My friend Jim and I decided to hike the canyon about a year ago. In order to stay at Phantom Ranch, you need to make reservations almost one year in advance. We had lots of time to think about and plan this trip. The weekend of May 2-3, 1998, we did it.
We stayed at Thunderbird Lodge which is right at the edge of the South Rim. The lodge was somewhat expensive ($105/night) but it was clean and mostly quiet. We woke up and had a big breakfast. I had an omelet, hash browns, orange juice and coffee. Service was a bit slow at the restaurant which slowed us down. We were both nervous and anxious about the trip. We took a bus from the lodge to Yaki Point where we were going to descend on our adventure.
The trail we followed was the South Kaibob Trail. It is about six miles down to Phantom Ranch. I took two 24-ounce bottles of water and a large bottle of Gatorade. There is no water on the South Kaibob Trail. We took 6 bananas, 6 apples. I pre-made four cheese sandwiches on bagels and two bagels with cream cheese. The bagels with cream cheese were a waste as I ended up dumping them on the way up. The cheese sandwiches were very fulfilling although they were messy. I ate two of them on the way down, the last one was more like grilled cheese because of the heat. The remaining two didn't survive the trip up - they looked gross and carrying every ounce of extra weight is senseless. Jim brought a bunch of bagels but he didn't pre-make his sandwiches. He carried a little container of Peanut Butter and Jelly and made the sandwiches on the fly. Better idea than pre-making them.
We took the 9:11 bus to Yaki Point and started down around 9:45. This was too late to leave as the South Kaibob Trail is mostly in the sun. Sometimes it felt like walking in the desert. It took us six hours to get down - we probably could have shaved two hours from the trip. We spent lots of time talking to people along the way (especially women). Jim was moving slowly down the trail, partially protecting his ankle which he hurt hiking the Andorandac mountains while preparing for the trip.
We each carried a backpack weighing about 25 pounds each. We didn't carry a tent or sleeping bags so most of the weight was food, water and clothes. Both of us took jeans and never used them. I took a sweatshirt and used it a lot. I also brought a paperback book and my Walkman. The Walkman was nice to break the monotony. We also brought minimal toiletries.
I borrowed a Cleveland Browns Bandana from Jim and wore it under my hat. It helped keep the sun off the back of my neck and ears. It was cooler and prevented sunburn. I now totally understand why the Arabs wear those funny headdresses.
The first two miles of the South Kaibob Trail are deceptive. The decline was so steep that it made me think that we had made significant progress. We kept asking ourselves, where is the river, how much farther could it be. It took another two miles before we even saw the Colorado River once. Phantom Ranch is about mile from the river.
The middle part of the South Kaibob Trail was the most grueling. I think it would be a good idea to take one more bottle of liquid and drink it during this part. There was very little shade. You just walked the switchbacks down and down and down. Most of the time you have to pay attention to where you step. The trip down really pounds your joints - especially my knees. You'd swear that your ankles are permanently tilted into the step-down position.
The further down you got, the fewer people you would run into. The Park Service doesn't recommend walking up the south Kaibob Trail. It is steep and has no water. We met many people who were walking up the trail but everyone seemed in great shape and very prepared and very weighed down with their backpacks.
We met this one woman, Melissa. Jim and I aren't sure of her name except that it started with an M. We talked with her for thirty minutes. She took a picture of the two of us. She was truly amazing. She was just hiking out after camping in the canyon for five days - alone. She used to teach school but quit when her mom got sick.
After about 4 miles down, you can see the Colorado River much of the time. It is very far down and you walk switchbacks over and over to get lower and lower. It gives you more motivation, as you know you are getting somewhere. The middle part of the hike is hard, it seems like you aren't getting anywhere.
Finally you hit the River, you walk over a long bridge to cross. It is a little scary but you've walked so long you don't think about. The rest of the trip to Phantom Ranch is relatively easy. You are tired but the ground is mostly flat and you know you'll be there soon.
We checked into our dorm, shared with ten men. There are showers and after lying down for hour and taking a shower, you feel human again. Not super human because you know you have to walk back up.
Jim and I made dinner using a mini-stove and pot. We made two packages of noodles and then I had two cups of Ring Noodle Cup of Soup. Then we walked around by Angel Bright Creek. It isn't a creek, it is a fast moving mixture of water and dirt. The water is brown and looks more like a river than a creek. The name is deceiving. On the other hand, the name Grand Canyon totally fits.
I went to bed. A couple of guys snored in the cabin, I'm probably among them but nobody cared. I was too exhausted to care. It was so neat in the middle of the night when everything is totally quiet except for the rushing of the creek. Just amazing!
At 4:30 AM, there is a quick pounding on the door and a "first breakfast in 30 minutes". 8 out of 10 men are up within a minute. The other two follow shortly. Jim and I wanted to get an early start. The temperature at Phantom Ranch was in the 90s while the rim was in the 60s. I knew if we started the hike too late, we'd cook all our energy way too early and we had ten miles to go.
I started boiling water with the mini-stove. Jim and I had coffee and instant oatmeal. It was good except we only had two packs of oatmeal each and both wanted more. Then we packed up and left at 6 AM.
It was crisp and cool, perhaps 55 or 60. We walked briskly, trying to make good progress before the sun started cooking us. It was a smart strategy. The first mile is easy. You get to the river and cross it on a different walking bridge than before. This bridge is made of green metallic slats and you can see the river through the bridge. For the next mile and a half, the trail seems to be going up pretty good, but you learn later that it is the easy part of the trail. The scenery is really nice. It has lots of green plants and little creeks running through.
The walk up is HARD. We walked up Angel Bright Trail, which is ten miles to the South Rim. The nice thing is that you are practically at the lodge once you get to the top. Angel Bright Trail is much more scenic. There are three water stops and the trail attracts more less-than-serious hikers.
Everything about the Grand Canyon is amazing. The scenery keeps changing. You see lots of nothing but rocks and dirt. You also see flowers, lizards and squirrels. The squirrels are very friendly. At one stop, a squirrel came right up to me and begged for a piece of banana. It won.
Distances in the canyon are so deceptive. You see a particular landmark (such as Plateau Point) off in the distance. You'd walk an hour and look back, the landmark would look the same, as if you didn't walk at all.
The view is so different from the middle and bottom of the Grand Canyon. If someone wants to know what it is like, all you can really say is go experience it. I'm convinced that seeing the Grand Canyon misses the boat. You have to experience it, which is quite difficult. There are many major things in the canyon that you just can not see from the rim. Once you are about two miles into the canyon, you can't see the rim. You see what you think is the rim, but you are wrong, it is merely a sub-rim, which you walked down hours ago. This makes it hard going up as you think you are near the top and once you clear the top you see thousands of additional feet that you couldn't see before.
We talked to one woman on the way. She told us the story that she had taken her shirt off and laid it by a rock. When she went to pick it up, she noticed it was right next to a curled up rattlesnake. We never quite figured out what she meant by taking her shirt off.
The first water stop is at Indian Gardens about 5 miles up. We were at Indian Gardens by 9 AM, which we thought was pretty good progress. Most of the hikers there were from Phantom Ranch, which mean the amateurs weren't out yet. You could tell the amateurs, they didn't carry food or water. They didn't have hiking boots and they were not prepared. Not likely to run into amateurs at 9 AM five miles down.
There are three water stops on Angel Bright Trail. Each one was an opportunity to learn about other hikers and share the experience and rest. We met so many interesting people. Lots of people from Europe - mostly Germans. We met people from the U K, Germany, France, Mexico, and Asia. The mutual struggle of the climb removed all boundaries - we all were just hikers. The languages you heard were interesting - many you couldn't even guess as to what they were. We had German lessons from a couple of German girls. I tried to engage a French couple into a discussion in French. They switched it to English but they seemed happy to talk. My ending "Bonne Chance" was received with a nice "Merci". All the people, from everywhere, enhanced the trip.
After the Indian Gardens water stop, things got hard. Some people camped at Indian Gardens, which would be a good idea. Most people, Jim and I included, walked on. The uphill climb becomes relentless. When you get a flat path for twenty feet, you count it as a blessing. As we arrived at the second water spot, it was mixed with amateurs coming down and those suffering with us. The amateurs would sometimes remark about how they made it down three miles in only three hours. All of us coming up from Phantom Ranch would smile. They haven't a clue yet but they will.
The rule of thumb at the canyon is that it will take you twice as long to come up as it does to go down. I believe it. It took us 8 hours to get to the rim from Phantom Ranch.
The final water spot is at 1 miles. By then, every Phantom Hiker is beat. We didn't run into anyone that was even close to fresh except those who merely walked down the 1 miles from the rim. Now the suffering began. Everyone dumped any food they didn't think they would eat in the final walk. We had to make those packs as light as possible. The next mile was grueling. The worst, the hardest. The incline seemed to become steeper and we were clearly more tired. I would walk up taking six to nine inch steps - far from my normal stride. Every couple hundred feet, we'd stop in any shade we could find so we could breath again.
I asked people coming down how long they had been walking. I asked three people. Each time I asked the number got higher so I stopped asking.
We met a family with a seven-year-old boy around 1 miles down. They were planning on walking to Plateau Point. I told them in no uncertain terms NOT to do it. They insisted that it looked pretty close. I emphasized that after you walk a mile, it will look just as close. I told them that they have a 2-3 hour walk to get there and 4-5 hours back up just to this point. I don't know if I discouraged them or not, but I hope so. No way a seven year old could do it. All the college students who did it and were on their way back up were very tired. Plateau Point is only about half-way to the river.
We met a couple from Mexico. They went to Plateau Point and back in the same day. They were unprepared, merely carrying one bottle of water. He was clearly in trouble - heat sickness or something. We gave them food, so did others. The Mexican thanked God for it. He was right. We saw them at the top later, smiling and refreshed. It was a nice feeling.
The last half-mile got better. You could see the rim and this time we were pretty sure it was the rim. We walked a bit faster. On the last stretch, I started to run out. Jim didn't and I wanted us to walk out together. I waited for Jim to catch up and we walked out of this experience together with a great appreciation for the Canyon, the people, the experience and each other.
The pride of the hike persists. The beauty is awesome.
The biggest question looming in the canyon of the mind must be, would I do it again. I would like to. I think I'd like to take another day or two and camp. It is time to bond with someone else as well as to bond with yourself and God. Mentally healing and physically exhausting. Mostly..cool.
Summary for the next time:
1) Take two bottles of water and two bottles of Gatorade. 2) Take bananas but each them first
3) Bring snacks like granola bars, power bars, etc. 4) Bring Tang or some kind of flavor to mix with the water for the trip back up
5) Bagels were good to bring but don't pre-make anything. Bring little packets of cream cheese and use them first. Peanut Butter and Jelly on the way up makes sense.
6) Bring moleskin and bandages.
7) Bring a bandana as well as a hat
8) Sunscreen is required
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Your essay on the Grand Canyon was quite realistic and oh so very true. I have hiked and camped in the canyon many times, the first time being the summer of 72'. At that time there was no permit required and we camped of the main trail. I lived thru 4 winters at the canyon while doing concrete for he airport and the Grand canyon villiage. Many times have I hiked Bright Angel trail from the rim to the river and back the same day , it is not for the feint of heart. Once we spent 2 weeks off the beaten path with the help of the rangers who met us with supplies brought in by burro. You did forget to mention the gila monsters, mountain goats and tarantulas. The Colorado river is so cold at the bottom I almost drowned from shock the first time - I just jumped right in, my friend helped me crawl out Having spent over 6 months combined time actually camping in the canyon, I again thankyou for the essay. It brought back many memories and old friends.
Yours, John Anderson