The Little Colorado! Or "The Carbon-Lava loop is pretty cool". Our goal was to check out the Little Colorado in what I think would be considered to be a somewhat novel way that perhaps has never been done before. Most boating trips on the Little Colorado I know of start in Cameron and end by hiking up the Salt Trail upstream of the national park boundary, involving a monster 4WD shuttle across Navajo land. In most conditions this requires a bouldery, quicksand-y 40 mile slog down the start of the canyon if the river is not high enough to boat. If it is high enough it is going to be brown, which means that when the magical mineral saturated blue base flow enters from Blue Spring further down the river will continue to be a muddy mess rather than its picturesque characteristic milky pastel blue. Another common option was to hike-in from Horse Trail and to exit via Salt Trail (another monstrous 4WD shuttle and more hiking). The gauge indicated a too low LCR at Cameron. I had concerns that the blue base flow would be too low and scratchy to reasonably boat but Jeff reassured me that word on the street was that it would go and still be fun. My solutionafter some expert consultation: Hike 12.5mi on retired 4WD roads from Desert View Tower across the south rim plateaulands, down the Blue Spring route into the LCR right at Blue Spring (the perennial source of the LCR), packraft 13mi of the LCR to the Colorado River, continue packrafting 7mi to Tanner Trail, a cruisy 7mi 5400ft elevation gain hike back to the rim, and a 2.5mi paved shuttle to close the trip. This has all hiking on a trail or route, maximizes packrafting, while minimizing hiking and shuttle time. A perfect route apart from two points of GCNP red tape. Current GCNP regulations view packrafts as objects for "raft assisted backcountry travel", meaning that under their ignorant definitions a trip is not allowed unless a raft is required to access a backcountry route safely. The Beamer Trail traverses benches above the river on river left from the LCR to Tanner and so to directly exit Tanner we would not be allowed to raft the 7 miles on the Colorado River (despite the fact that we would expend far less effort, exit sooner, and have essentially zero environmental impact compared to using a trail). So to do our loop as desired we would have to add a crucial excursion to our itinerary: the whole point of the trip was so that we could access the Carbon-Lava canyon loop, a river runner favorite (for no good reason?), which unfortunately is on the true right of the Colorado, requiring RABT. There were other stipulations to get the permit; we obeyed them reluctantly. There is also no boating allowed on tributaries in GCNP meaning that we would have to walk the last quarter-mile of the LCR from the park boundary to the confluence (no big deal to obey but still ridiculous).
Red tape aside our San Juan trip was unsettlingly cold. Jeff and I were initially thinking of following it with a day-trip canyoning through Waterholes Canyon on the Navajo Nation. I had been interested in this unique canyon for many years, which includes multiple rappels ending at a world-ending 300ft free hanging rappel and then requiring a packraft exit to Lees Ferry. Jeff and I had the rare situation of two cars to be able to complete the lengthy shuttle and the time to fit it in but there ended up being a few worrisome unknowns this time around. There was a major flood a few weeks prior so given that fact and that we were firmly in the offseason it was unlikely that anyone had been through the canyon since the flood, meaning potentially extra anchor issues for us to deal with. The canyon is called Waterholes- the recent rain meant it was almost certainly full of water with swimming. And it was cold! Perhaps the water would be too silty to freeze but just cold enough not to. So we made what I think was the wise decision driving to Cameron, spending the night in a toasty tourist motel (which made it easy to carefully pack for our next trip), then using it to get a fresh start on the Little Colorado.
We checked out of the motel nice and early, beating the sunrise, and drove in caravan into the park. We dropped car one at Lipan Point where the Tanner Trail ends, then shuttled the very short 2.5 miles to the Desert Tower parking area. I made emergency repairs to my running shoes involving athletic tape and cardboard, taped my right heel, and then we set off in the crisp 7500ft air.
Desert View sits on the rolling edge of the Kaibab uplift, and so we followed the jeep trail network down to the northeast in and out of minor canyons to the LCR rim at 5300ft. The scenery was wonderfully sparse and expansive once we dropped out of the conifers. I had some pleasant flashbacks of hiking across similar vastness on the Hayduke Trail. Jeff and I even caught glimpses of a monstrous elk, which confirmed that we were way out there. Progress felt a little slow due to the subtly changing scenery but in a little over 3 hours we made it the 10.8mi to the LCR rim near Blue Spring (probably faster than the two-way 4WD trip would take by a longer route had we the right vehicles). The first peak at the river below through a notch in the cliff revealed blue water- not the milky blue water expected but also not the muddy color we dreaded. We later learned that there are actually many many springs and that the water does not reach peak milkiness until several miles out of sight downstream. We had a good snack at the top of the Blue Spring route before heading down. We followed cairns and a very lightly worn trail to the edge of the cliff. WHOA! The initial thought was "who in their right mind would think to go down that, let alone call it a route!?" With careful assessment a discontinuous, plausible route could be visualized though the initial thought did not go away.
Step by step and handhold by handhold we made our incredulous descent. I'm no stranger to absurd Grand Canyon off trail routes involving legit rock climbing but for a established route Blue Springs really impressed me. Travel involved carefully traversing to what appeared to be the end of a cliff, finding a cairn in a surprising location that seemed very difficult to get to, getting there, then sure enough finding the next cairn in an equally unlikely location. In this manner the route revealed itself obstacle by obstacle. Under the weight and awkward balance of my pack I was at less than full confidence but gradually we descended back in time, counting our progress in rock units. Kaibab, Toroweap, Coconino.
The route eased up to rock scrambling in the Supai with the occasional dryfall posing comparably little challenge or excitement. Just above the river the Redwall posed a final challenge. Jeff opted for a sketchy looking direct route to Blue Spring that seemed to work well enough. I opted for the trail which detoured considerably upriver and added much time. Oh well. In an hour and a half we dropped over two thousand feet treading only about a mile- it was certainly the most efficient rim drop-in I've done in the Grand Canyon. I readied myself on a flattish rock at the water's edge, ungracefully managing to lose a sock into the murky waters in the process. At Blue Spring I clambered out to take photos, foolishly triggering a turbidite in the weirdly textured mud and completely browning the spring for more than ten minutes until it cleared. We both delighted in the lukewarm temperature of the river, even motivating Jeff to practice his rolls in the deep pool. He accidentally ingested some of the hyper-alkalic water which I knew from previous experience was traumatic.
We left the Blue Spring pool and made our way down the river. The first few rapids were worryingly boney and scratchy and required careful maneuvering to minimize boat damage. As we paddled we quickly caught up to my pulse of silty water I let loose and then passed it. To my surprise the base flow source of the LCR was not just one sizable spring but easily over twenty sources that we passed over the course of several miles. Each spring cascaded out of the cliffs or boiled up boil waters from the river, beefing up the flow considerably. The Redwall grew in height around us with vertical walls, sweeping alcoves, and intricate travertine deposits adorning the sides. The river was tame through this stretch but the scenery was unparalleled. Combined with the comfortable water temperatures and hours of daylight ahead, I was in a very happy place.
Gradually bathtub rings of carbonate began to line the canyon walls at the water's edge, which soon developed into low maze-like remnants of travertine dams cementing rocks in the river. Geologic fascinations were everywhere. Large river spanning travertine dams began to appear. Because the dams slowed the river to a near-stop we could basically paddle right up the the edge of the dam and along it for easy scouting of the best place to drop through. Most dams had at least one scratchy pour-over, but at least a couple were better managed by portaging. The dams were generally low on challenge and made for silly novelty rapids. We had fun but I also cringed every time I heard a scrape from the underside of my boat. Atomizer Falls (Class V) was kind of a mess but I found a sneak route linking several shorter dam chutes. Son of Atomizer had a rather clean 8ft drop I ended up taking a second lap on.
Son of Atomizer Falls (and below)
We past two more travertine dam complexes, the second particularly beautiful, when we noticed a dramatic uptick in the creamy pastel quality of the water. It was getting good! We still had two more miles of rapids to reach Salt Camp and the light was starting to dim. To our left was a beautiful sandy beach camp with a week's supply of driftwood for fires. We had both been to the camp at Salt Trail and this spot seemed superior in every way. We would be right in the middle of the most dramatic stretch of canyon. The incredibly soft mist of the travertine dams seemed to insulate the air with warmer temperatures. Apart from the ever present Navajo Reservation flotsam lining the shores, this spot was perfect and so we set about unwrapping boats and making camp. Bats circled overhead. I took lots of photographs. Jeff prepared a wonderful fire and we sat at the water's edge. The temperature was remarkably comfortable. The bright moon traversed the sky, its light reaching the floor of the canyon just after we set off to sleep.
I recall sleeping quite well. We did the usual pack up ritual. We both seemed happy enough with the amount of river we still had to go and see opted not to hike back up to rerun some of the dams. I did convince Jeff to tool around in the rapid just above camp so I could snap some photos in the cool morning light (frontispiece). We set off. Several more dam rapids followed. It was maybe the second or third that I had a small flip on and immediately recognized my critical mistake...I had forgotten to do up my relief zipper and so my lower body was completely soaked. I have never done that before and vowed not to do it again! Fortunately because of the near-lukewarm water temperature this was not the end of the world, but nonetheless I was disappointed with my mistake and now less than comfortable. We continued on through more dams. We decided to blast on past Big Canyon and Salt Trail but I petitioned Jeff for a mid-morning snack break/early lunch at the first sight of good sun so I could dry some gear. At the next turn in the canyon past Salt Trail we found such a spot and I feverously set about drying as the sun rapidly shifted, then after about a half hour disappeared behind a canyon wall. Some items were still damp but the little bit of sun made a huge difference. We continued on.
There were still a few travertine dams downstream of Salt Trail but generally the style of the river changed to one more dominated by rocks and cobble bars. These required constant attention to try to find the deepest scratch-free channel through the maze but scrapes still ensued. The scenery was still nice but this was my least favorite stretch of the river. It was manageable but twice the flow would have been a great improvement. The river moved more slowly and several bends in the canyon gave the false impression of a premature arrival at the Colorado confluence until at last it was undeniable we were staring at the opposite wall of the Grand Canyon. We obeyed the NPS rules and carried our boats the last quarter-mile to the Colorado River.
The Confluence was a nice spot as always, improved by the lack of others around and some pleasant sun. No surprise, the Colorado River was considerably colder. I took moderately conservative lines through the riffles so as not to constantly get splashed with brainfreeze inducing waters. We boated the 3.5 miles past the Hopi salt deposits seeping out at the base of the Tapeats to Carbon Creek. The Carbon-Lava portion of the trip was unmemorable. The stretch of the Grand Canyon from Lava to Tanner is one of my favorite for geologic scenery. The east side of the river is towered over by the dramatic Palisades of the Desert with its post-Cambrian layer cake geology and Tower of Sauron-like Desert View Watchtower at the rim's edge. In the canyons and buttes beneath are the some of the most complex geology in the Grand Canyon- folded and faulted Tapeats sandstone, red and green mudstones of the Dox Formation, and black Cardenas Basalt.
We found our way to Tanner Rapid Camp, staking out a nice place in the sun to completely dry out gear. We greeted the many backpackers that had come down the Tanner Trail to spend a relatively low key Thanksgiving in the canyon. It was a calm, cloud-free afternoon and the sunset was particularly nice, casting golden light on already colorful rocks, which then reflected off a still river. Though certainly colder than our LCR camp, temperatures and spirits were still high. I particularly was happy to have all my gear dried and partially packed for an easy escape up the Tanner Trail in the morning. It was a gamble as we knew weather was on its way but Jeff convinced me not to set up the shelter which was the right decision in the end.
We wasted little time in the morning, both motivated to beat the weather and escape the canyon early enough to justify driving back home the same day. Jeff was a little worried at finding the base of the trail based on a previous experience but we followed our noses and the occasional cairn to find the trail out of Tanner wash. We made fantastic time hiking out I thought (less than 3.5 hours to arrive at the rim before noon). My strategy was to wear very little clothes and to have that motivate me to hike faster. Jeff unsurprisingly was faster. Though quite steep in several places as the trail cut up through landslide deposits and breaks in the cliff, the going was great. I underappreciated the number of people I would pass on the trail and strapped my paddle and PFD on the outside of my pack instead of inside- without fail I was stopped for questions while Jeff sailed onward. The temperature was cold and the clouds indicated rapidly shifting weather. By the time the trail reached the benches below Cardenas Butte rain, wind and the occasional burst of sleet lashed at my face. The shifting weather allowed for some nice moody light at least, particularly nice views were had from the saddle below Escalante Butte. I was impressed at all the healthy agaves, seemingly quite happy in the near-freezing conditions. The final climb to Lipan Point was steep and brutal but I was still feeling fresh and motivated. It is rare that I carry a heavy pack, top out on the Grand Canyon, and feel like I could do it all over again.
The rim was cold! We drove the very short distance back to my car at Desert View. Jeff opted for an immediate peel-out and so we said our goodbyes. I had never actually been to the Desert View Watchtower and so braved the overbundled tourist hordes to check it out. It was weird. I think I liked it? The unique 1932 architecture of Mary Colter was made to mimic Ancestral Puebloan towers in its design and it does this pretty well in a way that I think honors the original architects while not being derivative. Inside I felt more conflicted though. It was Disneyland. Gift shop, lines to climb stairs, stuccoed walls, kiva ladders to nowhere, multiple conflicting pictograph artistic styles from ancient designs and modern artists. It was warm though and the views from the top were certainly nice. It was worth seeing in the context of that 1930s golden age of US national park ideals but I did not linger long. I stopped for a sad fast food Thanksgiving lunch in Flagstaff (most things closed), before driving across the plateau and down into southern California. Thanks to Jeff! I thought this was a fantastic trip!
