I was never much of a long-distance hiker, so I don’t know exactly where the idea of hiking across the Grand Canyon came from. My husband never walked anywhere he could ride, so it must have been my idea. This hike occurred about 1960, but I imagine that it would be much the same today.

I started planning this early. Equipment, food, maps, clothing -- everything had to be perfect for this adventure. There would be no Seven-Elevens along the trail. Hiking boots were purchased months ahead; they must be broken in. I started carrying rocks in my backpack while I did housework. Menus were planned using dehydrated foods. Clothing was pared down to the minimum because we were going at the beginning of July. Backpacks were organized to see how many essentials they could hold. Weeks ahead of time I had the backpacks ready.

Today, you need a permit to hike down into the canyon for an overnight stay, but in the sixties, anyone could go whenever they liked. There weren’t that many people who did
that kind of thing. There was a register at the head of Bright Angel Trail in which you said where you were hiking and when you planned to return. I found it interesting that there was no register on the North Rim at the top of Kaibab Trail where you could sign out and say you were OK. There were also telephones placed along the trail to be used in case of emergency. None of them worked. You were on your own. Most people just hiked down to Indian Gardens, about half-way down the South Rim, and returned the same day.

Before we began our hike, we arranged to have an airplane pick us up on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and fly us back to the airport near the South Rim, so we could return
to our car. The only thing we had to do was to chase the cattle off of the field where the plane was to land. That was an interesting, and somewhat scary, chore.

We weren’t sure we could carry the heavy packs, so on the way to the Grand Canyon, we took a trial hike in Canyon de Chelly (near Chinle, AZ). There was a trail from the top of the canyon down to the floor (about 1,000 vertical ft.) and then to the base of Spider Woman Rock. We managed this one-day hike very well, but learned that we must lighten our loads.

We decided to take our sleeping bags on the hike, but leave the air mattresses. They were both very light weight, but we had to cut down somewhere, and our food, water, and utensils were essential. Unfortunately, a park ranger persuaded us to take the mattresses and leave the sleeping bags behind. He said because it was July, we would not need the warmth. Well, yes and no. I would sincerely recommend that you take a light-weight sleeping bag with you. It would provide some padding from the hard ground, and you would have the warmth in case you needed it.

If you are going to hike down into the canyon, I would suggest you have an early start -- before the mule trains get started. True, the mules will probably catch up with you somewhere along the trail, but there are places where they can pass you. If you wait, as we did, to let the mules go ahead of you, you will be sorry. The mules have a habit of pausing to relieve themselves in the very same places on the trail. Every single mule! They leave the most disgusting, smelly, gross puddles that stretch across the entire trail. Too long to jump over, not enough room at the side to go around, and I, for one, did not want to walk on top of the little wall of rocks at the edge of a sizable drop. So, now you have smelly, wet boots. Perhaps they have solved this problem, but if I were you, I would look into it.

Traffic was heavy, with mules and hikers, down to Indian Gardens. That is where the one-day mule trips stopped for lunch before heading back. The mule trippers going all the way down to Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the canyon, continue on, after lunch. The mule trains that bring supplies down to Phantom Ranch, use the South Kaibab Trail, which is shorter and steeper than Bright Angel Trail.

From Indian Gardens down to the river, hiking traffic was almost non-existent. You still had the mule puddles, but not so many, and the canyon widened out. There was more wildlife to be seen: lizards, snakes, birds, and deer.

We finally reached the bottom, and followed the trail to the suspension bridge that takes you across the Colorado River. We were pleasantly surprised to find a lovely campground by a bubbling creek, with picnic tables, fireplaces, running water, showers and even a roof to protect campers from rain. The other group of hikers that arrived were very unhappy that there were no HOT showers. I thought that any showers were a real treat, after a hot, sweaty hike.

Although Phantom Ranch provides food and beds to the mule trippers, the only thing a hiker can buy is a peanut butter sandwich, and then, only in dire emergency, so don’t count on getting a meal there. Everything they have is brought down by mule, so there are no extras. When we were there, they allowed us to use their pool free of charge. Oh, that felt nice.

We planned to stay overnight and start up the next day, but plans had to be changed. The weather abruptly worsened, and it started to rain. The rain got heavier, and Bright Angel Creek turned into a raging river. Seeing as the trail followed the creek, we didn’t think it was a good idea to be near it. Too much danger of flash flooding. So, we stayed put.

After a few hours of rain, I was amazed to see dozens of waterfalls cascading down from all parts of the canyon walls. It was a spectacular sight. Then, after a while, loud booming sounds echoed through the canyon. The rain had loosened rocks and boulders and they were bouncing down the steep slopes. I was really glad we weren’t on any trails at that time. The booming continued all night. This was July fourth, and it seemed appropriate.

The next morning, because the creek had subsided, we started out. We stopped for lunch in a little side canyon that had a lovely waterfall and a pool ideal for a swim. We continued through the creek valley, and the air became hot and damp, almost steaming from the wet ground. My husband suffered from heat exhaustion from time to time, and this was one of those times. We had to stop and rest so many times, that we knew we could not reach the North Rim that day.

Cottonwood Campground was about half-way up, so we planned to stop there. Unfortunately, we discovered a mule corral just upstream from this campground, so we decided to go further to where the pumping station was located. (It provided water to the park facilities on the North Rim.) When we reached this point, we discovered that the noise from the pumping station would have prevented us from sleeping. So, we pressed on.

At that point, the trail became narrow and hugged the side of the cliff. There was no camping there, and we couldn’t just sleep on the trail because animals used the trail. It was getting dark and my husband told me to sit down and wait, while he went ahead to see what he could find in the way of a camp spot. After a very long time, I got worried, so I put my pack on one shoulder and his pack on the other, and started up the trail

After a while I (literally) ran into him in the darkness, and he said there was a place nearby that was suitable for camping. It was called Roaring Springs. We managed to find some twigs to make a tiny fire to heat two cups of water. A bouillon cube completed that dinner. We couldn’t look for fuel for a fire because we had no flashlights, and there was the danger of snakes and scorpions if you just felt around on the ground.

We inflated our air mattresses and used our plastic ponchos for a blanket. We only had cotton shirts and pants for warmth. We were at an elevation of 5,200 feet and the temperature dropped to less than 55 degrees F. I truly did not expect to wake up the next morning. I thought we would die of hypothermia. I would have given anything for our down sleeping bags, which were in our car on the South Rim.

The next morning was sunny, and then hot. The trail here was very steep and full of switchbacks. We met a few hikers, but no mules. There was little traffic on the North Kaibab Trail. We had not seen a soul the previous day, once we had left Phantom Ranch.

It was five miles from Roaring Springs to the trailhead, but it felt like much more. There was no shade, and the sun beat down mercilessly. We climbed slower and slower, but in
the late afternoon, we finally struggled out of the Grand Canyon. Whew!

It was too late for the airplane to pick us up that afternoon, so I knew we were in for another cold night. I went to a little store and tried to buy a blanket, but they were unavailable. The saleslady suggested that I should rent a cabin. I never expected that any would be available on July 6, but I went over to the office to inquire. YES! They had a cabin available.

After a hot meal, we went to our little cabin, had hot showers, snuggled under blankets, and luxuriated in warmth. It was heavenly.

The next morning we chased the cattle, the airplane picked us up, took us to the South Rim, and we were able to get a ride to our car with a tourist who was pricing sightseeing trips at the airport. He asked us if there was more than one place to get a look at the canyon.

If you should decide to do this, remember: the North Rim is 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, so it is easier to go north to south. I always seem to do things the hard way.

And...watch out for those mule puddles.


Here is up-to-date information:
If you want to stay overnight in the Grand Canyon, you must get a backcountry permit. $10 plus $5 for each person. Bright Angel Campground is still there, but instead of four campsites, there are 31, and you must get a reservation and pay a fee. You make your reservation at the same time you get your backcountry permit. I saw nothing in the information about Phantom Ranch that indicated they still sold peanut butter sandwiches or allowed campers to use their pool. Hikers can reserve beds and meals at Phantom Ranch; you don’t have to arrive by mule. I have no idea whether you can still get an airplane to pick you up, or whether they would be allowed to land on grazing land on the North Rim. You would have to check out travel arrangements yourself ahead of time. It is a LONG WAY driving from the North Rim to the South Rim, so if you have a good friend, he might be willing to drive your car around. He would have to be a very good friend.

If you wish to hike the trail in Canyon de Chelly, you must now hire a Navajo guide.


Recommended: Yes

Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Couples
Review Topic: Hiking & Trails