May 1, 2007

May 1, 2007

We rise early again and drive the ninety minutes from Flagstaff to Grand Canyon National Park. For some reason I thought the Grand Canyon would be in the middle of the Arizona desert, instead it is in the middle of a pine forest. As soon as we clear the entrance gate we park near the Visitors Center at Mathers Point. I skip the Visitor Center and walk straight to the rim. Oh my gosh, it is spectacular! We have seen it many times on TV, but it is so much better and so awe-inspiring. The sky is overcast and the colors are vivid. To the right is a narrow spit of land descending into the canyon. An interpretative sign says the South Kaibab trail follows that spine to the bottom. Now I can’t wait to start the hike. All my early jitters are gone with the excitement. Aimee is having the opposite reaction. Her heart is starting to flutter looking over the edge. I am afraid it is going to be way too steep for her.

We head to the west side of Grand Canyon village and find the Maswik Lodge where we have reservations for Thursday night. We park the car there, pull together our hiking gear and wait for one of the park shuttle busses to come by. Two shuttles rides later we arrive at the South Kaibab trailhead. It and Bright Angel are by far the two most popular trails into the canyon. The trail is surreal and so cool. Although steep with a big drop-off to the side, the trail is very wide. And unfortunately littered with mule droppings. So much for the fresh air. We pass three mule trains on their way up. One with riders, the other two just carrying cargo.

The first section of the trail is a continuous set of switchbacks that steadily descend down the steep Upper Canyon walls. Around every corner is a different vista. For a short period the trail flattens out onto the Tonto platform. Still no sight of the Colorado River that carved this thing. The river is hidden inside the Inner Gorge. As soon as we reach the edge of the Tonto platform, we see the river and descend another series of switchbacks. The Inner Gorge is mostly sheer granite walls and first appears purplish in the overcast sun. We spot some rubber rafts pulled up on a section of beach way below us. Once down at river level we cross the Colorado on a long suspension footbridge.

 
Another half mile and we arrive at Phantom Ranch, a tiny rustic resort along Bright Angel Creek that flows into the Colorado from the north. The stream turns this normally desert environs into a virtual oasis. They have a small canteen where Aimee and I drink a beer to toast our favorite hike of all time. We were pretty lucky with the weather. The clouds made this five-hour 7.5-mile hike very enjoyable. The trail is notorious for its lack of shade and water. That night we dine on the best beef stew dinner I have ever had. The only downer is the small male dorm that I have to share with nine other guys.