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A 10 Hour Hike on the Bright Angel Trail in The Grand Canyon
Imagine planning what you think will be a breathtaking little hike and finding yourself on a ten-hour journey on one of the Nation’s most demanding trails. This is a cautionary tale of bad planning and perseverance.
My family, including siblings, nephews, parents, aunt, and kids, planned a family vacation to dry camp at the Grand Canyon for the Memorial Day long weekend in 2022. It was wonderful.
On morning two of our family trip, my husband, youngest son (nineteen at the time), and I planned to hike down and back to the Colorado River using The Bright Angel Trail on The South Rim of The Grand Canyon. That was the extent of our planning. We knew it was roughly fifteen miles or so round trip, and we all felt ok with the mileage. My son competed in Cross Country running; I had just completed two half-marathons, and my husband, well, is just a stud.
We had asked enough questions to know that the heat could get intense going down into the Grand Canyon. The temperature increases about five degrees every 1,000 miles. The total descent, you ask? About 4, 380 feet. Yep. Twenty degrees hotter. We started our journey early at 6:00am. We stretched, we had one set of walking sticks, we each had a day-pack with water bladders, I had a couple of Goos, one peanut butter and jelly sandwich each, sunblock, and hats, but no electrolytes. They were in different bags.
What a journey that day had in store for us. I envisioned a dirt trail that we would walk along, and it was for a while. I think I heard the Sound of Music melody playing around us. The beginning was unbelievable. I was awestruck by the magnificence of the Canyon Walls, the morning hues of purples and pinks, and hiking beside two of my favorite people. I felt like I couldn’t get any luckier. Well, as it turned out, I was pretty fortunate – to finish that hike safely.
That trail is not just a dirt trail, it is a trail used by mules, so steps made of logs and wood are built into the path. Those steps are not equal distance, nor are they the same height. We clipped along at a good pace in the early morning light. At about mile four, we found The Havasupai Gardens (formally the Indian Garden), a beautiful oasis. A small creek ran through it, allowing the greenest vegetation in a very barren land. The Havasupai Gardens offered picnic tables, camping sites, and restrooms. It was the perfect rest station. However, that was the last water and rest station for the decent down.
Once we left The Havasupai Gardens, we were met with rising heat and minimal cover. The Canyon walls got lower, the shade was all but gone, and the terrain was rocky and jagged. I thought those were the longest miles. Not even close. Once we reached the bottom, however, we were elated to soak our bodies in the Colorado River. It was cold, and it was wonderful. We chatted with rafters and soaked up the relief.
To descend continuously for 7.8 miles in packed dirt was arduous. But climbing up 4,380 feet definitely had an effect on us. And altitude, let’s talk about altitude sickness; we were all nauseous, fatigued, had headaches, were cramping and were hot. I knew we would complete the trail, but we weren’t having fun anymore. Our phone batteries died, our watch battery died, my mileage count was gone, the music gone, and we couldn’t talk much because the dusty trail had just coated our throats.
Ultimately it took us ten hours to complete the trail, with the temperature reaching 105 degrees at the bottom of the Canyon. We could keep up with water consumption due to the water stations along the route. But those last three miles were nearly impossible. We had to stop every 50 feet or so and just sit down. It was frustrating to feel my body had absolutely nothing left to give.
But we made it, and I love that we conquered the physical toll together. I broke my leg on mile eight of the New York Marathon and crutched for the duration of the race to get my medal. I still consider this hike the hardest physically enduring thing I have ever done.