Clear Creek is fed by a delightful stream that pours from a cave in the Redwall Limestone and wends its way through the Sonoran Desert terrain in Grand Canyon's basement schists and granites. During the strenuous hike to this lush oasis, participants will learn about the canyon’s earliest inhabitants, and their relationship with the hostile terrain of Grand Canyon.

Access from the rim, availability of food and water, and the existence of reliable shelter are all dictated by the geology and geography of any given locale. Historically, the Clear Creek drainage afforded a life sustaining combination of these essentials. After a brief orientation the class descends the South Kaibab Trail for an initial night beside Bright Angel Creek. Highlights from then on include partial circumnavigation of Zoroaster Temple on the Tonto Platform and an ambitious day hike in the Clear Creek drainage. If weather permits the class will trek to cascading Cheyava Falls—a towering waterfall fed by snowmelt. A final night at Bright Angel Campground near Phantom Ranch is followed by a return to the rim via the Bright Angel Trail. A plethora of topics and tales are certain to leave participants with a heightened appreciation of the flora, fauna, geology of the Canyon, and the people- past and present- that have called Grand Canyon home.