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| TRAINING & CONDITIONING After doing a lot of research I decided that in order to enjoy this overnight hiking trip I had to be in the best physical condition as possible. My hike was in September but I started getting ready in June. During June and July I would hike with a full pack for about 10-15 miles per week. In August I would hike about 15-25 miles per week. I hiked mostly in the Zuni Mountains at an elevation of around 7000 feet. The training hikes were half uphill and half downhill. I also train on the Pyramid Rock Trail which is a very picturesque and strenuous trail only 10 minutes outside of Gallup. It's important to train with the equipment that you will be using on the actual hike in order to make certain that everything is broken-in and works well together. (Make sure to train in the boots that you will where on the actual hike!) |
| Essential Equipment I chose my equipment knowing that I was hiking into an extremely hot and dangerous environment. I also knew that I was going to stay overnight at Phantom Ranch so my backpack did not have to carry sleeping gear. Water is the main thing that you have to carry. Even though water is available at various points inside the inner canyon you have to be prepared for possible pipeline breaks. You also have to make sure that you carry plenty of food to keep up energy levels and to replenish salt which is lost through sweating. Here's what I took: |
| -Vaude Aeroflex Back Pack (2750 cubic inch storage) -SweetWater Guardian Water Filter and purification tablets -Black Diamond Head Lamp -Gipron Backcountry Hiking Pole -Camelback 70 oz. water bladder & 2 one-liter water bottles -Vasque Momentum Lightweight Hiking Boots -Thorlo CoolMax Hiking Socks -Army surplus sun hat -Starkist "Lunch to Go", Granola Bars, Cheese Crackers, Salty snack mix, Gatorade Mix -Sunblock, bug repellant, Motrin, Benadryl cream, Cortaid cream, misc first-aid supplies, moleskin -High performance fleece sweater -Change of underwear, socks, and shirt |
| THE PLAN Before I did my hike I did alot of research. When we visited the Grand Canyon in June I bought the special Backpacking Information Bundle at the bookstore that included a video, maps, and trail guide. We also hiked down the Bright Angel Trail just to the Mile And A Half Resthouse to get a taste of what it would be like. While doing that hike we saw a ranger helping a woman who could not stand up and also her arms had gone numb. We did not stick around to see what happened but we did pass several other rangers headed down to help her on our way up. I decided to schedule my hike in September in order to avoid the worst of the heat; after all, temperatures in the inner canyon top 110 degrees in the summer. I made my reservations for Phantom Ranch in May. I know that you have to make reservations months in advance but I don't know for sure how far in advance. Most sources recommend hiking down the South Kaibab Trail and coming back up on the Bright Angel Trail. The SK trail does not have any water available, offers almost no shade, and is very steep. It does however have very spectacular views. The Bright Angel Trail is longer but not as steep, and it has several water sources and offers lots of shady resting places. So I followed the experts' advice and hiked down the 7 mile South Kaibab Trail and hiked up the 10 mile Bright Angel Trail. I also started each day's hikes early in the morning (about 5:00 am) in order to avoid as much heat as possible. I had an absolutely great time. I made sure that I was in great shape, had the right equipment, and followed the advice of experts who knew what they were talking about. I plan on doing a north rim to south rim hike next year and may even do two hikes if I can make the time. One last note: If you are a novice like me and stumble onto my website by chance I strongly recommend that you read "Over The Edge: Death In The Grand Canyon" by Ghiglieri & Myers. Not only will it sober you up about visiting the Grand Canyon but it is a very interesting book. Plus you will be amazed at how many people have died just on the SK and BA trails alone. |
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