Saturday, April 6, 2002

I got up around 4 and started my ritual of taping my feet.  The wind had finally stopped and a peek outside the tent revealed a beautiful clear sky.  The stars were magnificent.  I got out of the tent and started boiling some water for coffee.  It would be a while until there was a little light out.  I packed my camp up and started heading out at sunrise.  By this time a weather front had definitely moved in again.  The clouds were looking a little dark and ominous.  Maybe it was best that I was leaving the mesa. 

 I was talking with another hiker heading down to Miner’s spring on my hike out.  As a result, I took the spur trail that went west instead of heading south up through the mines.  I quickly realized my error and corrected my course.  I started my methodical climb up those wonderful cobblestones.  The clouds were getting darker and as I approached the Coconino Saddle, I could here the wind howling through the gap.   I took my first good pit stop just below the saddle  to shelter myself from the wind.  The trees above were really swaying.  After about a 15 minute break, I put my cap into my pocket and headed up.  The wind really was blowing across the southern face.  I didn’t get any reprieve until I rounded the western face of the ridge. 

 I continued to pick my way up.  Thank God for hiking poles.  They really did help going both up and down this trail.  A couple of times I had to stop to dislodge a pole that became stuck between gaps in the stones.  The climb out wasn’t all that bad and I had made about a mile per hour.  I felt as though the hike up was easier, however it took me just as long.  

It was really cold on the rim and the temperature was starting to drop rapidly.  It had already dropped to 52 degrees and would get colder throughout the day.  The cold weather was back.   It was only 9 AM so I decided to drive over to see Desert View Watchtower and the Tusayan Ruins. 

 My first stop back at the south rim village was the backcountry office to see what may be available.  They had both Hermit Creek and Indian Gardens.   I mulled that one over for a second.  I have never been over at the Hermit area, yet I always wanted to check out Indian Gardens and Plateau Point.  I decided to opt for the latter, I figured shorter hike and I could explore the area around Plateau Point.  My luck continued to hold and I was able to get a room over at Maswick Lodge.   I seriously doubted my luck would have been this good if it had been in the middle of the summer and at the height of the tourist season. 

Trails:  Grandview Trail.  This trail is non-maintained.  The trail starts from Grandview point and ends at Horseshoe Mesa.  All junctions are marked with signs.  There is no water at Horseshoe Mesa.  The closest water is Miner's (Page) Spring or continue down to Cottonwood Creek another 1.5 miles.  The trail is steep on some of the upper portions.  There are a few washouts as you descend below the Coconino Saddle but are easy to traverse.  There are only one narrow 30 foot section that traverses across some scree.

Distance traveled: 3 miles. Time: 3 hrs. 

Difficulty: Strenuous.