| Usually when I drive between California and | | | | and was no problem with trekking poles. I saw |
| Minnesota, I am on a tight schedule and don't | | | | many hikers who were doing it in running shoes |
| have any time for sightseeing. I normally make | | | | and no poles. |
| the trip in two long days, with an overnight stop | | | | I started down the trail at 9:45 am, and shortly |
| in Denver to see my son. However this time I | | | | passed a mule train heading down as well. I |
| had about 10 days to make the trip from | | | | figured if it was safe enough to take tourists |
| Minnesota to Los Angeles. After spending a few | | | | down on mules, it couldn't be too bad. It was |
| days in Colorado Springs, I headed south and then | | | | very beautiful with the fresh snow on the red |
| was planning on going to the Grand Canyon via | | | | rocks. On our backpacking trip, we had gone |
| US Highway 160. I wanted to enjoy the back | | | | down the Kaibab Trail, and come up the Bright |
| roads instead of taking the freeway, but when I | | | | Angel Trail, because of the different direction, and |
| checked on road conditions with the sheriff's | | | | after all the years, it all seemed new to me. |
| department, they said the road was icy, along | | | | Besides doing the hike for fun, I was training for |
| with blowing snow. The head wind was also so | | | | my Pacific Crest Trail hike that was coming up in |
| strong I couldn't even go 50 mph in high gear! | | | | about 45 days. I also had my new backpack and |
| I ended up going further south and still had some | | | | other new gear that I was trying out for the hike. |
| snow and poor roads going to Taos, New Mexico, | | | | I always like to hike fast, and not knowing how |
| but made it OK. I was expecting that camping | | | | long it would take to do the round trip, I set off |
| might be more expensive there being it was a | | | | at a good pace and must have passed over 50 |
| tourist area, and was driving through town looking | | | | day hikers on the way down. |
| for some place to spend the night when I saw a | | | | I got to the ranger station at Phantom Ranch at |
| Wal-Mart store. I went in to get some milk for | | | | 12:50, and went in to check on conditions of the |
| breakfast and when I came out I noticed some | | | | Kaibab Trail. There I met two young female |
| motor homes that looked like they were spending | | | | rangers who said they had just come down the |
| the night in the parking lot. I knocked on the door | | | | Kaibab trail, with crampons, and they said I should |
| of one of them and asked about parking for the | | | | have them to go up, as it was slippery. I stopped |
| night there. They told me that almost all | | | | and ate lunch and tried to decide what to do. If I |
| Wal-Marts allow you to "camp" free in their | | | | went up the Kaibab and encountered icy |
| parking lots over night. As I was planning on | | | | conditions once I got the snow near the top, it |
| sleeping in my car anyway, a Honda CRV, it | | | | would be too late to go back down to the river |
| worked out great. | | | | and go back up the Bright Angel Trail. I really |
| In the morning I had to detour south again to get | | | | didn't think the trail would be any worse than the |
| to the Grand Canyon because the direct route | | | | one I had just come down, so decided to give it a |
| was closed due to snow. By the time I got back | | | | try, and started up at 1:25 pm. After crossing the |
| up to the main route it appeared to be open. I | | | | Black Bridge, I soon met a young couple that was |
| arrived at the Canyon about 7:30 at night and the | | | | coming down so I asked them how the trail was; |
| east entrance was open, but the pay booth was | | | | they said it was no problem, even without |
| closed - so I didn't have to pay the $20 entrance | | | | crampons or trekking poles. |
| fee! I spent the night at the campgrounds and | | | | My pack was light and I had done some training |
| was planning on being at the trailhead at sunrise | | | | hikes while in Minnesota, as well as on Pike's Peak, |
| but overslept, I didn't wake up until 7:30! | | | | so I was feeling good, and again set a fast pace |
| The last time I had been at the Grand Canyon, | | | | going up, using my trekking poles to help pull |
| was about eight or nine years before, on my first | | | | myself up the trail. The weather was great for a |
| backpacking trip. A group from the singles class at | | | | hard workout, just cool enough that I didn't get |
| my church had gone there on a three-day hike | | | | too hot going up. The trail was great until the last |
| down to Phantom Ranch and back. We were all | | | | few miles, when it turned muddy and slushy, but |
| carrying way too much food and lots of clothes, | | | | the sun had melted the snow enough that I didn't |
| expecting it to be cold. There had been an early | | | | have to worry about any icy spots. Keeping an |
| heat wave, and we were cooking on the way | | | | eye on my watch and the rim at the top of the |
| back up. After really getting into hiking after that, | | | | canyon, I began to think I could make it up in |
| I had always wanted to go back and do the | | | | about the same time it took going down, so I |
| same hike as a day hike, but hadn't had the | | | | kept pushing. I was delighted when I reached the |
| chance until now. | | | | top and saw that I had made it up in 2:55, 10 |
| I checked at the information center and the | | | | minutes quicker than going down the Bright Angel |
| ranger said the trails were very icy, and not to | | | | Trail, which is a mile shorter. |
| try them without crampons. When I said I | | | | Knowing that I would need all the conditioning I |
| wanted to go to the river and come back up the | | | | could get before the PCT hike, I decided to walk |
| same day, he said it was too far. Not wanting to | | | | back to my car, which was near the Bright Angel |
| spend $10 for the cheap crampons, as I had good | | | | Trailhead. I was very happy with this choice as I |
| ones waiting for me in Minnesota, I was glad | | | | followed the trail along the rim on the way back, |
| when the store said they were out of them. Of | | | | the views were beautiful with the fresh snow, |
| course, I still wanted to do the hike, so decided to | | | | and I was able to get some nice pictures. |
| check out the Bright Angel trail and see how bad | | | | I had never been to Hoover Dam, so even |
| it was. Another ranger saw me heading towards | | | | though it was quite a bit longer going that way, I |
| the trailhead and told me I needed crampons. I | | | | headed back up north to see that, rather than |
| thought he might be right at first, because the | | | | taking the direct route to Los Angeles. I also |
| sidewalk there was very icy from hard packed | | | | found a nice place to camp near there and got |
| snow. However when I got on the actual trail, it | | | | some more hiking in around there, so it was an |
| was just firm snow, not even packed that hard, | | | | enjoyable finish to the trip. |