Oct 4: Nankoweap

The Grand Canyon.

We woke up early and got moving because it was cold. After some road walking, we got to Nankoweap trailhead, which was full of campers and vanlifers. The views would normally be great, but were quite hazy due to smoke, so we didn't hang around and began our descent. Actually there was a little climbing at first, but then we started descending. Then a lot of hot, hot contouring, then more, and hotter descending where the bottoms of your feet are getting hot and every one of your toes is curled in your shoes because the trail is so steep and the rock is so shitty. (Apparently NPS says Nankoweap is the hardest named trail in the park? Wouldn't want to climb it. Seems like people who do cache water on the way down. They're gonna need it.)

Finally, burning feet made it to flat, cactus-filled ground, and running water in Nankoweap creek. It was only a couple inches deep, but washing socks and myself, brushing teeth, and hydrating potatoes was delightful. We also chatted with other hikers, one of whom turned out to be a guide on a commercial rafting trip, and was very nice. Great, ride across the river solved! We hiked down the creek to the Colorado, chatting up other hikers (apparently a non-famous but recognizable actor from a famous hiking-related movie was on the river trip?) The creek dwindled and the day was hot, but we cheerily approached the river trip, they non-cheerily gave us a weird vibe, we explained what we were doing, asked for a ride across the river, and they said yes, they'd give us a ride literally straight across the river. Is there a use trail over there? Would that cliff us out immediately? They could not have cared less.

Maybe this is the rule (only give hikers a ride directly across the river, and not down it an inch) and this guy is a stickler? Then he should have said as much. One stickler to another, I would appreciate his game. I get it man, I grew up Mormon. Obedience uber alles. (Actually this trip leader was clearly just a dick.)

I'd been totally confident that getting a ride across the river and down a couple miles would be easy. Like if I thru-hiked the AT last year, and this year drove out to the trail for a day hike, had space in my car, and saw current thru-hikers hitching for a resupply in the direction I was driving, I'd have to be a total jerk to not pick them up. But maybe this wasn't going to be easy.

We backtracked and just started heading south (west, whatever. Downriver. The way we needed to go.) The use trail along the river seemed fine, but following it for miles wasn't guaranteed to be great. Didn't matter, the next rafting group we came upon was amazing. Everything I imagined. Yes we'll take you "across" the river to where you actually need to go. Would you like dinner? Alcohol? Can we take your trash? Got any cool stories? Yes. Yes, please. Yes and thank you. Yes, I believe I do and I'd be happy to share them and hear yours as well. 

After we confirmed we'd arranged a ride for tomorrow morning we did a short hike to the Nankoweap granaries and back, and then spent the whole evening eating and relaxing with our new friends. It was really fun and it's possible I'll be putting in for the permit lottery from now on.