Grand Canyon Day Hike - Long Way Down

WARNING - Don't be dumb like me and venture down into the Grand Canyon without any supplies. Better to plan your trip and hike with all the necessary nutrition, maps, etc.

California or bust... Actually, I'm already here in Cali soaking up the rays and good vibes, but I haven't gotten around to doing a blog entry for my detour to the Grand Canyon. I had five long days to drive from New Orleans to Monterey, CA, that I decided to break up with a quick side trip on August 30. 

Preparation

None other than to get a camp site. I couldn't camp in the canyon itself because you have to reserve those sites about a year in advance. I had all my gear with me, but I ended up only taking a single water bottle.

Weather

It was hot and dry. Historical weather says it was 80F, but a thermometer at the bottom of the Canyon read 105F. So it was a pretty nice day by Louisiana standards either way.

Difficulty

The way down Bright Angel Trailhead wasn't bad at all. The trail is clear as a bell and there is water at 1.5, 3, and 5ish miles. However, the way up was brutal even without any gear weighing me down.

The Hike

I arrive at the Grand Canyon around 1 pm after two and a half days of travel through Denton, TX, and Albuquerque, NM. The rinse/repeat of drive/sleep were starting to get to me, and I was looking forward to getting outside and doing anything. I pull into my campsite and am greeted by some elk eating mistletoe, so I feel like I am off to a good start.

I decide to start with some biking, which brings me to the visitor center to get a helmet. I refuse to grab a map for some reason (perhaps already trying to conserve paper as I transition to being a Californian), and I set off for the Bright Angel Trailhead. I'm not much of a biker so don't have a lot of experience to judge, but Grand Canyon Village did not seem like a great place to bike. I manage to get turned around and ride in places I shouldn't have before finally arriving at my destination. 

My arrival is anticlimactic though because there don't appear to be any bike trails along the rim because the normal bike trails were restricted to bus use only. I am pretty frustrated, but my disappointment is clearly a consequence of my failure to prepare. Rather than be bested by my impulsiveness, I resolve to return to camp and return on foot. Of course, this round trip could have been avoided if I had the foresight to bring a bike lock...

Grand Canyon Village has a nice bus system that will take you pretty much anywhere, so I am back at the trailhead by around 3 pm. I tell myself that I'll hike a couple miles to get a taste for the Canyon and then come right back up. I have an uncanny ability to lie to myself.

My trusty water bottle and I begin the trek down into the Canyon with the throng of tourists. The views truly are miraculous, so much so that you quickly get majesty-fatigue. The hike down is pretty moderate except for the spikes of fear that hit you every now and again when you peer down the steep sides of the numerous switchbacks. 

As I descend, I am struck by how quickly the wall behind me raises as if coming out of the ground on a pulley.

I hike down to the first water stop at 1.5 miles and quickly decide to keep going. At this point, I'm doing the math in my head to decide how far I can get before the sun sets. I decide that I have to turn back at around one and a half hours; otherwise, I'll be climbing out blind. The number of hikers really starts to dwindle once you get a couple miles in.

With my time limit in mind, I start to jog on the long stretches of the trail. I'm not accustomed to the lack of sweat drenching my clothes due to the low humidity, so I have to be more cognizant of staying hydrated as I roll through the second water stop at around 3 miles. My excitement and urgency rise as I get closer to the bottom, and now I'm focusing on getting as close to the river as possible.

It feels great as the trail levels off, and I arrive at the Indian Garden Campground. There is another water spigot to fill up at before strolling through the Garden. I didn't realize it at the time, but I'm pretty winded based on my Blair Witch-esque video.

I arrive at a fork and decide to go to Plateau Point, which is only about 1.5 miles away, rather than attempting to go all the way down to the Colorado River. As I trek toward the Point, I finally get out of the shadow of the Canyon and into the sun of the desert. I spot a few lizards slithering around and a flash of some sort of rodent. There's an old well near the Point that was good for getting a clear view of the area.

The roar of the Colorado River fills the air and pulls me toward the Point. After a quick scramble through some rocks, I'm there looking down onto the River, and it is breathtakingly brown. I meet a couple campers at the Point that are happy to snap of picture of me and my water bottle.

I chat with the campers, and I can tell that the guy thinks I'm a little daft for hiking down into the canyon without supplies. Thankfully, he's nice enough to give me a Luna bar so I can refuel before heading back to the top. The trek down took me about an hour and 40 minutes, and I'm expecting the way up to be about an hour longer. I forgot to record my activity on the way down, but the way up is below.

I walk briskly through the desert and then start jogging as soon as I reach the shade of the Canyon. The campers at the Point let me know that even if I'm still on the trail at night, I can stop and wait for the moon to rise because it is near full and provides enough light to walk. However, I'm pretty determined to get out before nightfall.

Once I hit the incline, I know I'm going to be in for a tough battle. I walk past a father and son team that is also working their way up to the top, but they have headlamps and jackets ready. I also run into a couple from Thailand and embarrass myself with the little bit of Thai I still remember. At this point, I see a few people in the distance working their way up that seem like a good target to catch.

My targets are moving at a good pace, but I'm able to catch them a few miles from the top when they stop to refill for water. I decide to fall in behind them so I can zone out and tail them to the end. The last miles are tough, and I'm so thankful to have some cheery people from Belgium to chat with to take my mind off the climb. The two guys are biking across North and South America as inspired by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in Long Way Down/Round.

Finally, we make it to the top and exchange high fives. The sun is still about 15 minutes from setting, and I jump on a bus to head straight for the food court. I devour a couple slices of supreme pizza and enjoy a cold glass of water. It was a long way down and back 'round but well worth it.