Little Colorado Crossing - concluded

Nankoweap

A respectably early start gets us down the Butte Fault drainage to the creek in an hour. The main bed hits another drop just below a prospect site filled with old picks, hammers, and drills. Crossing the ridge to the west from the prospect, we soon hit really good track with giant trail markers. Rest and wash-up at the base of Tilted Mesa feels good, and we take our time there. Heading up the creek, we leave the stream and take the north fork. The rock bed is hard-going and we take as many cuts through the bank as we can find. We meet two hikers just below the spring at 4000 feet. They are Don and Adair Petersen, friends of George Steck and of many years experience hiking in this area. They are going over to Kwagunt, looking for ruins, down to the river, along to Nankoweap and on to Mile 50, up the Redwall, and out Saddle Canyon. After a pleasant exchange, we go on and get to the fork below Seiber Point with daylight left to go up to the falls, but too tired after the workout of the previous day. Marshall finds a bit of pottery by the big rock on the point between the forks. After setting camp and going up to get water, Camp 6 is invaded by a large Canyon rattler who is very territorial. We manage to clear it off, but decide to move camp anyway. A site on the north bank just down from the fork is a better spot. Another good spot is a flat on the south bank up Marion/Seiber.

Marion/Seiber Route

We start up. Times: Start - 6:15; Muav base - 8:00; Muav top - 9:30; Ravine base 10:45; Redwall rim 13:00; Saddle 14:00. There is good water at the base of the Muav, as there was last year also. The Muav falls require a little climbing and everyone enjoys it. Lunch 1 is at 6000 feet. We go up the north slope as I had scouted it. Getting up to the Redwall bench is tougher than expected with brush and loose rock. Lunch 2 is in the bed at the base of the ravine. The ravine goes slow with taking time to be careful not to roll rocks down on anyone. We are behind expected schedule by more than an hour. The Redwall rim and cliff breaks are easily found and some sign of travel on the slope leads up diagonal to the right. Travel with packs is easier than expected on the Supai slopes, which are steep but firm. The break in the Supai cliff with the log is also found after a quick scout. Extreme brush has to be fought to reach the trail at the base of the Esplanade cliff. We are on the saddle at 2PM and reach the parking lot at FS445 before 4PM.

Analysis

Tanner to Little Colorado went quick and easily; the beach downriver from the Little Colorado is the only legal and accessible camp. Difficulties and hazards crossing the Little Colorado were underestimated; one could easily lose a whole pack here, or worse if the water is high. Usually it is only knee-deep. Rangers and river trips were unexpectedly helpful; rangers said they are allowed to take hikers across the river, but not downriver. Sixtymile route exploration was not pushed to the limit, but access was not easy. Info from a friend of Marshall is that this route goes, but it is surely quite difficult. Travel along the river in Marble Canyon in this area is pleasant and easy (if you like boulder-hopping). Travel along the Horsethief Route is likely to be very severe unless the weather is favorable. Between Kwagunt to Nankoweap, the fault zone is problematic. Distance and elevation are greater, and the terrain is complex. The route error made on this trip is easily made traveling south-to-north, but would never happen in the other direction. Don and Adair Peterson recommended the saddle west of Nankoweap Butte as most likely being the historic horse track, and this matches my experience going up as far as the spring west of Nankoweap Butte. (1996: the west saddle is easy but the drainage on the south side is tough going in many spots.) A combination of the first saddle east of Nankoweap Butte on the Nankoweap side, then going east to the drainage next to the Butte fault on the Kwagunt side, might also be a good option. Heat, overwork, and resulting lack of attention to detail led to several minor mistakes, although no one was ever really affected by heat or water problems. The large scale and complex geology also combine to make navigation errors much more likely than in any other place I have been in the Canyon. The Marion/Seiber route was more difficult than expected. Going out on this route did seem to be the right choice. However; although easier, shorter, quicker, and safer than the Tilted Mesa trail, this route may not stand up well to heavy use.

Water

Tanner Trail is dry. The river supplies water from Tanner to Palisades, at the Little Colorado, and from there to Nankoweap. Most of Horsethief is dry except Kwagunt. There are a number of good water sources in both lower and upper Nankoweap (some seasonal). There was a good flow in the lower Coconino of the Saddle Canyon trail to FS445 last year, but very little this year.

Difficulty

Advanced routefinding in a very remote area. Serious cliffs and drops are mostly avoided. The Horsethief section can be a major threat in hot weather due to steepness, exposure to sun, and lack of water.

Appeal

Remoteness, challenge, unusual geology. There are many places with ruins and habitation sites. Going along the river between Nankoweap and the Little Colorado is a river trip on foot.