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The next morning was again a little on the overcast side. I broke camp and prepared to head out early but not too early. I didn't have nearly as many miles to cover as the prior day. It should be a breeze. While I was filling my water bottles I noticed the river party that had camped up below Nevills Rapids, preparing to run Hance Rapids. I ran back and got my camera. This would be fun to watch and it was. After they had all gone through Hance, I went and picked up my gear and left as well. I hiked over to the west end of the beach and found the start of the Tonto Trail heading up to the top of the Tonto Platform. This was the eastern terminus of the Tonto and I wondered how long it would take before I finally got to see the western terminus, some 90 miles or more downriver. This trip would only use about 8 miles of the eastern section, from Red Canyon to Cottonwood Creek.
The trail climbed quickly up to the Tonto Platform and then back along Mineral Canyon for a mile or so. It then descended briefly into and out of Mineral Canyon and continued west, around Ayer Point and over to Hance Canyon. Hance was an incredible site, this is one very deep, very steep and very long side canyon. The walls are almost vertical and at places you can see right down to Hance Creek in the floor of the canyon, over 1000 feet below. You would not want to slip here! The trail continues to head north up, along and into Hance Canyon and sometimes gets pretty close to the edge. The trail doesn't really descend into Hance but rather the floor of the canyon comes up to meet the trail. The trail does descend a little but not very much. Where it finally crossed Hance Creek I stopped and had some lunch. It looked like a beautiful spot to camp.
After lunch I climbed out of Hance and headed north towards the Tonto's junction with the eastern spur of the Grandview Trail coming down from Horseshoe Mesa. At the junction I continued north along the Tonto and out past the eastern arm of the mesa. Out here I came across a very strange cairn. There were about a dozen or so medium sized rocks arranged in the shape of a compass, with pointed rocks marking each of the four cardinal directions and a somewhat larger pointed rock indicating north. What people won't do. I took pictures of it from the south, east, west and north and wondered how many other have done the same.
From there the hike over to Cottonwood Creek was pretty straightforward and uneventful. The First Quarter Moon rose above the western arm of Horseshoe Mesa just as I was entering Cottonwood Creek's canyon. I made camp fairly early and had a little time to explore the area. I had dinner and hit the sack early as tomorrow I would have to head for the rim.
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Heading up the Tonto
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Hance Canyon
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Water flowing in Hance Canyon
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View up east side of Horseshoe Mesa from Hance Canyon
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Compass on the Tonto
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Last view of the river
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Between the arms of Horseshoe Mesa
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Approaching Cottonwood camping area
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Moon rising over Horseshoe Mesa
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Cottonwood Creek campsite
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