This is the first of a 3-day, September backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon – on the Grandview – Tonto – South Kaibab Trail loop. I had three days and two nights available for the trip – here’s the itinerary:
9/8/08 – Day 1: Grandview Trailhead to Horseshoe Mesa (3 miles, plus extra exploration mileage)
9/9/08 – Day 2: Horseshoe Mesa to Grapevine Creek (7 miles)
9/10/08 – Day 3: Grapevine Creek to the South Kaibab Trailhead (20 miles)
The reason behind the absurdly long mileage on the last day is simple – Grapevine Creek was the last reliable source on the route, leaving 20 miles with no water. To account for this I placed a two gallon cache near the Tipoff on the South Kaibab Trail prior to this trip. The short first day also afforded me extra time to explore beyond the Grandview Trail on Horseshoe Mesa, hiking to Cave of the Domes, Hance Creek, and the Last Chance Mine.
On this first day started at about 10am, when Mike dropped me off at the Grandview Trailhead. I did not take any photos on the way down to the campsites, because I had already taken quite a few shots of Grandview on a previous hike.
I set up base camp at the mesa, and began the real meat of the day – hiking on trails I had never done.
The first item on the agenda was to go the Cave of the Domes. To locate it, hike as if you’re going to the tip of the western arm of the mesa. When you’re parallel to the western edge of the butte in the center of the mesa, begin looking for a faint trail that leads to the west – in the bed of a small drainage. Sometimes there’s a cairn marking the place, sometimes there isn’t. The cave is at the top of the redwall looking over Cottonwood Creek.
This is the entrance.
It’s a bit of a squeeze.
Typical of GCNP, there’s an ammo-box register directly inside the entrance. I was surprised to find that the cave is somewhat frequently visited – there was somebody here yesterday. I was also fortunate that somebody had tied this string to a rock at the entrance. As I explored the cave I unwound the string behind me, so I could find my way back to the entrance in the dark. Without it I may have been in for quite an adventure.
Does anybody know where exactly this gate is from? Did it once stand at the mouth of the cave, or was it brought here from somewhere else on Horseshoe Mesa, or maybe both?
When I returned here in October ’08, the string was gone… probably tangled beyond recognition and removed by a leave-no-trace-concious hiker.
The ceilings are very high and dome-like in a number of places – the cave’s namesake.
I did not explore very far into the cave – partly because I was solo, and partly because I was uncomfortable in such a dark, claustrophobic environment, with that tiny entrance. Apparently this natural cavern goes very deep – one person in the register reported to have extended the pictured string to its end! A backcountry ranger also told me there are pools of water down in there.
Back out on the surface of the earth, I followed the trail that leads down from the western arm of Horseshoe Mesa to the Tonto Trail. The path was steep and often loose (Similar to other trails off the mesa), but in good overall condition.
looking up at the tip of the western arm of the mesa.
Awesomeness of the big wide desolate world within The Grand Canyon
On the next page I go on to follow the Tonto Trail east to Hance Creek, and hike back up to the day’s base camp, passing the Last Chance Mine.
Don’t miss the next page (This day continued)
