North Rim Campout

Becky Fowsky, with her husband Frank, had reserved a group campsite at the north rim of the Grand Canyon for 9 to 14 August 2012 and had invited us to join them.

Kwi and Lynn Johnson, Lila Wright, George Everman, Akemi Tomioka and Ellis Price (the author) decided to join them there. Kwi and Lynn planned to spend the entire five days at the campsite. Lila Wright and Ellis Price would camp for only three days, returning on the twelfth, and George and Akemi would not arrive until the eleventh.

I rode with Lila who wanted to take her pickup because it has a camper shell installed and she preferred that to sleeping in a tent. She picked me up at home at 0700 and we took I-17 to Flagstaff, then drove north on US Hwy 89.

When we crossed the Little Colorado River at Cameron I noted that all the saltcedar (tamarix) along the river was dead or dying. That seemed strange as other plants appeared to be unaffected.

Continuing on past Cameron, we came to an area with numerous small conical-shaped formations that looked like giant ant hills. They appeared to be formed of shale. A medium Gray (or lead gray) in color, they appeared at first glance to be piles of gravel, such as might be used in highway construction or repair. However, they were too numerous and randomly dispersed for that.

We passed the turnoff to Tuba City (despite the signs extolling the town's wonders and encouraging us to visit) and continued on to US Hwy 89A where we turned to cross the Colorado River at Marble Canyon, just south of Lees Ferry.

Lees Ferry was established by John D Lee¹, a Mormon settler with seventeen wives, in 1871. The ferry served as the only place to cross the river until Navajo Bridge, funded by the Arizona Highway Commission and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, opened in 1929. Having become a part US Hwy 89A, Navajo Bridge was later deemed inadequate for that service, and was replaced in 1995. The old bridge remains, open to pedestrian and equestrian use, as part of the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

We stopped at the interpretive center to look around and walk across the old bridge. We noted that the saltcedar along the streambed of the Colorado was, like that at the Little Colorado, dead. Lila asked the attendant at the interpretive center whether she knew who had treated the treated the plants and how they had managed to selectively kill only the saltcedar on such a wide basis. She did not.

The Colorado River from Navajo Bridge

We had planned to eat lunch at Cliffhouse Restaurant in Marble Canyon at the base of the the Vermilion Cliffs. However, it was entirely too early when we arrived, and we decided to drive on to Jacob Lake. We arrived there just as they were opening the main dining room for lunch and had our choice of seating. Looking around we found the walls adorned with paintings, photographs, and various objects of art for sale.

Superimposed on all this was Christmas decorations, and then I noticed that Christmas music was playing in the background. On questioning our waiter, we found that one group of college student workers, soon due back at school for classes, was being relieved by another group on a different school schedule, and that they had decided to have three days of Christmas during the shift overlap. They even had a Christmas tree in the main lobby.

The food selection was good, with items for every palate, even vegetarians. The service was pleasant and reasonably fast, and the food quality was excellent. We were soon on our way, pleasantly full and hoping that we might come this way again sometime.

The drive from Jacob Lake Inn Restaurant to our campsite in the Grand Canyon National Park is just over 42 miles along State Highway 67. On the way we noted that the forest was recovering from a fire that must have occurred several years ago. The hills were covered with young aspen trees, and I wondered if they had all sprung up from the extensive root systems of the burned trees; I had been told that the aspen propagated itself this way, and that groups of trees were called clones. However, I have since learned that they also propagate by reseeding in the normal way. I have no idea which method predominated in the burned over area we saw.

We arrived at the North Rim Campground (Transept Trail Campground) at about 1330, checked in with the ranger on duty, and after some driving around looking for our assigned group campsite, were flagged down by Kwi and Lynn who had arrived early and were all set up. We immediately set up our tents. Lila still intended to sleep in her truck, but set up a small tent in case the ranger questioned us. It was, after all, billed as tent camping only. However, we were allowed to have three vehicles at the twenty-tent site, and we saw nothing wrong with her sleeping in one of them.

The author's tent.

We checked out the campsite and found a well-stocked store with a coffee bar and wi-fi. There was also a self-service laundry and pay shower ($1.50 for 5 to 7 minutes). A drinking water spigot was provided at the campsite. You might say that we had all the comforts of home.

Widforss Trail

On Friday morning as we ate breakfast and prepared for our first day at the North Rim, we were greeted by a multitude of ground squirrels just waiting for us to leave camp so that they could scavenge through our belongings. A fat raven perched on a bare tree branch nearby, greeted us with a cheeky “squawk, squawk” and assured us that he would look after things while we went hiking. At least that's what I thought he was saying. Meanwhile, an uppity Kaibab squirrel (photograph by Kwi, above right) flashed his gleaming white tail as he scampered around nearby, nose in the air, muttering to himself, “if that riffraff will ever leave, I'll check and see what tribute they have brought for me.”

Finally, having finished our breakfast, cleaned up and stowed our gear for the day and fastened our tents securely (or so we thought), we left our belongings in the promised care of the noisy raven and departed for the Widforss Trail.

From the campsite, we Drove about 150 yards out to the main road (Hwy 67), turned left (generally north) and followed that paved road for about nine-tenths of a mile before turning left onto an unpaved road that took us along the edge of Harvey Meadow to the Widforss Trailhead, around another seven-tenths of a mile from Road 67. Trailhead parking was ample and toilet facilities were available.

A Trailhead Sign noted that the trail was named after, “Gunnar M. Widforss who painted landscapes in the national parks of the West during the 1920s and 1930s.” The sign goes on to describe the trail as follows:

The Widforss Trail follows the canyon rim as it skirts the Transept, a large tributary gorge of Bright angel Canyon. The trail winds through a mixed spruce-fir forest to a picnic area near Widforss Point overlooking Haunted Canyon.

A pamphlet, available from a trailhead trailhead box. identifies fourteen specific viewpoints marked by numbered posts along the first 2.5 miles of the trail. This is the “guided hike” section of the trail and, I am sure that many hikers turn back at that point. The trail does, after all, turn away from the rim and the great canyon views there.

We left the trailhead heading in a southwest direction. This took us, in a fairly steep climb, up the slope to the Kaibab Plateau. As we climbed we soon came to an area where a forest fire had raged some years ago. Most of the damage had occurred to the right of the trail, that is to our northwest as we moved along the trail. Although, I am sure the canyon rim must have served as a firebreak, even when we were not right on the rim, almost all the was damage was to our right. In the photograph shown below, damage appears to have been relatively light close up, becoming more severe farther away.

Fire damage along the Widforss Trail

A little farther along, at marker 5, we got our first good look down into Transept Canyon and the view across Grand Canyon to the San Francisco Peaks 70 miles beyond.

Looking down Transept Canyon to Bright angel Canyon – On the horizon, 

the San Francisco Peaks, 70 miles away, are faintly visible through the 

haze (see right of center)

We could not see the Colorado River itself from the trail because it was beyond the far wall of Bright Angel Canyon into which Transept feeds, apparently at an angle leading to the name Transept. I had some trouble with that name as applied here because I usually visualize a transept as a structural part of a cathedral running transverse to and across the main structure. By comparison, Transept Canyon would seem to form form only a semi-transept with Bright Angel Canyon.

As we continued along the rim above Transept Canyon we enjoyed ever-differing views of the canyon below.

The outcropping just to left of center is Oza Butte

Some of our group paused long enough for a photograph at the rim.

Lila Wright, Betty Fowsky and Kwi Johnson, along with two unknown hikers

On a section of the trail that jogged away from the rim to cross a wash, we came to a large ponderosa pine growing directly in the middle of the trail. The trail brochure said it was “nearly 13 feet in circumference” and “one of the largest ponderosa pines along the Widforss Trail.”

Large ponderosa in the middle of the trail

As we continued along the trail beyond the “guided trail” portion, we continued to observe fire damaged forest. Also clearly demonstrated was the natural process of recovery. Note the variety of plant life demonstrated in the photograph below. As you can see the aspen are making a strong comeback in this area. I have learned that this tree propagates itself by cloning (or sprouting from an extensive root system) and by reseeding. I have no idea which method predominates here. Whatever the method, fresh-growth aspen trees were even more noticeable in the burned-over forest along Hwy 67 on the way to the park.

Fresh growth in burned-over forest with aspen trees predominating

Along the way we came upon a log showing the artful designs drawn by insects burrowing under the bark of dead trees.

Designs in a log drawn by artistic insects.

After about two and a-half miles the trail veered away from the rim and we were soon in a more open section section of forest. Patches of flowers bordered the trail along the way.

Asters blooming alongside the trail

The last section of the trail sloped gently downhill to Widforss Point where we found a picnic table awaiting us.

Picnic table at the end of Widforss Trail

Deciding not to eat our lunch at the table, we continued to a grass-covered, tree-shaded spot on an open slope about 100 yards ahead.

The actual location of Widforss Point, as shown in the below photograph, was about a quarter of a mile ahead.

Looking ahead at Widforss Point

We had great views all around from our lunch spot and were positioned on a soft mat of grass with a gently wind blowing to keep us cool. No one was in a hurry to leave, so we lingered for a good while before heading back.

For the return trip, we had a choice of returning exactly the way we had come or of taking a short loop that skirts the drainage to the east of the trail we came in on. We split into two groups, some going one way the rest the other. As I returned the way we had hiked in and was carrying the GPS, our track on the map included in this report does not show the loop.

A short way up the trail, I found a large patch of Indian paintbrush along the way that I had somehow missed on the way in.

Indian paintbrush in bloom along the trail

We started to meet other hikers now, all wanting to know how much farther it was to the end of the trail. We stopped and chatted for several minutes with a family from Belgium.

When we arrived back at the rim above Transept Canyon, I found a suitable vantage point for a photograph showing the wash running down the bottom of the canyon all the way to Bright Angel Canyon.

Looking down Transept Canyon to Bright Angel Canyon

The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points on the trail was (according to my GPS) only just over 500 feet. However, the total ascent, considering all the ups and downs along the way, was closer to 1300 feet. The round trip distance was 10 miles as advertised.

When we got back to the campground, we found that the ground squirrels had invaded the Johnson's tent and made a mess of things. So much for the raven's assurances. Or did I just misunderstand what he was saying that morning?

The red track on the map included in this report (below) shows our GPS track for the hike. The yellow track shows the route we drove from the campground to the trailhead.

Hike Cape Final Trail/Visit Greenland Lake,Vista Encantada, Roosevelt Point, Walhalla Overlook, Cape Royal and Point Imperial

We got up early on Saturday morning and set out to visit Point Imperial, the viewpoints along the rim of Walhalla Plateau, and hike Cape Final Trail to Cape Final.

Our first stop was Greenland Lake, described as shown on the below sign. The bottom photograph shows its present appearance.

How Greenland Lake was formed.

Left to right: Becky Fowsky, Kwi Johnson and Lila Wright in Greenland Lake

Not lingering at the lake, we headed to Vista Encantada, our first real Grand Canyon viewing point, where we would be able to look out over the canyon.

When we arrived at Vista Encantada. rain was threatening at the rim and we could see that it was actually raining at places in the canyon; however, looking on across the canyon, the sun was shining on the far mountains.

Looking across the Grand Canyon to the sun-drenched mountains beyond

Since our plans for the day included a four-mile hike on Cape Final Trail and, with some of the group actually hoping to do the five-mile Uncle Jim Trail before the day was done, we quickly finished our viewing, returned to the car and headed for our next stop, Roosevelt Point.

An informational sign was posted at Roosevelt Point identifying some features of the scene laid out before us.

Section of sign showing Echo Hills, Navajo Mountain and the Navajo 

Reservation

Section of sign showing location of the Little Colorado River Gorge

Wording on the informational sign at Roosevelt Point

The following graphic, from the same informational sign, shows the Hopi Reservation and the part of the Navajo Reservation that can be seen from Roosevelt Point.

Navajo and Hopi Reservation lands visible from Roosevelt Point

The following photograph was taken looking toward Navajo Mountain. However, Navajo Mountain along with Echo Cliffs and other distant topographical features are obscured in the photograph by a series of rain squalls spread across the canyon.

Roosevelt Point - Looking toward Navajo Mountain – rain in the canyon 

is obscuring the mountain

Our next stop was Cape Final Trail. It was now looking very much like rain, but we found such a glorious display of flowers scattered along the trail that we just had to continue the hike.

Skyrocket (or scarlet gilia) at Cape Final Trailhead and along the trail

The trail led us up a gentle slope for 1.3 miles to the rim at Viewpoint 1² and our first good view of the canyon from Cape Final. The most awe-inspiring view for me was looking directly down for several hundred feet from the head of the canyon below us. The presently-dry wash visible running down the canyon in the below photograph dumps into Lava Creek which feeds into the Colorado River through Lava Canyon.

Looking down into a canyon that feeds into Lava Creek

The sky was now beginning to clear and views were improving. The downside of that was, of course, that the intense August sun was now bearing directly down on us, unfiltered by cloud cover. Fortunately, much of Cape Final Trail is sheltered by trees and, being on the rim, we had a good breeze most of the time. All in all it was still very pleasant hiking, as we left Viewpoint 1 and headed for Viewpoint 2, three-tenths of a mile away.

In the photograph shown below, taken at Viewpoint 2, one can see the cliffs (center horizon) in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. It was interesting to reflect that we had driven past and admired these same cliffs just two days previously after crossing the Colorado at Marble Canyon. There was still some rain activity between our viewpoint and the cliffs, so they are not shown as clear as they might have been.

View of the Grand Canyon with the Vermilion Cliffs visible in the distance

Leaving Viewpoint 2, we hiked another four-tenths of a mile to Viewpoint 3. From there, we got a glimpse of the Colorado River deep in the canyon, about a mile below us and eight miles away. Judging from reference to Google Earth, the small section of the river visible slightly to the right of and above center in the following photograph is at Awatubi Canyon, a little over three miles upstream from the Little Colorado River junction.

A glimpse of the Colorado River a mile below us and eight miles away

Juno Temple is also visible in the above photograph; see the circular formation at right, just above center.

Viewpoint 3 is only about 160 yards from the end of the trail at the very tip of the cape (labeled VP4 on the included map). From where we stood we could see two other hikers who had preceded us on the trail and were already there enjoying the view. We continued on to join them there. The final climb up a slight slope to Viewpoint 4 was helpfully marked by a small sign (see right).

The point was marked by several survey markers, the latest (left) having been installed in 1934. I took pictures of them all, but later discarded everything that was dated before 1934.

The two hikers we had seen from our last stop were still at the cape when we arrived and proved to be a very friendly couple. We visited with them for a few minutes before they went on their.

Before leaving one of the friendly hikers offered to take a picture of us standing on the rim with the canyon as a background.

Left to right: Becky Fowsky, Kwi Johnson, Lila Wright and the author

We took two additional photographs (below) from Viewpoint 4.

Looking across the canyon from the tip of Cape Final, Viewpoint 4

Looking down into the canyon from the tip of Cape Final, Viewpoint 4

Leaving our perch on the tip of Cape Final, we returned along the trail the way we had come, marveling anew at the flowers strewn along the trail. The two pictures shown below were taken by Akemi Tomioka on a 13 August hike and forwarded by George Everman.

Skyrocket (or scarlet gilia) alongside Cape Final Trail

Skyrockets, Indian paintbrush and other flowers alongside road to 

Cape Final Trail

Leaving Cape Final Trail behind, we loaded into our car and headed on to Cape Royal. Just before reaching Cape Royal we stopped at Walhalla Overlook to get a look through Angels window.

Looking through Angels Window from Walhalla Overlook

We then continued along the road for a short distance, parked at Cape Royal and walked out on top of Angels window.

From atop Angels Window – the Colorado River is visible below

Leaving Angels window, we walked the short distance the Cape Royal viewpoint where the two below photographs were taken.

Looking down into the canyon from Cape Royal

Looking across the canyon from Cape Royal

Our next stop would be Point Imperial which turned out to be a most pleasant site with expansive parking, toilet facilities, shade and benches. Here we enjoyed what I thought were the best views of the day. See the following three photographs.

Looking into the canyon from Point Imperial

Looking across the canyon from Imperial Point

From Imperial Point

We paused to eat lunch before leaving this excellent spot.

Eating lunch and enjoying the view at Imperial Point are, Left to right: 

Kwi Johnson, Becky Fowsky, Lila Wright, Ellis Price and Lynn Johnson (Lynn 

had joined us at the end of the hike on Cape Final Trail) 

- photograph courtesy of a passerby

After lunch, we returned to the campground where I took a leisurely shower, shaved and made myself comfortable for the rest of the day.

We had gotten up at 0530 to get an early start for today's activities and I was ready for some down time. I have a strong aversion to tight schedules under any circumstances, and this is especially true for vacation and leisure activities. While the rest of the hikers in the group were busy arranging to get up early again the next morning so they could hike the Uncle Jim Trail before Lila and I departed for home, I had already decided that I would sleep in instead. Uncle Jim would have to wait for another day when I was in the mood.

Later that evening George Everman and Akemi Tomioka joined us and we all had a pleasant evening around the campfire.

I will not attempt to identify the campers shown here as I really can't 

make out the faces – photograph by Lynn or Kwi (I am not really sure which)

The included map (below) shows only the trail we hiked, that is Cape Final Trail. The rest of our travels to and between viewpoints was by automobile on paved roads.

Hike Uncle Jim Trail and Return Home

On Sunday, 12 August 2012, George, Becky, Kwi, Lila and Akemi got up early and set out to hike the Uncle Jim Trail before it got hot and in time for Lila to leave before 1000. We wanted to be at the Bison Viewing Area on the way out of the park at 1000 because we had been told that was the most likely time for them to be out.

Below is a photograph of the Sunday morning hikers.

Becky Fowsky, Kwi Johnson, Lila Wright and Akemi Tomioka 

(photograph by George – not shown)

The hikers found a number of fossils on Uncle Jim Trail. A good example is displayed in the photograph shown here (right – Photograph by Akemi Tomioka).

Lila and I headed home immediately after the hike, Kwi and Lynn left later that same day, and George and Akemi stayed on until Tuesday to hike the Cape Final and Widforss Trails and visit some more of the scenic areas. George provided the following photographs taken after Lila and I left.

Monday evening rainbow (13 August 2012) – photo by Akemi Tomioka

Monday Evening Sunset (13 August 2012) – photograph by Akemi Tomioka

Before leaving for home on Tuesday, George and Akemi hiked on the Widforss Trail where they found the horned toad shown here (Left - photograph by Akemi Tomioka). Note how well it blends into the background.

Meanwhile, Lila and I, having gotten to Marble Canyon too early to eat lunch at Cliffhouse Restaurant on the way to the campground, thought that if we were at the Bison Viewing Area at 1000 that would just about enable us to reach the restaurant in time for lunch on the way back home. Our calculations were correct and we were right on time for lunch.

Lunch at the Cliffhouse Restaurant turned out to be every bit as good as our meal at Jacob Lake had been three days before. I had a delicious beanburger with an excellent salad. The portions were such that I was unable to eat it all, so I had them pack up part of my burger to take home. It made a great lunch the next day.

As we had driven along the Vermilion Cliffs, I had been watching for the distinct lead-gray colored shale that we had seen in the “ant hill-like” formations we had noted above Cameron. I had by now decided that they were formed from a layer of shale with a harder rock layer overlying it. It seemed to me that the protective overlying layer had eroded away unevenly leaving small areas (caps) protecting the softer shale layer underneath, while the surrounding unprotected shale rapidly eroded away. Meanwhile, the isolated protective caps steadily eroded becoming smaller and smaller, until they were finally gone, leaving the ant-hill shaped piles of shale, which, now fully exposed to rain and wind, were in turn rapidly eroding away.

While at the Grand Canyon, I had noted a lead-gray layer called Bright Angel Shale, laid down about 515,000,000 years ago, and now centered around the 5000 foot elevation level. The same color of rock is seen in outcroppings at that approximate elevation along the Vermilion Cliffs and in the cliffs just east of the Colorado River crossing at Marble Canyon. Meanwhile, the place where we had seen the ant-hill like formations above Cameron was between 4000 and 5000 feet in elevation. I have also seen the same color of shale in the lower part of Paria Canyon, in the White Mountains near Fossil Creek and in New Mexico between Farmington and Gallup, in this case in the same ant-hill-like formations we saw above Cameron.

Lead-colored shale layer in cliffs east of Colorado River at Marble Canyon 

Crossing

On the way to the campsite, I had noted some of the formations with tiny caps still perched on them; however, I was unable to spot a good spot to stop for a picture of one of those on the way back. The pictures shown below are the best I could do.

Ant-hill shaped piles of shale, possibly created when an overlying layer 

eroded away

The below photograph is a close-up of the shale that composes the formations. You can scoop it up and crumble it with your hands. In fact, I brought a sample home with me in a baggie.

Shale that forms the ant-hill shapes

We made good time and were home for an early dinner.

1At the time he established the ferry, Lee was in exile because of his role in the massacre of 120 emigrants at Mountain Meadows, UT, a crime for which he was later executed.

2Viewpoints for the hike on Cape Final Trail were assigned and numbered by the author (see VP1 through VP4 on the included map)