Grand Canyon National Park
2/5/01 - 2/7/01
 
 

 

After camping out the night at the Grand Canyon's RV park, we got up at the crack of dawn for our hike down into the canyon.



 
 

The morning rays were just starting to hit the mesa tops when we started our trek down.

There are two routes down to the Colorado River from the south rim.  The South Kaibab trail is the shorter of the two, but it is very steep.  Average hiking time for the South Kaibab trail is 2 hours from rim to river and 4 hours going back up.  The Bright Angel trail, at 15 kilometers (9 miles), is twice as long, (average hiking time for the Bright Angel trail is 4 hours down and eight hours up), but not as steep, and is generally considered easier to climb up than the South Kaibab trail.  As such, most hikers who are so adventurous as to make the hike all the way down to the the Colorado River go down the South Kaibab Trail and up the Bright Angel trail.

Echo, however, preferred to go down the Bright Angel trail and return via the South Kaibab trail.  Hikers are strongly advised not to hike all the way down to the Colorado River and back on the same day.  Most spend the night at the Colorado River and return the next day.  Echo and I have purchased room and boarding at Phantom Ranch, just on the other side of the river, where we will spend the night and then hike back up to the south rim of the canyon the next day.

It was only a few turns around the switchbacks before the trail was caked solid with ice.  Many years ago I hiked a short ways down this trail with my mother and my aunt Marcia during a brisk February morning and I remember how difficult it was to stay standing with all of the ice.  My mother and my aunt remember with not so fond memories how I almost slipped off of the trail into the canyon below.  With those memories still fresh in my mind, I made sure that cramp-on ice spikes were included in our Flagstaff shopping list.

 
 

These strap-on cramp-ons may appear small and simple, but they provide a sure-footed grip on the ice and make the difference between slipping and sliding your way into the canyon and walking perfectly normal.
 

Journey Onward!