Itineraries

From RaftingGrandCanyon
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Day 12 plans in the Sand.jpg

As part of your paperwork to be completed before your river trip, the folks at Grand Canyon National Park are going to want you to list the date you intend to pass Phantom Ranch, arrive at Diamond Creek, and if you are going on to South Cove, when you plan to arrive there.

In order to figure out where you will be when, some folks will plan out a trip itinerary. This will consist of a list of the proposed places you intend to camp at, with activities you inetned to do that day. Don't sweat this. You can put down a rough idea, and change things as you go. Remember, itineraries are written in sand with a stick. They are changeable.

Remember, YOU are the Boss, and you can plan out what you want. Keep in mind there might be another trip with the exact same itinerary, and you'll need to be flexible on the river as you work with other trips to make sure everyone gets to see and do as much as they can playing well with others.

Remember, Itineraries are written in sand with a stick. Yes, we said this already, but keep this in mind when you pull into your intended camp and one of your party can't catch the eddy and floats on by pulling like mad looking very sheepish. Get over it (fast and with a smile) and go on to camp somewhere downstream.

Here are examples of a 15 night-16 day, a 17 night-18 day, a 20 night-21 day trip and a 24 night 25 day Lees' Ferry to Diamond Creek itinerary. For Diamond Down, scroll down.

Proposed 15 night 16 Day Itinerary

Camps are in a range of +/- 5 miles
River miles estimated from Martin/Whitis Guide 3rd edition
Day		Camp					Notes			
Launch		Hot-Na-Na (16.7)			first day on water
Two		South Canyon (32)			through the roaring 20’s
Three		Nankoweap (52)			        Vasey’s, Redwall
Four		Tanner (69)-Upper Unkar (72.5)	        LCR
Five		Grapevine (81)-Cremation(88)**	        Unkar, 75 mile, Hance, Sock
Six		Monument(94)-Schist (97)		Phantom, Horn, Granite
Seven		Bass/110				Crystal
Eight		Below Fossil(126.1)-Randy’s(127.0)	Blacktail
Nine		Deer Ck or below (136.8-138)		Hike Tapeats/Deer Ck
Ten		Ledges (152)				Hike Matkat
Eleven		First Chance (158.3)			Havasu
Twelve		Stairway (171.8)-Cove(174.7)		Fern Glen
Thirteen	Whitmore(188.4) to Fat City(192.2)	Lava
Fourteen	Indian Canyon(207)			Visit 202
Fifteen         220-224                                 209 right
Sixteen         Diamond take out
**Cremation only if exchanging folks at Phantom


Proposed 17 night 18 Day Itinerary

Camps are in a range of +/- 5 miles
River miles estimated from Martin/Whitis Guide 3rd edition
Day		Camp					Notes			
Launch		Hot-Na-Na (16.7)			first day on water
Two		South Canyon	(32)			through the roaring 20’s
Three		Nankoweap (52)			        Vasey’s, Redwall
Four		Nankoweap (52)-layover		        Explore
Five		Tanner (69)-Upper Unkar (72.5)	        LCR
Six		Grapevine (81)-Cremation(88)**	        Unkar, 75 mile, Hance, Sock
Seven		Monument(94)-Schist (97)		Phantom, Horn, Granite
Eight		Shady Grove/Emerald/Bass/110	        Crystal
Nine		120/122 mile camps			Elve’s
Ten		Deer Ck (136.8)			        Specter, Bedrock, Dubie
Eleven		Deer Ck or below (136.8-138)		Hike Tapeats/Deer Ck
Twelve		Ledges (152)				Hike Matkat
Thirteen	First Chance (158.3)			Havasu
Fourteen	Stairway (171.8)-Cove(174.7)		Fern Glen
Fifteen         Whitmore(188.4) to Fat City(192.2)	Lava
Sixteen         Indian Canyon(207)			Visit 202
Seventeen	220-224				        209 right
Eighteen	Diamond take out

**Cremation only if exchanging folks at Phantom


Proposed 20 night 21 Day Itinerary

Camps are in a range of +/- 5 miles
River miles estimated from Martin/Whitis Guide 3rd edition
Day		Camp					Notes	
Launch		Soap Creek-13 mile			first day on water
Two		24.5 mile-Shinamo (29 mile)		through the roaring 20’s
Three		Buck farm (41)-Eminence (44)		Vasey’s, Redwall
Four		Nankoweap (52)			        Nanko granaries
Five		Nankoweap (52)-layover		        Explore
Six		Tanner (69)-Upper Unkar (72.5)	        LCR
Seven		Grapevine (81)-Cremation(88)**	        Unkar, 75 mile, Hance, Sock
Eight		Monument(94)-Schist (97)		Phantom, Horn, Granite
Nine		Shady Grove/Emerald/Bass/110	        Crystal
Ten		119/120 mile camps			Elve’s
Eleven		Galloway (132)-Racetrack(134)		Specter, Bedrock, Dubie
Twelve		Below Deer Ck (137-138)		        Hike Tapeats/Deer Ck
Thirteen	(145 to 146 Mile)			Hike Kanab
Fourteen	Ledges (152)				Hike Matkat
Fifteen         National (167)				Havasu
Sixteen         Hell’s Hollow area (182)		Lava
Seventeen	Hualapai acres-194			Easy late departure post Lava day
Eighteen	209 right				visit Parashant-202 
Nineteen	209 right				Layover, hike 209 drainage 
Twenty		220-224
Twenty-one	Diamond take out
**Cremation only if exchanging folks at Phantom

Proposed 24 night 25 day itinerary

Camps are in a range of +/- 5 miles
River miles estimated from Martin/Whitis Guide 3rd edition
Day		Camp					Notes	
Launch		13 Mile					too cold to hang
Two		24.5 Mile				too cold to hang
Three		41 Mile					too cold to hang
Four		Nankoweap (52)			        too cold to hang
Five		Nankoweap (52)			        Layover, explore
Six		Cardenas-ish (71.6)			make miles, LCR is too cold
Seven		Cardenas-ish (71.6)			Layover
Eight		Clear Creek (84.6)			Hance, Sock	
Nine		Clear Creek (84.6)			Layover
Ten		Monument(94)-Schist (97)		Pass Phantom
Eleven		Bass to 110				Run Granite, Hermit, Crystal
Twelve		Bass to 110				Layover 
Thirteen	Fossil (125)				Blacktail
Fourteen	Fossil	(125)				Layover
Fifteen         Galloway (132)-Racetrack(134)		Specter, Bedrock, Dubie
Sixteen         Below Deer Ck (137-138)	                Hike Tapeats/Deer Ck
Seventeen	145 mile				Day Hike Kanab
Eighteen	National-ish (167)			Too cold to see Havasoo
Nineteen	Whitmore (188.4)			Lava
Twenty		Whitmore (188.4)			Layover,hike
Twenty one	Parashant (199)                         Easy river day
Twenty two	Parashant (199)			        Layover, hike
Twenty three	Indian Canyon(207)			Visit 202, hike 207 in PM
Twenty four 	camp 220 to 224
Twenty five	Diamond Creek

**Cremation only if exchanging folks at Phantom

What about Diamond Creek to South Cove? As of March 2, 2010, the new Pearce Ferry ramp take out has been constructed, but the gate is still locked. River runners passing Diamond Creek will have to still take out at South Cove.

Here's the allowed schedule (cite CRMP ROD 2-17-2006 pg 5)

                             Nights in the Lower Gorge
                               Peak Season           Non-Peak Season
Diamond Ck to Separation            1                       1
Separation to RM 260                1                       2
RM 260 to Lake Mead                 1                       2

Here's a Proposed Itinerary for a five night six day Diamond to South Cove

One	 	243 Mile				hike Travertine Canyon
Two		260 Mile
Three		260 Mile Burnt Springs			layover, hike
Four		280.7 Pearce Ferry Rapid
Five		camp end of current 293
Six		Take Out South Cove


Click here to return to the Campsites page.

Click here to return to The Pre-Trip Planning page.

Click here to return to the Master Gear Check List page.