Saturday Hike

Last Saturday was pretty epic.

Last Saturday, I got to cross off a big item on the Life List.

Last Saturday, I hiked the Grand Canyon.

I have dreamed about hiking the Grand Canyon for- I don't even know how long. Since before I discovered my love of hiking, even. Long before I considered purchasing a backpack, I thought "Why would anyone ride a mule down when they could hike?" And I fully intended to do just that.

First off, I have to say that I would much rather have hiked down, spent the night at a campground, and hiked out the next day. That kind of trip takes a lot of advance planning, however. Six to 12 months in advance, especially this time of year when the weather is perfect. I attempted to secure some cancellation campsites, but to no avail. I would have to go down and up in one day.

Grand Canyon National Park is filled with signs warning people not to attempt this. I wasn't worried, though. These warnings are mostly for folks who arrive at the park and decide - spur of the moment - to try hiking down and up. The warnings are also for the heat. It is not uncommon for the temperature difference between the rim and the floor of the canyon to be 30 degrees or more.  Ninety degrees at the rim with no humidity isn't nearly as uncomfortable as 90 degrees say in Washington DC with 90% humidity. People get overconfident by the lack of humidity and end up in 123 degree heat at the floor of the canyon. I was not in either one of those situations.

It would be a strenuous hike, no doubt. Seventeen and a half miles with 10,000 feet of elevation gain and loss (or loss and gain, more accurately). I had done worse, though. And since I would NOT be camping, I'd only be carrying a day pack. I could do this!

I had booked a cheap room right outside the park entrance, so I could get the early hiker's shuttle.  My planned route would take me down South Kaibab Trail, on the east side of the South Rim, across the Colorado River, and back up Bright Angel Trail, more west on the South Rim. I would park my car near the Bright Angel Trailhead and take the 6 am shuttle to the South Kaibab Trailhead. Me and about 80 other people.

Sunrise was at 6:45am, which explained the popularity of that early shuttle. About half the bus jumped out with their expensive camera equipment and sprinted to the trail. They converged at a spot 1/4 mile down called "Ooh-ahh Point" which had a great view of the sunrise.  Though I only had an iPhone and took the shot while moving, I still like my sunrise shot!

Even more spectacular than the actual rising sun, in my opinion, was the way the light played with the colors on the rock. The red rocks are spectacular!

The temperature at the start of the hike was 36 degrees, but as the sun came up, so did the temperature. And I soon found myself dropping layers. The trail was steep and windy with lots of switchbacks. I was warm and comfortable and loving the scenery!

 I reached the canyon floor in about 3 hours. The trail goes through a rock tunnel to the Black Suspension Bridge. I had to wait, with 15 or so other hikers, since the mule train was crossing the bridge. Since there is a chance a mule can get spooked and bolt back up the trail, hikers are not allowed on the bridge when the mules are crossing. I used that time to drink up and eat a little snack. (I hadn't eaten much on the way down and was feeling a little tired and hungry)

On the canyon floor, I headed to Phantom Ranch. I have a friend who honeymooned here and she had a beloved hat from Phantom Ranch. A few years ago, her dog ate her hat, and she has been unable to replace the hat, since it is sold ONLY at the ranch itself. So I had the task of replacing the hat. Phantom Ranch also has really good lemonade, so I ate and drank two glasses of lemonade before heading back up to the rim.

Once again, I had to cross the river, this time via the Silver Bridge, which is too narrow for mule trains to cross. No waiting this time! Just a quick stop to watch the river for a couple minutes.

Once across the bridge, Bright Angel follows the river west for a mile or so, which is pleasant, but also has stretches of soft sand, which is not so pleasant.  When I took my shoes off at Phantom Ranch, I noticed a pretty good blister on my small toe, and the soft sand was not the most welcome surprise.

After the stretch along the river, the trail follows a narrow canyon and follows the Pipe Creek up an alternately steep and moderate trail. This was the only section of trail that was hot this time of year, as it got some direct sunlight. Most of the way down, I was in shade.  Still, the temps were only in the high eighties so it was pretty comfortable.

My favorite part of the Bright Angel climb was just below the Indian Gardens Campground. The trail passes through a gully with Garden Creek. It is filled with cottonwood trees, cooler temperatures, and a refreshing breeze! I stopped for a water break and a granola bar here, enjoying the surroundings.

Shortly thereafter, I reached Indian Gardens Campgrounds. It was quite crowded, as there was piped water, rest rooms, and benches. The campground is also a popular turnaround spot for people hiking down Bright Angel.  Once again, I stopped for a bit. By now, I was right around 13 miles and starting to get tired. Eating, drinking, and taking off the shoes for a bit helped.

Past Indian Garden Campgrounds, the trail got significantly steeper. There were a series of switchbacks that, after a while, seemed endless. Luckily the last 4.5 miles two rest spots with piped water: the 3 Mile Resthouse and the Mile and a Half Resthouse. This section of trail was much more crowded. Lots of people doing shorter hikes and a handful of folks like me, pushing out the last 3 miles of the day. I'm not gonna lie: the last 3 miles were STEEP! The last 3 miles were hard. The last three miles saw me trudging along like an extra on the Walking Dead.

But I did see goats.

 
And I did have excellent views.

All in all, it was an excellent experience. I finished the entire hike in 9 1/2 hours.

If I were to do it over again, I'd skip Phantom Ranch and rest on the sandy beach by the river instead. I'd also eat more. I didn't feel that hungry, so when I stopped I snacked lightly. After the hike, I felt pretty worn out and my muscles were like jell-o. Fortunately, the hotel I was staying at had a dinner buffet. I piled up pasta like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters and felt much better. Monitoring my calories more carefully may have helped.

For those in good shape (marathoners, experienced hikers, endurance athletes) a down and up Grand Canyon hike is very reasonable. Take your time, eat enough, bring plenty of water, layer up, and have a light source in case you get caught below the rim at sunset.

Go for it! You won't be sorry.