Plan: Hike the Grand Canyon starting at the remote North Rim and trek across the canyon ending at the more popular South Rim five days and 26 miles later. Each hiker carrying on avg 45lbs of gear including water!Team Davis: Myself along with my Brother and Father tackled this adventure together.
When: September 10th - 15th 2008
Intro: The Grand Canyon romances it's visitors with awe inspiring views giving a direct example, the power of raw water, wind and TIME can have! The Colorado River has carved the canyon over the coarse of 6 million years. The canyon is 277 miles long although the width varies from 4 to 18 miles from North to South Rims (we hiked the width).
The most amazing of her stats is the depth of the canyon reaching up to one mile in some places. Think of Denver "the Mile high city" as it is a mile above sea level, well the Canyon allows you to view this visible mile in vertical elevation change. Or if you were part of Team Davis then you would also know what it's like to hike down and then back up a vertical mile over hot desert terrain. Oh YEAH!
Arrival: We flew into Las Vegas and landed around 9pm Tuesday night wasting no time we grabbed our rental SUV and drove towards the Canyon 4+ hours away. This made for an extremely late night for us all as we arrived at the South Rim Village around 1:30am which was 4:30AM EST. Highlights along the way included:
- Coyote spotting near the Hoover Dam crossing which is now seriously guarded with manual checkpoints to cross the canyon. This is a new security feature after 9/11. They are building a major highway bridge crossing the canyon at this spot to bypass Hoover Dam auto traffic.
- As we drove North into the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) we witnessed torrential downpours and a major lighting storm. This gave us all some alarm as we knew the next 5 nights would be spent out amongst nature and currently she was pissed with wind, rain and bolts of fire from the skies above.
Day 1 - Transport to the North Rim
We planned our trip as a one-way Rim to Rim hike starting on the more remote and hard to access North Rim, with us finishing back at the more popular South Rim. This meant we had to leave our car and load up our packs and shuttle to the North Rim. The quickest car ride takes around 5 hours to reach the other side only 18 miles away. This is due to the distance one must travel parallel to the canyon before reaching the narrow start of the canyon where an auto-bridge is present at Marble Canyon a 100 or so miles away.
This drive was long although beautiful as the rock formations and canyons of eastern Arizona and southern Utah showed off their glory and mystery. We arrived an hour before sunset to the North Rim Campground and secured a spot under the pine tree Forrest to spend the night and celebrate my Dads birthday!
The weather on the North Rim was chilly and wearing a fleece and pants was required. The North Rim elevation was over 8,000ft and the weather on this Rim can be much cooler then the South Rim which is at around 6400ft elevation. We shared stories and drank beers as the twilight feel over our heads. I was shocked and proud to find out from my brother I would soon become an Uncle for the first time. My little bro is going to be a dad! I guess there is no better place to find out such wonderful news then at the start of a truly once in a lifetime father and sons adventure across one of Earth's magnificent wonders. We drank beers into the night and crammed into the three man tent. Our big first day awaited and trail dreams drifted me into the unconscious plane of sleep.
Day 2 - The Hike Down Begins - North Kaibab Trail
From some of my previous hiking experiences I had already learned the lesson that going down is far worse then hiking uphill. I know you may think "yeah right" but trust me down hill is a nightmare for the bodies joints and bones. Forty-Five heavy pounds ported via backpack over six rocky downhill switchbacking miles was our fate. Starting at over 8,000 feet we hiked to Cottonwoods Campground which stood at 4000 ft. and about 2/3 down my ankle felt sprained and broken with thoughts of "WTF" already reaching my inner awareness. Every trip has this moment. A very awakening and special moment that slaps the adventurer in the face "What the hell were you thinking.. This would be easy... You were so wrong... The pain.. I cannot go on...... ".
I think my brother can now agree on what I'm talking about here. I had first witnessed this feeling while on my Mt. Sterling trip in 14 degree weather on a summit freezing with no water. I had re-experienced it hiking 40 miles in Washington state over the face of Old Snowy mountain crossing a snowy-ice pack with vertical death awaiting me. Starting the Grand Canyon hike I knew this moment would find me once again and it just had.
So now that the bitching is out of the way what was the hike actually like on day one.. Amazing! The views looking out over the vastness of the canyon were breathtaking while trekking down the North Kaibab. We first came upon roaring springs which is a waterfall spitting out of the side of the canyon and literally creates the Bright Angel Creek below (the Bright Angel is the creek we followed towards the Colorado in the coming days and also provides all the drinking water for the canyon national park). Exhausted and low on water my brother and I crashed to the ground to take a break in the desert heat and tend to our blistering feet. Dad being the superhero he is, decided not to rest and hike down to roaring springs to gather water for the team. Yes the old man was carrying his sons, which provided a nice metaphor on life (father the provider that is). We also ran into our first mule train which passed by heading uphill. We hiked on as the day progressed and the heat increased.
In the distance we could see the trail wrapping around itself down the canyon for miles into the distance. We knew what road lie ahead and that road lead down, way way down! We could see a bridge in the distance and after reaching this landmark the trail flattened out some as it lead into Cottonwoods campground.
Cottonwoods literally contained 11 primitive reservation only campsites which are first come first serve although you need a specific permit for that night, your literal spot is up to first come first served. We found a nice spot with some shade as we quickly learned finding shade was high on the important list when in the desert.
We tended our wounds and my body felt like it was dragged behind a truck for the entire 6 mile downhill hike. We found a spot where we could dip into the Bright Angel creek and cool down and wash off the sweat. This creek was pretty deep and the swimming hole was pleasant even though the water was ice cold and I was bathing with my father in nothing other then our Under-Armor briefs! You find during times of brutality you just don't care what the scene might look like to others passing by.
We met a guy that I shall refer to as the Hulk. He really looked like Hulk Hogan. Yellow t-shirt, cut-off jean shorts and the white hair and foo-man-chew to match. The Hulkster told us his major tails of woe as he explained his water bladder blew out half way down and he had no other container for water. He also had his boots blow out on him as he said he didn't wear them in over 10 years and then decided to just hike the canyon. Well the leather toes blew out so he hiked back up, drove a hundred miles or so into Utah to buy new boots and then hiked back down and was hot-boxing me with these stories. Last but not least was this dudes toe nails. OMG nasty. The new boots gave him what the rangers call "Canyon Toe". Basically blisters form under your toe nails and it is extremely painful. The ranger used a paper clip and heated it with a lighter before using that paper clip to pierce through the Hulks toe nails one by one pushing through the nail to relieve the pressure igniting a geyser of puss and liquids beneath erupted.
We felt bad for the Hulk as he didn't even have a map so we gave him a basic map we owned to help him get the hell out of, well what must have been "hell" for him. Random and strange indeed.
As night fell a full Moon arose over the canyon wall and we bathed in the pale moonlite while assuming the energy of this magnificent place. We smiled like men that found their true nature and were amazed at the moonlit canyon walls exposing an entirely new view and a much needed lift in spirits.
Day 3 - Cottonwoods to Phantom Ranch via North Kaibab trail
Today we started our hiking early awaking around 4am and pushing out within the hour to beat the heat of mid-day. We had to cross a section of trail today called "The Box" which is known to get extremely hot during the hours of 10am - 2pm. Leaving at 4am would insure we arrive to Phantom Ranch before 10am and the heat of mid-day.
The hike was much easier today then the previous. We followed the Bright Angel creek the entire way as it gradually flowed downward towards the Colorado. The canyon opened up and we were walking through a vast wilderness one cannot even imagine when looking down from the rim high above. Cacti grew everywhere and rolling hills of desert
covered the landscape.
We first came to the Bright Angel falls but noticed the side trail to visit was about 3/4 mile or so out of the way. Considering we had just started to make progress and the box was the last section of the hike, we didn't want to waste time on trying to see the falls. It was a hard decision to make considering it seemed so close but we had to stick to our priorities out here. There was no room for second chances in this place. We hiked on sneaking looks at the falls from a distance.
We reached a section of trail that offered a shortcut trail towards the falls and considered heading down real fast after having time to think about what we might be missing. We dropped our packs on the desert floor and started hiking the unofficial path down towards the falls but first came across the Bright Angel creek again. It was moving at a good speed and probably knee deep where we were at. A few boulders rised above the waterline calling for us to attempt a crossing but after a few minutes we thought what a broken arm out here would mean. We turned back around and continued onwards of our main goal, reaching Phantom Ranch in one piece.
As we hiked gradually downward along the creek the canyon walls started to narrow and box us in, we had reached "The Box". High narrow black rock separated by only 50 feet or so in some places was the landscape. The trail hung to the side of these canyon walls elevated above the creek as it winded onward.
At last we reached Phantom Ranch! This place is a small sense of comfort located at the bottom of the Canyon close to the Colorado River at 2,400ft elevation. The ranch includes a dozen or so small cabins and a mess hall / market store called th
e canteen. The ranch was built in 1922 and has the feeling of the old west as mules come and go bringing people to this isolated oasis. Most people make it here via mule ride down and have reservations to the cabins etc which one can wait a year or longer to reserve. We had lodging at the Bright Angel campground which was about 300 yards or so down from the ranch. We hurried over and picked a nice campsite which was along the Bright Angel creek allowing us to easily wash and relax in the river from our site.
We dumped our gear and headed back for the Canteen. We purchased beers from the clerk as she told us "beer is running low today as the beer mule didn't make it down last night). Yes all food products and mail is transported in and out via mule. We purchased one Tecate beer per hiker and sat in the cool AC drinking away at 10:30am. We each took turns at the satellite payphone which was outside to reach our loved ones and let them know we hit the halfway marker OK. As we took turns on the phone the other two kept on drinking and snacking on pretzels. I must have drank four beers or so then we headed back to our site to setup camp and chill out.
Beer drinking after strenuous activity in the 100+ degree desert turns out to be a very BAD idea! My head started to pound like that of an all night drunk fest although only a hour or so had passed. I felt sick to my stomach and realized heat exhaustion was setting in and I needed to hydrate and cool down in the river fast. I spent the next four hours floating in that ice cold creek holding my head pissed at the world. Imagine a very bad hangover now imagine it in a desert with no AC during high noon in 105 degree heat with no escape. Welcome to my world.
Time passed and I started to feel somewhat better in time for our evening meal of victory. We had got extremely lucky asking about any extra openings for dinner that evening upon our arrival and luckily we were able to enjoy the famous Steak dinner. As the dinner bell rang everyone lined up in front of the canteen like hungry cowboys ready to fight for a hard earned meal. I positioned myself strategically in front and made my move for the door fighting off the hoards of other hungry adventurers. We grabbed our table as the food was already prepared and sitting on each table we starting going crazy over the; giant steaks, corn bread, baked potatoes, salad and some ice tea to wash it all down. I didn't speak for 20 minutes straight, I just ate.
We met some other people at the table as a lady offered my brother and I the remains of her half eaten steak. I wondered what I must have looked like to have her offer such a thing but I had eaten so much so fast I had to turn down this wonderful sounding offer. I guess this shows how hungry we all were that a total stranger thought it appropriate to offer me her half eaten steak. They were an older couple that were dressed for the tennis courts and the man talked of pain and suffering from his trip down the south rim ridding the mule. I laughed inside knowing I had manually moved my self from much farther and steeper beginnings then he. Once he asked where we started he realized to stop complaining and enjoy the giant slice of chocolate cake which was laid before us all as desert. Truly a meal I will never forget.
Day 4: Phantom Ranch relaxation
Today was a built in day of rest and relaxation at the Ranch with no backpacking for the day. We all woke up for the early breakfast of eggs, bacon, home fries all with fresh coffee. We walked back to our campsite and slept for a few more hours catching up on some much needed rest. My bro was not feeling that great with his knees really hurting him from the hike down the canyon. He spent the majority of the day relaxing and floating with my dad and I in the creek to stay cool and use the cold water of the creek to sooth his knee. We met some other hikers in the creek; a Grandfather, Father and Son all hiking the GC together who were from Boston. We shared stories and it seemed they were in pretty bad shape from the hike down as well.
Later in the day my dad and I took a day-hike out to the Colorado river and walked the "Black" bridge over following the South Kaibab trail. The mighty Colorado river was muddy, and this open space had a strange silence to it. The only sound was that of roaring river as it turned to whitewater around the bend in the distance.
We finished up our hike and sat around some more at the campsite as the National Park service continued their all day helo construction. A helicopter lifted down materials for the renovations of the ranger station. My brother and I also discovered a pomegranate tree growing at our site so we picked off a fresh fruit and went to town. We later headed on down for dinner and this night we enjoyed the Hiker's Stew. We met some other hikers at our table and shared stories of life and our common bond of sharing and enjoying nature.
As we stopped by the sat phone again outside the bathrooms I looked down on a rock before sitting and noticed a Scorpion chilling where my ass was about to go. These suckers were all over the place and we didn't even know it. Some people had small black-lite flashlights which when shined on Scorpions makes them glow so you can easily find them. I was wondering about now if the tent 200 yards away at the campsite had it's zippers securely closed. We ended the night drinking wine and beers in the Canteen until around 9:30 - 10pm and buying our postcards to have sent home via mule out of the canyon.
Day 5: Hike to Indian Gardens
Keeping with our other days of hiking tradition we awoke early and set off in the dark although dawn was fast approaching. We hiked to the Colorado river and spent some time taking photos and enjoying the morning colors in the Canyon. We hiked on over the silver bridge crossing the river on this narrow bridge was very cool. The bridge had a grate surface we walked on and was very peaceful.
We reached the other side and started the hike along the river slowly gaining elevation as we eventually turned into
a dry wash bed and hiked the trail directly into the South Rim. About 3/4 into today's hike we came to a switchback climb known as Devils Corkscrew. The views as we accented upwards were some of the best I have been lucky enough to experience. Vast desert wilderness with vista views of the Grand Canyon as we climbed our way out of her belly. Looking up we could 
see a ridge line that marked the top of the corkscrew but it eluded us as we found switchback after switchback awaiting us. Once to the top the terrain opened up into rolling desert hills and we were an a plateau.
We could see the bunches of trees in the distance and knew that was our destination; Indian Gardens. We came into camp early and had our pick of the many sites available and had found a pretty nice shaded area. We met a park ranger that then told us which spot he thought was the best so we moved our small residence over to his suggested plot. The views from this campground are some of the best I think. Giant canyon walls on 3 sides horseshoe you in at the base of the walls. Then the open side is that of far off canyon features and vast beauty. We setup camp and planned out the rest of our day.
Day-Hike to Plateau Point
This was hands down the best part of the entire trip. We hiked out the 1.5 miles one way to Plateau Point. We basically left Indian Gardens to back-track in the direction we came from but took a different one-way out and back trail that leads to PP. Now from the South Rim PP is the trail you see leading out to the edge of the Plateau and see it just end. The trail leads through the flat desert plateau which the hiker realizes is much larger when amongst it versus from the view high and far above. When reaching PP we had only three or so other people present and dropped our day packs and headed for the edge. A small pathetic attempt at safety was in the form of a little railing that was in
stalled on the Edge. Some people walked around it but we were basically on a rock cropping that hung over an edge. Step to far off in 3 of 4 directions and you would get a brief glimpse into a birds life minus the graceful flying part. This small peninsula of viewing platform was only reachable by climbing some rocks and getting onto the platform of rock you could see all the cracks with thousand foot views looking down.
The Colorado was viewable coming from the East and stretching and winding West. We could see rafters far far below setting up camp on a sandbeach although we later found out they should not have been there as it is illegal to do so. We smoked cigars and listened to music and spent hours on the point. The sun was setting and the energy was amazing. As the Sun dropped behind the last canyon wall, the Moon started it's rise in opposite direction. We saw one of the most amazing Sunsets and Moon risings of all time. The canyon walls still red from sunset the Moon inflated in size came from behind the canyon walls looking like that over the top giant moon one only sees on stage or in those unique and amazing National Geographic shots. This Moon was real and as it rose in the sky as everyone was snapping shots and taking in the moment. Check the pic below to see what I mean although this picture doesn't bring the emotions that came with this view. I recommend seeing this for yourself.
We hiked back in the dark to Indian Gardens and enjoyed the Moonlit canyon along the way. I tell ya, something about the Moonlit canyon makes that place even more energized. Thinking about it I remember that amazing feeling and having my spirits lifted.
Day 6: Hike to the South Rim
We packed up and were motivated to reach the top today and conclude our multi-day adventure. We arose early and had a quick breakfast as we packed up camp and hit early morning trail. The canyon walls were all around us. Looking at their massive vertical stature it is not clear how the trail will lead us out. Not soon after thinking how we will exit, we hit the start of switchbacks which start us up the canyon walls.
Hours of switchbacks and gaining altitude my legs burned onwards. Multiple mule trains were moving down as we moved up the trail and we had to make way many times for their crossings. It was interesting to see well dressed people riding the mules down with their fresh clothing and still smelling of civilization. We must have looked like true canyon folk as I had not showered all trip and know my sent was rather ripe. Anyway as we reached closer to the top more and more day-hiker / tourists descended on the trail unaware of the code of conduct. Hikers going UPHILL have the right away! Breaking your stride really can break your confidence and some idiots strolling down the trail to take a peak walk in groups like walls squeegeeing down the trail and acting as if they own the place. Here is my Rant:
The Canyon prior to this experience had only been viewed by me from rim top. I too had ventured a few 100 feet down a trail head and thought I had respect for this place, thought I understood her beauty and magnificence. At this moment I was faced with a reflection of the past, of my past and old viewpoints. Walking past those people and carrying the experience of my adventure with me I saw the canyon for the first time. The magic lies deep within the canyon were plateaus for miles open up and one can really grasp the many environments and true massiveness of this place.
We come to the last stretch of trail and just as I see the South Rim buildings coming into view a hiker passes me going downhill BACKWARDS. I stood there for a second watching this man looking over his shoulder hiking down the Grand Canyon thinking What the Hell is he doing. My first guess was maybe some sort of Guinness World Record and as it turns out it was. Read on for more detail later.
WE REACH THE TOP! RIM TO RIM HIKE SUCCESS. As we walked out of the Canyon we found ourselves on a cement parking lot and in the middle of tourists all over. This was a great feeling having accomplished such a hike and having everyone ask us about what we had just accomplished. We took a few minutes to phone back to our loved ones and then headed for a beverage and then the car.
Grand Canyon Victory Dinner
My Dad had already made reservations for the three of us and for three of the National Park Staff to join us for a wonderful dinner at the El Tovar dinning room which is only 20ft from the South Rim. It was awesome to dine with some of the GCNP staff and hear about all the stories they have and I thought a very nice gesture on my fathers behalf to give back something extra to these hard working guys. They told us El Tovar's private room which was behind us was built specially for Teddy Roosevelt as he never wanted to remove his dirty boots so they made this room for him to handle the issue which I thought was interesting. They also told us the only water source for the GC is the pipeline we followed along the Bright Angel trail for days. They said it breaks all the time and sometimes a guy has to weld it while hanging from a helicopter. I guess there is a large reservoir to hold water but this single pipeline is the entire parks water which was amazing to me. We also learned more about the backwards hiker man. Turns out the guy was going for the Guinness world record to hike Rim 2 Rim backwards in one day. See article here
We enjoyed our multicourse meal and headed to the motel for some much needed sleep and rest. My bones and muscles were exhausted and doing nothing but chilling out sounded amazing. We would head to Vegas in the morning for a full day and night in the city to celebrate our trip and have some fun. We then flew back to our lives leaving the Canyon behind but still very much on our minds.
Conclusion
An amazing trip with my dad and brother has come to an end. We hiked the canyon, we suffered, we experienced amazing things together on this trip. I am so thrilled I was able to share this with my bro and father and look forward to another adventure to continue the bond of family and outdoors growing ever stronger. I will sign off now with one last memory; walking slowly in the moonlit canyon a breeze blows over the plateaus and I spin around viewing the 360 walls encapsulating me in nightime glory. I look to my brother and he is smiling, I look to my father and he is smiling, I smile and hike forever on.
When: September 10th - 15th 2008
Intro: The Grand Canyon romances it's visitors with awe inspiring views giving a direct example, the power of raw water, wind and TIME can have! The Colorado River has carved the canyon over the coarse of 6 million years. The canyon is 277 miles long although the width varies from 4 to 18 miles from North to South Rims (we hiked the width).
The most amazing of her stats is the depth of the canyon reaching up to one mile in some places. Think of Denver "the Mile high city" as it is a mile above sea level, well the Canyon allows you to view this visible mile in vertical elevation change. Or if you were part of Team Davis then you would also know what it's like to hike down and then back up a vertical mile over hot desert terrain. Oh YEAH!
Arrival: We flew into Las Vegas and landed around 9pm Tuesday night wasting no time we grabbed our rental SUV and drove towards the Canyon 4+ hours away. This made for an extremely late night for us all as we arrived at the South Rim Village around 1:30am which was 4:30AM EST. Highlights along the way included:
- Coyote spotting near the Hoover Dam crossing which is now seriously guarded with manual checkpoints to cross the canyon. This is a new security feature after 9/11. They are building a major highway bridge crossing the canyon at this spot to bypass Hoover Dam auto traffic.
- As we drove North into the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) we witnessed torrential downpours and a major lighting storm. This gave us all some alarm as we knew the next 5 nights would be spent out amongst nature and currently she was pissed with wind, rain and bolts of fire from the skies above.
Day 1 - Transport to the North Rim
We planned our trip as a one-way Rim to Rim hike starting on the more remote and hard to access North Rim, with us finishing back at the more popular South Rim. This meant we had to leave our car and load up our packs and shuttle to the North Rim. The quickest car ride takes around 5 hours to reach the other side only 18 miles away. This is due to the distance one must travel parallel to the canyon before reaching the narrow start of the canyon where an auto-bridge is present at Marble Canyon a 100 or so miles away.
This drive was long although beautiful as the rock formations and canyons of eastern Arizona and southern Utah showed off their glory and mystery. We arrived an hour before sunset to the North Rim Campground and secured a spot under the pine tree Forrest to spend the night and celebrate my Dads birthday!
The weather on the North Rim was chilly and wearing a fleece and pants was required. The North Rim elevation was over 8,000ft and the weather on this Rim can be much cooler then the South Rim which is at around 6400ft elevation. We shared stories and drank beers as the twilight feel over our heads. I was shocked and proud to find out from my brother I would soon become an Uncle for the first time. My little bro is going to be a dad! I guess there is no better place to find out such wonderful news then at the start of a truly once in a lifetime father and sons adventure across one of Earth's magnificent wonders. We drank beers into the night and crammed into the three man tent. Our big first day awaited and trail dreams drifted me into the unconscious plane of sleep.
Day 2 - The Hike Down Begins - North Kaibab Trail
From some of my previous hiking experiences I had already learned the lesson that going down is far worse then hiking uphill. I know you may think "yeah right" but trust me down hill is a nightmare for the bodies joints and bones. Forty-Five heavy pounds ported via backpack over six rocky downhill switchbacking miles was our fate. Starting at over 8,000 feet we hiked to Cottonwoods Campground which stood at 4000 ft. and about 2/3 down my ankle felt sprained and broken with thoughts of "WTF" already reaching my inner awareness. Every trip has this moment. A very awakening and special moment that slaps the adventurer in the face "What the hell were you thinking.. This would be easy... You were so wrong... The pain.. I cannot go on...... ".
I think my brother can now agree on what I'm talking about here. I had first witnessed this feeling while on my Mt. Sterling trip in 14 degree weather on a summit freezing with no water. I had re-experienced it hiking 40 miles in Washington state over the face of Old Snowy mountain crossing a snowy-ice pack with vertical death awaiting me. Starting the Grand Canyon hike I knew this moment would find me once again and it just had.
So now that the bitching is out of the way what was the hike actually like on day one.. Amazing! The views looking out over the vastness of the canyon were breathtaking while trekking down the North Kaibab. We first came upon roaring springs which is a waterfall spitting out of the side of the canyon and literally creates the Bright Angel Creek below (the Bright Angel is the creek we followed towards the Colorado in the coming days and also provides all the drinking water for the canyon national park). Exhausted and low on water my brother and I crashed to the ground to take a break in the desert heat and tend to our blistering feet. Dad being the superhero he is, decided not to rest and hike down to roaring springs to gather water for the team. Yes the old man was carrying his sons, which provided a nice metaphor on life (father the provider that is). We also ran into our first mule train which passed by heading uphill. We hiked on as the day progressed and the heat increased.
In the distance we could see the trail wrapping around itself down the canyon for miles into the distance. We knew what road lie ahead and that road lead down, way way down! We could see a bridge in the distance and after reaching this landmark the trail flattened out some as it lead into Cottonwoods campground.
Cottonwoods literally contained 11 primitive reservation only campsites which are first come first serve although you need a specific permit for that night, your literal spot is up to first come first served. We found a nice spot with some shade as we quickly learned finding shade was high on the important list when in the desert.
We tended our wounds and my body felt like it was dragged behind a truck for the entire 6 mile downhill hike. We found a spot where we could dip into the Bright Angel creek and cool down and wash off the sweat. This creek was pretty deep and the swimming hole was pleasant even though the water was ice cold and I was bathing with my father in nothing other then our Under-Armor briefs! You find during times of brutality you just don't care what the scene might look like to others passing by.
We met a guy that I shall refer to as the Hulk. He really looked like Hulk Hogan. Yellow t-shirt, cut-off jean shorts and the white hair and foo-man-chew to match. The Hulkster told us his major tails of woe as he explained his water bladder blew out half way down and he had no other container for water. He also had his boots blow out on him as he said he didn't wear them in over 10 years and then decided to just hike the canyon. Well the leather toes blew out so he hiked back up, drove a hundred miles or so into Utah to buy new boots and then hiked back down and was hot-boxing me with these stories. Last but not least was this dudes toe nails. OMG nasty. The new boots gave him what the rangers call "Canyon Toe". Basically blisters form under your toe nails and it is extremely painful. The ranger used a paper clip and heated it with a lighter before using that paper clip to pierce through the Hulks toe nails one by one pushing through the nail to relieve the pressure igniting a geyser of puss and liquids beneath erupted.
We felt bad for the Hulk as he didn't even have a map so we gave him a basic map we owned to help him get the hell out of, well what must have been "hell" for him. Random and strange indeed.
As night fell a full Moon arose over the canyon wall and we bathed in the pale moonlite while assuming the energy of this magnificent place. We smiled like men that found their true nature and were amazed at the moonlit canyon walls exposing an entirely new view and a much needed lift in spirits.
Day 3 - Cottonwoods to Phantom Ranch via North Kaibab trail
Today we started our hiking early awaking around 4am and pushing out within the hour to beat the heat of mid-day. We had to cross a section of trail today called "The Box" which is known to get extremely hot during the hours of 10am - 2pm. Leaving at 4am would insure we arrive to Phantom Ranch before 10am and the heat of mid-day.
The hike was much easier today then the previous. We followed the Bright Angel creek the entire way as it gradually flowed downward towards the Colorado. The canyon opened up and we were walking through a vast wilderness one cannot even imagine when looking down from the rim high above. Cacti grew everywhere and rolling hills of desert
covered the landscape.We first came to the Bright Angel falls but noticed the side trail to visit was about 3/4 mile or so out of the way. Considering we had just started to make progress and the box was the last section of the hike, we didn't want to waste time on trying to see the falls. It was a hard decision to make considering it seemed so close but we had to stick to our priorities out here. There was no room for second chances in this place. We hiked on sneaking looks at the falls from a distance.
We reached a section of trail that offered a shortcut trail towards the falls and considered heading down real fast after having time to think about what we might be missing. We dropped our packs on the desert floor and started hiking the unofficial path down towards the falls but first came across the Bright Angel creek again. It was moving at a good speed and probably knee deep where we were at. A few boulders rised above the waterline calling for us to attempt a crossing but after a few minutes we thought what a broken arm out here would mean. We turned back around and continued onwards of our main goal, reaching Phantom Ranch in one piece.
As we hiked gradually downward along the creek the canyon walls started to narrow and box us in, we had reached "The Box". High narrow black rock separated by only 50 feet or so in some places was the landscape. The trail hung to the side of these canyon walls elevated above the creek as it winded onward.
At last we reached Phantom Ranch! This place is a small sense of comfort located at the bottom of the Canyon close to the Colorado River at 2,400ft elevation. The ranch includes a dozen or so small cabins and a mess hall / market store called th
e canteen. The ranch was built in 1922 and has the feeling of the old west as mules come and go bringing people to this isolated oasis. Most people make it here via mule ride down and have reservations to the cabins etc which one can wait a year or longer to reserve. We had lodging at the Bright Angel campground which was about 300 yards or so down from the ranch. We hurried over and picked a nice campsite which was along the Bright Angel creek allowing us to easily wash and relax in the river from our site.We dumped our gear and headed back for the Canteen. We purchased beers from the clerk as she told us "beer is running low today as the beer mule didn't make it down last night). Yes all food products and mail is transported in and out via mule. We purchased one Tecate beer per hiker and sat in the cool AC drinking away at 10:30am. We each took turns at the satellite payphone which was outside to reach our loved ones and let them know we hit the halfway marker OK. As we took turns on the phone the other two kept on drinking and snacking on pretzels. I must have drank four beers or so then we headed back to our site to setup camp and chill out.
Beer drinking after strenuous activity in the 100+ degree desert turns out to be a very BAD idea! My head started to pound like that of an all night drunk fest although only a hour or so had passed. I felt sick to my stomach and realized heat exhaustion was setting in and I needed to hydrate and cool down in the river fast. I spent the next four hours floating in that ice cold creek holding my head pissed at the world. Imagine a very bad hangover now imagine it in a desert with no AC during high noon in 105 degree heat with no escape. Welcome to my world.
Time passed and I started to feel somewhat better in time for our evening meal of victory. We had got extremely lucky asking about any extra openings for dinner that evening upon our arrival and luckily we were able to enjoy the famous Steak dinner. As the dinner bell rang everyone lined up in front of the canteen like hungry cowboys ready to fight for a hard earned meal. I positioned myself strategically in front and made my move for the door fighting off the hoards of other hungry adventurers. We grabbed our table as the food was already prepared and sitting on each table we starting going crazy over the; giant steaks, corn bread, baked potatoes, salad and some ice tea to wash it all down. I didn't speak for 20 minutes straight, I just ate.
We met some other people at the table as a lady offered my brother and I the remains of her half eaten steak. I wondered what I must have looked like to have her offer such a thing but I had eaten so much so fast I had to turn down this wonderful sounding offer. I guess this shows how hungry we all were that a total stranger thought it appropriate to offer me her half eaten steak. They were an older couple that were dressed for the tennis courts and the man talked of pain and suffering from his trip down the south rim ridding the mule. I laughed inside knowing I had manually moved my self from much farther and steeper beginnings then he. Once he asked where we started he realized to stop complaining and enjoy the giant slice of chocolate cake which was laid before us all as desert. Truly a meal I will never forget.
Day 4: Phantom Ranch relaxation
Today was a built in day of rest and relaxation at the Ranch with no backpacking for the day. We all woke up for the early breakfast of eggs, bacon, home fries all with fresh coffee. We walked back to our campsite and slept for a few more hours catching up on some much needed rest. My bro was not feeling that great with his knees really hurting him from the hike down the canyon. He spent the majority of the day relaxing and floating with my dad and I in the creek to stay cool and use the cold water of the creek to sooth his knee. We met some other hikers in the creek; a Grandfather, Father and Son all hiking the GC together who were from Boston. We shared stories and it seemed they were in pretty bad shape from the hike down as well.
Later in the day my dad and I took a day-hike out to the Colorado river and walked the "Black" bridge over following the South Kaibab trail. The mighty Colorado river was muddy, and this open space had a strange silence to it. The only sound was that of roaring river as it turned to whitewater around the bend in the distance.
We finished up our hike and sat around some more at the campsite as the National Park service continued their all day helo construction. A helicopter lifted down materials for the renovations of the ranger station. My brother and I also discovered a pomegranate tree growing at our site so we picked off a fresh fruit and went to town. We later headed on down for dinner and this night we enjoyed the Hiker's Stew. We met some other hikers at our table and shared stories of life and our common bond of sharing and enjoying nature.
As we stopped by the sat phone again outside the bathrooms I looked down on a rock before sitting and noticed a Scorpion chilling where my ass was about to go. These suckers were all over the place and we didn't even know it. Some people had small black-lite flashlights which when shined on Scorpions makes them glow so you can easily find them. I was wondering about now if the tent 200 yards away at the campsite had it's zippers securely closed. We ended the night drinking wine and beers in the Canteen until around 9:30 - 10pm and buying our postcards to have sent home via mule out of the canyon.
Day 5: Hike to Indian Gardens
Keeping with our other days of hiking tradition we awoke early and set off in the dark although dawn was fast approaching. We hiked to the Colorado river and spent some time taking photos and enjoying the morning colors in the Canyon. We hiked on over the silver bridge crossing the river on this narrow bridge was very cool. The bridge had a grate surface we walked on and was very peaceful.We reached the other side and started the hike along the river slowly gaining elevation as we eventually turned into
a dry wash bed and hiked the trail directly into the South Rim. About 3/4 into today's hike we came to a switchback climb known as Devils Corkscrew. The views as we accented upwards were some of the best I have been lucky enough to experience. Vast desert wilderness with vista views of the Grand Canyon as we climbed our way out of her belly. Looking up we could 
see a ridge line that marked the top of the corkscrew but it eluded us as we found switchback after switchback awaiting us. Once to the top the terrain opened up into rolling desert hills and we were an a plateau.We could see the bunches of trees in the distance and knew that was our destination; Indian Gardens. We came into camp early and had our pick of the many sites available and had found a pretty nice shaded area. We met a park ranger that then told us which spot he thought was the best so we moved our small residence over to his suggested plot. The views from this campground are some of the best I think. Giant canyon walls on 3 sides horseshoe you in at the base of the walls. Then the open side is that of far off canyon features and vast beauty. We setup camp and planned out the rest of our day.
Day-Hike to Plateau Point
This was hands down the best part of the entire trip. We hiked out the 1.5 miles one way to Plateau Point. We basically left Indian Gardens to back-track in the direction we came from but took a different one-way out and back trail that leads to PP. Now from the South Rim PP is the trail you see leading out to the edge of the Plateau and see it just end. The trail leads through the flat desert plateau which the hiker realizes is much larger when amongst it versus from the view high and far above. When reaching PP we had only three or so other people present and dropped our day packs and headed for the edge. A small pathetic attempt at safety was in the form of a little railing that was in
stalled on the Edge. Some people walked around it but we were basically on a rock cropping that hung over an edge. Step to far off in 3 of 4 directions and you would get a brief glimpse into a birds life minus the graceful flying part. This small peninsula of viewing platform was only reachable by climbing some rocks and getting onto the platform of rock you could see all the cracks with thousand foot views looking down.The Colorado was viewable coming from the East and stretching and winding West. We could see rafters far far below setting up camp on a sandbeach although we later found out they should not have been there as it is illegal to do so. We smoked cigars and listened to music and spent hours on the point. The sun was setting and the energy was amazing. As the Sun dropped behind the last canyon wall, the Moon started it's rise in opposite direction. We saw one of the most amazing Sunsets and Moon risings of all time. The canyon walls still red from sunset the Moon inflated in size came from behind the canyon walls looking like that over the top giant moon one only sees on stage or in those unique and amazing National Geographic shots. This Moon was real and as it rose in the sky as everyone was snapping shots and taking in the moment. Check the pic below to see what I mean although this picture doesn't bring the emotions that came with this view. I recommend seeing this for yourself.
We hiked back in the dark to Indian Gardens and enjoyed the Moonlit canyon along the way. I tell ya, something about the Moonlit canyon makes that place even more energized. Thinking about it I remember that amazing feeling and having my spirits lifted.
Day 6: Hike to the South Rim
We packed up and were motivated to reach the top today and conclude our multi-day adventure. We arose early and had a quick breakfast as we packed up camp and hit early morning trail. The canyon walls were all around us. Looking at their massive vertical stature it is not clear how the trail will lead us out. Not soon after thinking how we will exit, we hit the start of switchbacks which start us up the canyon walls.
Hours of switchbacks and gaining altitude my legs burned onwards. Multiple mule trains were moving down as we moved up the trail and we had to make way many times for their crossings. It was interesting to see well dressed people riding the mules down with their fresh clothing and still smelling of civilization. We must have looked like true canyon folk as I had not showered all trip and know my sent was rather ripe. Anyway as we reached closer to the top more and more day-hiker / tourists descended on the trail unaware of the code of conduct. Hikers going UPHILL have the right away! Breaking your stride really can break your confidence and some idiots strolling down the trail to take a peak walk in groups like walls squeegeeing down the trail and acting as if they own the place. Here is my Rant:
The Canyon prior to this experience had only been viewed by me from rim top. I too had ventured a few 100 feet down a trail head and thought I had respect for this place, thought I understood her beauty and magnificence. At this moment I was faced with a reflection of the past, of my past and old viewpoints. Walking past those people and carrying the experience of my adventure with me I saw the canyon for the first time. The magic lies deep within the canyon were plateaus for miles open up and one can really grasp the many environments and true massiveness of this place.
We come to the last stretch of trail and just as I see the South Rim buildings coming into view a hiker passes me going downhill BACKWARDS. I stood there for a second watching this man looking over his shoulder hiking down the Grand Canyon thinking What the Hell is he doing. My first guess was maybe some sort of Guinness World Record and as it turns out it was. Read on for more detail later.
WE REACH THE TOP! RIM TO RIM HIKE SUCCESS. As we walked out of the Canyon we found ourselves on a cement parking lot and in the middle of tourists all over. This was a great feeling having accomplished such a hike and having everyone ask us about what we had just accomplished. We took a few minutes to phone back to our loved ones and then headed for a beverage and then the car.
Grand Canyon Victory Dinner
My Dad had already made reservations for the three of us and for three of the National Park Staff to join us for a wonderful dinner at the El Tovar dinning room which is only 20ft from the South Rim. It was awesome to dine with some of the GCNP staff and hear about all the stories they have and I thought a very nice gesture on my fathers behalf to give back something extra to these hard working guys. They told us El Tovar's private room which was behind us was built specially for Teddy Roosevelt as he never wanted to remove his dirty boots so they made this room for him to handle the issue which I thought was interesting. They also told us the only water source for the GC is the pipeline we followed along the Bright Angel trail for days. They said it breaks all the time and sometimes a guy has to weld it while hanging from a helicopter. I guess there is a large reservoir to hold water but this single pipeline is the entire parks water which was amazing to me. We also learned more about the backwards hiker man. Turns out the guy was going for the Guinness world record to hike Rim 2 Rim backwards in one day. See article here
We enjoyed our multicourse meal and headed to the motel for some much needed sleep and rest. My bones and muscles were exhausted and doing nothing but chilling out sounded amazing. We would head to Vegas in the morning for a full day and night in the city to celebrate our trip and have some fun. We then flew back to our lives leaving the Canyon behind but still very much on our minds.
Conclusion
An amazing trip with my dad and brother has come to an end. We hiked the canyon, we suffered, we experienced amazing things together on this trip. I am so thrilled I was able to share this with my bro and father and look forward to another adventure to continue the bond of family and outdoors growing ever stronger. I will sign off now with one last memory; walking slowly in the moonlit canyon a breeze blows over the plateaus and I spin around viewing the 360 walls encapsulating me in nightime glory. I look to my brother and he is smiling, I look to my father and he is smiling, I smile and hike forever on.
Well written and awesome pics - miss you brother!
ReplyDeleteWow, the wait is over. You finally got your GC blog done. The wait was worth it, you did a very nice job with the details and pics. I'm glad we were able to hike together. Pappa-man.
ReplyDeleteFabulous report of an awesome trip in one of God's most beautiful creations. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful read, sir - the good, the bad and the ugly! You skillfully highlight the joys and pitfalls of Grand Canyon hiking, with a happy ending. Especially loved your father's gesture at the end to treat some of the park staff to dinner at El Tovar with you. Hope you're able to make it back someday.
ReplyDeleteTake care.