Over The Hill: Grand Canyon Adventure Day 1.5

Once we cross the black bridge and enter Phantom Ranch we'll have traveled approximately 1/3 of the out journ

ey, 7 miles, with another 14 miles to go. Here's a detailed description of the North Kaibab Trail that stretches from the Phantom Ranch all the way up the aspen-shaded flanks of the North Rim. Starting from Phantom Ranch (see map at left), the 14-mile trail follows Bright Angel Creek as it burbles through open desert through a narrow gorge of nealy 2 billion year old rock, passses the Cottonwood Camp, and skirts the wall of the precipitous Roaring Springs Canyon (see map below). Starting from Phantom Ranch, we'll climb more than a mile (5,770 feet) of elevation on the way up.

The first few miles north of Phantom Ranch are relatively flat and deceptively easy. Shortly after leaving Phantom Ranch, you pass the side trail to Clear Creek (a terrific hike for another day). About six miles north of Phantom Ranch there's another well-signed side trail to Ribbon Falls. The quarter-mile trek to the falls is a great trip if you have an extra hour or so. Cottonwood Camp, developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, is about a mile north of Ribbon Falls. Its shady, vibrant green cottonwood trees are a welcome sight during a hot summer hike. Cottonwood Camp is about halfway between Phantom Ranch and the rim and along the way we'll have gained about 1,600 feet of elevation, but have nearly 4,200 more to go.

A little more than two miles north of Cottonwood Camp we'll pass Roaring Springs, a gorgeous cascade of water spilling out of a high canyon wall. Water from the springs, aided by a couple of pump houses, supplies both the North and South rims. There's a small picnic area about a quarter-mile down a side trail near Roaring Springs, but we'll still be five miles from the trailhead. The most scenic section lies ahead.

As we trudge up from the springs, the rugged, ever deepening gorge of Roaring Springs Canyon will lie at our feet. The Redwall Bridge, about two miles beyond Roaring Springs, sits atop the Redwall formation, a 500-foot-high layer of 330-million-year-old limestone. Its name to the contrary, the Redwall formation is actually gray; its outer surface has been stained by iron oxide in the layers above it. Several steep switchbacks take you from the bridge up to the Supai Tunnel, just beyond which you'll find water and restrooms. The Coconino Overlook, about a mile beyond, is a fine area in which to prepare for the final assault. While we're resting there we'll be able to look across the Canyon for the low silhouette of Humphreys Peak, some 60 miles to the south-southeast. The trail from the overlook to the rim, about three-quarters of a mile, is a pleasant, not-so-steep walk through ponderosa pine, white fir and quaking aspen. Allow at least eight hours for the strenuous 14-mile hike from Phantom Ranch to the North Rim. Add an hour or two for the side trip to Ribbon Falls. Of course here we're still two miles until the North Rim Lodge.