Grand Canyon - A trip that was 11 years in the making ....

Steve and I have always wanted to hike the Grand Canyon. 

You have to put your name in the lottery for a backcountry camping spot or for an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch.  Phantom Ranch is a national parks property at the bottom of the canyon, along the Colorado River.  They have a few dorms and cabins for sleeping and a canteen that serves hot meals and beer/wine. Lottery spots are secured 13 months in advance.  The first time we had a spot, I became pregnant with Carolyn and we decided that it was not wise to hike the Grand Canyon when I was 8 months pregnant.  The second time we got a lottery spot, I became pregnant with Lizzie and gave up our reservation again.  And then, last November when our name got pulled again, we grabbed the reservation and committed to doing it.  It was the trip that almost, but never, happened.  We were going to make it happen this time.

However, the 13 months that occurred after November 2018 tried to conspire against us and make us cancel the trip yet again ....  Steve was diagnosed with cancer in early 2020.  He decided to remove his prostate and was on disability for a couple of months at home while he recovered over the summer.  In late summer 2020, he randomly fell while hiking and tore his ACL.  Despite all of these, we forged ahead and were committed to making it to the bottom of the canyon and back up, even if this was the very last thing Steve could do on his knee before a total knee replacement.  Oh, and because this trip was cursed for more than a decade, over thanksgiving weekend, Steve came down with shingles.  We laughed at that diagnosis - we are doing this!  And then a cold with fevers and all, just a few days before the hike, also tried to break Steve's resolve in getting this hike started.

Needless to say, there was quite a bit of anxiety and excitement surrounding this trip.  We had no idea what to expect, and who knew what other nonsense may befall us.  Steve's brother and sister-in-law (Scott and Char) originally planned to hike with us, but they pulled out.  Fortunately, Steve's high school friend Joe and his wife Jo quickly agreed to hike with us at the last minute.

THE ARRIVAL.  We drove the 9 hours to Arizona, met up with Joe and Jo (who flew in from New Hampshire), enjoyed the beautiful Christmas decor at the lodges, and got our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon from the top. 

In the morning, we ate breakfast together, debated what sort of layers we wanted to put in our packs for the next few days, and then rode a shuttle bus to the trail head.  Nerves were pretty high, but we were ready to start.

At the trail head before we took our first step beyond the rim.

HIKING DOWN SOUTH KAIBAB TRAIL.  I do not know the total mileage down - probably only about 6-8 miles from rim to Phantom Ranch - because the stat we focused most on was the amount of elevation change we needed to cover today -- about 5000 feet or one-mile down to the Colorado River.  That means we descended A LOT.  There were so many stairs/logs to cross over along the trail.  This descent is hard on anyone's knees, especially Steve's less-than-stable knee.  It took us about 3.5 hours of hiking to get to the bottom.  It was not easy, especially those last set of switchbacks down to the river, but it was not as bad as we were expecting. 

Lunch break.  This is the only time we sat and rested on the way down, and we only stopped for about 15 minutes. It was pretty cold and we wanted to keep moving.

We made it to the river , just need to cross the suspension bridge and walk a mile or so to Phantom Ranch! 
We were all feeling a little wobbly at this point, but relieved that we made it to the bottom. 

PHANTOM RANCH. 
What an awesome and welcome sight! 
We each ordered a beer upon arrival. Steve and I congratulated ourselves for actually making it to the bottom; there may have even been some tears as we toasted ourselves for not giving up on this trip.  Cancer, be dammed!  Shingles, they wont stop us either.  And, Steve's knee? - it did far better than he was expecting. I think his spirits were lifted with every step he descended.

We enjoyed steak dinners the first night, stew the second night. Hearty breakfasts and sack lunches each day, too. We were thankful for the warm cabin (instead of a tent) and were also glad we chose to stay down for two nights (instead of only one) in this incredible place.



On our rest day at the bottom, we hiked another 10 or so miles up the North Kaibab trail and around river trail.  Steve dropped his line in the river, and we all spent some time relaxing and stretching.  Joe and Jo were fantastic companions.  We are so happy they decided to join us at the last minute.

Remembering how to play Euchre and Hearts entertained us in the evenings.
Bedtime came early - around 730 or 8 each evening.

Waiting for the dinner bell.  You cannot be a minute late, or a minute early for mealtimes at Phantom Ranch.

HIKING UP THE BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL.  After breakfast, we began our trek uphill. We did not have the nerves that we had on our first steps down. In fact, we were all excited to start.  We made good time the first few miles, which were not very steep.  There was a moment we were in the sun, and all had to shed layers down to t-shirts.  We had planned on stopping at Indian Gardens (about halfway in distance) for a lunch break, but it was too cold to stop for any real time, so we opted to eat while walking and to only take short rest breaks for bathrooms.  The last three miles were the steepest; our pace slowed.  It was cold, and got even colder as we descended toward the top.  There were times when you looked up at the rim and had no idea how we would get out.

One foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

It took us exactly 5 hours to reach the top.

Ah, we see the top.  But where in the world does the trail go?
Turns out, the trail took a sharp turn to the right at that wall.  Then, there were another series of never-ending switchbacks toward the top.

At this point, it was a grind, but we knew that the trail head was so close. Just around this corner, or maybe the next.
We were dreaming of doritos and potato chips!  It was cold, but we were still sweating and craving salty foods.

Holy Shit.  We did it .... a trip that was 11 years in the making.
This pictures was taken only a few minutes after we reached the top. 
Cheeks still rosy.  Pack still on my back.

We dropped our packs and headed to the bar for a few celebratory cocktails. 
I think we were in bed again this night by 745!