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Ribbon Falls diversion – Rim to Rim Grand Canyon – Day 2 – Part 3

Cottonwood camp North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaGood morning Amy
Cottonwood Camp at 4080 feet (1244 meters) was established in the 1920s as a layover for mule parties coming down from the North Rim. We human mules only carried 25 pound packs down 4170 feet (1275 meters) in 6.8 miles (10.9 km) on Day 1. After coffee and oatmeal, which presumably lightened the load, we felt good and ready to hit the trail early for Phantom Ranch including the Ribbon Falls diversion.
North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaOza Butte glows under the morning sun
The campground is across from the intersection of The Transept and Bright Angel canyons.
North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaView back up to where the lodge is on Bright Angel Plateau
We waved at the lodge visitors lounging on the veranda and started our 7.9 mile (13 km) hike.
Ribbon Falls North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaRibbon Falls
We took the side trail, 1.3 miles (2.1 km) out of Cottonwood campground, to Ribbon Falls. It’s a shorty, but we dropped our packs off on some boulders just off the main trail taking only water and cameras.
Monkey flowers Ribbon Falls North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaMonkey flowers
This moist microclimate contrasts drastically with the surrounding desert. It’s so amazing to see waterfalls in the otherwise dry canyon bottom. It felt good to stand in the spray and soak our bandanas as the temperature climbed towards 80F/26.6C.
Ribbon Falls North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaAmy almost behind the waterfall
Ribbon Creek flows through limestone dissolving and transporting calcium carbonate which then forms the travertine mound below the falls.
Ribbon Falls North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaLooking through Ribbon Falls at the canyon walls
We continued to follow the slippery trail around the horseshoe shaped amphitheater.
Ribbon Falls North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaJan coming down the slope
Ribbon Creek North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaRibbon Creek
Then came down slope back to Ribbon Creek and the trail back to the North Kaibab where we continued on into The Box.
Dragonfly North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaDragon fly
After living in the desert so long I haven’t seen one of these in a while (other than on some other’s fabulous blogs).

 

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Past Roaring Springs Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Day 1 – Part 2

Redwall Bridge North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaAmy and Jan
Only 2.6 miles down on this fall 2009 rim to rim we crossed this chasm on the Redwall Bridge built across Roaring Springs Canyon and fault after a major flood in 1966 wiped out much of the North Kaibab Trail.
We were constantly in awe.
From here the surroundings were pure desert…
North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaAmy below seeps
…except where ground water from the rim has percolated through the rock layers to an impervious layer and seeps out to form micro environments with ferns. The Redwall Limestone was deposited 340 million years ago when a sea covered this area and it’s really not red at all. It’s a typical beige limestone stained by iron oxides from several layers up. The white streaks are salt deposits from the water.
Eye of the Needle North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaEye of the Needle
This narrow section of trail was blasted through the Redwall Limestone.
As we hiked we stopped to chat with a few other hikers asking and answering the same basic questions: Where you from, where did you start hiking, where are you headed, is this your first canyon hike? We ran into a few people again in camps along the way.
Temple Butte Formation North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaTemple Butte Formation
Sandwiched under the Redwall Limestone, small and isolated lens-shaped channel deposits show where the fingers of estuaries reached into the sea some 365 million years ago.
Fossil North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaBrachiopod fossil in Muave Limestone
Most prominently seen below the Redwall Limestone, the Tonto Group reveals a transgressive sequence of the gradual invasion of seas moving in across the land some 500 million years ago. The Muave Limestone was deposited in quiet waters with limy sediments and is the youngest of this group.
Roaring Springs North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaRoaring Springs
When percolating surface water reaches the Muave Limestone it can form a water table that drains through caverns and emerges into waterfalls like Roaring Springs. This water source supplies all needs for both the North and South Rims.
A side trail takes you to the base of the falls and a spigot for drinking water. But this is the spigot that has been broken most of the summer, so water from the falls must be filtered. We opted to forgo the side trip and get water a mile further on.
Bright Angel shale North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaBright Angel Shale
The next oldest deposit in the Tonto Group represents an accumulation of muds from delta like deposits. Amy looked for Trilobite fossils here, but no luck.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaYellow-bellied Sapsucker
Stopped to fill water bottles at the Roaring Springs Ranger Residence and spotted this sapsucker. Mostly we heard Cactus Wrens barely catching sight of them swiftly flitting across the trail.
Bright Angel Creek North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaBright Angel Creek
Saw a few American Dippers in the creek, but they were too fast for me to photograph.
Tapeats sandstone North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaTapeats Sandstone
Third, and oldest, layer of the Tonto Group reveals a beach or shoreline environment.
Tapeats sandstone North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaTapeats Sandstone up close
The Tonto Group represents at least 50 million years of deposits starting with the beach (Tapeats Sandstone), mud delta (Bright Angel Shale) and shallow sea (Muave Limestone).
Below the Tonto lies the oldest revealed rock in Grand Canyon. You’ll have to come back to see that sparkly stuff because we saw it on day two of the hike.
North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaApproaching Cottonwood campground in Bright Angel Canyon
It was a long day of hiking down 4170 feet in 6.8 miles (1271 m in 10.9 km) to our first camp and we all felt a good kind of tired.
Moth North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaLichen Moth Lycomorpha fulgens
Amy took charge and set up her tent, a two person that three of us spooned into. Then she cooked a delicious organic Mac and Cheese with tuna dinner. Little mice ran all around our feet and even nibbled on Amy’s toes. Jan and I cleaned up afterwards.
Cottonwood camp North Kaibab trail Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaCottonwood camp, Jan & Amy
During our cocoa toddy we saw the lights come on at the North Rim Lodge, watched the stars including a few shooters, and listened to the creek. It was an early to bed night as we had a 7 mile (11.3 km) hike, plus a side trip, the next day to Phantom Ranch and beyond to Bright Angel campground.
Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, National Parks and Monuments , , , 22 Comments

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim

North Kaibab Trail
Tuesday morning I’ll begin a rim to rim hike down the North Kaibab Trail with a friend, A, and her friend J from Washington State. This will be my third time, their first. I look forward to seeing the canyon with new eyes.

Coconino sandstone
Hope I don’t bore them to death talking about the wonder of the geology, plants and animals we’ll see.

Plateau Lizard
It will take us four days and three nights to hike this almost 24 miles across, one mile down and one mile up, camping along the way at Cottonwood, Bright Angel and Indian Gardens campgrounds.

Silver Bridge across Colorado River
You may remember how excited I was the first of June when I got a permit for the days we wanted.

Bright Angel trail to the South Rim
Friday night we’ll have real beds at a fellow Ranger’s house on the South Rim. Then Saturday we ride the Transcanyon Shuttle back to the North Rim. I’ve posted this hike on previous occasions, but will no doubt show you more.

Unlike some people, I don’t consider a rim to rim across the Grand Canyon to be a one day hike.

Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 33 Comments

Lijit

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