This map (above) shows our overall route.

Click on photos to see larger image.

This trip was with my usual Grand Canyon hiking companions.  We were expecting a couple of older folks to join us (both around 80 years old), so we decided to plan something fairly easy, and schedule two or three layover days.  Since the Kanab Creek Wilderness is generally easy terrain with lots of possible routes, and can also be easily accessed via the Sowats trailhead, we decided to plan a trip in this area.   However, several weeks before this trip began, both of these people informed us that they could not make it.   So we quickly modified our plans to make the trip a little more challenging.  But there was one complication:  Ethan wanted to join us, but he needed to start one day late, and end the hike one day early.  So we came up with a plan that would accommodate Ethan.

So our overall plan went something like this:  Starting from Sowats trailhead, hike down to the head of Kwagunt Hollow, then continue down Kwagunt to Jumpup Canyon.  Place a cache there for our last two days, then continue up Jumpup a ways, past the mouth of Sowats Canyon, until we found a nice camping place.  On day 2, we planned to get on the Ranger trail and continue around Jumpup Point on the Esplanade to a location where there would likely be pothole water.  On day 3 we were hoping to be able to get down the un-named canyon near the potholes which would save us about 6 miles of hiking to get into Kanab Creek, then hike up into Chamberlain Canyon.  On day 4, hike along the Esplanade to Flipoff Canyon, then down to Kanab Creek, and finally down to near the Kanab-Jumpup confluence.  Day 5, hike up Jumpup, retrieve our cache at Kwagunt, then hike the top of the Redwall into Indian Hollow.  Day 6 would be a layover day where some might want to climb Racetrack Knoll.  Hike out on Day 7.

I had previously hiked every part of our planned route, except for the hike down the un-named canyon planned for day 3.  So I wasn't especially thrilled about doing this hike.  But there were a few sections I had not done in many years, and in the end I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this hike.

Seven of us (Bert, Marcey, Ben, Leslie, Jim, Mark, and me) met up at a nice campsite about a mile before getting to the Sowats trailhead.  Ben and I had just finished a week-long hike into Surprise Canyon. 

Marcey prepared a great meal for all of us.

Note:  Virtually all of the trails and routes used on this trip have been hiked by me on previous trips.  If you are interested in more detail, check out my other trip reports.