For our 20th anniversary we decided to take on the challenge of backpacking the Grand Canyon! I’m thankful to have an adventurous wife :).
We decided in April, 2010 to hike sometime in 2011, the year of our 20th Anniversary ( June 1, 1991 ). It worked out to do it during the 3rd week of September, 2011. We began collecting backpacking gear and information over the next year and 5 months to make sure we had a successful trip.
Blog Sections
Resources
Equipment / Gear
Preparation
Trip Timeline
The Hike - Day 1
The Hike - Day 2
The Hike - Day 3
Resources
The book above was given to us by Ted and Nita Mitchell, cousins from California. When they heard we were hiking they graciously sent us this very “encouraging” book. It turned out to be very interesting and a valuable resource warning of just how dangerous the Canyon is and how we needed to be prepared.
There were several websites that were useful in planning:
- Grand Canyon National Park - Backcountry Hiking (U.S. National Park Service)
- Grand Canyon National Park Weather Page
- http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload/2011SRSummerGuide-map0428.pdf
- http--www.nps.gov-grca-planyourvisit-upload-South_Kaibab_Trail.pdf
- Phantom Ranch weather
- South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails, Grand Canyon AZ
- Topo Map of Grand Canyon National Park
- Where To Eat (U.S. National Park Service)
- http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/
We ordered and watched the DVD above. Great info from how and when to fill out the permit request to what to expect and take on the hike.
This book has some great info in it. It was recommended to me by my Navy Seal buddy who has been on many a wilderness trip in Alaska fighting Grizzlies and such.
Equipment / Gear
- Hiking poles – 2 from Cabelas, 2 from Walmart. Couldn’t really tell a difference. Cabelas models may have been a hair lighter and had a compass on the top of the handle, which I didn’t use.
- Tip: Grip the poles with the strap between your thumb and forefinger. That will give you a LOT more leverage to push yourself up using the strap.
- Princeton Tec Remix headlamp – rated best all around headlamp for 2010.
- Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter and Katadyn Micropur purification tablets.
- The filter got rid of most stuff and then the tablets killed any viruses leftover that could get through the filter. The tabs by themselves could purify the water in 4 hours, but only take 15 minutes for water to be ready if filtered first.
- 3 liter Camelbak bladder (Steve), 2 liter Camelbak bladder (Lori). We each also carried a 1 liter plastic water bottle that we just purchased in the park that originally had spring water in it.
- Joby GorillaPod – This was a cool gadget that allowed us to get some pics of the both of us when no one else was around. This thing can wrap around or set up on just about any uneven surface.
- The North Face conversion hiking pants
- Asolo Fugitive GTX hiking boots from sierratradingpost.com (Steve), Meindl hiking boots from Cabelas (Lori).
- Military issue boonie hat (Steve), North Face hiking hat (Lori).
- Kelty Coyote 4900 cu. in. backpack, now discontinued, but still a decent pack (Steve), Cabelas backpack (borrowed – Lori)
- Thermarest Trail Lite sleeping pads
- REI Half Dome 2 Plus tent with footprint. This is a great little tent that won a Backpacker magazine Editor’s Choice Gold Award for 2010. It’s a 2 person tent. The “Plus” just means you have a little more length and width, which helps in my case. The extra room was worth the 8 extra ounces over the non-Plus version. With the footprint, you can go ultralight and use just the footprint, poles, and rain fly, leaving the actual tent at home. We opted to take everything for more shelter.
- Ozark Trail (Walmart) fleece sleeping bags.
- Snow Peak GigaPower stove with Piezo starter
- GSI micro dualist cookset
Preparation
Physical preparation was a little difficult for me as I was recovering from peroneal tendonitis in my left foot. That made it pretty difficult to train when I wasn’t supposed to run, hike, do squats, or anything weight bearing for the weeks leading up to the hike. I had to make do with upper body, core, and leg extensions and curls up until the last couple weeks before the trip. We then worked in some hiking trips close to home with loaded packs. We even did a dry run at Smithville to be sure we had enough gear to survive. It went well and we learned a thing or two.Lori was into doing Crossfit for several weeks before the trip, so she was pretty buff.
One thing we did not realize is that our calves would get the workout of their
life. So, if you are planning to make this trip, do what you can to build calves
and quads. We could hardly walk the 1st
evening and the middle day because our calves were so sore. I knew the quads would get a burn going down
but did not realize how much the calves would be used to stabilize on the way
down. So, jump rope, calf raises,
squats, extensions, not to mention the upper body and core strength you’ll need
if you’re carrying a loaded pack.
Trip Timeline
Sunday 9/18:
Fly to Phoenix, rent car, drive to Flagstaff ( 2 to 2.5 hr drive). We packed our backpacks in a large duffel and our gear in other bags/suitcases. Did not want the airlines tearing up our packs. In Flagstaff, we stayed in the Hotel Aspen InnSuites. Decent hotel, especially for the price. Close to touristy area in Flagstaff. Went to Macy’s European Coffee House (14 Beaver Street ), which was close to the hotel – interesting place.Monday 9/19:
Drive to Grand Canyon. We took the longer, eastern route up 89 to 64 since we had time and wanted to check out Sunset Crater National Monument along the way. We entered the park and drove part way through it. It was somewhat interesting seeing all the volcanic activity remains but we opted not to drive the whole loop. That would have taken a lot longer and we did not want to cheat ourselves out of time on the rim at GC. So, we headed on up and got our bearings at GCNP. We entered the east gate and climbed the Watchtower. We then drove on in to Grand Canyon Village and found the back country info center where we needed to catch the Hiker express bus the next morning. 
Tuesday 9/20:
Got up and went to breakfast at Bright Angel Lounge/Bar (it turns into a breakfast bar in the AM). We were waiting there with other hikers for them to open at 5:30 AM. We grabbed breakfast to go and made it over the backcountry info center where the Hiker Express shuttle bus was picking up hikers at 6:00 AM. Depending on time of year, it’s pretty important not to miss the early bus because of heat issues as you get deeper into the Canyon. You can leave your car parked in that lot for as long as you are down in the canyon.Started out descent around 7 or 7:30 after being dropped off at the South Kaibab trailhead. No water on that trail, not even to filter. So, be sure and take plenty. I had a 3 liter Camelbak + a 1 liter plastic bottle of water. Lori had a 2 liter Camelbak + 1 liter plastic bottle and that got us through with some to spare.
It took us about 5 hours to make it to Bright Angel Campground, where we camped for the 2 nights.
Phantom Ranch is the lodge about .3 miles from the campground. There’s a canteen there where you can get tea, lemonade, or other beverages.
Went to bed pretty early due to being wiped out!
Wednesday 9/21:
Went on a day hike up the North Kaibab Trail. On the way we detoured up the Clear Creek Trail to Phantom Ranch overlook. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv6FsfDyJ54 – video of some of this hike) That was a pretty cool view. Then back down and up the N. Kaibab for a couple miles. That’s an awesome part of the Canyon that is worth checking out. Thankfully, it follows Bright Angel Creek and is pretty flat. So, we just took it slow to loosen the muscles.Wed. evening we listened to a Ranger talk about the Condors in the region. They have various talks going on near Phantom Ranch in the evenings.
Hit the sack early that night since we were packing out the next day.
Thursday 9/22:
Got up early, around 4. Had a few issues getting packed up (including fighting off a ringtail cat trying to steal our food bag) and finally got started heading out a little before 7. Heading up Bright Angel trail for the trip out.We rolled into Indian Garden campground at a little before 9. Made good time, but only gained 1300 feet elevation in about 5 mi. Had to go the same distance to the rim and would gain 3300 feet in elevation. Rested and made some oatmeal before moving on. We stayed here a little over an hour, I think. Indian Garden is the first place where fresh water is available heading up on the BA trail.
It was hot heading out of Indian Garden. You’re out in the open for a while. There are 3 major sets of switchbacks between IG and the rim. There’s another smaller set in there, as well. From this point on water is available every 1.5 miles until the rim. My cell phone actually worked most of the time from IG on out.
The climb out from IG was pretty brutal. Serious sense of accomplishment at the trailhead.
Finished the hike at around 2:45 and caught a shuttle over to our car.
Went and checked in at the Yavapai Lodge, where we were staying that night. That lodge is also in the park.
We booked both lodges on the rim through the website: http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/
Got cleaned up, rested, and then went to the Arizona Room in the Bright Angel Lodge for a steak to celebrate!
Friday 9/23:
Hit some gift shops and then started the road trip back to the Phoenix Airport for a 6:15 flight.The Hike!
Tuesday, Day 1
Got up at 4 AM to get all packed up. After breakfast and catching the Hiker Express shuttle at the Backcountry Information Center to the South Kaibab trailhead, we started our descent at about 7 AM.
About a mile down was Ooh Ah point. We took some time here to check out the view and take some photo ops.
There are a ton of warning signs throughout the canyon and along the trails. UP IS MANDITORY! but not for us on this day.
The next stop was at Cedar Ridge, which was about 1.5 miles down. We got here around 8 AM, so around an hour into the hike. There are restrooms here (no water) and so we took off the packs, had a snack, and took a little break here.
After Cedar Ridge we went another 1.5 miles to Skeleton Point. I had developed a blister at this point so we had to stop and take care of that.
A great method that lasted the rest of the hike down was to cut mole foam to a size that would cover the blister with some to spare on each side. Then, cut a hole in the middle of the mole foam just larger than the blister and stick the mole foam over the blister so that the blister is in the middle. Then, put some antibiotic ointment on the blister, cover it with a band-aid, and then put a healthy portion of athletic tape over everything. Using this method, I had no more trouble and no pain the rest of the hike. I removed the dressing at the end of the hike that day. I re-dressed it the same way before the hike out but did not need a heavy duty solution like that on our day hike on Wednesday.
We ran into some mule trains coming out of the Canyon. Always move off the trail on the up canyon side to let them pass. You don't want a spooked mule on your hands. There were a couple times we did not have much room and we were hugging the canyon wall as they passed. In this photo we had plenty of room on the outer side to let them pass.
The next milestone was the Tip-Off point, 4.6 miles from the rim. We arrived here around 10:30. I remember things were getting a little warm at this point. Theoretically, if you were to drop something off at this point it would roll all the way to the Colorado River. They prefer you not try it, though. There was an emergency phone there that we did not need, thankfully.
From this point we were looking for the tunnel and bridge across the Colorado River. It was exciting to get our first glimpse of the river!
And then we saw the bridge, which seemed much closer than it ever had! Of course, we also saw the switchbacks and steep trail that awaited us...
From this point on, it was just plain hard. It was hot and the legs were starting to get a little shaky. We really started using those trekking poles for balance and support. It was during this section of the trail that we passed a baby rattlesnake on the trail. A couple of mule train guides on the way up saw it and warned us to steer clear, so we did.
We finally made it to the tunnel (6.7 miles from the rim) that leads to the bridge to cross the Colorado River at about 11:45!
It's still a half mile or so to the campground from here, but at least most of the downhill has stopped! We finally strolled into Bright Angel Campground at around 12:00. So, it took us about 5 hours to make the hike, including stops for breaks and blister treatment.
We picked a campsite and dropped our gear and relaxed for a bit. We made lunch - peanut butter sandwiches. Trying to get a little protein back in the system. Then we got busy setting up camp.
After that, we headed down to Bright Angel Creek, which was right next to the campground, and stuck our feet in the water. It was cold, but it felt great!
We then went over to the Phantom Ranch Canteen and got some iced tea/lemonade drinks that hit the spot. We hung out there for a while and talked to some other hikers and folks staying at the lodge. Then we headed back to our campsite and made our first backpack meal - chicken broccoli rice. Very tasty!
We were tired, full, and there was no light, so we hit the sack at around 7:30 that night. Pretty crazy, but what an amazing first day!
Later on, I rolled over and thought someone was shining a flashlight in my tent! It turned out to be the moon. I grabbed by video camera with a 70x zoom and got some video.
Wednesday, Day 2
This was our day to recover and do a little exploring in the inner canyon. We got up around 6:30 and had some instant oatmeal packets for breakfast, along with a Mountain House granola with milk and blueberries dehydrated meal packet. Those got us off to a good start, highly recommended. We also had some coffee by way of Folgers Coffee Singles. That was our coffee system of choice for this trip, but had I realized we had to pack everything out, including trash and wet coffee grounds, I would have opted for some of the Startbucks Via instant coffee packets - no wet grounds and minimal trash to pack out.
After a citation was issued to us for a minor infraction by Ranger Sjores, he gave us some some tips for a day hike, including the Clear Creek trail leading up to Phantom Ranch overlook. So, we got ready and headed out around 10 AM for another adventure. We picked up our Phantom Ranch sack lunches along the way. The sack lunches have to be ordered in advance. If you know what's in them, you can save a little weight from food. These lunches have lots of calories and great snacks for hungry hikers. Below is what comes in one of these lunches:
We used the electrolyte drink with some filtered water that we got from Bright Angel Creek and it worked well. Reservations for a sack lunch or another meal can be made here. They also offer a steak dinner (~$42 per meal) or hiker's stew dinner (~$28 per meal), but those are tough to reserve because so many that are staying at the lodge book their meals at the time they reserve their room. I tried to get us a stew dinner to save weight but they were all taken for the day we were there.
After picking up our lunches we continued on the North Kaibab Trail until we came to the Clear Creek Trail intersection. We were extremely sore this day, especially our calves, and had not planned on hiking uphill at all, but we heard that the view was worth it, and it was. We slowly made our way up the incline to Phantom Ranch Overlook.
Here is a video clip of some of the hike up.
After picking up our lunches we continued on the North Kaibab Trail until we came to the Clear Creek Trail intersection. We were extremely sore this day, especially our calves, and had not planned on hiking uphill at all, but we heard that the view was worth it, and it was. We slowly made our way up the incline to Phantom Ranch Overlook.
Some great views at the top.
Here is a video clip of some of the hike up.
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That night we turned in early again, especially with the daunting task of climbing out of the canyon the next morning.
Thursday, Day 3 - The Hike Out
Thursday morning did not start off too good for us. I had not slept well for some reason and did not feel that great. Of course, I rarely feel very good when I get up at 4 AM. Since we had to hike all the way to the rim it was imperative that we get started early to beat the heat. We began breaking camp and packing up. I was trying to pre-treat for my blister when an uninvited guest came into our campground and started trying to steal our food sack! An extremely bold ringtail cat actually pulled our food sack off the table while we were turned around putting on our boots. We literally had to fight him off using our hiking poles! He was very persistent.
One of the first things we did was cross the Colorado River.
I had packed minimal water thinking that there would be a water stop before Indian Garden Campground, about half way out, but I was wrong. Indian Garden is the first opportunity for water on the Bright Angel trail on the way out. We passed several nice stream crossings where it would have been a great place to filter water, but I had the forethought to wait until the only thing available was a mud puddle that the mules had walked through. It was running slightly, but was pretty nasty. Thankfully, we didn't have to drink that water. We made it to Indian Garden with the original amount. That's because the incline is pretty gradual going into IG and we were shaded part of the time during that time of day by the canyon walls.
We rolled into Indian Garden campground at a little before 9.
Made good time, but only gained 1300 feet elevation in about 5 mi. Had to go the same distance to the rim and would gain 3300 feet in elevation. Rested and made some oatmeal before moving on. We stayed here a little over an hour, I think.
Here are a couple of the signs at Indian Garden:
It was hot heading out of Indian Garden. You’re out in the open for a while. There are 3 major sets of switchbacks between IG and the rim. There’s another smaller set in there, as well. From this point on water is available every 1.5 miles until the rim. My cell phone actually worked most of the time from IG on out.
The climb out from IG was pretty brutal.
Here we are almost at the top.
Serious sense of accomplishment at the trailhead.
Finished the hike at around 2:45 and caught a shuttle over to our car.
This is us at the trail head on the next day. We were too tired to wait around to get a picture when we actually walked out.
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