South Bass Trailhead to Bass Rapid

the view west from the South Bass Trailhead, with Mount Huethawali

the view east

remains of the old Bass Camp

On the morning of June 15th, a coworker drove me out to the South Bass Trailhead. The ride was rougher than I had expected – slow and tedious, taking almost 2 hours from the South Rim Village.

Soon I was alone with nothing but The Canyon, and the miles ahead.

This looked like the remains of a fence or gate from Bass’s tourist days.

I liked the look of the Coconino Sandstone in this area of Grand Canyon, especially here where it formed a sort of basin.

Typically I don’t include images of ancient ruins and granaries in my trip reports, but these are so obviously visible from the footpath on this relatively remote trail that I see no harm in doing so. These ruins are uncharacteristically west-facing, at the base of the Coconino.

I also enjoyed all the green vegetation throughout the Hermit Shale, appearing almost as its own lush valley.

Mount Huethawali simply dominates the landscape of the upper Bass Trail. It’s supposed to be a relatively easy climb, and looked like a fun one to try, but I didn’t have the solo ambition on this hot day at the beginning of the trip.

This is the junction on the Esplanade with the route to the west. It looks rather obvious, but I’ve heard of folks missing this turn.

the way west – another hike for another day

Here’s the break from the Esplanade into the lower layers of the Supai, east of Mount Huethawali. From this point the trail leads back south along the west rim of Bass Canyon.