Sunday, April 7, 2002

 Another early rise, breakfast at Maswick and decent into the canyon at 6:40.  It was cold!  It was about 36 degrees out and I was wearing my fleece jacket and gloves, polypro shirt, and a hat.  As I descended the bright Angel Trail heading to Indian Gardens, I would pass several hikers heading up in nothing but shorts and a T-shirt.   They looked at me like I was crazy to be so bundled up.  They would learn as soon as they stopped and that cold wind hit them.   I had to laugh I passed one hiker heading up; he looked like a traveling gypsy with all the extraneous gear hanging off his pack.  He had a king size pillow strapped to backpack, two 2 liter Pepsi bottles with water attached with string on each side (swaying with each step), pad, and a sundry of other gear.  I couldn’t help but to just stopped and gawk at him awhile.  I should have taken a picture

 I started to ditch clothing at the 1 ½ Mile Rest House and then the polypro at 3 Mile Rest House.  I made it into Indian Garden by 8:30 and pretty much at the choice of any campsite.  I saw one site shaded nicely by some cottonwoods, but had to wait for the deer to vacate the area.  They could not care that I was just a few feet away.  A rock squirrel propped himself on the stonewall and played king of the hill squeaking out his presence.   That racket would continue for at least 30 minutes.

 After I set up camp, I headed up to the ranger station to talk to one of the rangers.  I knew the general location of the Anasazi ruins but I wanted to get a more precise location.  I wasn’t too far off and I did receive the stern warning about disturbing archeological artifacts. I understand, and unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people out there are willing to take souvenirs or just plain vandalize the site.   As a result I will not be mentioning the location here in this trip report (even though they are probably one of the better known sites). 

 Since I did not need extra water bottles or a purifier for this part of the trip, I was able to use the space to take a long my daypack.  This was big help and my first destination was out to Plateau Point.  To get to the Plateau Point trail, follow the Bright Angel trail down through Indian Gardens an make a left at the mule stables.  The trail crosses Garden Creek and heads up on to the Tonto platform.   The trail is relatively flat and there is water point located at Plateau Point. 

Plateau Point is a great spot to view the inner gorge and the Colorado river.   The river is absolutely gorgeous at this time of the year as it is a bright emerald green.  I lounged out in the sun for a while relaxing.  I did take about a half a dozen pictures for people who were either day hiking or who wandered out from Indian Gardens. I was about to start charging a fee (grin).   I stayed out there just long enough until a herd of people from two mule trains arrived with their box lunches.  I headed off the plateau and stopped awhile to chat with the wranglers.  Good people.  I headed back to camp and grabbed lunch, snooze, swap out socks, and prepare for my afternoon hike to the ruins.

 The hike to the ruins wasn’t too bad and not that far away. They were also easy to find, especially since there is this big sign affixed to a boulder stating that you are entering an archeological site and that there is a $250,000 fine for disturbing them in any way.   I am actually very fascinated with the way that the site is constructed and the means in which the Anasazi cemented together the stones.  I continued on the trail for a while skirting the plateau for about another mile.  I eventually turned around and headed back to camp.  I crashed for a while along Garden Creek on a nice flat rock under a Cottonwood.  The air was filled with the floating seeds of the trees.   Wonderful.

 I cleaned up and had an early dinner chatting with a number of other hikers.  At about 5:30, most of the camp was heading to Plateau Point for the sunset.  I had already logged about 10.5 miles and figured I was done for the day.  Another solo hiker staying at the site next to me was trying to coerce me into heading out again.  “How often to you get to do this?”  Good point.  I put the boots back on and hoofed it out there.  What’s another 3 miles (easy ones at that).  About half the camp gathered on the plateau for a wonderful sunset.   Eventually one by one they would leave back for camp.  I was one of three guys left.  It turns out that the other two who were from the Phoenix area, who grew up in the same region of New Jersey as I had.  Three Jersey boys on the plateau.  We chuckled for a while and swapped stories.   I finally bailed and headed back in the growing dark.  Fortunately I was only about a third of a mile from camp when my headlamp started to fail.  The light was growing dimmer by the minute.  I made it back to the site as it failed.  Finished off the evening with dessert and a little reading.  The winds were back and it was getting chilly.  Time to crawl into the tent.  

Trails:  Plateau Point Trail.  The trail can be picked up near the mule stables at Indian Gardens.  The trail is fairly easy and leads out to Plateau Point. This trail is non-maintained.  There is water near the area where they tie up the mules.

Bright Angel Trail (from Indian Gardens to the South Rim).  This trail is a corridor trail and is well maintained.  All junctions are marked with signs.  There is water at Indian Gardens, 3 mile and 1-1/2 mile rest houses There are toilets at Indian Gardens and 1-1/2 mile rest house. There is an emergency phone at the Indian Gardens.  The trail is very wide in most places.  Expect to be passed by mule trains heading down to Phantom Ranch and Plateau Point.

Distance traveled: Plateau Point Trail: 1.5 miles. Time: 40 min. 

Bright Angel Trail (from Indian Gardens to the South Rim): 4.5 miles. 

Difficulty: Plateau Point Trail: Easy.

Bright Angel Trail (from Indian Gardens to the South Rim): Moderately Strenuous