We just got back from climbing out of the world's biggest hole in the ground yesterday. It is really more exciting than just a hole in the ground, but as you climb out of it, you start to call it a lot of names. It is not an easy walk to the bottom and back, but we had a good trip nonetheless, thanks to some good planning and some good luck.
Merry made reservations for eight of us to stay at the bottom of the Canyon for two nights. It turned out that only five of us went due to sickness and injury among Merry and Scott's friends and whatnot. Anyway, we had a good strong group. We bought up plenty of ramen, instant oatmeal, trail mix, etc. Scott even whipped up some home-made beef jerky. We were all carrying some pretty big bags, but we had lots of things in our favor.
The best thing about the trip was the timing. I wouldn't say that January is the best time (perhaps those honors go to November or December), but it was definitely cooler than July. In fact, we nearly killed ourselves on the slippery ice and snow that covered the first mile of Bright Angel Trail. Once we descended a little from the 7000ft rim, things got a little better. It was mid-afternoon and we had the trail to ourselves. Bright Angel is the less-steep 9.5 mile trail that led us to the Bright Angel campground in about five hours. Don't be fooled by the short walking time. We were very tired. We set up the tents in the dark and devoured our first packets of Maruchan. It was a good night.
On Tuesday we decided to split up. Merry and Scott had already been up to the Ribbon Falls (and Merry's knees were hurting her), so they opted for a shorter daytrip. The rest of us decided to make the 12mile roundtrip walk up the opposite (the Canyon runs east-west and we had entered from the South Rim) side of the Canyon toward the North Rim. We spent most of the day in the valley of Bright Angel Creek (for those of you who don't know-the Colorado River is in the main canyon).
There was a lot of cool vegetation to look at, but not many spectacular views of the top. The few times that we could see the rim of the Canyon, we had absolutely no way judge our depth or its height. The waterfall was pretty cool, though. We played around a bit there, but before heading back. We made it back that night just at dusk again. This time we ate two packs of ramen each. The day's hike hadn't been too steep, but combined with the previous day, it was enough to really wear on our legs.
The temperature in the Canyon was perfect during the day. A reported 50-55 F, but perfect for hiking. AT night, however, the temp dropped to below freezing. Many people were staying in the small cabins of the Phantom Ranch ($65/night), but we were in tents. That night, though, we did walk up to the ranch restaurant for a couple hot chocolates. The cabins and campground were less than half full, but the restaurant was still pretty lively. There are books, games, cards, and lots of cool people to enjoy. It is rather like a youth hostel atmosphere, only in much more remote conditions. Still, if you have the money, you can have beer ($3) and a steak dinner ($25) that is brought down daily by mules. The staff and rangers in the Canyon make the place seem pretty homey despite its remoteness.
It was nice to sit out at night and enjoy the stars. The moon was so bright that we didn't need a flashlight for walking about. The five of us piled into one tent to warm up before going to sleep. Both nights were a little chilly, but rather enjoyable. I was glad to be there in January.
The hike out was not easy. Merry was still having knee trouble, partly because her "short" day hike turned into 8-9 miles. Beth has reinjured an ankle that used to bother her in high school. We redistributed the backpack weight accordingly and started up Kaibab Trail.
Kaibab is known as the steeper (from 2400ft to 7400ft) and shorter (7miles) of the South Rim trails. I don't think I would want to walk down it, but it was not bad for the ascent. It follows a point that sticks out into the Canyon, whereas Bright Angel is tucked back in a side canyon. This makes Kaibab a sunnier trail with much better views. Unfortunately my camera jammed while rewinding the day before. Anyway, I was hiking with Scott and Keith who were keeping a pretty good pace; we didn't take lots of time to ponder. We made it out in about 4.5 hours (faster than the descent).
Scott hitchhiked over to the Bright Angel trailhead to recover the car. Keith watched the packs while I jogged back down into the Canyon to check on Merry and Beth. They were moving at a pretty good pace a little over an hour behind us. After they refused my food and water, I decided to take some sit-and-ponder time. The views just one mile down Kaibab Trail are pretty amazing. It is really worth seeing the Canyon from a few different angles. With a big pack on your back, you don't always feel like looking around. But it is definitely worth the hike all around.
I hope to make it back some day. I would like to spend a little more time at the bottom and maybe take the Tonto Trail up or down the Canyon. Otherwise, though, this was one of the best trips of my life. The timing was perfect. We ran out of food, water, sunlight, warm clothing, strength et al. at just the right times. Not too much, not too little. Another success.