Cape Solitude

In April 2015 we did a two-day, one-night backpack trip to Cape Solitude in Grand Canyon National Park. John was 62 and I was 61. The challenges to doing this trail include its 11-mile length and a lack of water. Not to mention just getting to the trailhead, a 2.3-mile drive on a rocky, deeply rutted road requiring high clearance and 4-wheel drive. We owned a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, but this would be the first time we had taken it off-road. However, as the trail crosses the broad expanse of the South Rim, it doesn’t gain or lose any significant elevation. The payoff is having a great view down to the confluence of the Colorado River and the turquoise blue Little Colorado River.

Our packs were heavier than normal as we would be dry camping, and we were both carrying extra water. We planned to cache some for the hike out the following day. The trail first covers more rolling terrain. Unfortunately, neither of us had kept up with our conditioning over the winter, and we were both feeling it on the slightest incline.

Fortunately, this trail is mostly flat, and it was not too hot. In fact, the weather was chilly and quite windy.

We could see the top of the Little Colorado Canyon in the distance, but the confluence was still a ways away.

We enjoyed the hike out to Cape Solitude far more than we had thought we would. It was a unique experience to backpack within Grand Canyon National Park and not be looking up at anything except sky.

We had read that this trail crosses briefly onto Navajo Tribal land. So we followed it through the fence and continued for a ways. However, it seemed it was taking us farther away from where the trail actually was. So we went cross-country to get back to it. What we discovered on the way out was that it would be easy to simply follow the fence line up the slope to reconnect with the trail.

The trail eventually gets closer to the South Rim. Although we couldn’t see it, we knew the Colorado River was below us somewhere.

The temperature was dropping, but it was approaching darkness, so we pressed on rather than stop and put on more clothes.

We were both quite cold by the time we reached where we would camp. We immediately put on all of our clothes and set up the tent. We then got into our sleeping bags and cooked supper just outside the tent. The next morning, we were happy that the wind had died down and the temperature was not uncomfortably cold.

Cape Solitude provides an unusual vantage point. First, there are the views up the Colorado River …

… as well as down the river.

In addition, you can see the Little Colorado River. But the star of the show is …

… the confluence of the two rivers. The blending of the two colors is especially attractive when the Colorado appears green rather than a muddy red. After rain upstream, the Little Colorado can also run red, so we were very grateful we got to see the confluence in all its glory.

The view from this spot is so expansive and amazing!

We headed back to the trailhead and retrieved our cached water on the way out. We felt privileged to have seen this place, and it was more than worth the challenges we faced to get there.

All photos from this trip are on Flickr.