Outdoor Travel Adventures

Here is your chance to hike and explore the Grand Canyon, the great abyss touted as one of the wonders of the world. The constantly changing sunlight reflecting from the sculpted, pastel canyon walls creates different images from the blaze of early sunrise, to high noon, to the gentle light of evening. Join this small (9 participants) group for a week of backpacking and camping under the stars. Light pollution near our metropolitan areas makes us forget what starry skies look like. You will be amazed at how brilliant they are.  October is a perfect time to visit the southwest.  The coolness of autumn relieves the intense desert heat. While still busy, the park will see a lessening of the tourist throngs of summer.

We will take several days to access a remote area of the canyon using trails not visited by most hikers. Once settled, we will day hike, following the tracks of coyote as we explore the side canyons and washes and attempt to understand this immense place. Finally, reluctantly, we will hike back out to civilization.

The trip begins with the greatest downhill hike in the world. Far below is the Colorado River, looking so quiet and tame from this height. As we descend, passing layers of different colored rock, we go back in time until finally we stand beside the roaring Colorado. Its power inspires awe for the exploits of
John Wesley Powell, the first man to traverse the canyon by boat. But what goes down must come up, and after a few days exploring we will follow a different route back to the canyon rim. It is difficult to imagine that any place could measure up to the publicity the canyon receives, but it does. Come and see for yourself.

Back country permits are required to access the regions we will visit in Grand Canyon National Park. Your leader will obtain the group permits when they become available. Until then, we will not know the extact route. A tentative itinerary follows.

Saturday      Oct. 9:    Rendezvous at Phoenix airport around noon and drive approximately 2 hours to our hotel in Flagstaff.

Sunday       Oct. 10:   Begin hike into the interior of the canyon.

Monday      Oct. 11:   Continue hiking into the canyon.

Tuesday      Oct. 12:   Arrive at interior base camp.

Wednesday  Oct. 13:  Dayhike from base camp.

Thursday     Oct. 14:  Dayhike or begin return hike via a new route

Friday         Oct. 15:   Continue hiking out.

Saturday      Oct. 16:  Complete hike out of canyon, drive to Phoenix (approximately 4 hours)  and stay at a hotel in Phoenix.

Sunday        Oct. 17:  Depart Phoenix for home.

The trip price of $1099 includes transportation from Phoenix and return, two nights hotel lodging, double occupancy, food, permits and guides. Airfare, approximately $400 roundtrip from Rochester or Buffalo, NY, is extra. A $300, non-refundable, deposit is required to register for the trip. The balance is due by August 11, 2004.

For additional information, contact the leader, Rick French, at Box 82, South Lima, NY 14558, telephone 585 346-5597 or email: info@PackPaddleSki.com.