Down Grandview to the Lower Old Grandview

May 19, 2010

In late May I went on a long day hike on the Grandview Trail, and down the Lower Old Grandview Trail to the River. From there I was able to explore the mouth of Cottonwood Creek before returning to the rim.

I started at sunrise and finished after dark, despite the longer days at this time of year.

The heat was fortunately tolerable for late May.

One of the best parts of the day was the abundance of wildflowers! It was a good, snowy winter, so everything was still popping (similar to a recent hike to Cheyava Falls).

Because this was such an extensive day, I’ve split it up into 2 posts. This first post simply documents the walk down Grandview and out the Tonto to the top of the Lower Old Grandview Trail.

For the record, the Old Grandview isn’t much of “trail.” It’s a historical trail, and only exists today as a steep route for experienced hikers.

Down the Grandview Trail

The early morning light provided some of my best photos of the Grandview Trail to date.

Out along Cottonwood Creek

Redwall on the west side of Horseshoe Mesa

so many flowers