HDT 2022 Day 31, May 1, Sunday
Start edge of Grand Canyon at East View trailhead S10 mile 51.0
End along Swamp Ridge S13 mile 24.9
Miles walked: 27.2
My route continues along the North Rim westwards.
An old lookout tower is open to climb, but with high gusting winds, I am content to gaze and not ascend.
Now comes my cunning plan. I do not have a permit to camp overnight in the Grand Canyon. If I were hiking two weeks later I could get one at the North Entrance, but it is not open this early. I have noticed that the HDT coming into the canyon and the trail coming out of the canyon at the last big crossing are not that far apart. The faint blue line on the right is the HDT headed into the canyon, and the faint blue line on the left is the route leaving the canyon. The red line is the alternate route to the North Entrance Station, and the purple line is my 7.7 mile shortcut through Kanabownits Canyon.
So my idea is to bypass the Grand Canyon,, and come back another time to finish it with permit in hand, perhaps completing the AZT at the same time.
The alternate route to the North Entrance Station goes as planned.
The old road through Kanabownits is no longer maintained or used, and has a huge number of downed trees in places.
A herd of bison in the canyon retreat and disappear.
After the canyon, I jump from section 10 to section 13 of the HDT.
The rest of the day is spent on dirt road, heading generally westwards near the edge of the North Rim, not close enough to get any views through the thick mixed conifer forest. The road on Swamp Ridge is particularly pleasant, and views will come tomorrow. A lone bison appears at dusk out of the trees, and quickly disappears.
(I do not recommend other HDT hikers take my shortcut. When you do your research, you will see the problem.)