Ascension to South Rim (4 of 4)

Sunday May 20 - the day of the challenging hike out of the Canyon.

5 am breakfast. Just before, final shenanigans getting mule duffels under the weight limit while dealing with an erratic scale; with help from Dave K., Robert, Rick. Same breakfast as Saturday - particularly nice because carbohydrate loading seemed like a good idea. Also picked up sack lunch (same as yesterday). Final packing, including jettisoning some food items. Group photo (above with 18 of us, just missing Robert and Liz). On the trail and onto our adventure at 5:45 am.

This was the best hiking of all. Which is saying a lot.

The Bright Angel Trail has several distinct phases.

First phase is technically on the River Trail (not the Bright Angel Trail) - we cross the Silver Bridge, then proceed along the south bank of the Colorado River for about a mile. The sun is starting to peek over the canyon walls in certain spots, but this portion of the hike is shady throughout because we're north of the cliffs. How neat is it to stroll along the Colorado River at the very heart of the canyon? I don't think all that many folks get to do this.

Second phase is our first climb; mostly moderate but quite steep at the Devil's Corkscrew. Mostly shady though - just as in 2004 - the sun starts reaching us as we finish the Corkscrew. There are a number of creek crossings. Waterfalls here and there. Feel transported, could be far from the desert. Several of these photos are from the Corkscrew area, including Chris and Patrick coming up the trail as the sun starts to reach us, and Patrick looking back on the accomplishment. (Which isn't much in the grand scheme of things.) By this time, Cecilia, Dave K and I were lagging the main group, with Chris and Patrick hanging back with us.

Third phase involves coming through what I refer to as "the notch" - this is a fairly short section that involves coming up through a notch clearly visible from the South Rim (where Bright Angel Trail veers to the right of the more easily-seen trail out to Plateau Point, and continues downward out of sight). (You also can see the notch clearly if you click/enlarge the last landscape shot in this post (below, just prior to the group photos from the top); the area with lots o' trees is Indian Gardens; the trail to Plateau Point is clearly visible running along the flat ground; the Bright Angel Trail itself drops down through the "notch" to the right of the Plateau Point trail. You also can see a mule train above Indian Gardens in the enlarged photo.) The notch has many trees, running water in various spots (see Cecilia and Dave K hiking above a waterfall). Mostly shady. We come through the notch into a flatter area and arrive pretty quickly at Indian Gardens. We made it by 8:20 am if I remember correctly, which really was quite good.

Indian Gardens has water, shade trees, picnic benches etc.; it is a traditional resting spot. At this point, the hiker is about halfway in distance, but only about 1/3 of the climb has been completed. We caught up with many of the other hikers in our party; a subset decided to lag along with the five of us. We snacked, filled water bottles, rested. Not sure but some may have accidentally fed a squirrel or two. One of the squirrels was massive compared to the others. Rested about an hour. Put up our feet. One squirrel tried to pull a gallon freezer bag with some trail mix away basically right out of my hand; Pat Herrera's warning saved the day. Indian Gardens always is a pleasant interlude.

There was a nice cactus garden just beyond the Indian Gardens rest area, see Patricia's photo of a prickly pear cactus in bloom.

Back to the hike. Finished the flatter area. Like 2004, this was the hottest part of the hike out. Everyone seemed to be doing well but, rather than test limits, we decided to relieve Kerry and Cecilia of their backpacks. Paul Jr. took Kerry's first. Later Patrick took it all the way. Which made for quite a load since he had a heavy pack of his own - not having gotten anything to the mule duffels. Photo below (showing the last hiker group topping out) shows his two-pack method. Cecilia's pack was some lighter, Pat H did most of the lifting on that.

Onto the more serious climbing. Slow process of working upward, while constantly looking at the scenery. Rest houses for water at 3 miles and 1.5 miles from the top. See Backies' neat photo looking back at Three Mile House. We sometimes measure our progress against the numerous rock layers - making serious progress when cross out of the red and into the yellow zone (see photo) . Everyone did very well, though thin air was noticeable to some more than others. So we simply took our time. I personally think this is the only correct way to do the hike. There are so many things to look at on the trail. I usually feel rushed; I'm always disappointed when the hike is coming to an end.

Lots of fun conversation on the trail. Ran into several mule trains - moreso tourists riding down, also a pack train. Talked at the rest houses; also refilled water bottles and mixed the Gookinade and Gatorade there. Kept everyone eating their "salty snacks" as it was a day made for sweating. It was hot, but not too hot. Sensational views everywhere. Squirrels seems to appear every time we stopped - and they always seemed to be hungry. And entertaining, especially Snaggletooth, Dirtball, and Dirtball Jr., the stars of One-and-a-Half Mile House. Patricia and the advance hiker party encountered their own animal adventure: of all things, a raggedy goat (see photo).

At this point we start seeing day-hikers, and simply day-walkers, wandering down from the Rim. They're not outfitted like hikers, and certainly couldn't match our griminess (if that's a word). Very near the top we ran into two parents with a very unhappy two or three-year-old kid who refused to go back to the rim; claimed (via screams) that he wanted to go all the way to the river. So one of our hikers had the brilliant idea of asking him to accompany us up. He's in the photo of our group at the top (1, 2, 3, "cheese").

Our group - which was the final part of the group of 20 - reached the top of the Bright Angel Trail around 2p. So we made good time up to Indian Gardens, much more leisurely thereafter. It was nice that the other hikers were waiting for us and cheered us in. More photos were taken, and we all discussed the hike. Everyone did great. It definitely is a nice feeling of accomplishment.

Mike drove Chris and me back to Yavapai Lodge to pick up our vehicles after stopping at the barn to pick up the duffels; then most of us at least could change our T-shirts and we started away from the Canyon and heading south.

Stopped in Flagstaff for dinner at a place called Strombolli's (see photo). Courtesy of Dave Kollar, which was a nice touch. The food was very good and served in huge quantities - two qualities definitely appreciated by the group.

Thinking back - this particular hike actually fits the term "unique". It is easily accessible to those of us here in Arizona, and really to anyone else that can afford a plane ticket. It's an easy drive on good roads to the South Rim; this isn't always the case with "nature" experiences. The hike and sleepover is very inexpensive. The hike involves a genuine physical challenge - yet everything is set up in a safe, controlled environment with rangers - and potable water - available. The hike involves an absolutely spectacular outdoor environment - yet you can stay in a cabin, take showers, and eat your meals in the canteen. And basically hang out at a bar and play cards. The visitors down at Phantom Ranch for the most part are very courteous and respectful of the experience - the hike and the waiting list thoroughly weed out folks who might be inclined to break the aura. This combination would be hard to re-create.

It's also interesting how each hiker group that we've done this with creates its own dynamic. This group was excellent - a nice mix of ages, personalities, experience levels; folks helpful, easy-going, etc. Very fun.

A day at the bottom of the Grand Canyon (3 of 4)

On Saturday (May 19) we slept in, relatively speaking - the group gathered for 6:30a breakfast in the canteen. The menu hasn't changed over the years: bacon, OJ, eggs, pancakes, canned peaches. Lots of everything. It all tastes good, even the coffee. On our way out of the canteen, picked up the "sack lunch" for later enjoyment.

It was a beautiful morning at the bottom of the Canyon. After some resting and milling around, a group of us got organized for a short stroll up the North Kaibab Trail (trailhead immediately north of Phantom Ranch). This was new territory for almost everyone. I hadn't been on this section of trail since 1997 and had forgotten how delightful it was.

In fact, this portion of the trail is all good. Bright Angel Creek is a classic; in this area, it looks like a mountain stream rather than a creek at the bottom of a canyon. We crossed the "crick" twice on foot bridges. The canyon is pretty narrow here, so we walked in shade a great deal of the time. As you walk, you are constantly coming around a bend to a vista better than the one that preceded it. Very little elevation gain in this area. I include several photos, plus a short video taken at our turn-around point.



We wandered up the trail for an hour, then worked our way back. Nice slow pace. Good hiking group, fun conversation, etc. (Traveling separately, Mike took the 14-mile round trip on this trail to all the way to Ribbon Falls.)

Back to Phantom Ranch, and shortly thereafter we attacked the sack lunches. There was some uncertainty about how to approach the summer sausage. Jon led a group that discovered the summer sausage could be sliced and stuck in the middle of an Oreo cookie. But why did they even think of trying this??

The afternoon was devoted to various forms of relaxation, including more cards - a boisterous double-deck Hearts game, among others.

Rick & David Weis had the idea of hauling down in their backpacks some nice beers - since it would have been inappropriate to ask a mule to carry out full ones, we had some very enjoyable sipping. As the afternoon wore on, some of the young males undertook some amateur dam building in Bright Angel Creek. Others concentrated on relaxing, taking short walks, etc.

Some attended the 4:30p ranger talk -- same speaker, he provided interesting (but overly detailed) information regarding construction of the principal hiking trails in the Canyon, the development of Phantom Ranch, etc. See the short, uninformative video.



Dinner was the famous Phantom Ranch "hikers' stew," served promptly at 6:30p every day. The stew is awesome. Large amounts were consumed. It was accompanied by the usual suspects: salad, cornbread and chocolate cake. How do you beat this kind of eating?

There was another ranger presentation at 7:30p in the ampitheater - about bats - as far as I know, only Dave Kollar attended - he didn't miss a single ranger talk. Fine entertainment.

There was some more fun in the canteen in the evening, but for the most part folks were attending to packing and other prep. Folks in our group were really helpful, especially with our favorite challenge: stuffing things into the mule duffels to minimize backpack weight, while honoring the weight restrictions for the mule service. We also worked on mixing Gatorade and filling water bottles (to avoid morning lines), and packed in general.

All this activity was fun, and left us ready for an early start on our near-5,000 foot elevation change, 10+ mile hike out!

Some impressions from the day: the unique sensation of being at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, near the famous Colorado River, alongside Bright Angel Creek . . no phones or TV or Blackberries. Relaxing enoyable day . . . but the South Rim is looming to the south and some anxiety was felt, even expressed about the next day's hike . . . the day between hikes is really a unique, excellent day. And judging from comments, I wasn't the only that felt the day went by far too quickly.

Hiking down to Phantom Ranch (2 of 4)

[Reminder: as always, click on a photo to enlarge it.]

Beautiful morning at the South Rim, and we were up bright and early. Overnight low was in upper 30s but it didn't feel cold.

Had a quick breakfast at Yavapai Lodge (some folks opted for leftover Einstein's bagels).

Our aim was to get to the shuttle bus by 7:15, and we actually did make the 7:45 bus. A 20-person group involves some details, but we were off to a smooth start.

One note of concern was that Dave Kollar seemed to be huffing and puffing a bit just walking to the shuttle at 7000 feet elevation. (We later learned - as he put on a finishing kick at the top of the Bright Angel Trail - that he must have been sandbagging us.)

Then we collectively figured out how to use our hiking poles, and how to balance the packs (which weren't that heavy thanks to the mule service). Mike Aron was quite helpful to my sister. We found some scruffy hiker to take a group photo at the top of the trail (entire group except Joel and Cami, who drove up from Flagstaff and caught up with us on the trail) (we never did get a photo with all 20).

Then -- down the South Kaibab Trail we go.

This trail is sensational. It was built to take advantage of the ridge lines, and the views are consistently spectacular; constantly changing as we work our way down.

Multiple neat points along the way, including in particular the Cedar Ridge general area (where several of these photos were taken, including Patricia's artsy shot of a tree perched in front of a great view). I particularly like the rapid drop-off and switchbacks following the Skeleton Point area.

I'm not going to try to describe the hike or views in detail, this is something that is best experienced first-hand. The areas mentioned in the preceding paragraph are great. It's also fun as you start seeing (and eventually, hearing) the Colorado River below. There is a somewhat flatter area that I believe is called the "Tonto Platform" - at least the Tonto Trail intersects here. Then a moonscape that looks like an alien planet (see the long shot Nicole took of some of our hikers, I really like the photo). After that is the "Tip-off" - a rapid descent to the "Black Bridge" across the Colorado River.

If you sit back and think about it -- how neat is it to walk down to the storied Colorado River, almost 5000 feet beneath the South Rim? This is good if not slightly surreal.

Dave K, Cecilia and I were pretty much at the back of the pack. We took our time, looked around, took photos, etc. At a pace I really enjoy.

Weather was great at the outset, though it looked like a shower was possible. As we descended the trail and the day wore on, the heat rose pretty dramatically; I believe it hit about 100 degrees at the bottom. Which felt a bit warm.

The three of us finally reached Phantom Ranch around 2p, just as a search and rescue team (Robert Backie, Chris and Patrick) was coming to check for our bodies. Everyone else had been at the Ranch for some time.

We had the good fortune to be assigned Cabin 9 again (same as our 2004 hike) - close to the canteen, a great location right alongside Bright Angel Creek. Yes, a shower felt wonderful.

Many of us attended the 4:00 ranger presentation - basically he was doing Q&A about Phantom Ranch and the Grand Canyon. Some of it was interesting. But then there was this guy who kept challenging the ranger's statements, particularly his assertion that mountain lions can be found in the Canyon.

Steak dinner at 5p (see photo in the canteen). This is a high value meal: NY strip steak, baked potato, corn bread, a couple kinds of vegetables, salad. Also the chocolate cake that we have been told is served at every Phantom Ranch meal for decades. All delivered on the back of a smelly mule. After the day's activities, this all tasted just right.

Our next stop was Bright Angel Creek (pronounced "crick" by some on this trip), where we soaked our feet in the cold water while soaking up the excellent views upstream and downstream. Neat. Right behind our cabin. Gorgeous evening weather, gorgeous views - and the cold soak felt pretty excellent. Check out the short video (you'll probably need to turn up the volume to hear the creek sounds).

We later walked down to the amphitheater for the 7:30 ranger presentation - this one on geology. The presenter was pretty hyperactive but did a good job with a topic of limited interest. There even was a song by one of the canteen employees about "plate tectonics.'



More cards and fun in the canteen (capped by a dramatic ending to the Hearts game) pretty much until 10p closing. Sat outside the canteen and talked a bit with Dave K. and Mike A. while the breeze rustled the cottonwoods. A unique place to be.

Getting to the Rim (1 of 4)

We're back from our Grand Canyon hiking trip (and somewhat caught up on work etc.) So here's some info on our adventure. Posts on our hiking trip are divided into four stages.

Stage one was getting organized and getting up to the South Rim on Thursday, May 17. Here is our participant list (in no particular order):

- The seven of us
- Cecilia House (flew in from MN)
- Dave Kollar (flew in from NJ)
- Nedda, plus her uncle Mike and cousin Alexia
- Jon Blaha
- Pat Herrara
- Joel and Cami
- Rick and David
- Robert and Liz

Now this was a fine group - good mix of experienced and less experienced hikers, easy folks to deal with, helpful, etc.

Made three airport runs on Wednesday (Nicole and Kerry at 10:30a; Cecilia at 12:30p; Dave Kollar at 11:20p after a multi-hour delay). We observed Meghan Stern's high school graduation that evening (unfortunate coincidence that it occurred while we were away). Also watched the Suns lose to Spurs in game 5 of playoff series, sans the controversially-suspended Amare and Boris. Also dealt with final trip details.

A bunch of us headed north in a three-car caravan on Thursday morning (others arrived separately). Lunch at Bun Huggers in Flagstaff (see photo). Some rain along the way, but a very easy trip.

After getting settled in, we held a delightful reception on the South Rim just outside the El Tovar lodge. Patricia had lined up some fine cheeses, others brought wine, this is a very nice opening event (though we could have done with a bit less breeze). But check out the various photos, this was fun.

Settled into our rooms at the Yavapai Lodge (quite serviceable indeed). Ate dinner at the Yavapai Lodge cafeteria, which met expectations. But it was fun hanging around. Cards, chat, fun for rest of evening.

Next: a big downhill hike.