GRAND CANYON NANKOWEAP-TO-PHANTOM BACKPACK
September 19 - September 28, 2012


I. Trip overview

This will be a challenging 10-day Grand Canyon backpacking trip. Most of it will be off-trail, in parts of the Canyon where few have ever ventured. My baseline plan is to follow this itinerary but there are several different routes we can do, and there are detour options if we have water issues. Here's the map of the route I'd like to do and our permit:

(Click to enlarge)

Notice the "EXCESSIVELY DANGEROUS ITINERARY" warning. They are not kidding, this backpack is guaranteed to kick your ass in a wide variety different ways, but I'm confident we can do it safely. You should already have substantial backpacking experience, and you're not in awesome shape, you will need to train for this backpack. This route should be doable without any technical climbing equipment, but we will have harnesses, ropes, and a belay device just in case. If you've never climbed before, a visit to your local rock climbing gym is highly recommended. Expect a wide range of temperatures - it can be easily be in the 90s during the day, in the 40s at night, it can rain all day, it can be extremely windy, etc. Also, since this is a 10-day wildeness backpack, you will be hauling a quite a big weight.

There are two trail guides that cover this area; reading both of them before the trip is a good idea:

Trail guide 1
Trail guide 2


In all cases, we will start at the Nankoweap trailhead on the North Rim and end in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim. According to one of the guides above, this hike is doable in 8 days, but I would prefer to schedule it for 10 to have some padding and time to rest, so it's not a constant death march type deal. (Note that we're not doing this as a loop, so all descriptions of hiking beyond Phantom Ranch in the attached guides can be safely ignored.) Here's a route description and daily mileage estimate I submitted to the National Park Service:


These mileages might not look too bad, but being off-trail really amps up the difficulty level. There will be rock fields, steep slopes, and thorny plants to traverse while dealing with substantial elevation gains and losses and hauling a heavy backpack.

In terms of logistics, the dates for the actual hike are September 19-28. You'll probably want to get to Flagstaff several days before departure and have some padding afterwards, so scheduling vacation for about September 15-30 would be good. We will be leaving Flagstaff on a shuttle very early in the morning of September 19.


II. Equipment list

Off the top of my head, here are some things you should bring. This list is probably incomplete, so tell me if I forgot something. Optional stuff: I will bring:
III. Food

Everyone is responsible for bringing their own food! Sharing and forming food groups is encouraged, but make sure you have enough for yourself. We'll be in the wilderness for 8 days -- days 9 and 10 will be in the vicinity of Phantom Ranch where we'll be able to buy food if needed.

Bring calorie-dense, dry foods like pasta, rice, ramen, instant soups, trail mix, peanut butter, power bars, dried fruits, oatmeal, dehydrated meals, potato chips, cookies, crackers, croutons and other dry breads, powdered cheese, dry drink mixes (hot chocolate, Tang, Gatorade, etc.), bouillon cubes, and dry egg powder.


IV. Safety

Falls, heat exhaustion, hypothermia, dehydration, drowning, and snake and scorpion bites are some of the things that can go wrong. I'm a certified Wilderness First Responder and can provide short-term emergency medical care. If evacuation becomes necessary, there are opportunities to hike to the river and be taken out by boat. If things get really bad, I can use a satellite phone to request a helicopter evacuation.