Have you ever had a thought to do something and it ended up turning into something better than you could have ever hoped for? This recently happened to me. I was contemplating where to go for my son’s graduation trip and the thought came that I should call Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon to see if they had any cancellations. For those who know, reservations are out 16 months to stay in this magical place. No way were they going to have an opening for 4. Imagine my amazement when the answer was YES! Dream family hike come true.
I jumped at the opportunity to take my husband and kids on this adventure. I have wanted to hike the Rim2Rim trail for 20 years. Longer story short, we had our first reservation which was cancelled due to COVID19. Our second reservation was met with some difficulty as the North Rim was closed due to a fire the day before we were to head out for the Rim2Rim hike. One second I was elated that we had a reservation and the next my hopes were dashed by all the problems we ran into getting there.
On a positive note, Zach was elated to be staying in the same hotel as some of the hotshot firefighters. It was almost better than the Grand Canyon to him.
We were determined to get to Phantom Ranch so we threw our plans out the window and headed south. To the south rim of the Grand Canyon that is. We lucked out and were able to book a room at one of the lodges. Lady luck hadn’t left us after all.
Getting up early the morning to see the sunrise, we were shocked at what we found. The entire canyon was covered in smoke from the fire across the way. Disappointed? Just a little. As we were mourning not being able to see the canyon, a memory on Facebook popped up that had us laughing. Eleven years ago TO THE DAY, we had driven to the Grand Canyon with our little boys to see the views and guess what? Completely socked in! What are the chances? 🙂
As luck would once again have it, the wind kicked up and had blown all the smoke out of the canyon leaving us with gorgeous views the day long. We spent the first day walking the Rim Trail and checking out all the viewpoints along the way. Many of the lodges and buildings were closed due to COVID19, however we were still able to find needed amenities and when we didn’t see a single person the first half of the Rim Trail, we knew we picked a great time to visit.
That evening we headed back into town for pizza and had an encounter with 2 very large elk hanging out in the parking lot. That was a first for us. The only animal we saw with a face mask on was Smoky the Bear as we entered the park. We had our masks on except for when we were hiking. COVID-19 has hit the Navajo nation hard so please be prepared to wear your masks and social distance when visiting this beautiful national park.
That night we made sure to catch a Grand Canyon sunset and then we got our bags ready for an early morning, up with the sun departure. Our bags contained the following:
- 3L hydration pack
- 2 – 1L Nalgene bottles
- First Aid Kit
- Nuun electrolyte tablets
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock
- Neckerchief or Buff
- Water filter
- Lip balm with SPF
- Swimsuit
- Clean shirt
- Sleeping clothes
- A pair of wool socks
- Headlamp
- Snacks (beef jerky, dried apples, protein bars, bagels with peanut butter, potato chips, carrots, oreos)
- Walking poles
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Cash or debit card for lemonade at Phantom Ranch ($5 a glass, best $5 ever spent)
- Lightweight jacket
- Garmin InReach
- Camera
The sun rose early in the morning and had me fighting the snooze button. I had to keep telling myself that the earlier we left, the better off we would be. Eventually I rolled out of bed and wrangled myself into my clothes, made promises of a wonderful day to get my kids up, brushed my teeth, grabbed my pack and we set off on our adventure.
We started down the Bright Angel Trail at 6am. About a mile along the trail Peter asked the boys if they remembered our water filters (we did not specifically ask the night before) and low and behold, they forgot them. Peter and Nash dropped their packs and headed back up to get the filters. Zach and I walked down to the first water and rest station and waited for them to get there. The pack mules passed us and I have to admit, the riders did not look that comfortable. Peter and Nash were pretty quick and we were back at it in no-time.
Every mile and a half for the first 4.5 miles there are bathrooms and water stations. It is no secret that the heat and I dislike each other (ironic that I chose to hike in the desert), so on the way out, the rest stations were a welcome sight.
As we approached the Indian Garden campground we came across a man who was about 70 years old and was hiking to Phantom Ranch. He was exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion. He told us that his legs just stopped working. We detoured to help him to the ranger station where they could see to him. Four days after we got home, I read that a woman only 2 years older than me was hiking down and died from a heat related illness. I mention this so that everyone reading this understands the dangers involved in hiking the Grand Canyon. The park has signs everywhere warning people of the dangers of hiking unprepared and the dangers of heat exhaustion. They are there to instill some fear and hopefully nudge us to make wise decisions.
Indian Campground is where we stopped for some lunch, rest, shade and water. This is the last place before Phantom Ranch (5 miles) with potable water. The best piece of advice we received is to wet yourself completely before continuing on and then every chance we got and each river crossing. This small thing allowed the body to cool via evaporation and made a huge impact on how hot I was. Get EVERYTHING you can wet. Don’t worry. It is so dry here that you will dry in 20 minutes, but it is a great 20 minutes!
This part of the hike is so nice. At about 10:30 there was still shade on this part of the trail. It runs next to the river for a time so that makes it cooler. Enjoy this because when you come out of this area, it becomes exposed and hot and the temperature rose dramatically as we got closer to the bottom. The air felt thick as I breathed it in, my pace slowed and the last mile and a half along the Colorado River to the ranch felt like I was going at a snails pace. There is a nice little beach area as you first come to the river and if you want to cool off, this is the place to do it. We decided that because we were off schedule and running behind we would just book it (or drag myself) to the ranch.
Phantom Ranch was wonderful. We had an air conditioned cabin for our family of 4. We dropped on the beds and immediately took a small nap followed by one of their famous ice cold glasses of lemonade. It felt great to hop into the river to cool off. At 4pm the temperature read 121 degrees Fahrenheit. Yep, you read that right.
Evening came along with dinner and the food at the ranch was excellent. We are so glad that we chose to get the steak dinner. It was filling and delicious. My boys were never happier than when that dinner was placed before them. Not sure if that is a teenage boy thing or the fact that they just hiked down the Grand Canyon. I tend to think it may be the first :).
The next morning began at 4am. Breakfast was served at 4:30 and we headed out right after that at 4:50. I am so glad we did. We were able to hike in the shade and make great time until just past the campground. As the sun rose, the difficulty level rose. I took advantage of every shade and water station along the way. The last mile and a half were my slowest as it was the hottest. I had plenty of water and electrolyte’s thank goodness. My mantra was slow and steady, one foot at a time…and I added in the constant prayers. It worked. We finished about 11am.
We left the Grand Canyon with memories of laughter, memories of grandeur and memories of personal growth. Thanks Grand Canyon! You had us at sunrise.
Pro Tips:
- Tighten boots across the instep to keep the foot from jamming into the front of the boot on the downhill.
- Take walking poles, the downhill is just as hard as the uphill.
- Be sure to check with the ranger station before hiking if the pipes are functioning and if there is water at each water station.
- Re-apply sunscreen each time you stop.
- There is a ranger station at the campground.
- You can send a postcard by mule from the bottom of the canyon. Take money for postcards and stamps. They will stamp it with a stamp saying delivered by mule from the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
- Take camp shoes.
- Don’t hike alone.
- Eat and drink at regular intervals even if you don’t feel hungry or thirsty.
- Rest in the shade as often as needed. Be sure to look around at the grandeur that surrounds you and be thankful for God’s creations.
- Smile!
Happy Hiking
-Carri