Everyone Needs To Hike The Grand Canyon!

Our Grand Canyon Adventure

by David Lucero

July 2014 marked my third visit to the Grand Canyon National Park, and my second time to the bottom and back. This was more special for a number of reasons, far too many to name.

It started with my wife, Martha, and brother in-law Albert, who did a large part of the planning and prep work. My wife’s family in Mexico wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, their first time, and Albert wanted to hike to the bottom of the canyon with his son, Jesse, who had never been there.

Ten years earlier we hiked to the bottom with a different group. Let’s see…There was Albert, his daughter (and my niece Daniza), Martha (my wife), our son Carlo, his then-girlfriend Winter, and me!

When we arrived we immediately went to the Back Country Information Office to see about hiking permits to the bottom. Whenever you hike the trails you must have a hiking permit. These take months, sometimes years in advance for reservations. Well, much to our initial disappointment, the office was not issuing hiking permits due to the water lines down the Bright Angel Trail having broken down. We did manage to get on a waiting list though.

Midway in our vacation we received notice the water lines were fixed and were issued hiking permits to the bottom. We had much to learn. Firstly, we didn’t have the right gear. Nor did we make reservations for meals at the Phantom Ranch Restaurant at the bottom of the canyon. We had to rent backpacks and sleeping pads because we thought we would need the equipment. Turns out we were way wrong!

My brother in-law used hiking poles, which I thought looked silly. My father bought us wooden hiking staffs, which I thought was more appropriate. Another mistake! That journey taught us a lot.

The reason this year’s hiking adventure was more special was due to how well prepared we were. All of us utilized hiking poles. We had the right trail hikers, clothing, sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, back packs, fleece blankets, and sleeping pads. We even had small pillows. And we made reservations for a camping spot in the Bright Angel Campground at the bottom, along with reserving meals for dinner and breakfast     a must!

Before I jump ahead of myself to the good stuff let me tell you what we had to do in order to make this one of the more memorable trips I’ve enjoyed.

The Planning

Martha and I began prepping our equipment six weeks in advance. Albert and her made the reservations about three months in advance for the Mather Campground sites located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. We were lucky! You really should plan your reservations at least a year in advance.

Our group was 28 persons. Albert, Jesse, Justin, Carlo and me would leave Saturday morning at 4:30 AM, while Martha and the family would leave San Diego on Monday to Sedona, and meet us at the Grand Canyon on Tuesday the following week.

Martha and I have a small trailer and most of the equipment. Tents, kitchenette sink, tables, screen tent for the picnic table. We lacked nothing. We opened all the tents and cleaned them up. Made sure we had enough tarps for the tent floor prints. We even had to borrow some tents from our good friends Debbie and Tim. Good thing because we needed them!

We stacked chairs, tables, inflatable mattresses, cots, hammocks, camp stoves, plates, food, you name it, and we had it. We lacked nothing in the way of camping comfort. Martha even had to repair a tear in our screen tent made by a black bear during our visit to Yosemite National Park in August 2012.

Albert helped me grease the ball-bearings to my trailer, I had the 4Runner checked and tuned up, put the Yakima rack on it. We even did training hikes in the nearby Mission Trails Park in San Diego and other areas. During this time we still had no reservations for meals at the Phantom Ranch Restaurant. We planned on making up for this by taking hydrated food packs bought at REI. Expensive, but good. I had a small hiking stove should the need arise.

We left San Diego at 4:30 AM, most of the gear packed and ready to go. Five of us stuffed in the 4Runner. We took the 805N Freeway to the 163N Freeway, to the 15 N Freeway and drove through to Temecula, and took the 79 Freeway to Palm Desert. At 6:30 AM we stopped for a breakfast-to-go at Del Taco. Don’t laugh! We wanted to save time by not going to a fancy restaurant. The breakfast burrito never tasted better.

By 7:00 AM we were on the 10 East heading to Prescott, AZ. It wasn’t as comfortable due to the heat. It reached 100 degrees and I didn’t turn on the air conditioner due to the extra weight I carried in the trailer and on the top rack of the 4Runner. I’m sure Carlo, Jesse, and Justin won’t forgive me for that!

It was smooth driving for much of the way. I was surprised how inexpensive gas was. Only $3.59 a gallon! We reached Prescott, AZ at 1:30 PM. The drive through the desert was uneventful, but impressive. Nice views of the desolate territory which I hadn’t seen for some time.

In Prescott we enjoyed a hearty lunch at the Prescott Brewery. You’ve gotta stop here. They make a mean Jalapeno Burger with Potato Wings. The beer is good, too! Unfortunately, we needed to make a stop at the grocery store for some quick food. You see, Martha was taking most of the food with her group so it wouldn’t spoil. This meant we needed to eat on the basics. Beer, peanut butter sandwiches, and hydrated food packs. They never tasted better!

We didn’t leave Prescott until 3:30 PM, a bit longer than we wanted. We arrived at the park entrance around 5:30 PM, via the Williams City route. You can avoid this by continuing on the 10 East and taking the Grand Canyon exit, but still have 60 miles to travel to the park entrance. Check in was simple, and by 6:30 PM we had our tents and hammocks up.

Mather Campground by far has the best outdoor facilities I’ve enjoyed. After serving in the Army I want to be sure to take a shower every night and use a decent bathroom. Go ahead and laugh! But I want my comfort even in the outdoors.

We enjoyed beers, peanut butter sandwiches this first night. Our campsite was simple and we didn’t need to break out all of the gear because the main party wouldn’t arrive until Tuesday. I slept under the stars in my hammock for the first time. Got a bit cold so I used my hammock, otherwise it was very comfortable. Be sure and use hammock straps versus nylon ropes to protect the trees!

The next day we had to move camp to our permanent site, but it was close and we were able to carry our tents to the new site without having to tear them down and put them up again. We enjoyed a breakfast at the nearby general market in the Yavasupai Café. No sense roughing it yet. We needed the carbs and a good meal for our upcoming hike.

Spent the day relaxing in camp and saving on energy. The plan was to get up at 3:30 AM and be at the Back Country Office at 4:00 AM so we could get the shuttle at 4:05 AM to take us to the South Kaibab Trail. You can leave you vehicle parked in the Back Country Office Lot D overnight so long as your campsite tag is on the window. This lot is not too far from the Bright Angel Lodge. You can’t park and leave your car in the South Kaibab Trail, so you really have no choice here.

The Hike

By 4:45 AM we were marching down the South Kaibab Trail. It’s dark this time of morning, so be sure and invest in reliable head lamps. These have a strap which goes around your head with a light to your front. This allows you to keep your hands free and use your hiking poles while shining the path in front of you.

If you want to enjoy the scenery, be sure and stop walking before looking at the vast canyon views. One misstep can send you tumbling to the bottom. The first thing you realize is how the canyon changes the further you descend. The views are magnificent beyond description (an ironic thing for a writer to state, but so true).

You can see the sunrise over the canyon and it’s something to behold. When you go down a third of the way you come to a rest stop with a better-than-average outhouse and more views of the canyon. Remember, when taking the South Kaibab Trail you must be completely self-sufficient. There are no water lines here. Take a minimum 3 liter water bag and two liter bottle. Fill the bottle with electrolytes to give you the extra energy needed and be sure and eat energy bars filled with carbohydrates. Beef jerky is also good along with orange slices. Take plastic bags for trash because there are no places to leave it and you aren’t permitted to bury trash either.

When we neared the Tonto Trail we came across a lone hiker, a Navajo who called himself the Crazy Navajo. We asked why they called him that and he said, “The rangers say I must be crazy because I never leave this place.” Turns out he hiked the canyon 70 times, including 28 times rim-to-rim. He was 70 years old, but if he’d said he was 50 I would’ve believed him.

After a second bathroom break at the Tonto Trail we started the 4.5 mile trek heading east toward Bright Angel Trail. It surprised me to learn less than 1% of visitors hike to the bottom, and even fewer hike the Tonto Trail. This part of the canyon is quite barren and flat, skirting the rim halfway down. The views here are one of a kind, but you must watch your footing carefully. The trail is loose in some areas and it’s a long way down should you have a misstep.

The orange slices came in handy along with the Tanko Beef Jerky. We even saw the condors flying overhead. When we reached the Bright Angel Trail be sure and head left so you can refill your water bladders. Take a break, enjoy the scenery, but don’t get too comfortable. You still have 6 miles to hike down to Bright Angel Campground.

We lucked out because of the rains. The creeks were full and crystal clear. Along the way we were able to remove our shirts and wash ourselves in the ice cold water. The weather never got above 90 degrees, but it was still warm. We came across deer drinking in the creek, and a lot of squirrels while hiking down the switchbacks.

Your knees will begin to ache at this point, but that’s normal. This is where you appreciate having hiking poles. They saved me from losing my footing on more than one occasion, and relieved the pressure on my knees.

I recommend having hiking gloves, a handkerchief, a broad-brimmed hat, long sleeve shirt (it’s okay to roll up the sleeves), and the best pair of trail hikers you can buy. I bought the North Face Trail Hikers and they were fine. You’re not forging a new trail, so no need to have ankle-high boots. And make sure your socks are thick and comfortable. Take an extra pair, too!

We reached the river about 1:00 PM. From here you have a mile hike to the Bright Angle Campground. It’s slow-moving in loose sand, but you have no choice. The campsites are first-come, first-serve. No place to put up hammocks, so be sure and have a 3” thick full body inflatable sleeping pad. Have an inflatable pillow, too. You have to keep your hiking and camp permit attached to your back pack for the rangers (they do check).

You can strip down to your shorts and cool off in the creek once you choose your campsite. It feels good! Dinner at the Phantom Ranch Restaurant is at 5:30 PM and you MUST have reservations! Make the reservations months in advance for dinner and breakfast. You’ll need the energy and the food is great! We had beef stew, corn bread, salad, beer, water, and cake, all you can eat, but don’t eat too much. You don’t want to risk getting sick. Keep it to a serving and a half.

You also have to have reservations for breakfast. All of the food is brought down on mules each day, so make these reservations at the same time you reserve a hiking and campsite permit. Be diligent! They don’t respond quickly to emails and calls. It is what it is.

I suggest getting as much rest as you can. I slept in camp from two to four PM. Stripped down to my shorts and soaked in the creek before joining everyone for dinner. Take a spare set of shorts and shirt, and be sure and bring sandals for the creek. I forgot mine and regretted not having them.

There are no showers here, but there are bathrooms. If you want a shower you have to rent the dorms or cabins. We roughed it by staying in the campground. More fun this way.

Wake up at 4:30 AM, breakfast at 5:00 AM. The breakfast was scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and coffee. Don’t eat too much. One serving will do. By 6:15 AM we were on the trail back up.

It’s much warmer at the bottom of the canyon. Be sure and drink regularly whether you are thirsty or not. You can refill your bladders at the Bright Angel Campground, so be sure to do so because you won’t be able to refill until you reach Indian Garden which is a good 6 miles up the canyon floor.

You will see many different type of rock formations, many which date back to prehistoric times, untouched and unchanged for millions of years. At some point you may not appreciate this because you’ll begin to feel exhausted and want to get the hike over with. This is okay, it’s natural. Stay focused, watch your footing, drink water, and talk with one another. This will help you remember why you’re here. And be sure and take photographs! This is the hike of a lifetime and you’ll want more than memories to look back on. Nothing like a photo to share on websites, right?

We reached Indian Garden, refilled our bladders, ate oranges, power bars and beef jerky. Then we began the hike of Jacob’s Ladder. This is a series of switchbacks which will take you to the top. Along the way there are two rest stops with water lines to refill your bladders. Take advantage of it, and take advantage of electrolyte cubes to suck on. They give you the extra boost of energy you need.

The hike is strenuous and you appreciate the hiking poles every switchback you cross. You will see plenty of hikers coming down from the top on their way to Indian Garden, and it’s gratifying to see their stares of admiration when they realize you are the fortunate ones who have hiked to the bottom and back.

When you see mules and their riders coming up or down the trail give them the right of way. You’ll be wishing to take one up the remainder of the trail, but there are no taxis here, so tough it out and finish the hike.

We reached the top of the Bright Angel Trail at 2:00 PM. What an achievement this was! My second time here and most gratifying hike ever. You will feel like you experienced the Grand Canyon in a way it was meant to be. We got back to our vehicle, stopped at the general market for a twelve pack of beers and cracked them open back at camp. Beer never tasted so good!

Justin surprised us by pulling out a bottle of tequila saying, “Because we did this hike, this bottle is for us and us alone!” I think he started a tradition for us.

Some things to remember are listed below for you.

·         Make reservations to hike to the bottom months in advance.

·         Make reservations for meals (breakfast and dinner) at the bottom at Phantom Ranch.

·         Take hiking poles, a 3 inch air mattress, broad brimmed hat, sun tan lotion, hiking gloves and good trail hikers. Keep your pack light and comfortable. Sunglasses too!

·         I also suggest going on hikes in advance of your trip for preparing yourselves for the grueling hike you will endure. It’ll be tough, but something you will cherish for the rest of your life.

See you on the trail!

David Lucero, author

www.LuceroBooks.com