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| "The Grand Canyon has long been regarded as one of the most spectacular places on earth!" |
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| Trip Description: To experience the sheer magnitude and quiet vastness of the Grand Canyon, one must travel by foot through the backcountry. We’ll travel back 2 billion years through geological time on this challenging adventure designed for experienced and fit backpackers. This is an advanced level backpacking trip intended for those who have done a considerable amount of backpacking and are in great physical condition. Participants should be prepared for the steep difficult trail. If you would like to experience the Grand Canyon that very few people do, then this trip is for you. This remote and magnificent hike is truly unique. The huge outpourings of water at Thunder River, Tapeats Spring and Deer Spring have attracted people since prehistoric times and today this little corner of Grand Canyon is exceedingly popular among seekers of the remarkable. Like a gift, booming streams of crystalline water emerge from mysterious caves to transform the harsh desert of the inner Canyon into impossibly beautiful green oasis' replete with the music of falling water and cool pools. The approach is long, hot and dry but for those making the journey these destinations represent something close to Canyon perfection! One of the Canyon's best hikes! This is not a beginning backpack. We will hike on maintained but steep and rocky trails over challenging terrain with big elevation gains and losses on each day. Participants will carry 30-40 lbs of gear, including about 10 lbs of group gear (comprised mainly of food, tents, and cooking equipment) on their backs throughout the duration of the trip. Time spent in the wilderness below the rim of the Grand Canyon is an experience unlike any other in existence, and a self-supported and participatory journey on foot from the rim to the river and back constitutes a milestone accomplishment for a backpacker. Accommodations: One night developed campsite, three nights backcountry camping. Activity Level: Class 5 - Introductory Advanced Tour. Class 5 tours are meant for those that have done either a number of backpacking trips or are in superior physical condition. Participants must be prepared to do extremely heavy physical activity in extremely diverse environments, weather and terrain. The trails may not be well traveled and are not easy. Participants should be extremely comfortable with a pack on and be able to maintain balance and proper footing in diverse trail conditions. We will hike between 10-15 miles a day with a backpacking pack weighing anywhere between 30-45 pounds (depending on how many personal items you bring). Class 5 tours tend to be 4-5 hiking days and we may not utilize any base camps meaning we may be backpacking with packs every day. Age range tends to be 20-50. Please contact us if you are not in that age window, but still think you qualify. Start Location: On the first night we meet at 6:00 p.m. at North Rim Campground inside the North Entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. The next morning we'll drive approximately 25 miles along National Forest FIRE ROADS to the Bill Hall Trailhead. PLEASE NOTE: A 4WD Vehicle is HIGHLY recommended! End Location: We will exit at the Bill Hall Trailhead at the North Rim. Trip Itinerary: Day 1: Meet your guides and the other group members at North Rim Campground, inside Grand Canyon National Park. We have an evening trip orientation, a wonderful dinner, and a brief gear check before resting for an early start in the morning. Dinner included. Day 2: After breakfast, we drive approximately 1 hour along main and fire roads to the Bill Hall Trailhead and begin our 11 mile descent from the rim to our campsite for the next two nights just above the Colorado River. We’ll descend through layer after layer of white, yellow, tan, and rust-red limestone, sandstone and shale, deep into the dark schist and ancient granite dating back nearly 2 billion years. Just before camps we'll stop by the beautiful Deer Creek Spring: an amazing waterfall of water shooting right out from a rock cliff (pictured below). We’ll establish camp at the beautiful Deer Creek Valley Campground and enjoy dinner together. Breakfast and Dinner included. Bring your own variety of quick foods to be eaten as lunch and grazed on constantly throughout the day each day. Energy bars and drinks as well as trail mix, bagels, salami, etc. are all good choices. Mileage: ~11 miles Elevation Start: 7200ft Elevation End: 2400ft Day 3: After breakfast, options include either resting all day by the creek or taking a short day hike to nearby narrows (pictured below) or an even longer, short day hike down to the Colorado River to see the gigantic Deer Creek Falls (pictured below). If people are full of energy, we'll day hike a longer 5 miles to the Tapeats Rapids area to see the Tapeats Creek and Spring. We'll ultimately return to the previous nights campsite for dinner. Breakfast and Dinner provided. Mileage: Variable/Max required - 0 miles Elevation Start: 2400ft Elevation End: 2400ft Day 4: After breakfast, we'll get an early start to begin our hike out of the Canyon going the same way we came in, but only going about 8 miles out where we'll camp in the beautiful, open Esplanade area (pictured below). Excellent sunsets and star gazing await! Breakfast and Dinner provided. Mileage: ~8 miles Elevation Start: 2400ft Elevation End: 5200ft Day 5: On the last day we will hike the last 3 miles up and out of the Canyon. Most trips finish by noon, but please do not make plans anytime early that day. You may consider staying in Las Vegas or elsewhere that night and take a early flight the next morning. Breakfast included. Mileage: ~3 miles Elevation Start: 5200ft Elevation End: 7200ft Note on itinerary: Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control. This trip is operated rain or shine. Trip Preparedness: This trip is Class 5. Participants will be carrying their own backpacks with weights of 30-40 lbs. over exceptionally steep and rocky terrain with constant and dramatic elevation gain and/or loss. Please make sure your backpack is fitted to your body before the trip. Trip members need to in superior physical condition. To maximize your enjoyment of the trip, we strongly encourage participants to be involved in a training regimen before the trip. Day hiking with 30-40 lbs in the pack you intend to hike with on the trip and making sure your hiking boots are broken in before your trip is key. Trip Price Includes: Professional instruction and guiding; all dinners on day one through day four, all breakfasts from day two through day five; drinks, group cooking gear; group first aid kit, water filters; campsite and backcountry permit fees. Not included: Transportation from your hometown to group meeting point; park entrance fees; insurance of any kind; lunches; snacks and energy food; energy drinks; alcoholic beverages (please do not bring); soft drinks; guide gratuities and items of a personal nature. Directions to meeting point: On the first night we meet at 6:00 p.m. at the North Rim Campground inside the North Entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. There will be signs posted at the campground indicating where the Backcountry Founds group will meet. Grand Canyon National Park NORTH RIM is located 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67; the canyon rim is an additional 14 miles south. Jacob Lake is located in northern Arizona on Highway 89A, not far from the Utah border. Emergency Contact Information: If you encounter any difficulties on your way to Yosemite, please call your guide’s cell phone at 415.710.8158. Please leave your name, a phone number where you can be reached and an explanation of the problem. Once you are in the field on this trip there is no easy way to contact you; typically cell phones do not work in the backcountry. Tipping Guidelines: Tipping at the end of the trip is optional. If you feel your guide(s) did an outstanding job and would like to reward them for their efforts, $5-$15 dollars per day, per guide is a suggested guideline. Closest Airport(s): Major: Las Vegas, 4.5 hours Important Information about Air Travel: Contact Backcountry Found prior to purchasing your airline tickets to confirm the trip has the minimum number of participants required to operate. Who are our guides: Our guides are rigidly selected for appropriate levels of expertise in backcountry travel skills. In addition, they each hold at least Wilderness First Responder medical certifications. [Click HERE for more information on our guides] Weather: Daytime temperatures usually range between 60o - 90o F but can sometime climb even higher. Evening temperatures drop into the 40s - 50s or even lower. While rain in general is rare, there is always the possibility of rain, so adequate rain gear is important, even in this arid landscape. |
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