So I pause and absorb the incomprehensible magnitude along a rare easy stretch of the Escalante route. The Colorado River looks so close from this spot on the Tanner Trail. That several hours of hard hiking separate you from the Colorado River. So I continue on. On reaching the Colorado River, I drop my pack and beeline to the river for water and its coolness.
River runners provide entertainment.
The Grand Canyon back country offers an impressive array of challenges for backpackers. Although the wall out of the Papago Creek is challenge for me, I doub't Harvey Butchart would rate it a 'sporty' climb. Weary legs beg for a rest while ascending the Red Canyon trail. The smile says it all. It is easy to tell that this man just reached the South Rim, the upper terminus of the Red Canyon Trail.