Day 0 - Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs

Well, of course I did NOT do the easy Rim Trail on my first full day at the Canyon. Instead, I decided to do a 7 mile round trip hike down the Hermit Trail over to Dripping Springs. This is an area I had not been in since my very first backpacking trip in the Canyon in April 2001.

I left on the Hermit Trail about 8:00am after riding the free shuttle all the way from Grand Canyon Village (about a 40 minute trip). It was a great morning. There was no one on the trail yet and it was cool but with a bright early morning sun - perfect.

The view down Hermit Canyon from the trail was great - the far point that you can see about the centre of the picture is called Yuma Point, where I camped during my first trip into the Canyon in 2001. It is a spectacular spot to set up camp!

On the Hermit Trail, as you pass through the Coconino Sandstone, you can see right by the side of the trail some fossilized animal tracks - these ones were apparently made by some alligator type reptile, since the tracks straddle what look like drag marks from the body scraping along the ground. Anyway, there are tons of other little tracks all around there, from all sorts of little prehistoric critters. Very cool.

Looking back, you can see a section of the Dripping Springs Trail (which leaves the Hermit Trail a couple of miles down). Yes, it's just as scary as it looks. Slipping is not an option. Here's another shot looking over the side. Don't fall!!

Dripping Springs is a beautiful spot as a day's destination. Water which has seeped down through the porous stone actually comes out of it when it hits the bottom, making the water appear to be coming out of rock. Lush greenery has grown up (and down!) around the dripping water.

Here's an interesting view heading back up the Hermit Trail on the way back. This trail was built in the early 1900's initially to carry out copper ore (on muleback!) but a few years later carried early tourists down to Hermit Camp. As such, part of the original cobblestones are still there. However, much of the trail is fairly rough now, and it's a pretty rigourous climb.

Before reaching the trailhead again around 12:30 pm, I looked back and took a picture toward where I had hiked down. Dripping Springs is kind of toward the end of that open canyon in the middle of the picture.

Because I was finished my hike so early, I took a drive all the way to the East end of the park and visited Desert View, which has a great view of the Colorado River and the Painted Desert off in the distance.

Then I went outside the Park to visit one of the Navajo roadside craft stalls where you can buy Native made stuff about half what you would pay at a souvenir shop.

Then, back for dinner and getting my stuff ready for the next day's hike!!