Grand Canyon, North Bass Trail Trip Report, 10/28/09 – 11/1/09

On an unseasonably cold Wednesday, October 28th, three hikers, Val, Atsuko, and I set off for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. As we headed towards the canyon and went up in elevation the weather really deteriorated. Snow started to fall pretty steadily. Luckily there was little or no accumulation on the paved roads. We were headed to the Swamp Point trail head which requires about 30 miles of off road travel on forest service fire roads. The snow had stopped falling for the time being but there was still about 1” to 2” of accumulation on the fire roads. With all of the delays and slow going on the roads it was after 4 o’clock by the time we hit the trail.

Our plan was to hike down about a mile from Swamp Point to Muav Saddle and hold up in Teddy’s Cabin. Thank goodness that cabin was there. As we were getting ready to begin the hike the snow started to fall again and it was very cold up on the rim, around 30 degrees. It was a very short hike down to the cabin where we were safe and sheltered. It was a long, cold night and the temperature dropped into the teens. Midnight excursions outside to go to the bathroom were especially nasty. The next morning was still pretty cold but luckily the forecast called for continued clearing and increasingly warm weather for the duration of our trip. And the forecast was correct; the weather was perfect after that.

The North Bass Trail was greatly improved in 2005 by a group of volunteers and I must say they did a great job. I had previously hiked this trail in 2003 and at that time it was little more than a route, very primitive and very hard to follow. That is not the case now; the trail has been cleaned and reworked in a lot of places. Switchbacks have been installed where there were none and it is now very well marked with cairns where necessary. On Thursday morning we headed out from Muav Saddle down into Muav Canyon and White Creek. After about a mile or so and about 1’000’ of descent we were in the White Creek drainage. After a couple of miles you get to a pour off that is bypassed on the right. This is the top of the Redwall limestone that is notorious in the Grand Canyon for being an impassable obstacle because of its sheer cliffs. The bypass leads to a series of drainages that you must ascend and descend. There are campsites on the tops of the rises in between the drainages and we stash water for our dry camp on the way out at one of these.

After the third major drainage the trail heads back over to the top of the redwall and a very cool traverse along the side of a steep canyon before descending. The descent is steep, loose and rocky in sections, but very much improved since 2003. At the bottom of the descent you are back in the drainage of White Creek amid huge boulders. This is one of the prettiest sections of the trail and the most pleasant to hike through. It is short lived though as you soon come to another pour off that is bypassed on the right. The bypass leads up and around to the right and out into the dry desert for about a half mile before returning to the drainage. Hiking through this section is probably the most unpleasant of the entire trip. The drainage is dry for the most part and you are boulder hopping and stepping on and over bowling ball size rocks.

After a couple of miles you get to a fork in the trail. From here you can take a bypass that leads you on a more direct route to Shinumo Creek and around the Tapeats Narrows or continue straight down the drainage through the narrows. Our plan is to take the bypass down to Shinumo creek and our campsite, and on the way back we will take White Creek through the narrows. It is nearing sunset by the time we get to camp at Shinumo Creek. There are numerous campsites here with a well established area for socializing and cooking. The creek is only a few yards away and it is running nice and clear this time of year, a great campsite.

The following day’s plan calls for a hike to the mouth of Shinumo Creek at the Colorado River. Hiking downstream on Shinumo Creek is quite challenging with numerous creek crossings and some route finding necessary. Needless to say it is quite beautiful, with small waterfalls and cascades and lush riparian growth skirting both banks. As the creek gets closer to the river the canyon narrows and at the river there is a fifteen foot waterfall. This waterfall prevents hikers from reaching the river from this route unless you brought along some basic canyoneering gear to rappel down a rabbit hole chute on the left side of the falls.

After a short break at the falls we turned around and headed back to try and find a shortcut to the river. A short ways back we notice we can scramble to the top of the canyon wall, so up we go and a short time later we’re on the trail towards the river. We made our way to the river where there was a boat party camped. Our plan was to pick up the old Bass Trail further up river and return to our camp that way. From the river it was a long slog up over a saddle and then down into the Shinumo Creek drainage and back to our camp.

The following morning we headed out and as mentioned our plan was to hike upstream to the confluence with White Creek and then up White Creek to Tapeats Narrows. This is also a very picturesque part of the hike with small waterfalls and cascades and nice rock formations. The further upstream we went the more narrow the canyon got until we were finally in Tapeats Narrows. The narrows are about a half mile long with walls about 100’ high and is about 15’ to 20’ wide. White Creek does not have a large flow so hiking is very easy and there are very few obstacles in the narrows. At the beginning of the narrows there is a pour off that prevents any further upstream travel. There is a short scramble out of the narrows and the trail once again drops into the White Creek drainage. At this point we were now just retracing our steps back up the canyon the way we came. We camped that night at the campsite where we stashed water a couple of days earlier. The following day we hiked out to the rim and our ride.

Carl Pantuso
www.mephotoman.com

BW: Thanks Carl. Sounds like a fun trip. Check out Carl's photos at his website: www.mephotoman.com

Walk Up Wall - It Ain't No Walk Up

The route to Walk Up Wall is one of the most intense in Red Rock Canyon. It starts at Oak Creek trailhead and follows a hiker made trail into Juniper Canyon. The route ascends through the impossible looking Gunsight Notch and then the real hike begins!

The photo to the left is the main climb to Walk Up Wall. It's steep, exposed, and scary. Luckily, at the top of the climb there's a huge ponderosa that you can use as an anchor. From there the climbing lets up for a bit.

The route then traverses around a shoulder and ascends another steep crack. Here too, a fall would be fatal. It's then easy class 3 to the top. The views from the top of the wall are spectacular. Here's a panorama.

Notes: Eric donated a Tupperware container for the sign-in book at the summit.
History: Debbie Z. and I found this route back in 2003. I named the wall as a mockery; it certainly is not a walk up.

A Tour of Mt. Wilson

Today (10-30) Davis, Kenny, Adam, Mike and I did a tour of Mt. Wilson, the highest peak in Red Rock Canyon, which is just 20 miles west of Las Vegas, NV. We hiked up First Creek about halfway and then followed the route to the Hidden Bowl.The route through First Creek is in great shape. It's well cairned and clean. And finally it's easy to find the "brush free" wash. In the past hikers have missed the wash and have had to hike through a very brushy wash. The only caveat is while on the trail leading into the canyon don't be lured by cairns off to the south. Those cairns lead to technical climbs.

The Hidden Bowl leading to the summit is steep. You gain over 1,600 feet in less than 0.75 of a mile! It's a thigh burner. Once up and less than 0.25 of a mile from the true summit, there's a great spot to eat lunch and take in the views. From the summit we headed over to the South Summit, which I think, is much better than the real summit.

We descended via the Hidden Bowl and then traversed over to White Rock Pinnacle, one of the airiest peaks in all of Red Rock Canyon. It's 400 feet down on the north side and over 1,000 feet down on the south side. There's no room for a mistake here!

We then descended White Pinnacle Gully and to our surprise it is very well cairned and clean. We got back to the cars around 4 pm. It was a fun day, though we were all tired at the end of the hike.

Notes: South Summit needs a new container for the sign-in book. White Pinnacle Peak needs a sign-in book and a container.

Web Site Down: Here's Why

My web site is down again because of this person: Christopher Faulkner, CEO of CiHost, one of the worse web hosting companies on the planet. I will not go into the details, they are very technical. I have done everything I can and the site will be up again soon (36 hours from now - 6 am on 10-29-09).

If you are a member of my website and need a hike, email me and I will send it to you via email.



Don't take my word about this POS. Google his name: Christopher Faulkner
Personal note to Chris: I hope you follow in the footsteps of Kenneth Lay.
If you are looking for trouble, you have found it. BW

New Hikes Published and Various Updates

I just published three more hikes to the Member's Only section of www.hikinglasvegas.com. Lava River Cave is just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. The hike takes you over a half mile through a cave in total darkness. It's an easy hike and a great hike to do the day before or the day after doing Mt. Humphreys, the highest peak in AZ.

Bandera Volcano Crater and Ice Cave is located in northwest New Mexico. The hike travels to a volcano crater that spans 1200 feet across and 800 feet deep. It's then on to the ice cave. The open air cave is less than 75 feet below the surface, but always has ice in it. You can feel the temperature drop as you descend to the cave.

The Inscription Trail is another hike I published located in northwest New Mexico. It has lots of history behind it. Four centuries of inscriptions are carved into the rock. You also hike pass a 13th century pueblo built at the top of a sandstone mesa. Both of these are easy hikes and can be done together.

Looking for a great insole? I starting wearing Airr Sofsole and love them. They cushion my feet and make them feel good. I found a great deal that I am passing on to everyone. Normally I publish this kind of information to members of HikingLasVegas.com. They are $17.99 and that includes shipping! Click here for more info and to order.

What Others Did:

It's snowing in Mt. Charleston today. Not sure how much of the white stuff will fall, but I will report here when I find out. Nick, Harlan and others hiked in Charleston this past weekend and had some of the clearest vistas of the Sierra I have ever seen. Nick sent me a photo.

Debbie, Shin and others did Mystery Canyon in Zion this past weekend. Mystery Canyon is a technical canyon requiring rappelling skills. If you are on Facebook, look for several videos and photos of their adventure.

Skip led 20 plus hikers to Liberty Bell Arch this past weekend. This is one of the best level 2 hikes in the Lake Mead area. Photos of the hike are on Meetup.com

Black Velvet Peak and White Rock Hills Peak

Quick note before I start the blog: My web site was down. It's hosted by X7 hosting, one of the worst in the business. I am going to switch hosting companies in the near future to avoid problems like this.

We did a lot of hiking this past weekend. On Friday, a much slimmed down Davis (he lost 50 lbs so far) took an easy hike up Fern Canyon. The route is in good shape. For the most part I stay along the southern wall until coming to the seasonal waterfall, which is bone dry now.

Beyond the waterfall you can continue up the canyon to Bridge Mountain or head south and follow the northern route to Mescalito. There's also a route to a very obscure peak with the dumbest name in Red Rock: Yoga Peak.

On Saturday (10-24), we hiked Black Velvet Peak in southern Red Rock Canyon. This is one of the best hikes in Red Rock. No crowds, no brush and a great route make this a must do hike. Unlike some groups we hiked all the way to the real peak. Although the real peak is lower, the view straight down the 2,000 foot Black Velvet Wall is certainly worth hiking a few hundred extra yards. Both summits have sign-in books.The latter having an ammo box.
Stats: 8 miles, 2,400 feet of elevation gain, class 3, difficulty 5
Slide show of the hike

On Sunday (10-25), instead of drinking beer and bad mouthing the country like Kathy wanted to do (An Officer and a Gentleman), we hiked White Rock Hills Peak via Surprise Canyon. The route was founded by Richard and Eva, one of several routes they found on White Rock Hills Peak. It's a fun route, but there are some loose sections so caution must be used.

The sign in book has plenty of room left, but it's a plastic container. It would be nice if there was an ammo box instead. We descended the same route, thus avoiding a boring walk on a trail or a car shuttle.

Stats: 5 miles, 1,850 elevation gain, class 3, difficulty 3

Notes: I just updated the Black Velvet hike with waypoints. Members can download it now.
Even though there's road construction on US 93, it has not effected parking for the Liberty Bell Arch hike.

My Favorite Desert Peaks

I am not a big fan of the typical desert peaks. Most have boring approaches, crappy rock, and long drives. I do not consider the peaks in Red Rock or Mt. Charleston as desert peaks. The rock there is much different. So I "cherry pick" the desert peaks I do climb. Here's a list of my favorite:

Mopah and Umpah Points-
Great peaks located near Needles, CA. They look impossible to climb without ropes. The rock is amazingly good.
Stats: 9 miles (both points); Elevation gain: 3,800 feet; Class: 4 Panorama

Eagle Mtn:
This is a great peak located west of Pahrump, NV. The route has a pseudo knife-edge ridge and great vistas from the summit.
Stats: 3 miles; Elevation gain: 1,800 feet; Class 3 Panorama

Moapa Peak
This is one of the classic desert peaks. The route has the famous knife-edge ridge.
Stats: 6.5 miles; Elevation gain: 3,351 feet; Class 3 Slide Show

All of the routes to these peaks and another 350 routes are available for members of HikingLasVegas. More information here.
If you have a favorite desert peak, let me know.