Moon Best of Grand Canyon by Tim Hull

Author:Tim Hull
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Avalon Publishing
Published: 2022-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Bright Angel Trail

At the end of your hike, you can ride the Trans-Canyon Shuttle (928/638-2820; www.trans-canyonshuttle.com; $90 one-way; reservations required) back to your car on the South Rim (or vice versa if starting on the North Rim). During the high season (spring and summer), shuttles run twice daily from the South Rim to the North Rim (8am-12:30pm and 1:30pm-6pm) and twice daily from the North Rim to the South Rim (7am-11:30am and 2pm-6:30pm).

MULE TRIPS

For generations the famous Grand Canyon mules have been dexterously picking along the skinny trails, loaded with packs and people. Even the Brady Bunch rode them, so they come highly recommended. A descent into the canyon on the back of a friendly mule—with an often-taciturn cowboy-type leading the train—can be an unforgettable experience, but don’t assume because you’re riding and not walking that you won’t be sore in the morning.

Park concessionaire Xanterra (888/297-2757; www.grandcanyonlodges.com) offers two mule trips to Phantom Ranch, a one-night excursion and a two-night expedition. The one-night trip is offered year-round and includes accommodations at Phantom Ranch (by booking a mule trip, you automatically reserve a spot at Phantom Ranch without having to enter the lottery), dinner and breakfast in the Phantom Ranch Canteen, and a sack lunch. The cost for the one-night trip is $692.59 per person, $1,204.51 for two people, and $533.31 for each additional person. The two-night trip is offered November-March and includes accommodations at Phantom Ranch, meals in the canteen, and sack lunches. The cost for the two-night trip is $1,009.42 per person, $1,657.50 for two people, and $690.86 for each additional person. You can make a reservation up to 13 months in advance, and you really should do it as soon as you know your plans. There’s a 225-pound (102-kg) weight restriction.

HIKING RIM TO RIM… THE EASY WAY

One of the first things you notice while journeying through the inner canyon is the advanced age of many of your fellow hikers. It is not uncommon to see men and women in their 70s and 80s hiking along at a good clip, packs on their backs and big smiles on their faces.

At the same time, all over the South Rim you’ll see warning signs about overexertion, each featuring a buff young man in incredible shape suffering from heatstroke or exhaustion, with the warning that most of the people who die in the canyon—and people die every year—are people like him. You need not be a wilderness expert or marathon runner to enjoy even a long, 27-mile (43-km), rim-to-rim hike through the inner canyon. Don’t let your fears hold you back from what is often a life-changing trip.

There are several strategies that can make a canyon hike much easier than a forced march with a 30-pound (13.6-kg) pack of gear on your back:

• Don’t go in the summer; wait until October or even November, when it’s cooler, though still quite warm, in the inner canyon.

• Try your best to book a cabin or a dorm room at Phantom Ranch rather than camping.

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