Day 2

October 19, 2014

Twin Spring Canyon to Surprise Canyon


 


Click on photos to see larger image.

Today's route stats: 

    Distance: 4.7 miles

    Elevation Gain:  0 feet

    Elevation Loss:  850 feet

We arose at first light and were ready to go a little before 8 AM.  Before we left we filled a gallon dromedary to leave in case our pothole disappeared while we were gone.  We also left our last dinner, breakfast and lunch in a rat sack for retrieval on our return. 

The Supai walls surrounding the canyon quickly began to loom overhead, and within about an hour we entered the Redwall narrows.  And  not too long after that we encountered small pools of water, then a shallow, flowing stream. 

Twin Spring Canyon Redwall.

 

 Ben.  Twin Spring Canyon.

 

 Start of Redwall Narrows.

 
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Redwall Narrows. Redwall Narrows. Ben and David.

The Redwall narrows were quite long and beautiful.  Water began flowing just upstream from the chockstone.  We  strolled slowly through the narrows, savoring every minute.  By the time we reached Green Spring Canyon, the canyon had opened up a bit and there was considerably more riparian vegetation.  Although pretty, it makes hiking more difficult.
Chockstone in Redwall Narrows. Chockstone in Redwall Narrows. Lush Vegetation Below Narrows.

Below the junction of Green Spring Canyon, the canyon officially becomes Surprise Canyon.  We looked for Harvey Butchart's favorite campsite, just below the mouth of Green Spring.  We couldn't find anything.  Obviously things change.  We kept hiking down canyon, looking for a good campsite.  We stopped for a short excursion into a side canyon named Twin Key Canyon by Todd Martin in his book Grand Canyoneering.  There is a route out of this canyon, but it looked pretty rugged from the bottom.  Eventually (around 4:30 PM) we found a nice ledge site on creek left.  Here we would stay for two nights.

I continued listening to Asalan's No god but God.  Unfortunately, I usually fall asleep within a half hour of going to bed, and the next night I have to figure out where I was in the book when I fell asleep.  For this reason I think I end up listening to much of the book twice.
Hanging Fern Garden. Surprise Canyon Below Green Spring. Campsite in Surprise Canyon.
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