In April 2014, we did a three-day, two-night backpack trip on the Hermit Trail, then the Tonto Trail to the Boucher Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. John was 61 and I was 59.
We got an early start and headed down the Hermit Trail. The trail description does a good job letting one know what to expect. Unfortunately, periodic washouts can necessitate the use of route-finding skills.
We enjoyed the changing views as we descended.
We reached the junction with the Tonto Trail. We chose not to continue on the Hermit Trail because it goes through the very civilized Hermit Camp. We took the Tonto a short distance until we encountered a short side trail that drops into Hermit Canyon.
Something that surprised us the first time we hiked this trail toward the river was the unusual crystals that had formed in portions of the narrow canyon.
The crystals are surprisingly delicate. If one is patient enough, tiny drops of water can be seen forming on the ends of the tiny stalactites.
There are several established campsites near the creek close to the river. We have stayed in the largest in the past, but it was occupied this time. I looked upstream but didn’t really find anything. I then headed downstream and found a better, more private site adjacent to the canyon wall. It was a bit windy, which must be a common occurrence as a previous occupant had built a rock wall to serve as a windbreak.
Surprisingly, other than the one couple I had seen, there didn’t seem to be anyone else camping near Hermit Rapids. Apparently, most backpackers stay at Hermit Camp and day hike to the rapids. I’ve heard some say that by the time they got as far as Hermit Camp, they were too tired to continue down to the river.
For us, it is well worth the additional effort to walk a little further for a more scenic site and some solitude (not to mention the very comfortable carved rock that fit our butts perfectly).
The next day, we headed back up the canyon …
… remembering to enjoy the sight of flowing water, something that can be in short supply in Grand Canyon.
From the river, it is a short distance to the Tonto Trail …
… which we would take toward Boucher Creek.
We could see our destination for the day, the beach near the center of the photo below.
We had plenty of time, and I took a lengthy break at the creek while John explored upstream.
Like our experience in Cottonwood Creek, it can be well worth it to explore off trail.
From the creek, it is a short distance down canyon to the river …
… and Boucher Rapids.
We were pleasantly surprised that there didn’t seem to be any other people camping in the area. It could be some chose to camp at the creek and day hike to the rapids. If possible, we prefer to camp by the river.
The next day, we had a long day ahead of us, hiking up the Boucher Trail. We first headed back up Boucher Creek …
… and along the way we encountered the tallest century plant we have ever seen.
Once we left the creek, we began the long climb up to the rim.
The most encouraging way to gauge one’s progress in the canyon is not to look up at the rim and how much more there is to do, but to look back and see how far you have already come.
The trail description states that the Boucher Trail is “arguably the most difficult and demanding of all of the south side trails.” At this point, we had already done nearly every other South Rim trail. I can’t agree or disagree with that. It does have sections I would much rather go up than down, but it also has long sections of easy traversing.
Regarding the difficulty of trails in Grand Canyon, all I can say is that it depends on your level of conditioning, your experience, and especially your expectations and attitude. Backpacking in Grand Canyon is best approached with a Zen-like attitude. There is no good or bad, easy or hard. It just “is.”
The Boucher Trail doesn’t go all the way up to the rim. Its trailhead is at a junction with the Dripping Springs Trail, which we took for about a mile before rejoining Hermit Trail.
We then did the steep hike back to Hermits Rest, where our car waited for us. Our hope was that we would make it out before dark. We were tired, hungry, and getting chilly, so we didn’t want to stop and take the time to dig out our headlamps. We just made it and gratefully sank into the soft car seats, cranked up the heater, and drove to the nearest restaurant in the park.
All photos from this trip are on Flickr.
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