We returned to the Grand Canyon over Thanksgiving week in 2017 for our third family canyon backpacking trip - this time hiking the Hermit Loop. Between our previous 2015 trip in the Grand Canyon, the more difficult Escalante Route, and coming off a twelve day trip on the John Muir Trail in late August, the Hermit Loop was definitely an easier, more relaxed hike. Including a side trip to Plateau Point, we hiked ~33.5 miles over five days. It was perfect for shorter winter days, leaving plenty of time for long breaks, photo opportunities, hanging around camp, and soaking in the beautiful scenery. We also had some spare time to catch a sunrise and sunset at the rim and do some sightseeing (we especially liked the art exhibit at Kolb Studio and Norah completed another junior ranger badge). And we saw a javelina for the first time - very exciting! We finished up with a night in Vegas before flying out - treating ourselves to the seafood buffet at Studio B at M Resort and a visit to Adventuredome at Circus, Circus so Norah could ride roller coasters to her heart’s content. This was our final itinerary for the trip:

Friday: Arrive Las Vegas, overnight Boulder City
Saturday: Drive to the South Rim (stop in Kingman for lunch), final preparations
Sunday: Hermit Trailhead to Hermit Creek (8.2 miles, 3740 feet elevation loss)
Monday: Hermit Creek to Granite Rapids (5.1 miles, 310 feet elevation gain/880 feet elevation loss)
Tuesday: Granite Rapids to Salt Creek (5 miles, 1220 feet elevation gain)
Wednesday: Salt Creek to Indian Gardens (7.3 miles, 250 feet elevation gain) + Plateau Point (3 miles RT)
Thursday: Indian Gardens to the South Rim (4.8 miles, 3060 feet elevation gain); sightseeing at the rim, sunset at Mohave Point
Friday: sunrise Hopi Point, return to Vegas
Saturday: last meal at Lindo Michoacan, flight home (after ten hour delay at airport, yikes!)

We had a great trip and I would wholeheartedly recommend the Hermit Loop!

References and other practical matters:

Backcountry permit process and forms: Backcounty Permits
National Geographic Grand Canyon Map
The National Park Service’s information sheet about The Hermit Trail
The National Park Service’s information sheet about The Tonto Trail: Bright Angel Trail to Hermit Trail
The National Park Service’s information sheet about The Bright Angel Trail

The Ratsack for raven and mouse proof food storage: The Ratsack. The Ratsack was especially useful at the Hermit Creek campsite.

For us there were two advantages of starting at the Hermit Trailhead: 1) we liked finishing at the Bright Angel Trailhead, where we could retrieve our car and eat without having to catch a shuttle back 2) our hike out was shorter on the last day. But really it’s fine to do this hike in either direction. The Hermit’s Rest shuttle runs between March 1 and November 30 and we utilized this to do our hike (you also get a hikers code for the gate when you get your permit and can drive to the trailhead if you want to). When the shuttle is not running you can drive a car to the trailhead or arrange a ride/taxi (in this case it is desirable to start at the Hermit trailhead).

For the Escalante Route we relied heavily upon the Colorado River for water and were prepared for turbid water purification with a Sea to Summit folding bucket, which worked well (we would fill a bucket of water and let it set overnight to allow the dirt settle to the bottom and filter in the morning). Since we only had one night by the Colorado on this trip, we left the bucket at home and we were fine. For this route it’s good to be aware of what water is drinkable and what is seasonal to be sure you are prepared. We carried all the water we needed from Monument Creek to Indian Gardens; doable in cooler temps (it also helped that we didn’t need water for cooking). We used primarily our Platypus bladders for carrying water and a Katahdin filter.

On previous trips we purchased fuel for our campstove at the market in Grand Canyon Village and planned to do the same on this trip. So much for that - they were completely sold out! We didn’t want to drive 160 miles to Flagstaff and back for fuel, so did some last minute changes for food without a stove. This worked out fine except it meant three days of no coffee for Steve. He managed. Barely. Lesson learned - next time we’ll be sure to buy fuel before getting to the Grand Canyon, just in case.

Weather. Late November is considered late in the season for a backpacking trip (although this time of year has grown in popularity - get your permits as soon as you know your plans), but it was unseasonably warm with no ice or snow this year, so there were no issues. Normally for this time of year we would monitor weather closely before our trip (snowstorms can change plans) and take microspikes for possible ice/snow near the rim.

Camera gear: Canon 5D, Canon 24-105mm lens, Lee graduated neutral density filters, B&W polarizer, Manfroto tripod.