From the highway, the gravel road is about 25 miles to the Saddle Mountain trailhead. There was still snow on the north rim, but not where the Nankoweap Trail started.
The geology along the butte fault between Nankoweap and Kwagunt is quite varied, including this stromatolite boulder, made up of the oldest-known fossils of life on earth.
From the highway, the gravel road is about 25 miles to the Saddle Mountain trailhead. There was still snow on the north rim, but not where the Nankoweap Trail started.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Perhaps the worst spot on the trail is where you must gingerly pass by the protruding cliff. A misstep here would be terminal.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Looking out across Nankoweap Valley. The creek is still many miles away.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Some of the 1881 trail construction in the Redwall.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Looking up the beginning of the butte fault route. There is a ring of cliffs that must be bypassed, and from here I could see where I needed to go.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Looking back north across Nankoweap Valley.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
There were a few redbud trees around and they were all blooming.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
The sandy saddle that I crossed to get from Nankoweap to Kwagunt.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
The geology along the butte fault between Nankoweap and Kwagunt is quite varied, including this stromatolite boulder, made up of the oldest-known fossils of life on earth.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Descending into Kwagunt along a sheer upturned cliff.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Walking up Kwagunt Creek.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Some pottery shards indicate that there was once a robust population living in the Kwagunt area.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
The cliffrose are also blooming.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Looking up into Kwagunt Valley from a high vantage point.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Looking down Kwagunt, where Nankoweap Mesa dominates the view.
Photo courtesy Dennis Foster
Hiking down Kwagunt means crossing back and forth over the creek. The water disappeared below the bed about 30 minutes before I reached the river.
While the oldest paths into, and through, the Grand Canyon were game tracks and native routes, current hiking trails were purposely constructed. The oldest of these in the national park is the Nankoweap Trail.
Built in 1881, it predates the trails built by Bass, Boucher, Cameron, Berry and Tanner as well as those built by the Santa Fe Railroad and the National Park Service.
Dennis Foster has been an avid Grand Canyon hiker since 1977. He has logged 438 trips spanning 958 days and 527 nights in the canyon. He has posted reports on many of his trips on his website, Kaibab Journal, here: . In 2022, he retired from NAU, having taught in the W.A. Franke College of Business for 32 years.
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