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I called the person who was supposed to be my ride out to the South Bass trailhead and he said that he was still willing to give it a try but he was not optimistic about being able to get out there. His pickup truck was not 4WD and would most likely be stopped by the first major flood area which were apparently quite numerous. The problem is not so much the water itself but the deep, slick mud that forms when the soil becomes saturated with water. We both decided that it would probably be better to give up on South Bass for this trip.
After breakfast at the Bright Angel Lodge I headed over to the Backcountry Office to try for a Plan B. I already knew what I wanted, several nights in the Clear Creek area, but I didn't know if I would be able to get it on such short notice.
It was already too late to start anything today and there was nothing available for tomorrow but I lucked out in that Clear Creek was available for the rest of the week. There was still nothing available at Bright Angel Campground for the first night but the backcountry ranger suggested Cremation Canyon which would make for a very easy first day but a rather longish second one if I went all the way to Clear Creek. The other option would be going all the way across and then two miles up the Clear Creek trail to camp on the other side of river. I opted for Cremation Canyon as it allowed more flexibility for that second day.
I spent the rest of the day just wandering around the rim taking photos. I would have another day to kill on the rim before the start of my hike so I decided I would do a day hike over to Dripping Springs on the Hermit and Dripping Springs trails.
I also lost the room I had at Maswik Lodge but was able to get one at Bright Angel Lodge for the next two nights.
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