I haven't been to the Grand Canyon in many years, and never on my own schedule. I remember going with my family when I was maybe 7 or 8 and my dad and brother hiked down and back in one day while my mother and I played tourists and rode the shuttle around to all of the scenic views and Visitor's Centers. I've had my eye on hiking down the Grand Canyon and back up for quite a while, but after nearly dying on the hike to/from Havasupai, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to complete it. Everything I'd read said that these trails are far more challenging than the trail to Havasupai. There was always the possibility of hiking down and spending the night before completing the trek, but from what I've heard, getting reservations at Phantom Ranch could take years. Brian and I found a free weekend 2 months out and decided to give it a whirl.
We hit the road out of town on Monday at around 1:00, stopping for a late lunch/early dinner in Flagstaff to carb up for the next day. We checked into our motel in Tusayan and then rushed to the South Rim in time for sunset. We even managed to get a nice walk in searching for our car in the parking lot in pitch darkness for 45 minutes.
The next morning, we awoke early and hit up the outstanding continental breakfast buffet that the motel offered before driving into the park to catch the 7:30 am shuttle to the South Kaibab trail head. It was 29 degrees and cold enough to numb my face. The rest of my body was pretty comfortable, but my nose wouldn't stop running and I had to wear my sunglasses in the shade just to keep the freezing wind from making my eyes water uncontrollably.
At 8:30 am, we hit the trail and made crazy good time all the way down. I think that Brian was pessimistic about how well I'd do, and told me that we could turn around at any point if I was getting worn out, and he wouldn't be mad about it. However, I'd been training for 2 months for this hike and was determined to clock a fair amount of mileage. As ridiculous as it sounds, my second toe on my right foot split open about 2 months ago on the bottom tip and it's been really bothering me since then. Every day it splits open and every night I put Carmex on it and bandage it up and it closes up and then then very next day it splits open again and the cycle continues. Something so small can really cause big issues when you're hiking down a steep slope for 9 miles and then back up. We'd planned on hiking the South Kaibab down and the Bright Angel up, but it meant a few extra miles doing it that way that we'd save by just taking the South Kaibab back out, so our Plan B was to just backtrack if we were beat. Our main concern was getting out before dark...though Brian brought headlamps just in case. Right off the bat, we concluded that Brian would be in charge of picture taking, as I had trekking poles and no pockets. Every time I went to take a picture, I'd have to stop, reach around to my fanny pack (which was loaded with 5 bottles of water), figure out what to do with my poles, snap a shot, put the phone back in my fanny pack, zip it up, organize my poles, and continue on. Brian could just keep it in his pocket, so it was much easier. Anyway...most of these pictures are taken by him.
At 11:30, we were a vertical mile down at the Black Bridge over the Colorado River, which was raging and muddy do to a flooding operation that they were doing up at the Glen Canyon Dam. From there, we followed the river for a couple of miles, through Phantom Ranch, and then across the Silver Bridge onto Bright Angel. The trail started out flat and shady, but we had some great momentum going, so we agreed to just keep moving until it became steep, where we'd stop for lunch. We found a shady spot next to a creek in a canyon where we ate a bagel and an apple and then hit the trail once again...straight up. It was at this point that Brian looked at me and said, "This was a f*ing stupid idea".
I couldn't believe how great I'd felt all along, I just didn't want to stop for fear that it'd become more and more difficult to get back going again. My toe wasn't bothering me at all and the bandage was staying put, so that made me super happy. Right around mile 12, my hips and butt started feeling really tight and at mile 14, my knees started to bother me. I noticed some grinding and popping, but without any other option, just kept going. I'm so thankful that I had trekking poles, because they saved me big time. They helped me feel like my footing was secure and I could use them to balance myself a bit, so I was able to move at a much faster pace than normal. I think that they really helped me out going downhill for so long, so it didn't take the toll on my knees that I was expecting. Then I could use them like ski poles to propel myself forward and keep up a decent speed, and they took some of the pressure off of my knees going up the thousands of steps that make up the Bright Angel trail. I'm pretty sure that I would have been in bad shape the day after if I hadn't used them.
The final 3 miles really drug out...it was so steep and you could see the rim rising up above you and it just seemed so far away. I was moving pretty dang slow, but still found myself passing every single other hiker on the trail (most of them just doing a couple of miles down to taking pictures and whatnot). There was a German couple that we'd seen down on the Silver Bridge that was doing the same exact route as us, and they were moving along pretty quickly...they kept the pace for a few miles and we made an effort to keep up with them. I managed to pass them and lost sight of them relatively quickly. I'd occasionally slip some apple slices out of my fanny pack, but was determined not to stop for anything. I finally broke down about a mile from the rim and sat down for about 3 minutes to eat a beef stick and rest my knees and apparently, it was the right choice because once I got moving again, I was at the end of the trail within about 20 minutes...just before 3:30 pm (2 hours before sunset:))
From there, we drove directly to Big E Steakhouse for Prime Rib and a loaded baked potato and then spent the rest of the evening crashed out in bed watching movies.
Wednesday was spent doing all of the touristy things: going to the Visitor's Center and watching movies about the Grand Canyon, exploring Hopi ruins and the lookout tower.
I wouldn't mind doing it again, or even rim to rim via the North Kaibab trail...the main reason we didn't is because of the logistics of getting back to the car. In high season, there's a shuttle that'll drive you around, but who wants to sit on a shuttle for 5 hours after having just hiked 24 miles? Maybe someday. Anyway, I'm super happy with the way everything went. I felt really good most of the time and am hardly sore afterwords...a major improvement from Havasupai.
There were several factors that helped make this trek enjoyable, and there are several other factors that may or may not have affected my performance. I'll list the obvious ones first:
1. The temperature on Tuesday ranged between 29-70 degrees and the trail was primarily shaded. Hiking to Havasupai was completely exposed and over 100 degrees + humid, humid, humid. July in Arizona is no joke.
2. The trail was very wide and clearly marked and consisted mostly of steps. Havasupai had a rough set of steps early on in the switchbacks, but was mostly through a sandy wash that was miserable to trek through.
3. I didn't have a big backpack on this trek...just my fanny pack stocked full of waters, sliced apples, beef sticks, and my chapstick.
3. I didn't have a big backpack on this trek...just my fanny pack stocked full of waters, sliced apples, beef sticks, and my chapstick.
4. I had trekking poles this time around. I invested in a $14 pair of basic trekking poles off of Amazon and couldn't have been more thankful to have them with me. They took off so much pressure and helped me keep a decent pace. I've always been skeptical about how helpful they are, but I'm sold.
5. I wore comfy shoes and socks. Before, I'd had an "irregular" pair of Chaco's that I'd gotten on clearance from REI and they were really tight and narrow. I'd worn them on several hikes before we went to Havasupai, in hopes of breaking them in (though they were about my 9th pair of Chaco's and I'd never needed to break in a pair before), but they were still crazy tight and killed my feet. I also forgot socks to wear out in case my feet rubbed raw in the sand, so my feet were bloody and blistered and swollen. I wore a brand new pair this time and couldn't have been more pleased, and I also opted to wear socks the entire time instead of waiting until my feet already hurt. These trails in the Grand Canyon weren't hardly sandy at all...a few patches, but not bad. My feet are perfectly in tact and I'm wearing the same exact sandals as I write this...comfy cozy.
Now, for some of the "other" factors that may have affected this trek:
1. Almost 3 months ago, I committed myself to losing 10 lbs. I'd been hiking like crazy, but noticed that my knees and hips would be so sore and stiff afterwords that I was pretty much worthless for the entire rest of the day. I came up with a game plan for my overall health and well-being that included taking some weight off of my joints. I wasn't sure if it would make much of a difference, but it was certainly worth a try...couldn't hurt, right? Well, I'm currently down 13.8 lbs since the middle of August and I can't help but think that it helped my joints not hurt as badly.
2. I've changed my diet up pretty significantly and religiously take a multi-vitamin; Collagen, Glucosamine; and Apple cider vinegar pills; and drink a mix of fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, fresh grated turmeric, fresh grated ginger, and pure maple syrup with hot water every night before bed. It's kept my immune system strong, helped with circulation, released toxins, balanced out my blood sugar levels, helped with digestion, reduced inflammation, increased energy levels, and it's great for your heart too. I've drastically cut down on carbohydrates and increased my protein intake...trying to keep my carbs down below 100g per day mostly consisting of fruit. I try not to cheat except for maybe once a month, and even then, I don't go hog wild. I also track my calories, fat, protein, and carbs, on an app along with my exercise, so if I'm super active on one day, I up my caloric intake just a skosh. It's a lifestyle change for me, so I want to make sure it's realistic for me and that way, I'll stick to it without feeling like I'm sacrificing my happiness. The truth is that, if I feel better and look better and am in better shape, I'll be able to enjoy my life more fully and for longer...like this hike, for example.
3. I've increased my daily activity levels. I work between 40-60 hours a week, sitting at a desk. I work a minimum of 10 hours per day straight (no lunch or breaks for that matter), sometimes up to 12 hours a day, so going to the gym before or after work are not realistic for me. I also sleep at least 9 hours per night...no exceptions. That's just the way my body functions. I'd noticed that I was relatively stagnant all day while working, and then I'd push myself and hike long, hard miles on my days off, and then I'd be totally beat, so I decided to incorporate more activity daily so it kept things loose for the big hikes. I came up with a plan to spend a minimum of 30 minutes per day being active outside. That seemed like the perfect solution because I started to walk to and from work every day, and it takes me exactly 15 minutes each way. I'll also ride my bike and the ride up the hill to our house is no joke. That way, if it's freezing or raining or I get stuck working a crazy long day, I've still managed to get my 30 minutes in. Then, if I get off early or have extra time or daylight, I can go for a run or a hike and get in extra time, but the absolute minimum is 30 minutes. Since August 15th, I haven't skipped a single day. In fact, my commute has become my favorite part of my work day. I wake up a little bit earlier and enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the morning so I'm nut rushed, usually try to get in a decent plank, leg lifts, sit ups, squats, kettle bell exercises and some push ups, and then just enjoy my walk. I've bonded with some of the neighbors and dogs along my route that have grown used to me strolling by every morning at 6:30 every morning and every evening. Brian even joins me every now and then. This time of year, I enjoy the sunrise on my morning walk and the sunset at the end of the day. My go-to is usually a short hike by my house to watch the sun set a few times a week. That usually boosts me up to an hour of outdoor activity on the average workday. I love my walk and bike ride home too, because it all uphill, so I feel like I'm actually getting some exercise in. There have been a handful of times when I've gotten stuck at work and had to walk home in the dark, but it's not bad. I also try to just walk to wherever I'm going if possible...walk to the movie theater, walk to breakfast, walk to the grocery store, walk to the trail head, walk to dinner. It takes a little bit of effort to plan my day, but it's worth it. Brian has been super helpful with everything too...starting dinner if he gets home first, running up to the camper if a guest needs something, grocery shopping, washing and folding linens for the camper when I'm taking 5 times longer to get somewhere...he definitely makes my life easier.
4. I stretched before, during, and after our hike. I've never been much of a stretcher, but I'm starting to notice how much of a difference it can make in how sore I am after vigorous activity. I usually do some basic stretches and some yoga moves to loosen everything up. One of my favorite post-run/hike stretches is laying flat on my back where the floor meets a wall with my legs up on the wall for a few minutes...it supposedly good for circulation and stretches out your hamstrings nicely.
Overall, I'm really happy with how my body performed on this trek. I felt really mentally and physically strong and, even though my hips and knees weren't happy by the end, they still performed and carried through. My brother got knee surgery in his late teens/early 20's, so at least I'm still working on the ones I've got well into my 30's. Never once was my heart beating fast or did I find myself out of breath, even climbing straight up for hours nearing 7,000 ft. I'm probably just about in the best shape of my life right now, and it made a huge difference. This adventure really gave me a boost to keep taking care of my body so I can keep going for decades to come. I'm even considering getting a permit for Havasupai again next year ;)