A brief visit to the Grand Canyon and a couple simple hikes in early October 1998 got me interested in coming back for a more ambitious hike.  A little research soon showed that a complete crossing of the Grand Canyon was possible using trails known as the Corridor Trails.  These are trails maintained by the park service and easily passable without any special equipment beyond normal hiking equipment.  Of course, 'easily' is a relative term.  The total distance is about 23 miles and you descend 5750 feet to the Colorado river from the north rim before climbing 4410 feet back out to the south rim.  And it can be quite hot!  Our hike was during the last week of September and each day we were in the inner gorge, the temperature reached nearly 100 degrees.

The plan was to stay at Phantom Ranch near the Colorado River rather than camp at the nearby Bright Angel Campground.  Camping requires a much heavier pack.  Phantom Ranch is small and popular, which explains needing to get reservations 2 years in advance.  But the wait and the planning were well worth it.

The North Kaibab Trail  (23 photos)	The Inner Canyon  (13 photos)
The Clear Creek Trail  (6 photos)	The Bright Angel Trail  (17 photos)
The South Kaibab Trail  (9 photos)	Misc Photos  (16 photos)
Dick and Lonnie's Photos  (20 photos)