Four Trailblazers ready to start the adventure at the Kaibab trailhead.

Kim, Susan, Terry, Chris.

Day 1: Kaibab TH to Lone Tree Canyon, 10.2 miles
Everyone met at the Grandview trail head at 6am where we will complete the trip in 5 days. We dropped one car there and proceeded in another vehicle to the visitor center and then rode the NPS bus to the Kaibab trail head, where we started the trip.

Early morning at the rim. [photo by Kim]

Full Moon! [photo by Terry]

Hiking down the Kaibab Trail. [photo by Kim]

Hiking down the Kaibab Trail. [photo by Chris]

Hiking down the Kaibab Trail. [photo by Terry]

Hiking down the Kaibab Trail.

The Tonto Trail runs east to west along the Tonto Platform, south of the Colorado River. The entire length of the Tonto Trail if 95 miles. We hiked 32 miles on the East Tonto Trail from the Tip Off east to the Colorado River. Most of the trail began a route created and used by the indigenous peoples that inhabited and farmed in the Canyon. The modern alignment of the Tonto Trail emerged as prospectors traveled along the Tonto Platform looking for minerals. Today, much of the Tonto Trail is a lightly traveled, non-maintained, faint trail. Route finding skills are required in some areas. Views are amazing!

Leaving the Kaibab Trail at the Tip Off and last restroom. [photo by Chris]

Heading off on the East Tonto Trail. [photo by Terry]

Hiking the East Tonto Trail. [photo by Kim]

First night campsite at Lone Tree Canyon. This was a dry camp. Due to the dry weather, the spring was dry. We planned on water not being available and carried extra water. Today’s challenge was hiking through Cremation Canyon. Hiking out the east side was very steep and slippery. It was a beautiful evening.

Campsite at Lone Tree Canyon. [photo by Terry]

Day 2: Lone Tree Canyon to Grapevine Canyon, 9.4 miles
After Breakfast and packing up, off again on the East Tonto Trail.

Off we go. [photo by Kim ]

On the trail. [photo by Terry]

Lunch. [photo by Terry]

Another Beautiful day. [photo by Chris]

Another Beautiful day. [photo by Kim]

Found water at Grapevine Spring a little way up the creek from camp. Grapevine spring is the only reliable source of water on the Tonto Trail between the Tip Off and Hance Creek. Another beautiful and quiet evening. We had the place all to ourselves.

Campsite at Grapevine Canyon. [photo by Kim]

Day 3: Grapevine Canyon to Hance Creek, 10.8 miles
After another peaceful night, we started out toward our next campsite at Hance Creek. Near the point where Grapevine Canyon meets the Colorado river, there is a section of the trail that is badly eroded with significant exposure to the river far below. The trail here is faint with loose rock. Everyone was careful and we had no problems navigating this part of the trail.

Ready to start hiking. [photo by Susan]

The group [photo by Chris]

[photo by Terry]

Beyond Grapevine Canyon the trail continued east, around the north side of Horseshoe Mesa and towards Hance creek.

The Colorodo. [photo by Susan]

We start. [photo by Kim]

[photo by Terry]

We camped at Hance Creek for two nights. This area of the canyon is very beautiful and secluded. It is designated a wild area by the park service. To get a permit to camp here, you must provide documentation of previous Grand Canyon backpacking experience.

[photo by Susan]

[photo by Kim]

Day 4: Day hike to Hance Rapids, 13.1 miles
Today we left our camp set up at Hance Creek and day hiked to the Colorado River and Hance Rapids. No heavy backpacks today!

The Colorodo far away. [photo by Chris]

[photo by Terry ]

Hance Rapids is the eastern end of the Tonto Trail. Hance Rapids is considered by some to be one of the most dangerous and technical drops on the river within the Grand Canyon. At this point the Tonto Trail intersects with the New Hance Trail and the Escalante Route. The New Hance Trail is a steep and difficult trail that descends from the South Rim. The Escalante Route heads east and is a very difficult route with technical sections. After lunch on the banks of the Colorado River, we return to our campsite at Hance Creek

Hance Rapids. [photo by Kim ]

Hance Rapids [photo by Terry ]

Day 5: Hike out to the rim on the Grandview Trail, 5 miles (4,000ft elevation gain)
Today’s trail is short, but very steep. The challenge today is the faint and difficult section below Horseshoe Mesa. This part of the trail was built in the late 1800s to transport ore from the Last Chance Mine. This part of the trail is not maintained, very steep and eroded, almost disappears in places and has exposure.

The trail was very steep from Hance Creek up to the Last Chance Mine. [photo by Terry ]

Last Chance Mine. [photo by Terry ]

Old mine equipment.

The Last Chance Mine. The Hopi first used copper in this area for paint. The mine was staked in 1890 by Pete Berry. The Grandview trail was constructed from 1892 – 1893 to transport copper ore by mule to the canyon rim and then to the railroad in Flagstaff. Despite the high-grade ore found here, the astronomical operating costs doomed the mine to failure. The mine closed in 1907. The mine shafts are the home of Townsend big-eared bats. We rested at the mine entrance before ascending the difficult trail up to Horseshoe Mesa.

The view looking down from Horseshoe Mesa of the difficult trail (route) that we ascended. [photo by Terry ]

We go left.

Grandview is where our cara are.

Some areas on Horseshoe Mesa still have toxic tailings from past mining operations. And no, we are not radioactive now. [photo by Kim ]

We made it to the top of the Grandview Trail! We are looking pretty good after a hard, but fun, 5-day backpacking trip. We all made it safely up to Horseshoe Mesa. No Problems.

Last Break, about 1 mile from the top. [photo by Terry ]

Top of the Grandview Trail! [photo by Kim ]