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Happy Campers - October, 1995 - Mike |
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Tiyo Point Trip Report
On October 20, 1995, under a warm bright, blue sky, I pulled my car up to the locked gate at on the Tiyo Point Road on the North side of the Grand Canyon. The gate is less than half a mile from the Point Sublime Junction. I knew the weather had been hot and dry this year with no early snow so my pack was quite heavy with three gallons of water. The Aspens were bright yellow and orange but were losing their leaves as the wind blew. Heading due west from the road through the forest soon I was at the rim overlooking Dragon Creek! Oh well, a bit to far north. I then turned and compassed due south until I hit the rim overlooking Shiva temple and the Saddle. By this time the sun was setting so I hastily set up a camp for the night. A very nice day roaming the North Rim woods, but little real progress.
Early Saturday, I was off the rim and around to Shiva Saddle very easily. There is a trail the entire way, however, I did manage to lose it many times in bushes or where a slide covered it. Shiva Saddle has lots of good camps with a view and several overhangs on the east side. There are big rocks that collect water after a rain, but right now it was bone dry!
I set up a camp, then headed for Trinity with a daypack and three liters of water. The route drops straight off the narrow saddle on the east side till the last Supai member. At that point I contoured around for half a mile or so till I could drop down to the top of the Redwall. The sun was always in my face and it was HOT as I followed the redwall to the Trinity Saddle. The Redwall break into Trinity must be one of the easiest there is. My goal for the day was to continue down Trinity to connect with the Tonto route I had done years ago at the Anasazi ruin. I was hot and dry by the time I got there as the sun was still in my face. Trinity has no water, but I have found some in the granite that tasted ok. I have heard of people finding water here but it being salty. Almost all my water was gone when I started back up. There was also lots of brush and tall grass to contend with, but at least the sun was now on my back. I rested whenever I found some shade behind big boulders. Back at the top of the redwall I finished the last of my water and hoped for the best. The sun was dropping and I calculated I would arrive back at camp by dark. Coming up on the Phantom Redwall Route I decided to have a look in the main drainage and see how far I could go. Soon, however, I was dry falled out, the actual route being not in the main arm, but the next arm south. I do not know what the cairn was there for. But, I did find a couple of nice little pools of water several inches deep with little animals swimming in them. Edward Abbey always said that if there was life it was good to drink. So I bent down and drank my fill like a dog!! I have never tasted water so delicious!!! Refreshed I headed back to camp on the Saddle.
Sunday, about four am I awoke to a brisk cool breeze that would not let me go back to sleep. I anticipated a storm but no clouds ever came. Still early, I headed down the west side of Shiva Saddle to Dragon Creek. The route is steep but easy and fast and there is only one possibility. Before the sun even hit my forehead I was sitting at Dragon Spring drinking water from the source. I made a quick trip to the confluence with Crystal Creek to connect that line and then had a lunch at Dragon Spring. The bed above the spring is completely dry but is easy walking due to the flood in the 60's. Back up to Shiva saddle was the opposite of the day before, shade, a cool breeze, and I had almost too much water in my day pack.
Monday morning was up and out to the rim. Due north with the compass again, and then due east to the Tiyo Point road and back to the car. Typically for a North Rim route my shirt was ripped and I had a wide assortment of scratches, bruises, and thorns from the battle.
Mike
If anyone wants to share route info on the canyon please e-mail me. I am always looking for back country hiking partners as well! Cheers!
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