It started as an item on my bucket list: hiking the Grand Canyon from the South rim to the river and back in one day. With stats like 19.1 miles, (30.7 km) with 5,124 ft of elevation changes, it sounded like a crazy idea. If the numbers don’t deter one, then consider the National Park Service’s warning— “Do NOT attempt this hike from the rim to the river and back in one day!” At the end of our hike, it recorded 18.1 miles. I think that is because we didn’t go to the Phantom Ranch, but continued from the Bright Angel campground towards Indian Garden.
Having said that, that’s what made this hike more alluring. But after completing this hike, I will admit that hiking is PAINFUL and not fun all the time! Each hike is a different experience. For me, weather plays a big part in making the hiking experience painful or enjoyable. Being an Arizona citizen, one would think I should be well seasoned after spending 20+ summers here. Yet, the sun gets me every single time. How do you deal with that? Well, start as early as possible and then suck it up! No matter how much you have been practicing or how fit you are, so many factors decide your experience. Sleep, food, liquid intake leading to the hike, weather, the pace at which you start, salt and electrolyte balance, and mainly your mindset are also big parts of the picture! Every single one of these factors and even many more affects the overall experience. However, a person who enjoys hiking does it for the love of hiking, despite everything. It is like you cannot explain LOVE, period!
A group of 6, which included my 14-year-old daughter, from our neighborhood, started planning this hike originally. We decided to take the South Kaibab-Phantom Ranch-Bright Angel trail, the most recommended route by avid hikers with that same warning, “Do NOT attempt…” Well, I am emphasizing the warnings because it is rated as one of the most dangerous hikes in America. So please practice enough, prepare enough, know your limits and take plenty of breaks. In short, keep yourself safe while attempting this hike.
We decided to hike this trail on April 9, 2022. We booked rooms in the Yavapai Lodge— it’s highly recommended to get a room in any of the lodges inside the canyon in terms of logistics. We reached there the night before our hike. After debating between the option of parking at the visitor center and taking the first shuttle at 4:30 a.m. and the option to park at the Bright Angel trailhead to avoid taking the shuttle after the hike, we settled on the first option. That meant leaving the lodge at 3:30 a.m. So we woke up at 2:45 and were out by 3:30. Was it needed? Who knows? The first shuttle leaves at 4:30 a.m. and the next shuttle is at 5. Some bloggers had mentioned that it could get crowded and that people stood in line as early as 4 a.m. to ensure that they got a seat on the first shuttle. So to be on the safer side, we reached there at 3:45 a.m.
Surprisingly, we were the first ones to arrive! Secondly, we met another group that happened to be our friends from Chandler— what a pleasant coincidence. Time passed by quickly as we were busy taking pictures and chitchatting with friends. From the Visitor Center, the South Kaibab trailhead is the very first stop, around 7 minutes of drive time. There’s a restroom at the trailhead, and almost at every notable point at around every 1.5 to 3 miles. There’s absolutely no water on the South Kaibab trail. At the end of the blog, I will mention the full details of the statistics of our hike. We started in high spirits and with the motivation to beat the heat in the latter part of the day. In the morning, the rim’s temperature was at 31°F and the highest temperature expected at Phantom Ranch was 96°F, so you get the idea of the trail’s varied temperature range. Within the first 30 minutes, we had to lose our jackets. It was predicted to be an exceptionally windy day, which meant dust in the open desert.
We maintained a good pace and kept on having snacks, energy chews, salt tablets, electrolytes, and water during breaks in a periodic manner. The views are simply amazing on the South Kaibab trail. I was surprised to see the continuously changing landscape. The palette of colors just keeps changing as you keep descending and the sunlight plays different shades at different times of the day. Grandeur is presented in terms of widespread natural beauty which mesmerizes you and keeps you wondering: what’s next? The landscape changes from steep slopes to plateaus to the trail covered with a scree to sandy, and you see a glimpse of the Colorado river all along. From the rim, getting a glimpse of the river just gives you the idea that there might be some tiny stream down there. But to realize the roaring Colorado river is there, one has to make an effort to admire its beauty.
First, you have to cross the Black Bridge towards the Phantom Ranch trail. That leads to Boat Beach which is used as an intermittent stop by rafters. It’s a good spot to take a break and dip your feet in the cold water. We enjoyed a little too much time thereby spending over 40 to 45 minutes at Boat Beach. Then, we started our hike towards the Bright Angel campground, which offers potable water. Although it started off as a flat trail, it soon started ascending slowly. We took our time to reach the Indian Garden, which is truly an oasis in the midst of the desert. Way before seeing the sign for the Indian Garden, the landscape started changing, with a cool breeze, running streams, tall lush green trees, and various flowers. We had heard that people take naps under the shade of the trees there before heading up to finish the last stretch. And that’s what we did! Some of us took literal naps and some of us simply laid down to stretch out. There was a long line for water refills. We ate lunch, refilled our water, changed our socks, and napped or stretched. That took over 1 hour and 15 minutes. I think none of us were ready to leave that comforting spot, dreading the open sunny trail ahead.
With the reminder that the majority of the hike was already done and that it was going to be a mind game, we started climbing up. We kept on repeating- Venit, vidit, vincit (she came, she saw, she conquered)
The last 4.5 miles are divided into three chunks of 1.5 miles. The first mile or so is relatively flat. But by then, the temperatures had hit 86°F (30°C). The sun was brutal for this patch. We were craving some shade, and any small patches of shade provided by desert bushes welcomed us. Then started the infamous switchbacks. We kept on looking for signs of the 3-mile rest house. I was running low on sodium and couldn’t eat much. I started feeling nauseous and sustained minor stomach cramps. However, I mistook it for dehydration and kept on drinking water. Apparently, that’s a dangerous thing to do, which can lead to hyponatremia. At that time I was obviously sweating, which causes sodium levels to go lower. By drinking more water, I was in a way diluting my existing sodium levels as well. Sodium tablets are recommended at short intervals for such desert hikes. I totally forgot about that, although I had those salt tablets with me. Thankfully, nothing major happened to me, other than feeling squeamish.
At the 3-mile rest house, you can rest in the shade. There’s a restroom if you want to use it, but we decided against it. We took a long enough break in the shade instead. I forced myself to eat a couple of bites but then reverted to coconut water, which had never tasted so delicious.
By this time, it was like playing tag with fellow hikers. We would pass each other every now and then, counting the remaining distance and cheering each other on. By then my 14-year-old daughter had started questioning why she opted to join this hike. But in reality, she was my support system and 100% faster than me once she got on her feet.
Finally, we reached the 1.5-mile rest house. In order to use the restroom here, one has to climb a flight of stairs with huge steps! By then we had reached the shade of the “wall” (nothing but vertical steep rock). We couldn’t see the canyon from here onward unless we looked back, but we had had enough views of the canyon by that time. So the shade and cool breeze were really refreshing. And the fact that the only remaining distance was 1.5 miles made everything so much better. Although it is just 1.5 miles, it makes everyone hiking there wonder if that was meant to be a joke. There are two tunnels leading to the trailhead. So when we crossed the first tunnel, we got the false impression that we were close by. But we just kept marching, one step in front of the other.
When we reached the top, my gracious friend was waiting for us to capture our victorious last steps on camera. She had reached an hour before us, and had yet decided to wait for us. It was a relief to get this item done from my bucket list.
Were there things that could have gone better?
We discussed as a group what we could have done differently. Checking the gear, for one— our water tubing was not packed with one of our hydration packs (it happens, trust me). Thankfully, the hydration pack was full. Getting enough sodium was another thing— this is not a hike where you skimp on sodium or calories. I suggest carrying an extra hydration pack so that you don’t have to mix the water at the refill station in your remaining water. We all unanimously agreed that we carried too much food! We could have chosen a better day weather-wise, possibly. Some of us carried far too bulky backpacks, which made everything disappear, and they had to summon search warrants for every single thing they needed to fish out. So maybe a compact backpack with more pockets.
Well, there’s always next time. Uh oh, did I say next time? Rim to rim is calling…
Quick Stats-
What we packed & what was not necessary? (For me & my daughter)
• High Sierra hydration backpacks
• 3 Liter hydration + 2 Liter Hydration
• 1 Liter of empty bottle (Refilled at Indian Garden with electrolytes)
• 2 Coconut Waters
• 0.5 Liter of bottle filled with buttermilk (highly recommended, rather 1 Liter would have been better for both of us)
• Energy chews orange flavor (we didn’t like them as it gave the chemical aftertaste)
• Salty Sticks in lemon/lime flavor (pack of 10, maybe we should have had consumed twice)
• Banana chips (salt/complex carbs/fats)
• Homemade energy bars
• Bananas for breakfast
• Fruit protein smoothies (squeezable pouches)
• Peanut brittles
• Lemon Rice & Methi Theplas (consumed ¼ amount of what we packed)
• Almond butter chocolate
• Gu salted caramel waffles (didn’t even eat these)
• First aid- Benadryl allergy tablet, Neosporin spray and individual packets of cream, band-aids, Compeed for blisters, Gold Bond powder for reapplication after changing socks, ibuprofen, and sunscreen.
• Head lamps
• Extra Socks
• Cooling cloths (MUST HAVE)
Breakdown of our hike-
|
Time |
Duration |
Point |
|
4:50 AM |
0 |
Trailhead |
|
5:10 AM |
0:20 |
Ooh-aah Point |
|
5:30 AM |
0:20 |
Cedar Ridge |
|
6:15 AM |
0:45 |
Skeletal Point |
|
7:00 AM |
0:45 |
Tipoff Point |
|
8:20 AM |
1:20 |
Boat Beach |
|
9:00 AM |
0:40 |
Break time at Boat Beach |
|
11:50 AM |
2:50 |
Indian Garden |
|
1:10 PM |
1:20 |
Break at Indian Garden |
|
2:30 PM |
1:20 |
3-Miles Rest House |
|
4:15 PM |
1:45 |
1.5-Miles Rest House |
|
5:45 PM |
1:30 |
Bright Angel Trailhead |
|
Total Duration of Hike |
12:55 |
