May 3, 2007

May 3, 2007

I have been worried about the hike out of the Grand Canyon. We were told to expect a ten-hour climb out. I am not sure my hips can last that long. At home 4-5 hours is the max I can endure. I brought some Aleve with me hoping that will let me last longer.

This morning we have the early shift. We get a 4:30 wake-up and dress for our 5AM breakfast. At 5:41 we are on the trail. The park recommends returning via the longer ten-mile Bright Angel trail because it has water halfway up and shade along many sections. The Bright Angel trail follows a fault line across the canyon and was used by Indians for centuries. In the late 1800’s it fell into private hands who charged a toll for its use. To compete the park built the South Kaibab trail by blasting it out of the canyon walls.

The Bright Angel trail first follows the river for almost two miles west before starting its ascent. The trail then follows a small stream up a gentle grade sheltered from the sun. After only 2.5 hours we make it to Indian Garden, the halfway point. This little tree-lined oasis on the Tonto platform provides us a nice break and refilled water bottles. This trail is so different from the South Kaibab. Unfortunately the gentle grade so far means the last half is going to be a killer with a huge elevation gain. But we are way ahead of schedule and we can take our time. We got all day if necessary.

It takes us 4.5 hours to do the second half. It is steep and tiring. The canyon is purported to be very deep, almost a mile down. Not so. The canyon floor is about the same elevation as Tucson. But the canyon walls…. Oh they are tall, very tall. And their high altitude makes hiking up them hard on the lungs. But we persevere and make the top three hours sooner than we ever thought. Just below the rim we are greeted (or rewarded) by a male Bighorn sheep grazing on the sparse greenery on the trail. He has huge horns!

At the top we take a quick celebratory picture and head to the lodge for much needed showers and rest. Later in the afternoon, feeling recharged, we stroll along the rim checking out the older historic hotels in the village. At El Tovar Lodge we stop for a beer and to people watch. For early May, I am surprised how crowded the park is and how many Europeans are here. The cheap dollar must be luring them. For dinner we eat at the Arizona Room in the Bright Angel Lodge, with a great view of the rim. While waiting for our meal, a California condor flies right past the window. Finally! The park has made a big deal how they have taken this nearly extinct bird and reintroduced them into the canyon. Despite three days of hiking in the canyon, we have seen only ravens soaring in the canyon. Now that we have seen one of these condors, I can call our Grand Canyon tour complete.