This part of the Beamer Trail has a lot of drainages such as this one, reminiscent of the Tonto.

Temple Butte

Chuar Butte

This was the point where we turned around and headed back to camp. The day was very, very hot, and we were concerned that we wouldn’t have enough water to make it all the way to the confluence and back. We also had to preserve our energy for the next day’s hike up to the rim – we’d have to start early and move quickly, because Mike had to be at work at 2:30.

This relatively big lizard is called a Chuckwalla. These guys can inflate their bodies to wedge themselves between rocks when in danger, so hungry predators can’t pull them out. This was the first time either of us ever had seen one.

home sweet home

Day 3

The next day’s hike was epic… well, maybe just memorable. We surprised ourselves – as far as what we can accomplish when we need to get somewhere. Mike had to be at work at 2:30pm, so we woke before sunrise around 4am, broke camp, and headed up the trail with the aid of our headlamps at 4:45. The way the light faded in before dawn was awesome to witness from below the rim. At a time when not much was visible except the immediate vicinity, it felt as though we could have been hiking above treeline in the Rockies.

I took very few photos this morning, with my camera stashed away in my pack as we marched up the trail.

We made it to Lipan Point on the South Rim at 9:45am! That’s four hours from the river to the rim on the Tanner Trail, with overnight equipment – not too shabby!