Clear Creek Grand Canyon

 Susan was out of town visiting family for Christmas while I had to stay back to work. I had Christmas Day off to do what ever I wanted so I ticked a route I have wanted to do for quite some time in the Grand Canyon, the Clear Creek Trail and Cheyava Falls from the south Rim. This is about the same distance as the famed Rim to Rim to Rim but with the twist of lesser used trails and some off trail travel (read rugged and adventure!). This is a route similar to Tonto link ups that really get you out there.

So the route I did was S. Kaibab to Phantom Ranch, N. Kaibab, Clear Creek and then finishing with the faint trailed but mostly trailless section of Clear Creek to Cheyava Falls.
Total miles: 43
Total elevation gain/loss: about 7,000 feet accumulative up and about 7,000 ft. accumulative down
Time taken to do it car to car: 12 hours 20 minutes

Awesome stuff. It ended up being just what the doctor ordered. An off the beaten path, out there, all day adventure in the canyon. I came back wrecked from the fun with an endless list of awesome memories. Man, the canyon never ceases to deliver!

Here's the day in photos...

(Starting down the S. Kaibab at an early 5:15 am with the temp in the twenties.)

(The trip down the S. Kaibab was like a dream... amazing stars, freezing crisp and dead still quiet air.  Super amazing. Photo above is crossing the bridge at the Colorado still in the dark.)

(Just a little bit of light coming...and just in time to take in the sights of the Clear Creek Trail. I have never been on this trail so I was psyched to see what lay ahead.)

(As I neared the Tonto Platform, on the Clear Creek Trail, I caught this cool view of the Colorado River in first light.)

(Taking my first steps onto the Tonto Platform  on the north side of the Colorado  River...new territory for me!)

(First light in the canyon, always awesome...)

(View from Clear Creek Trail of Zoroaster Temple. Also, you can see in the left side of the photo the break in the limestone layer that climbers use to approach Zoroaster.)

(More first light action.)

(Views back to the south rim. The start of the S. Kaibab Trail is almost dead center top of photo. Looks icy cold over there.)

(Pot holes. I really liked this spot. Beautiful.)

(First sun shine on Clear Creek Trail...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Warming up.)

(Good to see my shadow! Means sun rays are warming my body.)

(Fantastic views. Zoroaster in back.)

(Saw lots of dear along the Clear Creek Trail.)

(First views of Clear Creek Canyon.)

(Looking toward north rim with Clear Creek Canyon in center. Clear Creek camp is  in bottom center of photo.)

(Clear Creek camp!)

(A cute camp I traveled by en route to Cheyava Falls. Camping at Clear Creek seems like a must someday. I would be cool to spend 2 or 3 days here sometime.)

(Clear Creek.)

(Entrance to tighter upper Clear Creek above the camp sites. I followed upper Clear Creek (little to no trail) to Cheyava Falls.)

(After the initial tighter section of Clear Creek the canyon opened up for a little while.  Beautiful, of course.)

(Clear Creek Ruin with Metate in right side of photo. Cool!)

(Continuing up Clear Creek the canyon got tighter and the canyon floor became quite lush with green grass, moss and trees. Not very Grand Canyon like...)

(Upper part of the Clear Creek Canyon was pretty much boulder hopping and off trail travel. Gave it a more adventurous feel. Love it!)

(Cheyava Falls...dry. I thought it might be as it usually only flows in the spring after heavy snow melt but, dry or not, I wanted to make it there and see weather it would be flowing or not for my own eyes. Maybe there would be at least a trickle...I guess not. Still a spectacular spot to reach.)

(Closer view of where Cheyava Falls would be. (the dry falls is the grey stain in lower center of photo))

(An example of what the falls would look like in a strong run off year. I guess I should come back in the  spring some time...)

(Metate near the falls.)

(Rad!)

(View back down canyon from the falls. I hung out for about a 1/2 hour here soaking in the views and sunshine. Great place to find myself.)

(Very happy.)

(Favorite section on the way back down Clear Creek Canyon to get back to the Clear Creek Trail. I just couldn't get over how green the ground was from grass and moss even with frost covering some of it!)

(Cactus! Particularly cool part of the trip back down to the Clear Creek Trail.)

(Finally back down to Clear Creek camp.)

(Big time sun once back onto the Tonto Platform on the Clear Creek Trail. Long way to go to get back to the car...)

(More deer sightings...)

(Bridge for the S. Kaibab Trail...a welcome sight after traversing the Tonto Platform on the Clear Creek Trail for a couple hours and starting to feel the physical beat down from the day.

(A favorite switchback on the way down to Phantom Ranch.)

(Ahhhhhhh... off the rugged Clear Creek Trail and onto the plush N. Kaibab Trail. Gotta love the smooth ride of the corridor trails. It's kind of like bumping around on dirt roads and then getting on a paved road. PLUSH1)

(Heading to the S. Kaibab bridge...getting ready for the huge uphill slog to the car? Never am, but no choice...gotta go up.)

(Right after I crossed the bridge I was met with this awesome going away present, a close encounter with a big horn sheep. Really cool. Check out the video, it's long but worth it I think. Glad I could capture it with video!)

(I think I take a photo of this section of the S. Kaibab on every trip with a camera. It is probably my favorite section. Beautiful!)

(Softer light of evening as I reach the top of the limestone layer  on the S. Kaibab. Slow moving at this point but, oh well, I had some fantastic evening light to keep me company as I suffered.)

(Quick look back at where I was earlier in the day... the Clear Creek Trail traverses below the small, distant spire (Zoroaster) in the center of the photo.)

 

(Last bits of evening glow to finish the trip.)

(Reaching the rim just as it got dark. Good timing as it was already back in the twenties. Chilly finish but oh so good. Reaching the rim always produces an indescribable feeling of satisfaction after long days in the canyon. )

Great day out!