Beyond the Truck: Grand Canyon Solitaire

F5driver

Adventurer
I look forward to more articles from the Beyond the Truck series. I prefer a little suffering in my travels as well. The truck is just a tool to transport bikes, paddle boards, hunting rifles or skis. A time will come then the vehicle is the main focus, but not yet.
 

jgaz

Adventurer
I look forward to more articles from the Beyond the Truck series. I prefer a little suffering in my travels as well. The truck is just a tool to transport bikes, paddle boards, hunting rifles or skis. A time will come then the vehicle is the main focus, but not yet.

^^x2
I love the canyon as well. I'd have to check my notes but I'm closing in on 60 nights spent below the rim. Thanks for the article!
 

psykokid

Explorer
Christophe, please continue the Beyond the (vehicle) series. I'd like to see it developed enough to rate a distinct subsection under the Adventure banner. Like you, for many of us, vehicular travel is just one phase of a trip.

X2 on this! The vehicle makes it easier to get to far off trail heads where others cant go. Once at the trail head the real adventure begins! I try to keep a little life going in this section when I go on a trip by posting up a TR.
 

CSG

Explorer
I don't generally look at this section of the forum but I'm glad I came across this topic and went to read the full story that Christophe wrote. I am a child of the California 60's with a degree in Parks and Rec Admin (though I never actually worked in the field) and Colin Fletcher was a hero to so many of us. We learned what to buy and how to do it from his famous book, The Complete Walker. I still have my original copy and learned so much from this guy.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Wal...preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Now, at 67, I still get out there but no longer backpack. I do most of my longer trips with the relative comfort of my camping van and overnighters with my Lexus Land Cruiser. My hiking is day hiking now (I still get down to the bottom of Bryce Canyon for a day) but I regret never doing the Grand Canyon. I hiked a bit of Bright Angel 30+ years ago but never made it to the bottom.

So good on you, Christophe, for not letting things get in the way of living your life. I enjoy reading your posts and articles.
 

shifty98

Observer
Cool write up. Our family hiked to the bottom 2 years ago. As you know the sights are unbelievable. It became unfathomable to us that such a small percentage of visitors step over the rim. I guess that's what makes it so great though.
 

TripLeader

Explorer
I've had the good luck to have over a dozen nights under the rim probably right around 100 miles. I can't say enough good things about my experiences there. Thanks for sharing this.
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If the book The Man Who Walked Through Time impresses you, try The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko. It tells the story of human interaction with the Grand Canyon since the time of the the Spaniards exploring the Americas looking for cities of gold. One of the stories is about an even longer through hike along the canyon than the Through Time hike.
 

plainjaneFJC

Deplorable
Cool write up. Our family hiked to the bottom 2 years ago. As you know the sights are unbelievable. It became unfathomable to us that such a small percentage of visitors step over the rim. I guess that's what makes it so great though.

I hope next time I get to go we can actually spend some time in the bottom. I was so worried about making it back up last time that we probably only spent 20 minutes in the bottom.
 

Peneumbra2

Badger Wrangler
I've been to Phantom Ranch and vicinity five times - but never on my own power.

Took a mule ride once, at the insistence of my friend, a mule wrangler. This was before the season started, and there was ice on the trail. As soon was I got back up to the (South) Rim, I was able to relax.

Which might be called, Peace Of Ass. Or not...

The other times were via the GCNP helicopter (twice), and the AZ DPS Ranger helicopter (also twice). All SAR/EMS calls. And, honestly, it takes a lot of physical effort doing all that flying around - getting in the aircraft, getting out of the aircraft…
 

GB_Willys_2014

Well-known member
Here's a little piece I wrote up as part of our new Beyond the Truck series. As you know, not all of the coolest places in the world have wheeled access.

https://expeditionportal.com/beyond-the-truck-grand-canyon-solitaire/

View attachment 390081
A day late, but hopefully not a dollar short.

I just stumbled across this thread, and wanted to note my thanks for the article.

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Despite the rather morbid title, Ghiglieri et al. book Over the Edge - Death in the Grand Canyon is also a very good resource.

@TripLeader - I am also a fan of Fletcher's work ... The whole hiking naked thing notwithstanding :).

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@jgaz - You have me beat on nights under the Rim. I am somewhere between 45 and 50. :)
 

GB_Willys_2014

Well-known member
About 310 million years ago in what's now Arizona, a primitive creature trundled along on all fours through towering sand dunes that spilled into the sea. Normally, this creature's tracks would have vanished like other footfalls on a beach. But in a rare case, the tracks hardened into sandstone—preserving this flash of ancient behavior.

Rowland learned of the tracks by chance back in 2016, when a paleontologist friend of his was hiking the Grand Canyon with students. As they hiked Bright Angel Trail, the group saw a rock that had fallen out of the cliffside and cracked open.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...-trackways-fossils-grand-canyon-paleontology/

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The Canyon offers lots of opportunities to see fossils, but that these unique fossils were found on the main corridor trail is remarkable.
 

Timnausbauem

New member
Hey guys thanks for all the info. Haven't been to the Canyon, been planning for some time now, hopefully I get to do it this summer.
 

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