FERN GLEN CANYON. GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

October 18, 2021



You wake up with a blue hue inside your vision. Unzip your bag and half way down the zipper gets lodged between a sand particle and a soft place.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1tTs71tAtlFGia42VDv5W1wSigGXlBUKK

The mild haze of blue pastels and a thought of “ did I even sleep”, is rubbed across the eye like sand paper on the eyelid.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1DBphKcRXBj5RwgldOk5jbt7QRN2kabpN

Cognition is now coming around like a swift kick in the nuts as a palette of color dominates the violet hour’s event horizon.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1SLDOKyohp_dtKhN6QlIaXZPuSsAAGBlU

NOW, you realize exactly where you are, You could not be anywhere else.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1cFvTuAp3zoK0GiNaHZLQlK3VZxuG3X1J

It’s brash....hardened... it’s a motherfuckin’ abyss!

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=16YD8l5Yjlw9AGXYNNvPiAut63SPj_N8L
A canyon bold with presence and ever-eroding.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14ksHPz0eda2pzRa18x6JULdb2AyNk64j

It’s a place that wears its history on its sleeve and YOU, if you are not careful. It’s fortified by stone and every layer has a clue to its journey.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1g6LsBrezgwS0lPGvxAJ7ElDFzHzjB6tb
It is one of America’s great NO BULLSHIT locations.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1uqU9MSHu3tei4njsq38B6mfkhxwt9zyH
It’s a place that will not let you forget and will remind you exactly where you are.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1bys7-rNEutWPPvlQTa1hZLhLwZvJLCVD
The gravity is dense when you enter and your resolve is dissected when you leave.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Xw2UF2UXhoI1C4T8xILEgN9UHZf-mSD4

It’s a place that doesn’t measure against any other, It’s big, it has it's own weather pattern, it’s tough, it’s not with you nor against you, and everybody that leaves it’s grip has a story.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1E7-gmrGMHm70S4m-JGMZyIvDVkUZtoin

It’s 0545 and we are within the corridors of the redwall inside of Fern Glen…Lets go.!!! “

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Tz1YCTzQ1o3hEMTw3c55xx-jD50Dx95I

Now if you know a bit about the places that I find home, one of those places is the Grand Canyon. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Qyc4AVKwXVm4UFkkRjb1K_V5ecWWaCfk

Last time I was in the Grand Canyon, I had to say "NO" to going into the canyon.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1hLUfVXk46HpnKIQuNmqggZPDvijzV-qQ

I ended up staying at the rim while the crew went down into twin point. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1nNcJljQTaU9N9-czTNC7Sqw1YYpl85eJ

Now it is time to go home!

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1SIkaEglVtGYIn1L9wY1nqnaGSIAhPMnn

We dropped off a shuttle so when we take out from the river, we will not have take another day to walk after we get to the rim. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1W2x5Kged6W6iGaisaoLIU74nW_i2WahM

The following morning we head over to the trailhead and work our way across the plateau to the drop in point. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1iVDHv5LerA6RcZk5F9L_8LiHeWBsSTVR

We were greeted with spectacular views! 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=12SkJmCwL_ZFwGbH4bjjUsnqvyBCEi12S

The Dome was within view and our canyon!  Actually there was a lot that was in the spotlight. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1DQsa9pbou8k8F9cJuh-kHF5dul6_VLKw

It didn't look all that far from the rim but

the hard earned miles and the magnifying effect that the rim has is quite deceiving. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1LMrdcspo1s2hjMDbY-Ndzqm-hTIxCx3y

We start to head down the rim and its steep.  It gets really steep. 


Steep and very crumbly.  One wrong move and you could be sent tumbling down hundreds of feet. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1_d2AnjXuZ7Zz3S3W0L0WvQZzrhVJohaU

After some substantial time working our way down to the esplanade. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=12T0szVBIL7d13hBIVxCR5mh2366n20oz

Once we finally made it down to the esplanade, we were able to find the tuck-up trail and follow that around for what felt like a longer time than anticipated. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1aYoMb4ugVcpMngLIkjLcN7ca5mIGV8jo

After a few more hours making our way around the tuckup trail, we got to the start of the canyon. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1zv9VN_l0DVXbfq8izSpbmyf5Mx3jUhnG

The Supai was beautiful in the canyon and quite interesting to see the sculpted rock. and meandering passage. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=18Ix7yI10hSM2JME7kBoPa-t4ZnzYUD7r

We came up on a couple of downclimbs and our first rap which was around 30 feet or so. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1aVEkyrlEtG8khS_bZoB-haYl4ZOpGtex

We encountered another rap of about 60 feet and found a section of hiking right on top of the redwall. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=126dXroTriYDhE789AFv-8ZwZHfBD2NEa

I found this canyon to be fairly easy going in terms of hiking down the canyon. We did not have a lot of awkward downclimbing and clambering like other canyons. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1RCO1hsCfpjoGGP9J-_wTEpAqp0LsiBKG

We got to the redwall and started working our way down to the 3 stage 200 ft drop. We had to snake the rope around the corner and get it to the bottom with staging people along the way. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1W3msix_tgVqQSMdSOwSCAdYDj8vSVnMC

This slowed us down a bit more

but we were safe with our movements. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1aYNlWgQ-WGHK90f0VI8dtgOeHjGld2LP

We eventually got to a point where the sun was setting and we set up camp on top of the temple butte layer which had pothole water and flat surfaces. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=17slmYlvzH3eEgQI-XG1aUh0z6-FTRpPr

The next morning we got another early start to work our way down to the river.  I re-freshed one rap and found the other anchors to be in decent condition. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1UHLHbuwvQiRD-K6FoqPPxEXrqmHzzEdm

The muav layer was extraordinary !  The layered limestone with these beautiful contours made such an excellent and mystical landscape.  It is by far my favorite layer and it was incredible to see such an amazing array of muav. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1z1SEX7_TgMQW1B00Re4qOCuAEFno5gIm

We work our way down to the last rap and found a interesting pothole full of water to swim into in order to get into the final rap. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1W3KY8VhZweZFiHn2GFe4Yn2uawCW-9QW

Not far beyond that, the Colorado river can be heard and we make it there in great time. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1-o6I-cX4bybMz7iFdVkFBfryu5FyXDoX

We had some hiking to do in order to utilize the stairway exit for our pack raft from Stairway to Lava. We made it to stairway and started our incredible pack raft portion to lava.  That was simply amazing!!! 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1cZWmzvlkMPyucai4qPMvW3QkWtBIgdcR

We encountered riffles that were ultra riffles! Being in packrafts made for this trip down the river, one of the most incredible experiences. After we found our take out, we hiked up the infamous lava exit which is 3100 ft of gain in 1.8 miles. This trip was one of the most amazing experiences in Grand Canyoneering.  I do recommend staying down there another day but We did this route in two long days. 

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