We've had a relatively mild summer so far, but this week the temps finally got up to 105, which is the point for me when I finally say that it's hot! One of the best places to escape is only a 3 hour drive, half of it on a fairly decent dirt road out to a place in the Grand Canyon's remote north rim, name "Swamp Point" of all things. I'm not sure about the name, because there is definitely not a swamp nor any kind of water out on this skinny peninsula of forested rim at 7500' elevation, with high temps in the 70s and plenty of big ponderosa pines providing shade. This one-night backpack trip was Mike's idea--we actually came out here 9 years ago--but this time we wanted to get all the way to Dutton Point to set up camp.
After descending 1000' to Muav Saddle, you climb back up to Powell Plateau and follow the rim for 7 miles. This is the kind of sneak peak of the canyon that you get along the way through the trees.
Finally, after bushwhacking for several hours through big thorny bushes, you get to Dutton Point, with this great view of the river and virga raining down in the canyon.
It sprinkled on us for a couple of hours around sunset, but the skies cleared, the moon came out, and the next morning we were treated with this incredible sunrise.
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