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Hey Brian,
We chose South Kaibab. It is the shortest hike, maybe 7 miles each way. We did a layover at Cremation camp. The day of the hike we floated down to the trail in hiking gear, left our kayaks on the beach and then paddled upstream to camp after the hike. The rangers ask private trips not to camp at Cremation unless you are exchanging participants at Phantom. We stayed there because no other trips were close to us. South Kaibab is steeper than other trails, shorter than other trails and has better views during the hike (Many of the other trails follow side canyons while SK follows a ridge). We only had 11-12 hours of daylight so paddling on the same day as the hike would have been tough. With longer days you should be able to paddle too. Howard Tidwell ran to the rim and back in 4 hours. I took 8.
Next trip I am planning on making reservations for dinner at Phantom Ranch. After the hike you can stroll to the ranch and have a big steak. Good luck with your trip.
Jeff |
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South Kaibab New 
BoaterTalk 
