Day 38 & 39 - Grand Canyon, AZ

Monday & Tuesday, October 18^th-19^th 2010

I arrived at the Grand Canyon a little after 11pm and headed directly to the Backcountry Information Center and found a spot in the parking lot to get some rest. The office opened at 8am so I set my alarm for 7:15 to give me a good shot at being first in line. It had rained all night and the forecast was for possible thunderstorms for the next five days.

Monday, October 18th

I woke up before my alarm and waited outside the office for an hour before they opened. Once inside, I inquired about a permit but none were available until the following day. There were about 15 people behind me, also hoping to get a permit. On my way out the door, a man and women walked in and asked if anyone wanted to buy their permit for today. I immediately grabbed it.

I happily walked back to my car, permit in hand, and started to pack my backpack. I was going to take the South Kaibab trail from the South Rim (elevation 7,200') to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, staying overnight at the Bright Angel Campground (elevation 2,400'). In order to get to the trailhead, I took a free shuttle from the Backcountry Information Center to the Visitor’s Center. From there, another shuttle to the South Kaibab trail. I started the hike at 10:15am. The South Kaibab route is a 7.1 mile trek downhill through steep and rocky terrain. The hike along the switchback trails offered amazing views the entire way down. It looks as if it is actually a canyon within a canyon, inside of another canyon with several layers of mesas, or shelves which drop off into another lower level. At some points along the trail, you can see 360 degrees around, taking in all the colors of the Kaibab, Mauv and Redwood Limestone and the Cococino and Tapeats Sandstone. After a few miles down, the Colorado River would begin to reveal itself, greenish and turbid from the recent storm. The majority of the trail was how I imagined it to be, rugged and dry with occasional small brushy plants and few trees here and there. About a mile or so from the campsite, the Kaibab suspension bridge enables hikers and mules to cross the river. Finally, the last mile was pretty flat to the campsite. The steepness and uneven trail over the last six miles were really taking a toll on my knees. I’m sure it didn’t help that I was carrying a 40lb pack, 15 of which was from my tent, poles and rainfly, made more for car camping than hiking. I will be looking for a smaller, lighter tent in the next few days. After crossing the Colorado River, the trail meandered along a new, flourishing habitat of tall trees, all types of grasses and vegetation, lots of wildlife and the roaring sound of the fast flowing Bright Angel Creek. I reached the campsite in a little over 4 hours and chose a site about 15 yards from the creek. I immediately set up camp, washed up in the creek, kicked off the boots and napped for an hour or two. After giving my legs a rest, I hiked around a bit more before dinner. I filtered some water from the creek and made some chicken and rice with a side of a blueberry Cliff bar and beef jerky. There were some dark clouds coming in over the canyon accompanied by a lightning show so I put up my rainfly as a precaution. Lights out at 8pm.

Tuesday, October 19^th

My tired body slept well last night. There was some thunder and lightning but not a drop of rain. I took my time getting started this morning. I was going to take the Bright Angel trail back up to the South Rim and my sore legs weren’t too excited to begin the 9.3 mile hike uphill. By the time I got going it was around noon. Even though the Bright Angel trail was two miles longer than the South Kaibab trail I walked down yesterday, I thought it would be nice to get a different view, and the linear rise of the slope should be a little easier on the knees. Fortunately, about 90% of the hike was in the shade, with the tall, nearly vertical walls offering protection from the sun. The first two miles tracked close to the Colorado River before turning inward toward the canyon. The next three or so miles were along waterfalls, creeks and streams. The water gave the necessary nourishment to the park-like setting, very different than the dry and dormant environment that I had anticipated. The two trails differed in that the South Kaibab offered more “wow” vistas of the enormous canyon and the Bright Angel trail seemed more enclosed by canyon walls but with more differing landscapes. As is always the case, the last several miles were the hardest. I found myself eating more food and drinking more water just to lighten up my pack. At times I thought about ditching my tent, not seriously though, knowing that I was going to buy another one soon. I took my time, as my legs and knees were still sore from the day before. I met a guy from Telluride, CO and hiked most of the day with him. If you’ve been reading the blog, you know how I feel about Telluride and now I have a solid contact there! We made it back to the top of the South Rim, walking the last hour in the light of the moon that would be full in three more days. Once at the top, I had another ½ mile to get back to my car. I was bushed and it felt so good to get that pack off my shoulders. I decided to sleep right where I started in the Grand Canyon, in the parking lot next to the Backcountry Information Office. Dinner was a Cliff bar, dried apples and some fruit chews. After two days and 16+ miles, I was ready for sleep at 7:30pm.

Besides seeing all of these amazing places during my travels, I am really enjoying meeting some wonderful people. Here’s to Tim from Telluride, CO, Kent from San Diego, CA, Coline from France and Natalie from Switzerland for sharing their time and some stories along the way!