The Ken Patrick Trail begins on the east side of the North Kaibab Trail parking lot next to the mule pens.  It is named for a long time Canyon Park Ranger slain in the line of duty.

Ken Patrick Trailhead sign 7-17-2006 @ 6:08	Ken Patrick memorial 7-17-2006 @ 6:08

     The trail heads to the east and overlooks Roaring Springs Canyon.  It is fairly easy walking and has a few ups, downs, and turns.  I travel the half-mile to the Uncle Jim Trail junction in just over twenty minutes.  At the junction, the trail turns right for the Uncle Jim Trail and left for the Ken Patrick Trail.  I take the left branch, which immediately gets easier since the mule rides do not go on this section.  There are numerous fallen trees as you make your way eastward.

Uncle Jim Trail junction 7-17-2006 @ 6:32	Fallen trees by trail 7-17-2006 @ 6:43	Fallen trees by trail 7-17-2006 @ 6:52

     There are plenty of flowers and lichen as I head down the trail.

Indian Paintbrush 7-17-2006 @ 7:01	Lichen 7-17-2006 @ 7:04

Fetid Marigold 7-17-2006 @ 7:06	Gregg Ceanothus 7-17-2006 @ 7:06	Princely Daisy 7-17-2006 @ 7:06

     In another twenty minutes, I reach a section of the trail that is more like a meadow with lots of grass.

Grassy section 7-17-2006 @ 7:25	Grassy section 7-17-2006 @ 7:25

     There are also lots of flowers in this meadow section.

Hemlock Parsley 7-17-2006 @ 7:36	Fetid Marigold & fly 7-17-2006 @ 7:36	Fetid Marigold 7-17-2006 @ 7:32

     As I approach the eastern side of this meadow, it is apparent that fire has burned many of the trees.

Burned tree section 7-17-2006 @ 7:32	Burned tree section 7-17-2006 @ 7:37

     The area east of the burned tree section is actually quite lush with more flowers and ferns.

Indian Paintbrush 7-17-2006 @ 7:38	Ferns 7-17-2006 @ 7:44

     A little bit of minor bush-whacking is required to get through this area.  When I break out of the bushes, I get my first view of Bright Angel Canyon.

Brushy section of the trail 7-17-2006 @ 7:50	Bright Angel Canyon 7-17-2006 @ 7:53

     In just under two hours, I reach the Old Bright Angel Trailhead.  The trail branches to the left to continue on the Ken Patrick Trail and right for the Old Bright Angel Trail.  I turn left and notice that my GPS no longer displays the Ken Patrick Trail.  It is as if the trail ends here.

Point Imperial sign 7-17-2006 @ 7:55	Old Bright Angel Trailhead 7-17-2006 @ 7:56	Ken Patrick Trail sign 7-17-2006 @ 7:56

     From this point on, the trail is very indistinct and definitely hard to follow.  In just a few minutes, I loose the trail completely, so I guess it's dead reckoning from here on out.  Fortunately, yesterday I placed a waypoint on my GPS where the trail meets the Cape Royal Road, so I at least know where I have to end up.  I travel a little ways to the north on a ridge and then decide it's time to start downhill.  It's pretty easy going for a ways, but then things change abruptly for the worse.  The incline is now about 45 degrees, fallen trees are everywhere, the brush is extremely thick, and all the bushes have large thorns.  This is serious bush-whacking and my legs and knees are paying the price.  I look like I've been in a cat fight and the cat won.  I struggle with this for about an hour until I finally reach Ice Box Meadow at the bottom.  I'm pretty sure I just earned my Amazon bush-whacking merit badge the last hour.  I would rate that last section as a triple black diamond and the toughest "trail" in the Canyon I've been on.

Ice Box Meadow 7-17-2006 @ 9:01	Trail sign in Ice Box Meadow 7-17-2006 @ 9:01

     On the east side of Ice Box Meadow, I come to some switchbacks.  I start up the switchbacks thinking I've finally gotten the best of this trail.  Based on previous experience in the Canyon, I should know that overconfidence is a mistake.  Sure enough, these are actually very steep, zigzagging switchbacks that seem to go on forever.  Once again I can't recall any Canyon switchbacks I've done that are tougher than these.  I'm glad I am going up these, because they would not be any fun at all going downhill.  I finally break out at the top and walk the final mile to Cape Royal Road where my wife is waiting for me.

Final section of the trail 7-17-2006 @ 9:41	Ken Patrick sign at Cape Royal Road 7-17-2006 @ 9:41

     What started out as an easy day hike ended up being a real struggle.  I later talked with a Ranger at the North Rim Backcountry Office about the section of trail past the Old Bright Angel Trailhead.  He confirmed that the NPS has not cleared out that section like they should have.  I have no way of knowing if the actual trail is any easier than the route I took assuming you could somehow stay on the actual trail. 

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