22 Jan O.A.R.S. Introduces Lodge-Based Grand Canyon Hiking Adventure
Renowned whitewater and kayaking travel specialist O.A.R.S. has just announced a new-for-2014 Grand Canyon hiking trip that includes a hike from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch on the Colorado River and back.
© Justin Bailie
“Every year there’s a pent-up demand for our rafting trips through the Grand Canyon. We’re all but sold out for 2014 and we’re already filling up rapidly for 2015,” says O.A.R.S. spokesperson Steve Markle. “By developing an intensive hiking experience escorted by some of the best guides in the canyon, we can accommodate active travelers this summer who want to experience the Grand Canyon on foot and hassle-free and in a short 4-day itinerary.”
The hiking adventure brings guests into one of the deepest parts of the Grand Canyon with an overnight stay at historic Phantom Ranch. The trip begins in Walnut Canyon, en route to the South Rim, with a close-up view of 25 unique cliff dwellings. Hiking in Wupatki National Monument features multi-story ruins of red sandstone blocks and mortar. After gazing into the canyon’s depths from the Desert View Watchtower, travelers spend a night at the South Rim, before making an invigorating hike into the canyon the following day. The South Kaibab Trail, a seven-mile hike into the canyon, reveals panoramic vistas that showcase the canyon’s grandeur. Guests keep an eye out for bighorn sheep and the California condor before arriving at Phantom Ranch by midday. The Bright Angel Trail offers a nine-mile hike out of the canyon, followed by a short stroll along the Rim Trail to Hermit’s Rest before returning to Flagstaff to conclude the journey.
On all these trips expert guides will share their knowledge of the area’s natural and human history. Some departures will be led by Dr. Andre Potochnik, who holds a Ph.D. in geology and has led O.A.R.S. river trips in the Grand Canyon for more than 40 years. “I enjoy opening people’s minds to ‘deep time’ as revealed in the rock layers. The Great Unconformity especially makes people feel real small, like not all that important, yet somehow enduring, which is both exhilarating and relieving. Sometimes we think to be more important than we are,” says Potochnik.
Rates for the trip start at $1,399 per person (based on double occupancy, single supplement $200) for four days of guided hiking and three nights of comfortable lodging. Rates include round-trip van transportation from Flagstaff, AZ; experienced hiking guide(s); most meals; one overnight at Phantom Ranch; two nights of lodging at the South Rim; and round-trip transport of a duffel by mule between the South Rim and Phantom Ranch.
For more information about this trip, click here. For information about other O.A.R.S. journeys, call 209-736-4677 or 800-346-6277, email info@oars.com, or visit www.oars.com.
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