Grand Canyon – Nankoweap Trail – under the smoke

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Grand Canyon - Nankoweap Trail - under the smoke




Image by Al_HikesAZ

The smoke from the forest fire on the North Rim created interesting light. This is on Tilted Mesa lookiing down Nankoweap Canyon at the Colorado River.

The Nankoweap Trail descends 6,040 feet in 14 miles from the Saddle Mountain trailhead to Nankoweap Creek and on to the Colorado River. It is considered to be the hardest of the trails in the Canyon. You have to carry and cache water as there is none in the 11 miles between the Trailhead and Nankoweap Creek. "The Scary Part" is a section that is 6 inches wide under a sheer cliff with a couple of hundred foot drop punishing the slightest misstep. Getting across "The Scary Part" with a full pack is a challenge that frightens many away.

Thought to be an Ancestral Puebloan trail, John Wesley Powell supervised the development of the Nankoweap Trail in 1882 as a means to allow geologists access to the area. Interest in the trail revived after Harvey Butchart wrote his Treks I guide. See also John Annerino's "Hiking the Grand Canyon" published by the Sierra Club.


Hiking Gear Test




Image by nathangibbs

We're heading to Perú in 48 hours. We'll be hiking the 4-day Inca trail. This is a snapshot in the mirror, testing the setup to carry the camera throughout the hike. I've tried a lot of variations but I think this is the final solution.

Lowepro Toploader 75 AW, strapped directly to the frame of the backpack behind my shoulders, a strap under one arm and a strap over the other shoulder. It keeps it from hanging on my neck or directly from my shoulders. The backpack distributes the weight better.

As far as lenses, I'll have the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 and the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 in front. Rosario will have the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L in her pack so I can get to it easier. Also helps to spread the load a bit.