Joanna and Sherrie embarked on their Grand Canyon hike at 6 AM on Thursday, June 21. the original plan was to backpack down to the Colorado River 12+ to camp overnight at Horn Creek, but the 100+ degree temperatures led us toward a more reasonable endeavor. Armed with plenty of water and food, we easily made it down to the first rest stop at 1.5 miles and decided to keep going. With the extreme temperatures, the rangers had recommended no one go past the 3 mile rest stop in a one day hike, but Sherrie just took that as an extra challenge. At 7:30 AM, she left Joanna at the 3 mile rest stop and headed to Indian Garden.
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| The canyon view from Bright Angel trail just after sunrise |
Indian Garden was a lot greener than expected, earning its namesake. Most of the hikers at Indian Garden were going Rim to Rim (or Rim to Rim to Rim in one case), making them Sherrie's type of people. After chatting about mountaineering and hiking experiences and eating a big PB&J, and spotting the thermometer fixed at a heady 120f, she headed back up, stopping to take in the breathtaking views on the way up (the breathtaking part may have been due to lack of oxygen at high elevations as well as the heat, but it all added to the experience).
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| A friendly local squirrel coming to say hello at the rest stop |
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| Rock formations show the amazing colors inside the canyon |
Joanna made it back up before 10 after making numerous friends on the way up - mostly those interested in her choice of footwear - the Vibram five fingers that always attract attention. Sherrie made it back to the trailhead at around 10:30 AM, 4.5 hours after she started. Later, at the visitor's center, they read that the hike was supposed to take 6-9 hours. For Sherrie, the hike was fantastic but not very challenging. Joanna enjoyed it but found the views more spectacular at the top...
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| The Canyon from inside, at Indian Gardens |
However, there were many people on the trail that were ill equipped and lacked proper training for such extreme temperatures and elevation losses and gains. It's no wonder that an average of 22 people die in Grand Canyon National Park yearly. It's a stark reminder to know your limits, to listen to the recommendations of the experts, and to always be well equipped.
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| Joanna considering doing the 6 miles again after breakfast... |
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| Sherrie barely breaking a sweat after her 9 mile hike. |
Sherrie
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