To read the trip report from these photos click here.

Mr. Jamrock, Pablito and I spent last night on Swamp Point.  Today our destination is Muav Saddle, a very simple hike by Canyon standards.  Because of that I had planned to spend most of our time day-hiking on Powell Plateau with perhaps a side trip to either Muav Spring or Powell Spring for water.  However, Pablito has brought way too much gear and food, and we are forced to delay our departure by several hours as he packs, unpacks, and packs again.

Finally Pablito is ready and we trek down to Teddy’s Cabin at the saddle for lunch.  I haven’t seen the cabin in four years and it’s still in great shape, I even found my old journal entry in the logbook.

Given our late start I grudgingly rule out our Powell Plateau hike.  Instead we will head down the North Bass Trail to find Muav Spring for some water.

Along the trail there are some interesting moss or lichen formations hanging down beneath an overhang.  After a quarter mile we find the spring east of the trail and signs of early white man development.  There is just enough flow to pump a few quarts here for meals and cocktails tonight.

Back at the saddle, Mr. Jamrock and Pablito decide to sleep on the old cots inside the cabin.  I am still fearful of Pablito’s banshee snore so I set my tent up outside.

Day 2 – Muav Saddle to Saddle Canyon:

Even through the walls of Teddy’s Cabin I could hear Pablito’s snoring last night but still got some decent sleep.  If I had known how slow hiking was going to be today I would have rallied us for a much earlier start than 10 am.

We are traveling off-trail down Saddle Canyon to the junction with Crazy Jug Canyon.  The route down Saddle is straightforward, and while traveling in the dry creek bed is the quickest option it is by no means easy.  It is a complete hackfest and the true definition of a bushwack, complete with plenty of thorny brush.  I am wearing shorts and a shirt, so my arms and legs get cut up pretty bad.

Our progress is slow and I have to stop and wait for my companions many times before we reach the first of a few dry pouroffs in the Supai.  The first is easily bypassed to the left (west).  The second has a bypass to the right (east) which Mr. Jamrock uses, but Pablito and I get out the rope for a short assisted downclimb, after we lower our packs.

The third pouroff is significant and has a longer bypass to the west along a somewhat exposed ledge.  Our group is tired and it’s getting late so I decide to end our day here.  There is a large pool of water we can pump from, just enough room for three tents, and the forecast is clear so I’m not worried about a flash flood through here.

A couple mice join us for dinner, making occasional bold incursions into our kitchen.  Our camp is situated in sort of a small alcove, and Pablito’s banshee snore literally echoes off the canyon walls, making for a fitful sleep at best.

Day 3 – Saddle Canyon:

This morning Mr. Jamrock and I decide to enforce the snoring banishment of Pablito for the rest of the trip.  We’re up early today and on the trail an hour after sunrise.

About halfway through the ledge bypass there is a talus slope that must be ascended to gain the ridge west of Saddle Canyon.  The footing is loose due to the rains from last week.  I ascend first and scout the route ahead.  Soon Pablito is up top with me, but Mr. Jamrock is yelling for help.

I scamper back down the slope and find him lying on his belly, breathing heavy, and in a bit of a panic.  Large chunks of dirt and rocks have given way beneath his feet and he’s on the verge of sliding down the slope.  This situation is not good, but if he does slide, the odds of him falling to the bottom are extremely low as there is plenty of brush and large boulders to stop his progress.

I try to calm him down and then help to push him up the slope to where Pablito is waiting for us.  Atop the ridge we take a break and I have a decision to make.  I wanted to make it at least as far as Crazy Jug Canyon but I’m thinking it would be irresponsible to keep pushing Mr. Jamrock, who is clearly shaken up from his encounter with the talus slope.

We decide to cut the trip short a day and turn back.  We still have another night on our permit in this use area so we retreat back to a campsite I noticed with water just above the first Supai pouroff.

Day 4 – Saddle Canyon to North Bass Trailhead:

Time to return through the hackfest so I start the hike with pants instead of shorts this time, which promptly get ripped to shreds – back to shorts and more cuts on my legs.

About a mile below Muav Saddle I pass an unmistakable rattling noise to my left.  I stop to find the source and notice that I have interrupted lunchtime.  A small rattlesnake is in the process of swallowing what appears to be a mouse, and the rodent’s tail is still sticking out of the serpent’s mouth.  The snake continues rattling its warning as Pablito and Mr. Jamrock approach, then we move on.

We take a short break at Teddy’s Cabin and retrieve a water cache we left here on Day 1; then proceed with the hike out to the Rim where we see 6 wild turkeys crossing the Swamp Point road.

To see more pictures from this trip click here.

10. South Kaibab

While hiking Grand Canyon is all relative, this trail is one of the easiest at about 7 miles in length.  It has an elevation loss+gain of approximately 9,600 feet. This is a well maintained corridor trail, just watch out for mule droppings.

9. South Bass

This trail, at nearly 8 miles and 8,800 feet of elevation loss+gain, may feature the longest and most difficult drive to the trailhead. By Grand Canyon standards, the steep sections of this trail are short and few between.

8. New Hance

The only thing keeping this trail from lower on the list is its brevity, at 6.5 miles it is the shortest Rim-to-River trail. But at 8,900 feet of elevation loss+gain, your knees will feel the burn of 700 feet of elevation per mile. The section between the South Rim and Coronado Saddle is particularly steep.

7. North Kaibab

The only thing keeping this trail from higher on the list is its length, at 14 miles it’s one of Grand Canyon’s longest. This well maintained corridor trail features 11,500 feet of elevation loss+gain, but the vast majority of that steepness occurs in the first half. The second half of trail between Cottonwood Campground and Bright Angel Campground is more a stroll than a hike.

6. Hermit

This trail is almost 10 miles long and has an elevation loss+gain of 8,700 feet. While unmaintained, it is still in good condition. Many a Grand Canyon backpacker has found descending and/or ascending the Cathedral Stairs an exhausting proposition.

5. Tanner

What makes this 9 mile trail with 9,300 feet of elevation loss+gain particularly difficult is the complete lack of water, unless you’re lucky enough to be hiking during or right after a storm. The section between the Rim and 75-Mile Saddle is steep, and the stretch from atop the Redwall to the Colorado River is vastly bereft of shade.

4. Boucher

This trailhead is technically located beneath the Rim in Hermit Basin. However, if you plan to hike it all the way to the bottom, the distance from Hermit Trailhead is 10.5 miles. There is an elevation loss+gain of 8,500 feet. The lack of consistent switchbacks through the Supai and Redwall layers make this trail painfully steep.

3. Thunder River

The distance from this remote North Rim trailhead to the Colorado River is 14 miles. Round trip from Indian Hollow contains 8,600 feet of elevation loss+gain. The Esplanade traverse is the only longer portion of this trail that isn’t strenuous. When departing from the Bill Hall Trailhead, this hike can be shortened by about 3 miles.

2. North Bass

Only the most experienced, determined, and physically fit hikers will finish this 13.5 mile hike in 1 day. This trail is very challenging and features many sections that are in poor condition. On the bright side, solitude and perennial water near the halfway point can ease the struggles of this difficult trek.

1. Nankoweap

Ask any veteran Grand Canyon backpacker, and the majority will answer that this is the most difficult Rim-to-River trail. Depending on your choice of trailhead, this hike is about 14 miles long and experiences roughly 11,500 feet of elevation loss+gain. The northern trailhead actually has a substantial elevation gain before even reaching the Park boundary. There are lengthy and laborious steep segments, and the Supai traverse is demanding. Just to spice it up, there is no reliable perennial water until reaching Nankoweap Creek, after over 10 fatiguing miles of hiking.