Date of Event: August 30 - September 1 2008
Attendance: 5 adults, 5 scouts
Trip report written by: Chris
Cropley
During Labor Day weekend, the troop went on its annual Grand Canyon
rim-to-rim backpacking trip. There were 5 adults and 5 scouts that went
on this year’s trip. Fortunately, all of them made it to the other side
The adventure started on Saturday with a long hike ahead of us. Our
goal was to hike 14 miles from the North Rim to Phantom Ranch. It may
seem like a long way, but it is all downhill and flat terrain. As you
would expect, there were some spectacular views along the way. I had to
stop hiking every so often to admire the views and take pictures.
Cottonwood campground was situated half way to Phantom Ranch (7 mile
mark). We stopped here to eat lunch, relax and enjoy the creek. The
water was cold and felt good on my already tired and sore feet. After
lunch and a futile attempt to take a nap, it started raining. Everyone
put on their rain gear and headed out on the trail. The rain didn’t last
long and held off for the rest of the hike to Phantom Ranch.
We arrived at Phantom Ranch late in the day. After 14 miles of
hiking, no one felt like exploring what the Ranch had to offer. We took
naps, ate dinner and relaxed before bed. Shortly after midnight it
started to rain. Everyone scrambled to get their gear covered to stay
dry. I lay under my 5X8 tarp on top of a picnic table while the rain
poured down. Some went for cover under a nearby overhang of rocks. The
rain stopped after a few hours.
We spent Sunday morning at Phantom Ranch playing games in the
canteen, exploring the area and drying our wet gear. Shortly after lunch
we packed up our gear and hiked the 4.5 miles to Indian Gardens. Along
the way, we made a stop at Ribbon Falls to enjoy the view and take some
photos.
Indian Gardens was a lush, green oasis compared to the rest of the
Canyon. The shade from the abundant trees was very much welcomed. In the
evening we attended a range program who discussed a wide range of
topics. We didn’t get any rain, but it was very windy all night long.
Monday morning was our last day in the canyon. We got up at 5:15, ate
a quick breakfast, packed up our gear and headed out. The last 4.5 miles
out of the canyon was the hardest. The steep uphill terrain combined
with my tired and aching feet made for slow progress. After 2.5 hours of
hiking, I finally made it out!
