Day 1: Arrive evening of Friday, November 16th, in Las Vegas, where your reserved room and welcome packet will be waiting. (Elevation 2,400 ft)
Day 2: Depart Las Vegas after welcome breakfast. Drive to the wondrous sculpted red rock country of southern Utah. Lunch and animal tracking and bird language session at Zion National Park. Arrive at Bryce National Park. Hike and first of daily free time periods before sunset. Lodge near Bryce. Dinner and equipment check. (Elevation 8,000 ft)
Day 3: Sunrise viewing at Bryce Canyon before trip orientation breakfast. First of optional daily Restorative Nature Practice™ sessions. Lunch at Buckskin Gulch day hike. Off-highway travel for dinner and to camp at White House Campground. Group lesson in friction fire-making. (Elevation 4,300 ft)
Day 4: Sunrise and breakfast at White House Campground. One-day Colorado River trip from Page to Lee’s Ferry through Glen and Marble Canyons (California Condors, ancient petroglyphs and high sandstone cliffs.) Lodge near North Rim of Grand Canyon. Dinner and final backpack check. (Elevation 8,000 ft)
Day 5: Early breakfast. Seven mile descent of 4,400 feet down the North Kaibab Trail. Side-trip hike to Roaring Springs (a huge artesian water source that pours out of the cliff face). Camp at Cottonwood Campground. Free time before dinner. Introduction to Grand Canyon’s natural history. (Elevation 4,100 ft)
Day 6: Break camp. Seven mile descent of 1,650 feet to Bright Angel Campground. Short side-trip hike to Ribbon Falls (a hundred-foot waterfall). (Elevation 3,700 ft). Set up camp. Free time. Sit-down dinner in Phantom Ranch Canteen. Presentation on Backcountry Acupressure First-aid. (Elevation 2,450 ft)
Day 7: Short hike across the Colorado River at the Black Bridge. Free time. Late afternoon animal tracking and bird language session. Possibility of seeing desert bighorn sheep. Sit-down dinner at Phantom Ranch Canteen. Optional ranger presentation at the outdoor amphitheater. Stay second night at Bright Angel Campground.
Day 8: Break camp and begin two-day hike out of the Canyon. Cross Colorado River at the Silver Bridge. Four-and-a-half mile ascent of 1,450 feet on Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens Campground. Set up camp. Free time. Easy round-trip hike out to Plateau Point for dinner and sunset. (Elevation 3,900 ft)
Day 9: Break camp. Hike-out day. Four-and-a-half-mile ascent of 3,000 feet. Lunch at Two Mile House. Hot showers and comfortable mattresses await at Bright Angel Lodge. Final free time period. View sunset and celebration dinner in historic El Tovar Hotel Restaurant. (Elevation 6,800 ft)
Day 10: Check out of Bright Angel Lodge. Lunch on old Route 66 before we cross Hoover Dam. Arrive back at McCarren International Airport in Las Vegas by 4:00 pm to say good-bye and catch our flights home.
