Tapeats cliffs just below the junction with the Tonto Trail
After descending The Old Hance Trail on the morning of June 25 2009, I had it in mind to “go the extra mile” and continue on down lower Hance Creek to the Colorado River.
The route involves four significant obstacles. The bypasses are not necessarily obvious, though the way may be sparsely cairned. They involve steep scrambles over loose rock, and require a small amount of what could be marginally considered hand and toe climbing. The first bypass is to the east, and the second is to the west. The third obstacle is a ten foot sort of pouroff that may be downclimbed – I had to remove my pack and lower it with parachute cord in order to accomplish this – there’s also supposed to be a high bypass around it to the west. The way around the final obstacle, a large chockstone near the river, is also to the west.
I wish I had made an effort to photograph these bypass routes, but I tended to lean toward the more scenic images, as usual.
For those traveling through this area on the Tonto Trail, the best campsites in Hance Creek can be found not far downstream of the Tonto crossing.
In mid-afternoon I set up my campsite for the night, primarily to lighten and reorganize my pack for the descent to the river. While relaxing on the best “sitting rock” at this site and enjoying some lunch, I noticed an asymmetrical spider web immediately next to me, though there was no spider to be seen.
The Vishnu Temple was a prominent visual feature as I walked this section of the creek.
I just can’t get enough of the primordial feel of these lower side canyons. Herein lies just a piece of the magic of hiking in Grand Canyon, the feeling of a journey to the center of the earth in the midst of this immense chasm of pure ancient wilderness, rock and desert, and tens to hundreds of canyons within it that are similar to just this one, Hance Creek.
The rapid!
I felt such a sense of accomplishment when reaching this place, like the triumph of climbing a mountain… from the rim to the river without the aid of a trail, solo! Whoooo!!! As of the day of this writing, I still consider this to be my most noteworthy day of hiking in the Grand Canyon.
As if the day hadn’t been taxing enough, darkness fell quickly on what looked to be a rainy night ahead, and I had to hurry in order to make my way up beyond the obstacles before adequate daylight vanished. I’m one to always see how long I can go without using my headlamp, but I caved and turned it on for the final stretch back to basecamp.
While enjoying my dinner in the dark, I noted that the afternoon’s spiderweb now had a notable owner! I remained and ate my meal only a few feet away from this, not about to be kicked off the best sitting-rock around!
*****
There was some rain overnight, but the next day dawned bright and sunny. I had originally planned to spend this day hiking out the Tonto and New Hance trails, but found myself so lazy and drained from the prior day’s hike that I opted to take the shorter route up the Grandview Trail. I took my good ol’ time today.
I observed this monsoon thunderstorm from a dry spot below a Tapeats overhang, just south of where the Tonto Trail crosses Hance Creek.
The weather cleared magnificently for a late-afternoon stroll up the Grandview Trail.
