(There is a separate Trip Report for the car camping on that trip here.)

Gear, Lessons learned

Route

South Kaibab-Bright Angel Campground-Bright Angel Trail

• 1/10/2011 (10:41 a.m.¹) South Kaibab Trailhead->Bright Angel CG (4:15 p.m.)
• 1/11/2021 Bright Angel CG (9:39 a.m.) to Grand Canyon Village (5:27 p.m.) via Bright Angel Trail

Locations/Elevations Mileages

South Kaibab Trail

Location2	Elevation	Distance
South Kaibab Trailhead	7260′	start
Cedar Ridge	6120′	1.5 miles
Skeleton Point	5220′	3.0 miles
Tipoff	4000′	4.4 miles
Bright Angel Campground	2480′	7.0 miles

Bright Angel Trail

Location3	Elevation	Distance
Bright Angel Campground	2480′	start
River Resthouse	2480′	1.8 miles
Havasupai* Gardens	3800′	5.0 miles
Three-Mile Resthouse	4748′	6.5 miles
Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse	5729′	8.0 miles
Bright Angel Trailhead	6860′	9.5 miles

Planning

While at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at the end of 2007, I’d overheard a couple discussing with a NPS ranger backcountry permits for the Bright Angel site, at the bottom of the canyon near Phantom Ranch. I made a mental note to consider this in the near future. It’s a popular overnight and back hike; some folks pay $$ for the indoors at Phantom Ranch or a cabin but I was only interested in the backcountry sites. (My parents had hiked down and stayed at a cabin in 1978.) Aside from New Year’s Eve, there were almost always walkup available permits for Bright Angel this time of year. I made a mental note to come back soon for an overnight hike to the bottom and back. I returned for this trip in January of 2011.

Continue reading TR-Grand Canyon Backpacking January 2011 →