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Our trip to the Grand Canyon started with our drive from Phoenix into
the Park. What should have been a four hour drive took us almost 7 as we
had to drive through a harrowing snow storm. At one point we were
pulling onto the highway from a gas station and managed to almost get
pushed off of the road by a snowplow. The road that leads to the park
was so covered that we had to drive in the middle of the road so we
could drive over the bumps that marked the lanes to make sure that we
didn’t drive off the road. Eventually we managed to make it to the park
and we checked into our cabin.
 The next day we woke up to the same snow storm that we drove in the
previous night. This same storm blanketed the canyon with over a foot of
powdery snow and managed to drive away most of the tourists from the
top. We just bundled up in our ski clothes and went for our first walk
along the rim. We walked east along the rim and were treated to what
seemed to be our very own canyon – there was no one around! In fact, for
the majority of the day we saw very few people that ventured out into
the snow and cold. The only other big group that we saw was a bus of
Japanese school children. They were not prepared for the cold - the
girls were wearing pleated plaid skirts with bare legs!
Our
second day at the Canyon was spent in preparation for our hike to the
bottom. In the morning we went to the General Store to pick up some
items and then we headed over to the trail that we planned to hike down
on. South Kaibab trail is located east of the Visitors center and takes
some time to get to on the bus. Our main goal was to walk down the trail
a bit to see what kind of conditions we were facing and to make sure
that everyone’s crampons were working. Crampons are metal spikes that
you put onto the bottom of your boots to allow you to walk on ice and
snow. It’s a good thing we checked them out because we learned that we
needed to buy some new ones. We hiked down about 1.5 miles and found the
trail covered with ice that in some places was turning to slush. Ice is
one thing to walk on (you prepare with crampons) but slush is another.
 The mud seems to suction your foot so every step is a battle to keep
your balance. We hiked out on the trail keeping a good pace and went
back to the rim for an evening stroll before dinner. That evening we
dined in the Arizona Room at the Bight Angel Trail. It’s a small
restaurant perched on the rim of the canyon with spectacular views. The
food was excellent and turned out to be the perfect evening meal to
prepare us for the hike down the next day.
We
woke up on the third day ready to hike down to the bottom. We ate a
large breakfast and then caught the shuttle back over to the South
Kaibab Trailhead. The beginning of the trail was very similar to what we
had experienced the day before; since it was earlier in the day the only
bonus is that it was not as slushy. We stopped for a leisurely lunch at
the halfway point and were all very happy to take our packs off and take
a break. Never believe someone when they telling you that hiking
downhill is easy! By the time that we approached the black bridge to
cross the Colorado River to the campground we were exhausted! The
constant stepping down motion put such a cramp in everyone’s toes that
we got to our campsite and collapsed on the picnic bench after 6 hour of
hiking. After a time we set-up our tent, got out the stove, and cooked a
hot dinner. That evening we wandered over to the canteen located down in
Phantom Ranch to listen to the evening Ranger Program and to drink a few
beers. Yep! Beers at the bottom of the canyon! Phantom Ranch not only
provides meals to those staying in the cabins but also is a one-stop
shop for all your bottom of the canyon needs. Even more surprising were
the costs involved, since everything is brought in and out of the canyon
on mules you expect the prices to be sky-high but a beer was only $3a
half-carafe of wine was only $7.50
 Our
only full day at the bottom was to be treated as a day of rest and
relaxation. We woke up and had breakfast at our campsite while watching
the two campsite turkeys and native deer wander through. Afterwards we
took a leisurely stroll along a flat trail to loosen up our limbs from
the hike the day before. In the afternoon we hung out in the canteen
playing cards and drinking beer while Marek went on a longer
photographic expedition. That evening we had a dinner at the canteen
(Stew complete with a salad, cornbread, and chocolate cake) to celebrate
our hike down and prepare for the journey up. The only problem that
night was the cold. Temperatures in the 30s are not meant for sleeping
outdoors – no matter how good your sleeping bag is.
The next day we woke up early (we had a 5:30 breakfast time) to start
our hike back up to the top. The beginning part is the worst you walk
for about an hour going up and down on small hills to find that you
haven’t gained any elevation at all. Eventually though we climbed up
about half-way and stopped at Indian Garden Campgrounds to make a hot
meal on our stove. We had a long hour and a half lunch and then
continued the climb up.
 That part was actually the hardest of the climb;
the three miles from the top are also the steepest in elevation and
covered in ice. We must have made quite a site with our backpacks,
crampons, and tank tops! Overall we made great time and climbed out in
just over 7 hours. Everyone was ready to collapse but after we unpacked
and took hot showers we were ready to have dinner and go to bed.
Our
last day at the Canyon was mainly geared towards relaxing. We woke up
late and wandered along some of the shops along the rim, while also
trying to take in some of the last few views. Before sunset we rode out
to the West rim to enjoy our last sunset of the trip. Our reward that
evening was a fantastic dinner at the five star dining-room located in
the El Tovar Hotel. The dinner was not only a celebration of our journey
but also a toast to Marek’s 50th birthday. The evening with good food
and wine ended with after dinner drinks being drunk wrapped up in
blankets on a bench on the rim. With the full moon you could see every
detail of the landscape bathed in a pale light. What a fantastic way to
end our trip! |
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