This map (above) shows our overall route.

Click on photos to see larger image.

Several of Bert's friends wanted to do a fairly easy Grand Canyon backpack this spring.  Bert contacted me about coming up with an itinerary starting from the South Rim.  There were large sections of the Tonto Trail that Bert had never done, so we decided to do Grandview Trail to Hermit Trail, via the Tonto Trail.  We would spend two nights at Grapevine and do a day hike to the River on our lay-over day.  Since Bert and I already had an April trip planned, we wanted to do this trip early in the season.  Late February is pretty early -- it can be cold, but it can also be quite nice.

I suggested to Bert that he could put in a cache at Indian Garden, if he got there a day early.  I didn't want to do it, but Bert, Mark, and a couple of others did.  I had already prepared two group dinners, fairly heavy ones, so I mailed my dinners to Bert via Special Delivery to the Grand Canyon post office.  He picked them up on the afternoon of February 25.  They hiked down to Indian Garden on the 26th and put in a cache consisting of two dinners, wine, and some personal food (breakfasts and lunches).  It took two 5-gal buckets to hold it all.

Our entire group was staying at the Maswik, so we met there on the afternoon of February 26.  We shuttled a couple of cars out to Hermit Trailhead.  We had dinner and futzed with gear for a while before going to bed.  Bert had arranged for a large taxi to haul us to the Grandview Trailhead early the next morning.

Trip members included Bert, Ben, Decker, Mark, Kim, Al, Jon, Bruce, and me, for a total of nine.