I got to the Grand Canyon National Park in the afternoon and headed straight to the campground to set up. I found that the site I reserved was under a foot of snow and surrounded by very soft mud. Even with my sleeping in a hammock I knew this would not do. After speaking with the rangers I was able to move to a better spot. I dropped some stuff off and chained my bikes to a tree before going to see the canyon.
I parked and made my way up to the canyon rim only to find a gaggle of people fighting to get the best instagram picture. I snapped a quick photo, but instantly knew that I needed to actually see the canyon up close and personal. Standing on a sidewalk overlooking it was not actually experiencing the canyon. I needed to see it as John Wesley Powell saw it, from the bottom up!
So I decided right then that I would attempt the 20-mile loop down to the bottom and back up in a day. I walked to the visitor center to speak with a ranger about trail conditions. The ranger was quick to tell me that my planned route was not recommended in a day.
“I’m one of those crazy trailrunners,” I replied.
“Well, I guess you are gonna do it anyways so know that the Bright Angel Trail has a lot of snow and ice on the top part,” he said, accepting my stupidity.
He then advised me that, as a trailrunner, I should not poop on a trail. I was a bit taken aback by this because I don’t know any trailrunners who do this (If you are a trailrunner who poops on the trail: Knock that shit off!).
With my plan in place I called the wife and sent her a link to my intended route for safety purposes. She said it sounded like an epic way to see the canyon and wished me luck. So I returned to my campsite for another dinner of ramen and to spend the first night in my hammock.
I woke up early and struggled to get out of my warm sleeping bag and out into the cold. Once I was up, I started breaking down camp while I made my coffee and oatmeal breakfast. People were leaving their campsites early to be able to experience the sunrise at the canyon. I missed it because of getting everything set but was excited about what I was going to get to see.
I started heading east along the rim trail from the visitor center, quickly leaving the throng of early morning visitors behind. It wasn’t long before I found myself in an elk traffic jam that I had to cautiously make my way through. I did not want to be one of the people who get injured by an animal every year in a National Park.
I soon got to the trailhead and began my descent. The snow and ice were very dirty and covered in mule droppings (clearly hadn’t heeded the Ranger’s warning), so I thought I would have plenty of traction in my Altra Superiors. I made it down a few switchbacks before I was proven wrong. I landed hard on my ass and slid down a section of trail. Fortunately, there were a few other hikers close enough to observe my fall and enjoy a chuckle. One woman did advise me not to get too cocky because she just did the same trick.
I got off the snow and ice and put on my YakTrax to continue the descent into the canyon. It wasn’t long before the YakTrax were worthless and I was back in dirt and mud. I got to Ooh Ahh Point, took them off, and continued descending down the canyon. The weather was cool but I could feel it warming up as I descended towards the canyon floor. I had set Skeleton Point as my final call on the run. If anything was bothering me, I would turn back at the Point.
There is something about the size and scope of the canyon that makes it never feel real. I found myself continuing to hold it in small chunks that my mind could process. I did enjoy the ever changing scenery throughout my descent. It made the two-hours that the descent took me fly by.
I was really hoping to see the green of the Colorado River flowing below me but all the rain and snow had left it muddy brown. You could definitely tell that it a was a strong current churning in the river as I crossed the first suspension bridge to Phantom Ranch.
I took a break at Phantom Ranch to refill my hydration bladder and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was not looking forward to climbing up as my quads were pretty smoked from the descent. I knew the best I could do was shuffle the parts that weren’t too steep. It didn’t take long before I decided that I would be power hiking out.
The nice thing about the Bright Angel Trail is that once it turns away from the Colorado River it becomes a beautiful oasis. You follow a stream up to Indian Garden that really demonstrates how much life will cluster around water in a desert. Where everything else had been cacti, dry, and brown, this was green with life.
Throughout this run I found myself thinking about the Fremen people from the Frank Herbert novel “Dune.” When you can feel the moisture being sucked out of your body it is easy to relate to a nomadic desert dwelling tribe that hold water to be the most sacred. My mind kept going to the scene in the book where they take the dead and dehydrate them so the community can still share in his water. I know Frank Herbert was inspired for the novel after visiting the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area for a sand based world. Like the actual desert he created an entire world where water is the most sacred.
The climb started easily enough with the biggest obstacle being rock gardens. I kept plowing forward slowly, noticing how much warmer it felt. I continued to twist my way up towards Indian Garden. I was happy to have my trekking poles to help me power up the trail. For some reason, I was still driven like I was racing the clock even though I knew I wasn’t going to run anymore.
You leave the green lushness of the valley after the Indian Garden campground. This was the last place I could get water for the remainder of the climb. I felt that I had enough water for the less than five-miles to the rim. With the heat, I did question in the back of my mind if this was a good choice. I would say that, when dealing with the desert, you should always top off water. Fortunately, I did have enough water to finish the climb.
I noticed that, as I passed other hikers, we all shared comments of encouragement as we tackled the canyon. It really affirmed that we are all in this together. Like hiking to the bottom of the canyon and back creates a small bond with others. And as it was for everyone, it is in those last three-miles of tight steep switchbacks that you are really tested.
Not to call people out, but I have to comment on the amount of people who were not properly attired for these adventures. I have to wonder how many people end up calling the rangers for a bail out. I passed people that seemed not to be carrying water and were probably in the early stages of dehydration. Did people think that all that they descended they would not have to climb back up? Especially with the first mile being ice and snow. Be smart folks – safety first!
It was impressive to see so many older backpackers who were just steadily climbing under their loads. It made me reflect on aging and maintaining fitness. I hope that, when I reach their age, I too am still out in the world crushing the miles and doing what I love. It definitely is great motivation to stay healthy and not give into a sedentary lifestyle.
I crested the final bit of the rim only to feel fully exhausted knowing I had another two-miles back to my truck. I knew I wanted to get on the road to make it up towards Zion National Park so I decided to take the shuttle back to the visitor center but not before I stopped into the Bright Angel Lodge to reward myself with a tasty beer.
I would say that people should definitely climb to the bottom to really experience the canyon. While a 20-mile trek is a bit much, the overnight trip is very doable with some training. If you plan to visit the Grand Canyon be sure to get a camping permit, train, and make the journey to the bottom. You will not regret it. Oh, and don’t poop on the trail.
