Summer 2013 Echo (2.4 MB pdf) - Arizona Sierra Club

Summer 2013 Canyon Echo 15Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.Deer Creek to Kanab Creek – An EpicGrand Canyon TrekBy Mitch StevensThings were not goingparticularly well, certainlynot as planned. We missedthe high route, supposedlyleading us above the Coloradoatop the Tapeats Sandstone.We were a mile westof Deer Creek, crawlingup a steep, rotten, crumblyslope under a broiling sun.For every two steps up, weslid a foot back. Sweat waspouring out of me, and dehydrationwas a concern. Iheard a crashing sound thensuddenly one of my hikingmates yelled, “Rock!” Apparently,a sizable boulder wasdislodged from above andcareened down the rock face,resembling a missile, missingme by just a few feet. If I hadbeen standing a little to theleft, I may have been crushedor swept off the cliff.This was the fourth dayof a nine-day backpackingjourney from MonumentPoint to Sowats Point. Thisclassic trek encompassed Thunder River,Tapeats Canyon, Deer Creek Narrows andFalls, the Colorado River, and the KanabCreek Wilderness – a loop of 55 miles. TheDeer Creek to Fishtail Canyon stretch wassupposedly the easier of the two-day slogalong the river. The next day’s walk was fromFishtail to Kanab and, in the estimation ofmany, the most difficult of the trip.But the scenery was sublime. The crystalclear acid-green Colorado wound sinuouslya few hundred feet below, cutting through1.7-billion-year-old Vishnu Schist and ZoroasterGranite, representing about a thirdof our planet’s history. Above the Tapeatson both sides of the river rose rock layers ofThe Patio. Photo by Mitch Stevens.the ages: Bright Angel Shale, Mauv, RedwallLimestone, Supai, Hermit Shale, CoconinoSandstone, Toroweap, and, finally, the Kaibabformation capping both rims. This prominentlimestone layer represents the youngestrocks of Grand Canyon, about 220 millionyears old. It was formed when a huge inlandsea covered much of western North Americaas the super continent Pangaea began tobreak apart.We safely climbed to the top of the Tapeatsand located our route, no worse for thewear. The following day’s hike, despite thedire warnings, proved to be fairly straightforward,a boulder-hopping, sand-slogging,and bushwhacking romp along the river.Outings LeadersHappy Hour/DinnerTuesday, July 95:30 p.m.Chili’s Grill2057 E. Camelback Rd., PhoenixMeet and visit with Sierra Club OutingsLeaders to share experiences, ideas, and materials. If you are not a leader yet butare thinking of becoming one, you are especially welcome. Chapter OutingsChair Jim Vaaler and Outings Vice-Chair Bev Full will be there to greet you.For more information, contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or bfull@cox.net.A day later, we entered a narrow cathedral-likecanyon off Kanab Creek known asWhispering Falls. The soaring pink canyonwalls were adorned with redbud trees, monkey-flowers,and ferns. The sound of drippingwater was our background accompaniment.It was as if we had arrived at an innersanctum of some sacred place of worship.After time well spent climbing and wadingthrough pools, we arrived at the aptly namedWhispering Falls. It’s a spring-fed, mosscoveredwaterfall spilling 125 feet into anemerald pool, perfect for a refreshing swim.Hiking GuidelinesScenes and experiences such as this make itall priceless, worthwhile, and why we continuereturning to the canyon country, timeand time again.Mitch is the Rincon Group’s Outings Chair.The Sierra Club is a nationwide organization with active local outings for members and non-members.Please join us as we make friends and explore life-enriching interests. Simply find an outing by dateand contact the leader for directions, reservations, time, and additional information. RESTRICTIONS: NOFIREARMS, RADIOS, OR PETS (unless noted otherwise). Outings are by reservation. Call early (group limit20). Each hike is rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.“A” >16 miles or > 3,000 ft. elevation change (EC)“B” 8–16 miles and 1,500–3,000 ft. EC“C” 3–8 miles, 500–1,500 ft. EC RT Round Trip“D”