A Grand dream come true

Waiting to step off on South Kaibab Trail for the trip down

   Sometimes words are inadequate and sometimes they just fail to describe an experience so let me start out by saying that both things will be true of this post. The hardest part of this post will not be the words, but choosing from among the 140 photos I took during my three days in the canyon.

   From the time I was a young boy, I have been fascinated with The Grand Canyon. The first time my parents took me there I was awed by the majesty of the place. Later when I went there with a church group on the way to a Utah mission trip I was simply moved by the beauty of the Canyon.

An early view

   Over the years we have visited there with just Joan and I, with other relatives and the last time I was there I left behind a good portion of my brother’s ashes in sight of the Watchtower Gift Store, a place he loved and worked after his time in the US Air Force.

   To say that the Grand Canyon has a hold on me, is to speak a severe understatement. So when a friend in the Voyager hiking club asked me last March (2017) if I would like to be part of a three day adventure to the bottom of Grand Canyon and a two night stay at Phantom Ranch, I jumped at the chance.

Ooh Aah Point

   For more than a year I had anticipated and trained for what I knew would be a significant and difficult hike, but one that held the promise of eternal memories and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at its conclusion.

  As we learned during our stay of the 5 million annual visitors to the Grand Canyon, less than 1 percent make it to the bottom, which puts those who do in a very exclusive club.

   A group of 19 people from the Voyager signed on for the adventure and we left the resort on Tuesday morning headed for Bright Angel Lodge. We had people from many different states and Canada with us on this journey. I took five people, including me, in my Tahoe. My group was Chuck, Gayle, Jean, Dave and me.

Taking a break at Cedar Ridge

   I was like a kid on Christmas Eve, I could hardly stand the excitement and anticipation of what was to come. I hiked three days a week, some long and grueling hikes to make sure I was prepared for what was to be. A new Osprey back pack was purchased and a set of boot chains in case the trail was icy, which it often is this time of year.

   For two days I packed and repacked my gear to make sure I had enough, but not too much for the trip. Staying in the dormitories at Phantom Ranch and eating in the chow hall there eliminated the need to take tents, sleeping bags and food, other than trail snacks, but there is the ever present need for water and some food on any hike. Water is usually the heaviest single component of any back pack, but also the most important.

Section of trail

   Despite the careful packing I re-thought things Wednesday morning in the room at the Bright Angel Lodge that I shared with Chuck and off loaded a couple things (and one extra bottle of water) in an attempt to have the perfect sized pack for the hike.

   After breakfast Wednesday (March 21) we caught the 8 a.m. Hiker’s Special bus to the South Kaibab Trailhead and the start of a dream come true for me. I stepped off the bus and smack dab in the middle of all my fears and doubts. “Could I really do this?” “Was I ready for the challenge ahead?” and that worst of all fears “Would I fail?”

   In the face of those screaming doubts I started down the trail accompanied by my three friends (and car mates) Chuck, Gayle and Jean and began the steep plunge to the bottom of the abyss known as the Grand Canyon. I should note here that my other car passenger, Dave, had to return home on an emergency basis because his wife was hospitalized with a difficult heart issue. We would miss Dave very much during the next three days.

Angelic looking clouds

   We were not alone, probably 40-50 people jumped off that bus and began the descent with us, but soon the groups naturally spread out and we were alone. With every knee wrenching step down the trail I came closer and closer to my goal of reaching the bottom, but inside my head was the nagging thought that every step down meant a grueling step up on Friday, but my goal overcame my doubts and we kept plunging down the trail.

   And what a beautiful trail it is. At one spot (called Ooh Aah Point for good reason) I started to cry, thinking of all the years that I had wanted to do this and remembering that somewhere my brother’s remains were part of the scenery around me. It was all very overwhelming.

Another outstanding view

   Around each corner was a new and more beautiful view than the previous one and the only thing busier than my aching feet was my camera. As I snapped each photo all I could think was that I wasn’t taking enough pictures, but also realizing that any photo I took would not capture the smells, the air and the emotions that I was feeling at those moments.

   The pictures would be beautiful, I knew, but they would never capture completely what I was truly seeing and feeling at that moment. Past Ooh Aah Point (very appropriately named) we stopped for a rest at Cedar Ridge (1,120 feet below the rim), then Skeleton Point (2,040 feet below the rim), then the Tipoff (3,280 feet down), and then finally Phantom Ranch (4,700 feet under the rim).

Leaving my shadow behind

   There I was at the foot of the canyon and at the dream of a lifetime all at once. As I walked over Black Bridge over the Colorado River I had to nearly pinch myself to believe I was there. But there I was.

   Once in camp we did the mundane chores of picking a bunk in the 10-man dormitory (I got a lower one) and then took a quick shower, which was a huge relief because there had been reports on the rim that the water had been shut off at the ranch due to a malfunction in the system. Not having a shower would have put a slight damper on the enjoyment of the rest of the day.

   I put my hiking boots under the bed and put on the socks and crocks I had carried down to give my feet a little rest. Some of our group was already at the ranch when we arrived and others would arrive later. All of us were tired and pain relievers and liquids were the order of the day.

A mule train has right of way

   For the rest of the day some of us drank ice tea and others celebrated with a beer, but all of us were happy that the descent was behind us. Never far out of my mind was the fact that now that we were at the bottom the only way out was up, and up, and more up, but that was more than 24 hours away so I tried putting that away for awhile so I could enjoy my time at the ranch.

   Our group had dinner at 6:30 p.m. and we inhaled several helpings of home made beef stew, salad, corn bread and chocolate cake at the family style seating in the chow hall.

   The interpretation ranger, his name was Radan, gave two talks a day, one at 4 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. and on the first day he talked about the human history of the canyon and the night talk was on the re-establishment of the California Condor to the region. More on that later.

   After the talk I fell into my bunk about 8:30 p.m. and the next thing I remember is a woman knocking and then flinging our door open and yelling “It’s 5 a.m., breakfast is at 5:30, don’t be late.” Fortunately for me my breakfast time on that first day was 7 a.m. so while I didn’t have to get up, I was now awake for the day.

Getting closer to the bottom

   The accommodations at the ranch are spartan, but clean and adequate.  The presence of running water (hot water too!) and a flush toilet in the dorm was a big bonus.

   On Wednesday, Gayle, Jean and I opted out of a 16-mile hike to Ribbon Falls and instead chose a 5-mile easy hike along the Colorado River. We spotted a female big horn sheep who was very cooperative with our photo taking.

   Back at camp, we sucked down some unsweetened ice tea and talked to a young  brother and sister who had been brought to the camp by their parents. The girl, who was 10, was reading a book she found in the ranch lending library called “Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon.”

Crossing over the Colorado River

   We talked with her and told her how lucky she was to have parents who would share such a great adventure with them.

   After another shower, we headed to the 4 p.m. ranger talk and learned about the geology of the canyon and specifically about the 2-billion-year-old rock walls that surrounded the ranch. It was a fascinating and enlightening talk. You can’t help but wonder about your place in the universe when you realized what a very small part of it you are. But in another sense you feel very connected to the creator and in awe of the majesty of it all.

My home for two nights in the canyon

   At 6:30 p.m. we lined up again for another meal of beef stew, salad, corn bread, but this time a slice of chocolate brownie instead of cake. It tasted like a five-star meal.

   At 7:30 p.m. we listened to our final ranger talk, this one called “Ask the Ranger.”  He answered questions on how he commutes to work (he walks the trail back and forth like the rest of us), he works 8 days straight and then he is off for four days. He talked about mountain lions, more geology and the influence of Native American people on the canyon, among other topics.

Ranger talk on the bottom

   As soon as it was done I headed back to the bunk house and fell blissfully asleep before 9 p.m. But this time I was startled awake about 10 p.m. by someone pounding on the door. Apparently someone had locked the bunkhouse door (not too many burglars are prepared to hike 9 miles down a trail to steal someone’s sweaty hiking clothing) but someone had been locked out.

   After that the next thing I heard was the same female voice opening our door and announcing the time (5 a.m.) and “breakfast is at 5:30, don’t be late” but this time I had to get up and get to breakfast as this was our seating time.

Our dormitory

   After a full breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and fruit it was time to don our packs and begin the uphill journey to the top of the South Rim. I’ll admit I had butterflies in my stomach thinking about the task ahead. And it wasn’t going to be easier considering that it had rained hard during the night which meant trails would be wet and muddy, but at least it wasn’t raining now. That would change.

Female big horn sheep

   We took a final photo of our group before heading out of the ranch at 6:20 a.m. and once across the Colorado River it started to rain, which necessitated a stop to don rain gear and back pack covers. Nothing like adding the weight of rainwater to an already full pack.

   Fortunately, the rain only lasted about 25 minutes and within a short time we began to sweat under rain gear so we stopped and stripped off the rain gear.

   The first part of the Bright Angel Trail (the trail we took up the cliff) is fairly flat, but at the River Rest House it begins the long road up. Switchback, after switchback leads you through this Garden of Eden, complete with flowing steams and waterfalls.

Phantom Ranch

   Our goal at this point was to get to Indian Gardens, the halfway in miles point of the hike up, but most of the “up” is still ahead of you there.

   Indian Gardens is also the last place you can get drinking water so we refilled our water containers, spent about ½-hour resting and using the two-story pit toilets (or “big drops” as the Canadians call them) before heading back on the trail up the canyon. We decided to make our goals short, first we would get to 3-mile house and then after we stopped there we set our goal of 1 ½-mile house where we had lunch and then we set our obvious last goal for the finish line at the Bright Angel Trailhead at the top of the South Rim.

About halfway up Chuck was keeping watch on the sky above us after the admonition of the ranger two nights before that we might see a California Condor soaring high above us in the canyon. As we were ascending, Chuck spotted one of the rare birds (only about 400 remain, but are improving in numbers due to conservation efforts) soaring above us. The bird is huge with a wing span of many, many feet. They stand about 4-feet high. The tell tale markings described to us by the ranger were all there and we were excited to see the bird.

During our three day canyon visit we also had close encounters with big horn sheep, elk, deer and many variety of birds.

Departing from the bottom for the top

   It was a long and tough, knee crunching slog up the side of the cliff and 2 billion years of earth’s geological history. Each step represented hundreds of thousands or more years of history. The only scary moment was one punctuated with the sudden sound of a scream from a woman walking right behind us as a large boulder (about ½ the size of a small car) that was tumbling down the hill just behind us. The boulder bounced on the trail just feet behind the woman and continued down the mountain from there. It would have killed anyone it hit and I couldn’t help but think that if we had left our last stop 20 seconds later it could have been a real problem. Or, we could have been the newest entry in the book “Over the Edge: Death at the Grand Canyon.”

My Garden of Eden

   But on we slogged, onward and upward until at last we reached the top of the trail to the sounds of applause and cheers to a number of people gathered there watching folks come up from the bottom. One Japanese lady ran over and asked to pose with us for pictures like we were some explorers. We obliged and smiled and are probably now an entry on a Facebook post for some friends of hers in Japan.

Indian Gardens - the half way point to the top

   We felt for a moment like real “rock” stars.

   We then headed to the car (which was parked and left nearby the end of the trail when we arrived on Wednesday) for our over night stay at the Miswak Lodge Friday night. After a quick shower we walked (yes, we walked) back to the Visitor Center for some souvenir shopping. What did I buy? A copy of “Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon.”

   But I also joined the Grand Canyon Association. It is clear that the federal government is not fully supporting the park system anymore and without donations and fees our precious parks would fall into more disrepair than they already are.

Climbing out of the canyon

   More than any other hike I have ever done, this one has changed me, hopefully for the better. There is something magical, spiritual and eternal about the Grand Canyon that has always held a fascination for me. Now, after visiting its source, the very river that carved it, I feel more connected to it than ever. I think it would be impossible to do this hike and not be moved in some major way.

   Would I do the hike again? In a heartbeat. Perhaps someday I can take some of my children and grandchildren on the adventure of a lifetime with me. Another dream yet to come true.

Our lunch stop

   At the end of the hike the only thing in my pack that I didn’t need was a set of boot ice chains that I purchased in case we ran into icy trails. There was some ice, but not enough to require the use of my boot chains. Everything else in my pack, the rain poncho, the backpack rain cover, all my snacks and clothing were used during the trip. I did have one ½-liter of water remaining when I arrived at the top which meant I planned the ascent almost perfectly.

   The dedicated and experienced hikers at the Voyager are the best. Over the years they have taught me many things and I appreciate them for be willing to share tips and for the encouragement they give so many people. I would not have achieved this wonderful goal without them. Thank you Voyager hikers!

About 1 mile to go

   I should mention that all of this came to pass because of my wonderful wife Joan, who allowed me the time and money to make this all happen. She stayed behind, landlocked in our trailer without a vehicle to take her anywhere so I could do this.

   She did have my blessings for a date with the pastor of the park who used my Wednesday night concert ticket to see the Everly Brothers Tribute group. She said it was a very good concert.

End of the hike up

   We now head into our last week here at the Voyager. There are lots of things yet to do, but we also have to start the packing and off loading of perishable food that needs to be done before our Friday (March 30) departure. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends in California on our way home.