A weekend in Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon

Highlight pictures of a 2009 camping weekend in Phantom Ranch. We hiked down Friday and out on Sunday. Saturday was spent exploring Ribbon Falls and Upper Ribbon Falls. We had dinners and breakfasts at Phantom Ranch.

Sunrise cliff edge photography.

The first mule train passes us down, hopefully carrying our dinners.

Fully loaded packs!

South Kaibab.

South Kaibab.

South Kaibab - Enjoying a wide 14mm lens.

We took our time getting to the bottom, about 6 hours.

Emerging from the tunnel onto the black bridge that crosses over The Colorado River.

Our campsite next to Bright Angel Creek.

Our blue tent can be seen towards center right, half way down.

The creek water was about 45 degrees, perfect for cooling drinks.

Mule at Phantom Ranch.

The Nikon D700 camera is well regarded for low light capability.
A long exposure reveals the milky way and many stars.

Another star picture, zoomed in, taken with a 20 second exposure.
The camera recorded significantly more stars then were visible with the naked eye.

Out campsite at night. We lit the tent with a flashlight during this long exposure.

Another night shot.

Ribbon Falls. The hiker at right gives perspective on its size.

A small rainbow forms at the Fall's base.

Close up of the Falls.

We begin our hike to the less seen Upper Ribbon Falls.
Across the way, "Hearbreak Hill" aka "Assinine Hill" can be seen below us.

These falls are hidden from view when standing at Ribbon Falls.
The lowest waterfall in this picture is the "top" of Ribbon Falls.

After an hour, we reach Upper Ribbon Falls. These are above the prior image.
Rumor has it there are upper, upper Ribbon Falls. We didn't reach these.

Next to Upper Ribbon Falls, we find an archeological site, perhaps 800-1,000 years old.
Although only one hour or so off the main trails, this spot felt very remote.

Dusk at The Colorado River.

Finishing off the weekend at the Phantom Ranch canteen.
Following dinner, the canteen opens up as a bar. Even though all supplies, including
beer, are muled in daily, the prices are very competitive at about $4 per beer considering
there is NO other purchase option other then hiking 7 miles while gaining 5,000 feet of elevation.


All in all, a GREAT weekend enjoying the bottom of the Grand Canyon!