A Truly Grand Canyon Hiking Into the Eighth Wonder of the World Requires Careful Planning Owell H Ohn J
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Northwest Explorer A Truly Grand Canyon Hiking into the eighth wonder of the world requires careful planning OWELL H OHN J The Grand Canyon from Mather Point on the South Rim. Overnight trips into the world’s most amazing canyon require a lot of advance planning. You’ll need reserve permits well in advance, hike during the appropriate season, and carry adequate water and supplies. storm. It was beautiful, but unexpected. By Diana Chin, Don Clark Pack Light to Camp I was glad we had the warmth of Maswik and John Howell in the Canyon Lodge that night. We got an early start April 25 to 28, 2005 down the South Kaibab Trail the next “The most impressive scenery morning. Vicki had told me the weather I have ever looked at.” forecast predicted low temperatures —Theodore Roosevelt By Diana Chin in the 50’s, so I wasn’t prepared for temperatures in the 30’s. I wore four Vicki, a business associate from Scott- Grand Canyon is a scenic treasure layers to keep warm as we began our sdale, Arizona invited me on a four-day of unrivaled beauty, perhaps the hike. The sun was quite inviting when hike in Grand Canyon with two other most majestic place on earth. it finally appeared in the afternoon. It couples, none of whom I had hiked with Three WTA members hiked into was 7.3 miles to the bottom and Bright before. Dick and Denise from Minnesota this geological wonder during Angel Campground, but the trail wasn’t were avid bikers. Byron and Gwen live in three different seasons. Each too strenuous. Mt Si is steeper. Hiking Scottsdale and trained by hiking in their route they took was extremely poles were helpful, though. surrounding area. The idea was for two strenuous. Before you consider I learned as we got to know each of us to share a tent, kitchen supplies, going, consult the national park other that my hiking companions did and other equipment to lighten our load. website for advice on safe back- not have any backpacking experience But the week of our hike, Vicki tripped country travel in the canyon. All so they hiked slowly with frequent long and fractured three bones in her foot. I three relate their experiences of breaks, which was tiring for me. The took a hard look at my pack and pared adventure and peril here. next day I decided I would go ahead of it down to 29 pounds. them, leaving them to take long photo We arrived late afternoon to a snow- ops and giving them plenty of time to March 2007 WASHINGTON TRAILS Northwest Explorer OWELL H OHN J Hiking past red rock formations along the South Kaibab Trail. Because of intense heat and lack of water sources, the best times to hike the Grand Canyon are March-April and October-November. catch up. and was warm. The first night we camped at Bright On day three, we hiked up Bright Grand Canyon Angel Campground. The ground was Angel Trail, stopping halfway to camp Fun Turns to hard enough to bend our tent stakes. at Indian Garden. I arrived first, picked Bright Angel Creek runs alongside the the site and set up my tent, and then the Misadventure campsites, and it was very relaxing listen- rainstorm came. After everyone was set June 25 to 26, 2006 ing to the babbling waters. There were up, I set off with Dick on a 1.5-mile hike By Don Clark several sites available to choose from, but to Plateau Point overlooking the canyon by late evening, all 31 sites were taken. and the Colorado River. This is one of Our plan was to hike the Hermit Trail, The second day, we hiked 6.5 miles one- the most magnificent viewpoints in the which begins 7 miles west of Grand way to Ribbon Falls, which was beautiful! canyon! Canyon Village, and then camp the first The hike was easy, but near the falls, Throughout our hike, we were amazed night at Hermit Creek camp. From there, Bright Angel Creek was too high to cross at the colors around us. The natural we would travel east on Tonto Trail and so we took a detour over a steep hill to a cacti gardens were in their splendor camp at designated campsites for the footbridge. It was on this hike that I had with blooms of orange, yellow and red. next two nights. Tonto Trail travels along my first encounter with rattlesnakes. Too At 8 a.m. on the fourth day, we packed the Colorado River with some elevation close for my comfort! up and continued up Bright Angel Trail gain and loss and reaches Indian Garden Temperatures in the canyon ranged to the South Rim. It was a pleasant day, on Bright Angel Trail at 12 miles. On this from lows of 50 degrees to highs of 75 and not nearly as steep as I expected. I leg, water is a problem. Only one small to 82. Throughout the first three days, decided to leave my companions behind spring is available for drinking water. we had sporadic showers of hard rain and hike out alone, amidst a throng of We planned to take a side hike down to and wind that would last five minutes. other hikers. I arrived at the South Rim the Colorado River to fill water bottles, Then, pleasant weather! In lieu of a rain having hiked 33 spectacular miles in adding 2 miles and some elevation loss suit, I used a 99-cent poncho, which four days. and gain. Upon reaching Bright Angel was sufficient for the conditions. At It was awe inspiring to see what nature Trail, water would then be available at night, I slept in a lightweight sleeping affords. This hike is a definite “10” and Indian Garden and at two Resthouses bag while wearing thermal underwear one I’d love to do again. on the 4.5-mile hike to the rim. WASHINGTON TRAILS March 2007 Northwest Explorer My brother-in-law Alan and I got on re-hydrating, Alan walked the .75 miles ter and left by 3:00 a.m. by headlamp. the trail at 6:30 a.m., which, in summer, to my pack and retrieved my sleeping After 40 minutes, we got to my pack at was way too late. Hermit Trail from the pad. He got back well after dark. the Tonto Trail junction and continued South Rim (6,640 feet) to Hermit Creek In camp, we met a couple from Norway up the trail to the Cathedral Staircase. Campsite (2,980 and four guys from At the top of the Staircase, we came feet) sounds like a San Francisco. One upon young men and women from the ERVICE reasonable 3,760- S of these guys was a British Army who had run out of water ARK foot drop in 7.7 P marathon runner, and spent the night on the trail. Alan miles. We were in who on the way gave them some of his Gatorade and ATIONAL shade for the first N down had also lost they felt a little better. 3 to 4 hours and all of his energy We hiked on to Santa Maria Spring and then came to the and didn’t think he rested until the San Francisco guys and Cathedral Stair- could hike out on the British group came along. That was case. The sun was his own. That was at 10:00 a.m. After a good rest there, we higher and the trail how I felt that eve- took on the difficult, 2.25-mile portion was out in the open. ning! They talked to of the trail remaining to the top. We Halfway down at a ranger by satellite got to the rim at 1:30 p.m. and caught a 10:30 a.m., I be- phone and were shuttle bus to the campground and set gan to slow down told that the only up camp. in the 113-degree way out was to hike The Hermit Trail was not in good heat. I thought I The Hermit Trail, west of Grand back up the Her- shape. There were numerous slides that had been drinking Canyon Village, is a rough, poorly- mit Trail. If they made route finding necessary and requir- enough water and maintained route into the canyon. couldn’t make it the ing extra effort to get through. electrolytes, but Water is scarce. first day, they were The moral of the story is: Don’t go apparently not. A to go back down to down into the Grand Canyon in June, large toe blister became another irrita- camp, rest and try it the next day, and so July, August or September. tion. It caused considerable pain on the on until they could short sections of the trail, and where we make it out. OWELL H had to scramble over rockfall it seemed That’s when we OHN to worsen. I ran out of energy by 11:30 decided it would J when we arrived at the Tonto Trail be best to hike back junction. out the next morn- This is where Alan stashed my pack, ing, scuttling our while I went ahead carrying a water planned route. I bottle. Ten minutes later I sat on a rock had sufficiently re- in 130-degree sun, 0.7 mile from Hermit covered physically Creek Campsite. Alan forced me to get and cognitively to going down the trail, all the while looking the point that we for a shady spot to rest and recover.