Hermit-Boucher Loop – December 2007
Day 1 – Hermit Trailhead to Hermit Creek:
Fossils, warm whiskey, & meteor showers.
After snapping a few photos from Hermit’s Rest; Kaiser, D.K., and I start switchbacking down through the Coconino formation to the junction with Boucher Trail. There is some patchy snow and ice, but nothing treacherous. Kaiser finds the fossilized reptilian footprints near the trail that are apparently over 250 million years old. We reach Hermit Basin after about an hour. I gaze across the gorge cut by Hermit Creek, looking for any hint of the Boucher Trail along this side canyon’s west arm. We will be returning that way in a few days, but The Canyon does not give up its secrets so easily.
We stop to register in the logbook at Santa Maria Spring, and continue to Lookout Point for lunch. Another short rest at Breezy Point, and then we’re descending the Cathedral Stairs to the junction with the Tonto Trail. From here it’s a brief walk west to the camp at Hermit Creek, which we have all to ourselves. The perennial waters of this creek make it a charming place; there is a small waterfall right below camp.
It’s a pretty cold night so after dinner some warm drinks are a welcome refreshment. Kaiser is notoriously fearful of whiskey, but thanks to us he discovers that it can be damn good when cut with hot water as both a cocktail and painkiller. D.K. crashes out early, but Kaiser and I stay up late since tomorrow is an easy day. Our reward is the largest meteor shower I’ve ever seen in The Canyon on a perfectly clear night.
Day 2 – Hermit Creek to Hermit Rapids:
Huge rapids, sans huge fish.
I wake before the others, but we all slept in. It’s very cold this morning. We’re in no rush so I explore upstream for awhile and find a nice spot for a blues harp jam. Eventually we’re packed and leaving by late morning. The Hermit Creek Narrows just below camp are an exciting passage through the Tapeats.
After less than an hour of trekking downstream the roar of The River precedes our arrival at Hermit Rapids. The water is as muddy red as I can ever remember on account of heavy winter storms last week. These rapids give birth to waves that are simply massive. We eat lunch right at the head of Hermit Rapids, awestruck by the power of The River.
We scout both sides of Hermit Creek and settle camp on a high sand dune above the rapids. There is an excellent view of The River, and we’re still far enough away from the thundering water that we can actually hear each other talk.
A small private group of two rafts comes shooting down the rapids. A woman on the first raft is literally screaming her ass off as they fly over the waves. The second raft gets slammed on entry and nearly tips as they’re spun around backwards, then finishes the rapids at the mercy of the current. We wave but they never acknowledge our presence.
We spend the rest of the afternoon fishing without any luck. The volume, velocity, and murkiness of the water make conditions here far from ideal. Gusting winds make for a cold night.
Day 3 – Hermit Rapids to Boucher Creek:
A big day for desert bighorns.
I wake before the others around 7 am. We are slow to warm up and don’t leave The River until three hours later. The hike back upstream to Camp 1 seems quicker sticking to the creek bed. We stop to pump some water for the trek over to Boucher Creek.
A short climb and we regain the Tonto, bearing north below Columbus Point. As we round the point south into Travertine Canyon the views up and down River are stunning, and there’s also a stretch with enough exposure to gain my undivided attention.
Along the east arm of Travertine Canyon we stop for lunch. We have bad timing as the energizing sunlight quickly vanishes behind the Redwall southwest of us. It’s astonishing how quickly the temperature plummets, and we hit the trail to warm up.
We detour around to the west arm and approach the minor saddle to Boucher Canyon. D.K. is on point and yells for us to come up quick. Kaiser and I jog up just barely in time for a three second glimpse at the head of a retreating desert bighorn ram with a ¾ curl. D.K. inadvertently spooked him out of sight around the point north of the saddle. Damn, that was great, but tantalizingly brief.
The trek continues southwest into Boucher Canyon. After only a few minutes, a second bighorn trots across the trail right in front of us. Wow! This is the closest encounter I’ve had with a bighorn in The Canyon and I couldn’t be more excited. I give him a whistle and he stops to inspect us with a few grunts. D.K. dubs him “Grandpa” based on an impressive full curl. As we climb south towards the Boucher Trail junction for the next half hour he stays just ahead of us, constantly turning to check our progress.
The bighorn’s climbing prowess is unmatched by any other large animal in The Canyon. At the Boucher Trail junction he’s suddenly hundreds of feet above us on a steep cliff near the Redwall.
From here there’s an ominous glimpse of the ascent for tomorrow. We take a break to discuss tonight’s camp. The tentative plan has been continuing to Boucher Rapids. However, we’re all tired and doubtful of the fishing, so the descent to Boucher Creek is the end of our hike.
Day 4 – Boucher Creek to overlook below Yuma Point:
A worrisome prelude to panorama.
We try to get an early start today, but there’s a slight delay. Kaiser has suffered the first equipment failure of the trip. At some point during the night his hydration bladder cracked and leaked, possibly from a partial freeze. Now it’s leaking everywhere and worthless. This could be a problem; we still have 1½ days of hiking and the closest water we are expecting to find is at Dripping Springs, about seven miles away. Kaiser improvises a plastic dry-bag for water storage and fills it with a couple quarts.
Of all the South Rim trails, Boucher is the most difficult to ascend. The climb out of Boucher Canyon and up through the Redwall is an ass-kicker. A lack of consistent switchbacks makes it incredibly steep. Despite the intensity of the trek, we make decent time and stop for an early lunch above the Redwall at Whites Butte saddle. Kaiser discovers his makeshift water storage has leaked in his backpack. He starts drying things out, and we agree to start rationing the rest of our water.
The hard work is not over yet. We have crossed over to the west arm of upper Travertine Canyon. There is a brief level traverse to the southern end of the canyon, and then another grueling ascent through the Supai. Near the top of this canyon there is a short hand and toe climb, after which we stop for a rest.
From here it’s a quick stroll around the corner to the eastern campsites on the overlook below Yuma Point. Kaiser is in luck, there are some partially frozen
potholes so we don’t need to worry about water anymore. We set up Camp 4 and the views up and down Canyon from here are absolutely ridiculous. There are some ferocious wind gusts during the night.
Day 5 – Overlook below Yuma Point to Hermit Trailhead:
The better of 2 sights – 1st people in 3 days, or 1st beer in 5 days?
What a beautiful sunrise! This is such a great campsite and I’m disappointed that we have to leave. We still have plenty of water, so there’s no need to stop at Dripping Springs. Back in Hermit Basin we see people again for the first time since the rafting party on Day 2. We get back to Hermit’s Rest for a round of cold beers.
