The Grand Canyon is considered by many to be the most remarkable gorge in the world. I am not able to adequately describe how awesome it is in words. Those of you that have been there before know what I am saying. The enormous scale of the canyon and its beauty will take your breath away the first time you walk up to its rim. We had been to the Grand Canyon on a spring break trip about five years ago but once was not enough. We could not wait to get back there and experience it again.
The views from the rim of the Grand Canyon are spectacular. The national park facilities are also among some of the best that we have seen so far on this trip. There are numerous visitor centers, museums, lodges, restaurants, and other places to visit at the South Rim where we were staying. We stayed in a campground within the park that was less than a mile from the main visitor center that even had full hookups (not normally the case within a national park). The downside of the park is that over 6 million people a year visit it, so it can get pretty crowded. Fortunately, most of the visitors stay up on the rim. You can escape the crowds pretty easily by hiking down into the canyon – the further, the better.
I read somewhere that the only way to truly experience and appreciate the Grand Canyon is by hiking down into it. It truly is a different experience once you get below the rim. The views and details are different, there are a lot less people, and even the climate is different. The bottom of the canyon is normally 15 degrees or more warmer than the rim due to the elevation. There are a couple main trails that lead into the canyon and they are very steep. You can hike in a mile or so and have already dropped 1,000 feet in elevation. There is a saying at the Grand Canyon, “Down is optional. Up is Mandatory.” So, if you drop 1,000 feet of elevation, you are going to need to climb back up 1,000 feet in elevation.
The Colorado River is about 5,000 feet below the south rim of the canyon. The river forms the bottom of the Grand Canyon. If you hike down to the Colorado River, then you need to hike the 5,000 feet back up to the rim of the canyon. There are places to camp near the river if you are lucky enough to get a permit to do so. The park service strongly recommends against hiking to the river and back in one day. They have some great signs to warn you of this when you start to hike down either of the trails into the canyon. I didn’t have a permit but I wanted to see the whole canyon. I figured what the heck…
So, I decided to do a loop trail by hiking down the South Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River and then hike back up the Bright Angel Trail. This would require hiking down 5,000 feet in elevation and then back up 5,000 feet. The trail loop is about 18 miles long. That would be the longest I have ever hiked in a day, but I had recently done more elevation in a day so I figured I would be fine (despite the signs of the guy puking).
I woke up and caught an early shuttle from our campground. I was the only one on the shuttle that early in the morning. Apparently, there are not that many people itching to start hiking before sunrise? I was at the trailhead by 6:00 a.m. and started hiking down in the dark. The stars were bright and brilliant. I could make out the band of the Milky Way, even though there was a quarter moon out. It was around 30 degrees but it felt great in the dry mountain air.
I have always enjoyed hiking or running in the dark with a headlamp. It is so peaceful in a strange, sometimes unsettling way. Your visual world is limited to the small space directly in front of you that is lit by the beam of your headlamp. However, you are keenly aware of the much larger world around you. That feeling is magnified while navigating by headlamp in the Grand Canyon. As I was hiking down into the canyon, only a few feet of trail in front of me was lit by my headlamp. The stars provided enough light for me to know that falling off of the trail to my left was not an option. I had to take it pretty slow due to the loose soil and steepness of the trail. There was little to no wind that morning, so it was completely silent. The only sound I heard was the crunching of my shoes in the dirt below.
After hiking down for about an hour, the sky started to lighten up. The landscape around me slowly revealed itself – shades of gray turned to tan to blue and finally to the red, brown and green that is the Grand Canyon. The feeling of walking up to the rim of the Grand Canyon may only be matched by the feeling of being in the canyon while the sun rises.
I could see the trail snaking down into the canyon and dropping off over a cliff below. There was still a long way to go before reaching the bottom. I eventually started seeing some backpackers hiking back out of the canyon from the previous night but they were few and far between. I had most of the hike to myself. Not too bad for the 2nd most visited national park in the country.
As I neared the Colorado River, I rounded a corner to find a pack of mules carrying people back up the canyon trail. The lead guide said, “You are almost at the bottom!” Her tone was not one of congratulations but more of a nice way of saying, “You went too far and now you are going to have to hike back up this thing, dummy.” Yep – I was looking forward to it too. But, I did wonder if a mule would be a better way of ascending 5,000 feet of steep switchbacks. Did she know something that I did not yet?
Soon after letting the mules pass, I could see the Kaibab Trail suspension footbridge that would take me across the Colorado River. The Colorado River was a wonderful green and I could hear the movement of the water and the rapids upstream and downstream. After crossing the bridge, I walked down to a sandy beach on its shores to see how the river felt. Yep, it’s cold. I guess no surprises there. The air temperature had gotten nice though – it had already warmed up to the 60s even though it was still only 9:00 a.m.. I hiked along the northern bank of the river for about a half a mile before crossing back over the river on another footbridge. There, I hiked along the River Trail for a little over a mile along the river. The views of the river along the trail were great.
The River Trail took me to the Bright Angel Trail, where I would start my ascent back up to the rim of the canyon. I saw three or four other people down along the river while I was hiking down there. That really amazed me. I thought for sure I would see more people in this area. When I reached the Bright Angel Trail, I was about ten miles into the hike. I was feeling pretty good, so I was ready to start humping it back up the hill.
The Bright Angel Trail follows two creeks, Garden Creek and Pipe Creek, up the canyon. I had not expected this in the dry, steep environment of the Grand Canyon. The water in the creeks cascaded down the slope right next to the trail filling the air with the sound of trickling water. There were even a few waterfalls along the trail. The best part of the water was the oasis area called Indian Garden. Here, huge cottonwood trees stand beside cacti and desert bushes. The leaves of the cottonwood trees were changing color for the season into a vibrant yellow. It made for some beautiful hiking even though I slipped off a rock once crossing the creek earning myself a soaking wet foot. I guess that is one of the “advantages” of hiking in trail runners.
The hiking from the river to Indian Springs was relatively easy. It was uphill but at a gentle grade. The last four and a half miles of the Bright Angel Trail were a different story though. From Indian Garden, the trail climbs nearly 3,500 feet back to the rim of the canyon in those four and a half miles. Luckily, I had just eaten an early lunch consisting of a 5 pound peanut butter and banana sandwich. Climbing up the steep switchbacks were fun at first; but, after a while, it began to feel like I would be climbing them forever.
The crowds started picking back up as I began to get closer to the rim. The one advantage of this was that some other hikers had spotted a big horn sheet hanging out on the slopes of the canyon wall. Checking out a bighorn sheep seemed like a great excuse to me for taking a break. I started back up the hill and thought that I should check “Find My iPhone” to see if Jamie was nearby. Jamie and the kids had started hiking down from the rim to meet me along the trail. It turns out they were about a quarter of a mile away. I started hiking towards them but knew I would have to hike back down to show them the bighorn. I decided to stay put and wait for them. Everyone got to see the bighorn and I enjoyed hiking the last three quarters of a mile with them.
I was still feeling pretty good when we got to the rim of the canyon. I had done the hike in a little less than eight hours and still felt like I had some hiking left in me. So, I started hiking the Rim Trail with everyone enjoying the views. They were going to hike about two and a half miles to the visitors center; but, after about a mile, I started feeling like the old man I am. Jamie and the kids continued on the Rim Trail while I turned and walked about a mile back to the Airstream. It felt great to take off the pack and lay down. I don’t always take naps. But, when I do, I prefer one after a big ass hike. That night, I celebrated with a big old hamburger complete with a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and avocado. Thanks for cooking that up, Mandy!
The South Kaibab Trail, River Trail, Bright Angel Trail loop was one of the most challenging and rewarding hikes I have ever done. It was awesome to be able to see the Grand Canyon from both the top and bottom, in the dark and in the light, in the same day. It was made all the better by having Jamie and the kids join me for the final push up the hill. The November weather was perfect. Admittedly, It probably would have been a different story in the summer (ala puking guy on sign).
