Much better and more consistent trails brought us from Kwagunt Creek to Nankoweap Creek. Nankoweap Creek is famous as the site of some ancient Pueblo granaries. They are made of stone and mortar and the Pueblos used them to store beans and grains up to over 1,000 years ago.
We stopped under the granaries among a patch of purple wildflowers and cactus before leaving the Colorado (not to be seen again until Hite) and wandering up the creek to the bottom of the Nankoweap.
We reached the trail after an attractive walk through the cottonwood filled canyon. Soon after filling our water bottles/bladders/stomachs and eating a snack, Lindy got a head start on the hike while I drenched my head. Just as I was about to wander up the trail, two boaters came down finishing up a day hike up the creek to a pictograph panel a mile upstream.
“You’re headed up Nankoweap, huh, geez, that’s a sonofabitch! Where do you plan on camping tonight? You ought to stop at Filted Mesa, Hell; you’ll be lucky to get that far on this trail. That’s about five miles up the worst, steepest trail you’ll ever see and the next possible camp is Marion Point another 2.5 miles away. You’d never make it that far. The first camp is best. Isn’t that where we built that table? Hell you’d be doing well to make it that far tonight! It’s already noon! I decided, I’d had enough of the conversation and excused myself as quickly as possible and started up, hoping that my leaving would give Sharon an out. Sharon, however, is more polite than I; she did her best to keep up and be nice but found it more and more challenging. Eventually she escaped. I don’t know how. Still I had to wait 20 minutes for her. I even considered going back to rescue her.
The trail was indeed challenging, especially for a constructed official trail in a National Park. On the other hand, it was a real manmade trail and offered by far the easiest travel we’d had since Beamer Trail, despite the stiff climb. The guidebook is wrong re. mileage on the Nankoweap Trail BTW, it is 14 miles from Forest Road 610 to the river not the 10.6. We made it to Filted Mesa and our suggested stopping point by about 2:30, and travel got much easier from there as the route traverse under trees and Redwall cliffs above one of the best view sheds in the park. We could see most of the major features of the last few days, including the canyon of the Little Colorado, Nankoweap Mesa, Duppa and Hutton Buttes, and the South Rim already below us to the South. By the time we get to Marion Point, it was cool enough that I looked for a sunny spot to rest. The evening as usual just got better. After leaving the Park by Saddle Mountain, we had views North toward the vast Arizona Strip, split in half by the inexplicable gash of Marble Canyon (the first section of the Grand Canyon). The wind, light, and views (now supplemented by the spectacular golden aspens and red scrub oaks) seemed to infuse me with a boundless energy, and I seemed to dance along the trail in a state of sublime pleasure, well after night fall.
Eventually, it began to get dark for travel, and I thought of my companions. I doubted they were enjoying those last few miles as much as I, so I stopped at a sheltered area and waited. As expected Sharon came in tired and slightly cranky, though not complaining. We figured that Lindy had probably stopped for the night earlier, but were surprised when he came wandering by about twenty minutes later. Almost a perfect day, I’m out of food now though, so the North Rim will be much appreciated.
No comments:
Post a Comment