Preparing
“I just finished reading a book about all the ways you can
die in the Grand Canyon,” my neighbor tells me as we watch our dogs run around
his back yard. I cross my arms and stare at him.
“Great,” I say, rolling my eyes. “This is just what I want
to hear the night before I leave for the Grand Canyon.”
He laughs. “No, you’d like it, really,” he says. “The point
is, the majority of these deaths are preventable if you are prepared.”
I’m prepared. Chrissy and I have been preparing for over a
year, in fact, because that’s how far in advance this adventure has been on the
calendar. After entering a lottery, we were notified in March of 2022 that we secured
two spots to spend the night in a cabin at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Did you know that the Grand Canyon hosts about 6 million
visitors annually? This makes it our second most popular National Park, just
behind the Great Smoky Mountains. And of that 6 million, guess how many people
take at least one step below the rim? I was surprised to learn
that only 5% of the tourists venture below the edge. According to the National
Park Service, 95% of those lovely selfie snappers stay at the top.
An even smaller amount—less than 1 %—hike all the way to
the bottom. I can understand why. It’s about a 20-mile round trip with varying
temperatures, few places to access water, wildlife, slick trails, loose rocks
and steep edges. How many of those people, I thought as I packed, make it back
up to the top?
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| South Kaibab Trailhead |
Going Down
At 8am sharp, we climbed aboard the shuttle bus along with
several other hikers heading to the South Kaibab trailhead. It was cold and
there was still snow covering areas of the trail. As we began our descent, I was
thankful for hiking poles (my "sticks") to help me steady myself on the
muddy, slippery steps. My pack was the heaviest I’ve ever carried, loaded up
with food and water, first aid supplies, and a clean pair of underwear.
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| Down we go! |
The landscape began to shift as the sun warmed the canyon walls. Switchback after switchback, we progressed. I removed layers, swapped my hat, and traded my gloves for sunglasses—more outfit changes than a Taylor Swift concert. It was slow going and I focused on the steep steps ahead, carefully navigating the tumbling mountain of rock and gingerly stepping down each step to protect my knees.
"I hope we see some animals," Chrissy said. "A snake, or a scorpion, maybe?"
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Animal friends
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Personally, I did not share this desire. Thankfully, birds, squirrels, and some lizard friends were the only wildlife we saw. We did see a mule train climbing steadily up the trail, and we saw lots of other hikers. Hikers with scraggly beards and faded packs, hikers with ponytails sticking out of their ball caps, seasoned hikers, and kids practically skipping down the path. And then there were the runners. They jogged by us waving, some carrying only a small water pack on their backs, with the intention of heading down and back up "rim to rim" in one day.
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Admiring rock formations
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Unlike the runners, we were not in a hurry. We stopped often to catch our breath and marvel at the vast beauty as the views of the canyon continued to change. There are more than 20 layers of visible rock at the Grand Canyon, and we eventually left the layers of sedimentary rock ribbons to find the trail transformed into glittery granite rock walls.
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| flowers near the base of the canyon |
We also stopped for lunch! About halfway down, we reached The Tipoff—a place with pit toilets and a shaded shelter. We pulled off our packs and rested on the benches, munching on sandwiches, nuts, and chocolate as we chatted and laughed with other hikers.
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| The Tipoff |
Refueled and ready, we continued our journey. Finally, after about 5 hours, 8 miles of hiking, and countless steps, we were rewarded with a view of the Colorado River and, eventually, our home for the night: The Phantom Ranch.
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| The Mighty Muddy Colorado River |
Phantom Ranch
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Our lodging for the night
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Phantom Ranch is
on the north side of the Colorado River, right beside Bright Angel Creek. After checking into our cabin, we were happy to unlace our hiking boots and plunge our toes into the cold river.
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| My toes are happy! |
As teachers and lifelong learners, we were excited to attend the two ranger programs offered at Phantom Ranch. I learned so many cool facts about mountain lions and the night stars. Did you know that the mountain lion holds a record for being known by multiple names, such as cougar, puma, and panther? They are the most wide-ranging species in the world and are found in many areas including the Grand Canyon.
While I didn't see any mountain lions, I did see plenty of stars. The Grand Canyon is a certified Dark Sky Park and I enjoyed hearing stories and information about the circumpolar constellations as I gazed up in the twilight. Until I dozed off, that is. After a long day of hiking and a full belly of beef stew from the canteen, I fell asleep under the stars. It doesn't get much better than this.
Coming Up
I would be lying if I told you I wasn't nervous about our return trip climbing 4,800 feet. "One step at a time," I told myself. We began our ascent via the Bright Angel Trail. It's slightly longer (11 miles) but a more gradual incline and there was a place to refill our water bottles.
The first half of the trail was actually quite pleasant--we were treated to the calming trickle of waterfalls and the vibrant colors of the Redbud blossoms as we hiked toward our halfway point of Havasupai Gardens.
Beyond that, it got tough. We broke up the trip with small goals and celebrated small milestones. Another mile. Another 500 feet in elevation. It seemed cruel and unusual punishment to get to a rest house and find I had to climb an additional set of stairs to rest.
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Seriously? More steps?
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At one point, my stomach started cramping, probably in retaliation of the steady diet of fruit snacks and beef jerky I'd been eating. At the ranger talk, we asked if rescues were common in the canyon. "Well, let's see. Today we had six or seven," he said. "Only one helicopter, though. It was a light day."
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| Graphic warning signs |
Blown out knee. Heat. Fatigue. I thought back to the book my neighbor had read. Were there any chapters titled, "Death By Fruit Snacks?" Thank goodness the feeling passed, and I did not become the next poster child for the Grand Canyon's caution campaign.
We continued our climb, until at last we high enough in elevation to find snow and then, finally, the rim. It took us about 6 hours. We celebrated our victory with a shower and some ibuprofen. Then we hobbled off to celebrate again with a cheeseburger and a drink.
In studies of happiness, psychologists have found that adventures offer three different ways to increase our well being. First, we find joy in anticipation—making plans and looking forward to our trip. Then, there is the trip itself—savoring the moments, being present, feeling content. Finally, we find satisfaction in our memories. We take pride in our accomplishment, laugh at pictures, and remember funny moments. I'm thankful to have a friend like Chrissy who is willing to plan adventures with me, to push through challenges together, and to live our fullest lives.
PS: The name of the book my neighbor recommended is called Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon by Michael
P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers.
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