Grand Canyon & Phantom Ranch

After a night in our adorable little cabin, we got up early to start our Grand Canyon adventure.   We had a quick breakfast in the lodge and drove over to the Backcountry Office to catch the 7 am shuttle to the trailhead.  There were many other hikers on the bus with us; both Grand Canyon virgins (like us) and experienced canyoneers.   Everyone was chatting & in high spirits.  We received a few tips from the veterans around us, and lots of assurances that we'd have the time of our lives.

By 7:30, we were at the trailhead of South Kaibab, and ready to go!  In case you're interested, we're carrying only the "essentials" for a Grand Canyon hike.  As I mentioned, we sent a 30 pound duffle down with the mules that held changes of clothes, food for the hike up, and a few other odds & ends.  The essentials in our day packs we're carrying with us are 5 liters of water (each), snacks for the trip down (nuts, beef jerky, peanut butter, crackers, licorice), and some other items we hoped to not need but carried just in case (nylon rope, first aid supplies, swiss army knife).  Our packs weigh about 20 pounds apiece, which is about 10 more than I'd prefer. The water alone weighs 10 pounds so it will be nice to have that get lighter as the day wears on.

What a perfect morning!  46F/8 C and clear.

The view down from the trailhead.

The initial part of South Kaibab was steep, with a lot of switchbacks, but it quickly leveled off to a more gradual slope.  You had to be careful to avoid the mule poop but, otherwise, the trail was easy to navigate. 

Not to be taken for granted, the trail soon started offering us steeper slopes consisting of stairs.  The rise of each step was quite high, so it was necessary to use the trekking poles to support our knees on each one.  To do this, we would stand with one foot on the log that created the riser and plant our poles down one step to support our weight.  Next, we'd step down and forward, landing the opposite foot as near the center of the step as possible.  Then, we would swing our poles out and try to repeat that same pattern.  If you just timed it right the pattern looked something like this:  plant, step, swing, step, plant, step, swing, step, and so  on.  I know this because we repeated this process thousands (yes, thousands!) of times in the 7.5 miles down.   There were exceptions, of course.  The stairs were not uniform in run or rise, there were rocks under the surface that necessitated pole placement be varied, and other hikers could interfere with our rhythm. 

One of the thousands of series of stairs on South Kaibab.

Me on the aptly named "Ooh Ahh Point" - the first full look at the Canyon on the hike down.   

 As planned, we really took our time on the way down.  We estimated that it would take us about 5 hours and, because we had an early start, there was no rush to.  We chatted with other hikers as we passed each other, we stopped and looked at everything that caught our attention, and we took LOTS of pictures.  It seemed that the topography changed every few minutes, and we continually encountered scenery that took our breath away.  Andrew is a great photographer but, believe me, these photos don't do justice to what we saw.

This picture shows the "Red & Whites", which are a series of steep switchbacks dropping hikers officially in to the desert zone of the Canyon.  

This was about as narrow as the trail got.  Not too bad unless you encountered a mule train.

Looking up at the Red & Whites"

Andrew at the 1/2 way mark!

 After we completed the Red & Whites, the landscape changed again.  Less plant materials and more giant rock formations from slides.  

This pile of rocks was so impressive.  It's amazing to think how they fell in to place, and have then stayed for who-knows how long.

Mule train coming!

By about 11 am, we started to get our first glimpses of the Colorado River running along the bottom, so we knew we were getting close.  We were pretty happy about this.  The constant jarring of that not-so-graceful step down process had made our legs tired, and the temperature had increased to about 80F/27C. 

Black Bridge spanning the Colorado.  There are two bridges (Black & Silver).  The mules use Black Bridge because the floor is solid. 

Tunnel leading to Black Bridge.  Go in to the light, Carol Ann.

Black Bridge

 Once we crossed the bridge, we knew our destination was near.  Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as near as we would have hoped, and we had to trudge almost another mile to reach Phantom Ranch.  I can't tell you what a mental defeat this was at this point in our day.  It was close to 100F/38C by now, and our legs were exhausted.   At one point I asked Andrew, "Do you think we could have passed it?" because it seemed so far.  Finally, however, we spotted this...

Hooray!

We had hiked 7.5 miles down South Kaibab trail in 4 hours and 28 minutes.  The change in altitude was -4,320 feet (more than 8/10ths of a mile).  We were sweaty and our leg muscles were wobbly, but we were exhilarated to have made it!  We later learned from the ranger that less than 1% of all visitors to Grand Canyon National Park ever see the bottom.  In fact, the average time guests are in the park is 5 hours, yet they spend only 17 minutes looking at the canyon itself.  We counted ourselves as fortunate to have spent two nights living in it.  

After the photo op above, we hobbled up the steps of the canteen to check in.  Phantom Ranch consists of 11 cabins and 4 bunkhouses.  The cabins vary in occupancy from 2 in a queen bed, up to 10 people in bunks.  The bunkhouses are assigned by gender (two for women, two for men) and sleep 10 in bunks.  The upside to the bunkhouses is that each has a bathroom and shower.  The cabins do not have this luxury and share stand-alone shower houses/bathrooms similar to what you'd find in a campground.  Despite the fact that we booked our stay at Phantom 13 months ago, we were unable to secure private cabin accommodations.  We learned that these are most commonly booked years in advance by the mule excursion vendor for their passengers.  As much as I would have enjoyed a private cabin, I was not willing to ride a mule down South Kaibab to get one.  What a rough ride that would have been! 

A few of the cabins.

When we checked in, we were provided with our bunkhouse assignments (#13 for Andrew & #14 for me), and our meal seating times.  At Phantom you can book meal reservations in the canteen in advance, you can bring your own food, or you can do a combination of both.  We opted to have all our meals in the canteen.  More about that later.  Staff explained to us that we were free to choose any bunk that didn't have personal items on it, and then we should leave personal items on the bunk we chose to signal to others that it was taken.  We were lucky to arrive early enough that there were bottom bunks available (reason to come).

Two sets of bunks in one of the bunkhouses.  They all looked exactly the same.  

My bunk for two nights.  See my boots peeking out?  

We chose our bunks, showered, and met back outside.  We had about 4 hours to kill until dinner, so we explored the grounds a bit.  

Male tarantula on the path.

Andrew in Clear Creek, which runs just a few steps from our beds.  The water was FREEZING, but felt good on our tired feet.

 Each day, the ranger posted at Phantom Ranch gives two "Ranger Talks".  Because we didn't haul books down with us, and there is no wifi or TV, there is little to do with your downtime at Phantom.  You either hike, sleep, or chat with the other guests.  We were too tired to hike, and didn't want to sleep or visit, so we decided to listen in on the talk.  The topic was California Condors, which didn't grab me initially.  I'm not sure if it was the lack of other activity options, or the fact that Ranger Mandi was so darn enthusiastic about the plight of the condor, but the program was really fantastic.  I learned a lot about condors, including how to tell them apart from Turkey Buzzards; a skill I am sure will get me far in life.  

The talk ended just before 5 pm, which is the first seating for dinner.  They have two seatings each night:  5 pm is steak & 6:30 pm is stew and the vegetarian option.  Because Andrew booked the meals, and hates vegetables, we ate steak both nights.  Dinner is served EXACTLY at 5 pm on long, family-style tables in the canteen.  Everything is laid out on platters along the table -you take what you want, and then pass the rest on.  If your table runs out of something, the staff bring you more.  We were absolutely starving by the time this meal rolled around, but could not have been prepared for the volume of food presented.  Huge, thick New York strip steaks (lovely & rare), baked potatoes, peas, corn, cornbread and a mixed salad.

My plate.  I'll admit that I ate every bite.  

 Following the main-course gluttony, staff brought out coffee and plates heaped with giant slices of chocolate cake.  I was so stuffed from my huge steak, that I was only able to eat a few bites of cake.  I did not make the same mistake the next night, rest assured.  

What was left of the plates of cake AFTER they had been passed around the table all ended up in front of us.  Too bad we were too full to do much about it.

Dinner was over by 5:45 pm.  Literally.  In fact, they kick you out at 5:45, whether you're done or not, so they can reset and get ready for the 6:30 crowd.  We walked down to the amphitheater to hear the evening Ranger Talk on the Kolb Brothers - early entrepreneurs in the Grand Canyon.   Before the program started, Ranger Mandi answered questions about the Canyon (animals, temperatures, favorite hikes) and gave us other interesting tidbits.  Did you know, for example, that it takes 2 hours without white light for your eyes to achieve maximum night vision?  Or that the NPS does not allow planes or helicopters over the canyon to ensure visitors have the most natural experience possible?  I did not, but do now.  I'll add these to the millions of other useless bits of information stored in my brain.  

Finally, it was bedtime!   We were both exhausted, so limped back to our separate bunks to crash.  We had the "late" breakfast, to be served at 6:30 am, so agreed to meet at 6:15 am.  I was in bed and asleep 15 minutes later.  What a day!

The next morning came early.  First wake-up call, provided in the form of a staff member calling out the time cheerily in to the bunkhouse, is at 4:30 am.  This is for hikers who are heading back to the top and have the 5 am breakfast.  Awake, I laid in my bunk until 5, and then decided to see if coffee could be found.  My first steps when I left my bunk were more painful than I had imagined they could be.  I knew that my quads were tired yesterday, but I was completely unprepared for the searing pain in both calves.  Wow.  This is when my foresight in seeking out a bottom bunk was most appreciated.  I looked at those ladders and knew that I would have needed some sort of crane to get me down from there in my current condition.  That crisis averted, I hobbled down the steps of the bunkhouse (yes, more steps) and miserably surveyed the 100 yards to the canteen.  I was uncertain if I could make it that distance but, for coffee, I was wiling to try.  I'm pleased to report that I did manage to make it there AND they had coffee.  Victory!  I was also relieved, though sympathetic, to notice that everyone else's gait was eerily similar to mine.  

Breakfast was the same arrangement as dinner:  family-style platters of pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit.  Again, all you could eat.  After breakfast, you picked up your bag lunch from a crate at the door and headed out for your day.   Despite being in complete lower-body agony, Andrew & I decided to try and work out some of the kinks with an easy hike before it got too hot.   We did the River Loop and about 4 miles (return) along North Kaibab, for a total of about 6 miles.   Just like our hike down the Canyon, something more beautiful was around every turn.  

Clear Creek

River Loop trail, which runs along the Colorado.  This is Silver Bridge.

More River Loop trail

Sunrise.  Amazing.

Mule train heading up South Kaibab

The fuzziest fawn I've ever seen.

Cacti along North Kaibab

North Kaibab 

More North Kaibab.  If you were to do a "rim to rim" hike in the Canyon, you would hike down North Kaibab (from the north rim) and then up either South Kaibab or Bright Angel (to the south rim).  North Kaibab was Andrew's favorite trail, so we're considering a rim-to-rim hike in the future. 

Prickly pear!

Our legs felt a bit better after our hike, and we were hungry so we cracked in to our provided lunches.  They are trail-designed meaning they are carb & salt heavy, and nothing needs to be refrigerated.  They contained a bagel & cream cheese, nuts, Craisins, cookies, pretzels, a little chub of salami and an apple. We made sandwiches out of the bagel & salami, which were delicious!  By the time we finished eating, it was getting too hot to be outside (temperatures while we were at Phantom Ranch came close to 100F each day, with lows around 60F).  Big difference from the rim!   There were swamp coolers in each of the dorms, so we moved to our respective bunks to snooze for a couple of hours.

In preparation for our hike out the next day, our activity the remainder of the day was limited.  We limped to the Ranger Station mid-afternoon where they provided protective equipment and a telescope to view the solar eclipse (pretty cool), we had another huge dinner, and we went to the evening talk on the first two men to swim all 270 miles of the Colorado River.  Crazy!  Before bed, we got completely organized for the morning, including repacking the duffel to send up with the mules.   Finally, we crawled in to bed to wait for the 4:30 am call.  

When the call came, I was already up and dressed.  Some woman in my bunkhouse was laughing maniacally in her sleep, which creeped me out enough that I was awake for most of the night.  We had our breakfast, grabbed our lunches, and headed off down the path at 5:18 am.  It's indescribably dark at 5 am in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Without a headlamp on, you can't open your eyes wide enough to make out anything.  Luckily, we had headlamps and could find our way.  Our goal was to make it to the South Rim in 8 hours.  

This is what zero dark-thirty looks like with a headlamp.

We used the Silver Bridge to cross the Colorado, and turned right to pick up the Bright Angel trail.  The first mile heads up fairly steeply away from the riverbed.  It's covered in a thick layer of silt which, similar to sand, is hard to walk in.  Oh, and it's pitch dark.  Oh, and there's a cliff on your right.  Other than that, it was fine.  By 6 am, there was enough light that we could see all around us without headlamps.  Sunrise was about 6:45 am, and it was beautiful. 

Sunrise from Bright Angel

Bright Angel trail

Another set of steep switchbacks.  These things are killers because you don't feel like you're making much distance progress.

Us.  Somewhere along Bright Angel.

Our plan was to hike to Indian Garden and take a break.  Indian Garden is 4.5 miles from Phantom Ranch, and a little less than 1/2 way to the top.  There is water there, so we were able to carry less from the bottom and refill.  Thank goodness for a lighter pack!   

Me - just before Indian Gardens.  You can see that we've ascended past the desert in to more lush scenery.  This section was really, really beautiful, and my favorite.  

Look up.  Look way up.

Waterfall at Indian Garden

 Just before Indian Garden, we happened on a woman who had also stayed at Phantom Ranch.  When we said we were planning to break at IG, she told us that the ranger suggested taking only a short break there and pushing on to 3-mile House (another 1.5 miles past IG).  This is because one of the most challenging sections of Bright Angel trail is between Indian Garden & 3-mile House.  The ranger's tip was that it helped to get that section behind you before you stop for lunch.  Andrew & I thought that made good sense.  This is, after all, as much of a mental game as it is a physical one.  We refilled water at IG, ate a handful of nuts, and pushed on.  

As it turns out, the ranger wasn't kidding about that section of trail.  Just out of Indian Garden, it ascends about 1000 feet in the 1.5 miles, resulting in a brutal series of switchbacks & steps.  I may not have said this, but those steps were just as miserable on the way up as they were on the way down.  Just when I was feeling very sorry for myself, I encountered a woman hiking on the trail who I had spoken with at Phantom.  Polio had left her with severe leg weakness and she used full-leg braces and crutches to walk.  She had hiked down to Phantom, stayed a few nights, and was now hiking back up.  Self-pity ended abruptly, thanks to this inspirational woman.   We offered her words of encouragement and, invigorated, we were soon at 3-mile House.  

Sign at 3-mile house.  Both 3-mile House (6 miles round trip) and Indian Garden (9 miles round trip) are popular day-hikes from the South Rim.  This sign reminds hikers that they are responsible for getting themselves back up the hill.  Ranger Mandi told us that evacuations are very, very rare in the Canyon, and are only used when loss of life is imminent.  In all other cases, the rangers expect hikers to self-recover and get themselves out.

A look backwards at those awful switchbacks just before 3-mile house.

At 3-mile House, we took off our packs and sat down for a few minutes.  We had something to eat, and chatted with the other hikers.  For those coming from the bottom, the mood was good as the end was in sight.  Also, we were starting to realize that we were making very good time, and we were excited to think we would finish well before our goal.   

About a mile from the top, and we still like each other. Success!  

Me - taking the last few steps of Bright Angel

We hit the top of the trail at 11:51 am.  Andrew actually whooped out loud.  People milling around the trailhead offered hearty congratulations and generously looked impressed at our time.

Us at the top of Bright Angel trail - well ahead of schedule.  9.9 miles in 5 hours and 33 minutes.  We were thrilled!   

Looking back, this hike was not nearly as hard as I imagined it would be, and I'm so grateful to be healthy enough to have done it.  Sure, I was panting as I plodded up those damn switchbacks.  Yes, my calves and thighs were screaming most of the time.  However, the scenery was amazing and I was able to share yet another amazing experience with my very favorite travel-partner Andrew.  I'm excited to know that we'll have many, many more.

Speaking of that...we're on to Zion National Park next.  Come back and see what happens there.