Mike from New Mexico (the guy our family met on our Yampa trip) invited me to go backpacking for about a week with his long time Grand Canyon backpacking friends, who are also from NM. So the ten of us met at Phantom Ranch. I came down the North Kaibab 14 miles, and they descended the South Kaibab. After meeting, we hiked a couple of more miles up the steep climb to the Tonto to the west, up to Utah Flats, where we spent our first night. The next five days would be spent further back in upper Phantom Canyon, where we spent the days exploring lower Phantom Canyon with its neat waterfalls and slots, and also upper upper Phantom. In upper upper Phantom there is an old hippie camp where we stayed one night, and checked out the redwall ascent to the Shiva Saddle. The last night was back to Utah Flats, and then it was 16 miles of uphill for 6000' vertical back to my truck.
View of Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, from the route to Utah Flats.
Me next to the waterfall in Phantom Canyon.
This rattlesnake was unseen by all of us for 24 hours, right next to our camp. I unknowingly sat and played cards with it just 3 feet above my head on this ledge. It did not move very much due to the cold.
Sunset from my last night on Utah Flats.
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