All Hikers - Grandview - Tonto - Grandview trip report.

ALL HIKERS

DAY 1: GRANDVIEW POINT TO COTTONWOOD CREEK

I'm up around 5:30, pack my gear, eat at the McDonald's in Tusayan, and drive to Grandview Point. No one is here when I arrive a little after 7:00. This is one of those trailheads that's usually pretty crowded, even early in the morning. As I start down, I can see Horseshoe Mesa right away with its distinctive horseshoe shape.


Grandview trailhead sign 4-29-2009 @ 7:29	Horseshoe Mesa from the top 4-29-2009 @ 7:33	Horseshoe Mesa 4-29-2009 @ 7:30

I normally don't hike this late in the spring due to the increased temperatures in the inner Canyon. However, I'm doing a week-long raft trip through the Grand Canyon in a few days, so I thought I could fit in this hike just before the raft trip. A benefit to this late start is that the Canyon is ablaze with blooming flowers. I can't recall ever seeing this variety or quantity of flowers before.


Small-Flowered Milkvetch 4-29-2009 @ 7:51	Indian Paintbrush 4-29-2009 @ 7:59	Western Blue Flax 4-29-2009 @ 8:05


Desert Phlox 4-29-2009 @ 8:56	Sand-Verbena 4-29-2009 @ 8:58	Slender Janusia 4-29-2009 @ 8:58


Scarlet Penstemon 4-29-2009 @ 9:09	Globemallow 4-29-2009 @ 9:51	Purple Mat 4-29-2009 @ 10:07

I seem to be making pretty good time and still have not seen anyone else. Many sections of the trail still have the original stone paving completed over a century ago.


View back to the South Rim 4-29-2009 @ 8:53	Plateau Lizzard 4-29-2009 @ 9:18	South Rim from the mesa 4-29-2009 @ 10:01

In about two hours, I round the corner by the Last Chance Mine and meet a group of four guys who are just hiking out. We chat a while and take turns getting each other's picture. I give them detailed instructions for finding Cave of the Domes when they venture this way again. That feature is incorrectly shown on many maps and they were unable to find it using their map. I never cease to be amazed that Pete Berry could mine copper on Horseshoe Mesa, transport the ore to the rim by mules, refine it there, and make the operation pay.


Group by Last Chance Mine 4-29-2009 @ 9:46	Richard by Last Chance Mine 4-29-2009 @ 9:48

There are a lot of mining remnants still on the mesa. A tin can pile is just below the mine as is Pete Berry's stone mining claim marker from 1892. I quickly reach the trail junction for Cottonwood Creek, but don't see the main "Horseshoe Mesa" sign that was here my last time down.


Tin can pile on the mesa 4-29-2009 @ 9:50	Last Chance Mine claim marker 4-29-2009 @ 9:53	Cottonwood Creek sign 4-29-2009 @ 9:54

The cook's cabin on Horseshoe Mesa seems to have deteriorated some since my last trip here. It is disturbing to see that someone has removed the large cooking pot from the fireplace and damaged it. I don't understand why people can't leave historic artifacts alone. Click here to see two pictures of original buildings at Horseshoe Mesa taken around 1903.


Cook's cabin on the mesa 4-29-2009 @ 9:55	Old pot at cook's cabin 4-29-2009 @ 9:55	Cook's cabin on the mesa 4-29-2009 @ 9:56

Just north of the cook's cabin is a branch in the trail. The right fork goes to the group camp site. I take the left fork, which leads to Cave of the Domes and the northwest arm of the mesa. I'm going to explore the northwest corner and then make the descent off the north approach, things I haven't done before.


Trail junction - Horseshoe Mesa 4-29-2009 @ 9:58	Hedgehog Cactus in bloom 4-29-2009 @ 10:09

I reach the northwest arm of the mesa in about twenty-five minutes. I drop my pack on the trail at the descent point and explore some out on the arm. Only light scrambling is required to reach the end. The views are quite good in all directions.


NW arm of Horseshoe Mesa 4-29-2009 @ 10:24	West view from NW arm 4-29-2009 @ 10:43	North view from NW arm 4-29-2009 @ 10:44

I retrieve my pack and start down the north side. I was hoping this descent would be a lot easier than the other two sides, but it's not. While it isn't quite as steep as the east or west approach, it does seem to go on forever. Near the bottom, I meet a husband and wife coming uphill who did a dry camp last night on the Tonto. There are more blooming flowers everywhere.


Fleabane Daisy 4-29-2009 @ 10:51	Bigelow's Linanthus 4-29-2009 @ 10:53

I finally reach the bottom and the Tonto Trail and then turn back to the west. This route will cause me to backtrack about 1.5 miles before reaching Cottonwood Creek. I am hot, tired, and hungry when I pull into camp around 1:00. Someone has gone to a lot of effort to construct some interesting rock art on the creek bed. There is a large group of eleven people here, but I am in no mood to hunt for a separate campsite, so I just plop my stuff down at the end of where they are by a wall. One advantage to my location is that the wall is blocking the sun, so I can have lunch in the shade and then take a short nap out of the heat.


Some interesting rock art 4-29-2009 @ 1:02	My campsite the first night 4-29-2009 @ 3:40	Century Plant 4-29-2009 @ 3:43

Cottonwood Creek is flowing quite well, so filtering water is not an issue. It turns out that ten members of the large group are from Los Alamos and one guy is from Albuquerque.


Cottonwood Creek 4-29-2009 @ 3:45	Cottonwood Creek 4-29-2009 @ 3:48	Group from Los Alamos 4-29-2009 @ 3:49

My plan for tomorrow is to get up a little early and travel the Tonto to the southeast around to Hance Creek.

MAIN INDEX | HIKING INDEX | BACK TO PREFACE | FORWARD TO DAY 2