I had been to the Grand Canyon before with my brother and his now ex-wife years past, but only went down to the first station on Bright Angel trail before turning around.  Hiking to the bottom and back up was something I wanted to do, but also nervous about the idea due to my fear of heights, and there were moments in my first visit to the Grand Canyon that definitely pushed me beyond my comfort zone with regard to altitude.  My friend Nigel suggested this trip to me sometime in 2022 and I agreed.

I am not really a hiker, and typically only go hiking if I am walking out to see something (such as Iguazu Falls).  I was not really concerned about having the endurance to complete the hike because I stay in good shape with a lot of bicycling.  We were very aware of the risks that the heat in the canyon could present.  We picked our dates very carefully for our descent and ascent to provide the best chance the area would have warmed enough for the trails to thaw, but the heat in the canyon would not be reaching dangerous levels.  We selected April as our targeted timeframe, and were certain to get our applications and reservations in for backcountry permits and Phantom Ranch in on time.  We decided we would descend via South Kaibab trail, and ascend via Bright Angel, which is the most commonly recommended route.  South Kaibab is shorter and steeper than Bright Angel, but also lacks opportunities to refill water on the way and therefore it is recommended that you only descend this way.  After something of a wait, permits were approved, and we booked our flights to Phoenix, Arizona to rent a car and drive the rest of the way to the canyon.

Initial view from the rim, before starting our descent.

After getting an evening’s rest in a lodge on the rim, we started our descent the next morning.  There was some ice and snow at the top of the rim, but it didn’t create much of an issue on the descent.

First major rest stop on the way down South Kaibab.

Continuing past Cedar Ridge.

As the day wore on, I think my focus on putting one foot in front of the other down the trail caused me to lose focus on taking photographs.  So credit to Nigel who is a better photographer than me and who took some of these photos.

The Colorado River is now in sight, meaning we are almost to the bottom.  The last section of South Kaibab is quite steep.

It took about 6 hours to get to this point, the bridge over the Colorado River at the bottom of South Kaibab.  

And just a little father to Phantom Ranch and our campsite.

We spent two night at the bottom of the canyon, and the day between hiking toward North Kaibab.  our goal was to see Ribbon Waterfalls.   We were able to see it (it is barely visible in the 2nd photo below), but we were not able to get close to it because rains and snow melt had raised the water level in the stream that separated the walking path from the falls to a level that it could not be crossed safely.

The following day we ascended the canyon via Bright Angel Trail.  South Kaibab was a challenge, but the ascent was truly grueling.  We took 8 to 9 hours to ascend the trail.  We were warned the night before at Phantom Ranch that water was off at the top two stations on the trail because cold temperatures at the top of the trail could cause the pipes to freeze and burst, and so to plan accordingly.

I am not sure I have ever been as tired as I was when I reached the top of the canyon, and am not sure I would have been able to hike another hour if I had to.  We had decided to go to Yosemite after the Grand Canyon, and so after returning to Phoenix we headed there the next day.  

While the scenery at Yosemite is amazing, I will admit that retrospectively I can’t remember which granite rock is Half Dome or El Capitan, and which waterfall is which.  The biggest thrill for me at Yosemite was the seeing the giant sequoias.

I am glad to have done this trip, but not sure I would say I actually enjoyed it.  Rather that it was satisfying to accomplish something difficult.  I don’t think I need to add any mountain climbing to my future travel plans, but it is nice to see old friends and share experiences.