forced a few of them down my throat. My stomach had been feeling better, although the heat was beginning to wear on me, sparking fresh waves of almost-nausea. I managed to get a liter of water and a few snacks in me, and when I stood back up I felt renewed.

I cruised down the other side of the saddle, reaching the junction of Hermit Trail with gusto, where a group of backpackers heading down to Hermit Creek was resting. With a few greetings I pushed on, tackling the steep climb in the direct sun with strange speed. Hermit Trail had several sections: the climb to Cathedral Stairs, then Cathedral Stairs itself, the long Redwall traverse, and then a quick haul through the upper layers. Somehow I managed to knock out both that first climb and the stairs with almost no pause, fueled by the few snacks and the promise of cooler temperatures above.

Walking along the Redwall traverse was surreal. Looking ahead on the trail was dizzying - there was no way a trail could actually stay on that narrow slope. Across the drainage, looking over towards Boucher Trail, was no better. How the heck did someone ever dream up these trails? This section of trail had some elevation differences along it, little dips and climbs, but the sheer impossibility of me being able to walk along it kept me well distracted from my tired legs.

When I reached Santa Maria Spring, which sits close to the trailhead, I did stop to pull an extra liter. Didn’t really need the water or the extra weight, mostly just wanted the insurance in case the shuttle bus wasn’t running and I would have a dry walk back. Plus, this water source was just cool, with the cottonwood and overgrowth.

The last few miles to the rim steepened, and my once-quick pace slowed to a crawl as my legs began to cramp up. It didn’t matter. There wasn’t anyone else on the trail up here to worry about when I stopped to catch my breath or let the trembles subside. I slowly made my way up, feeling a bit odd as I summited near Hermit’s Rest, afternoon light and heat still washing over my sweaty face. Done with a Grand Canyon hike in the daylight? This hadn’t happened since my relatively short jaunt with Chris, so long ago.

I got the next ride back to the village and made the short walk over to the backcountry lot, feeling a bit elated from this trip. It was tough, sure, and my stomach had not cooperated, yet I still finished the hike on time and feeling relatively good. After my last trip I had felt crushed by the canyon - now, I was eagerly thinking about my next trip. Boucher was an interesting candidate, extending my reach to the west, but there was another option, a ridiculous option, that was on my mind.