Grand Canyon

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tycho_32

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Hi my brother and I are interested in hiking rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. We are not interested in paying the 1k per to go with a guided trip. Is it necessary to go with a guided trip? If so we will do it but I would rather do it on our own. We are looking at a late June time frame does that sound reasonable? Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
If you dop it in a day, you have have no permit problems or anything like that. It just makes for a tough walk. You also have to firgure out a way to get back. Its a long drive (I thihk there is an $$$$ shuttle), or you could camp on the other rim, and do a rim to rim the second day to get back.

Just be warned that rim-to-rim in a day is not easy... oh, say it's like doing the great range in the Adirondacks in a single shot.
 
What amazes me is that there are people who have gone from the North Rim, across the canyon up to the South Rim and then back across again to the North Rim. 50-something miles! Not for me.......at least that would save money for the van ride back.

I enjoyed my leisurely stroll down Bright Angel and back.
 
I hiked rim to rim in 1998...BUT...it was in February so the weather was perfect for it.

We stayed at Bright Angel Lodge and were shuttled (can't remember how much $$$ it was - but it wasn't a lot) to our starting point.

We left around 5:30am and hiked down South Kaibob Trail (4800' in 6.3 miles) to the river, and then came back up Bright Angel Trail (4460' in 7.8 miles). Although it was a great experience...I don't think I will ever do it again. Especially not in the heat of the summer.

Have fun!:)
 
If you have regular backpacking skills, no guide service is necessary, especially on the well used trails. Some suggested tips: Be sure to use a self standing tent. The canyon floor is very hard to drive stakes. We chose mid September after the Labor Day crowds are gone. The heat in the lower canyon is blistering in the summer. Be sure to drink LOTS of water .... even if you don't think you're thirsty. The dehydration in that canyon is tremendous. Drinking water is readily available at each of the major campgrounds, but bring a filter anyway. A check of distances and elevation gains shows it's easier to go from the North Rim to the South Rim than the other way around. There is a permit process you have to go through, and I'm sure the competition is greater now than when I applied back around 1980. And what about getting back to the North Rim? It's about 200 miles around for car spotting. We made reservations with Grand Canyon Airlines(?) who picked us up at the South Rim, took us to the airport and flew across to the North Rim air strip (13 miles north). Most likely you'll need another reservation to get back to your car.
 
Ty,
You could also try this approach that my friends did a few years ago -

Backpack in via S. Kaibob (it is steeper but shorter than the BA) and camp at Bright Angel Campground. Day 2 is an easier day - Hike onto Cottonwood Campground (your legs will be sore). You then have a choice - Day 3 backpack out via N. Kaibob trail to the North Rim and take the shuttle (link below) or Dayhike up to the North Rim and come back down to Cottonwood and spend night 3 there. Day 4 - backpack to Bright Angel Campground and Spend night 4 there and then on Day 5 backpack out via Bright Angel.

This gives you some time to spend in the canyon and enjoy it while not beating yourself up to badly by spreading the ups and downs out.

Trans-Canyon Shuttle

FWIW, I found the N. Kaibob Trail steeper and tougher (but prettier) than the BA. IIRC, there is about 1,000 foot elevation gain over the South Rim. We were there in November and hiked down via the BA from the South first, then drove around to the North Rim and Hiked in. We had the place to ourselves, although there was a lot of snow on the North Rim and it was officially closed for season - We had to bust through snowdrifts onthe road to get in, but once down in the lower levels, the temps were a bit warmer - I don't think we saw more than 5 people in the 2 days we were on the North rim, vs. the 300 or so we saw on the South Rim.

Good luck
Rick
 
Pushing it

Few comments:

Summer at the canyon requires LOTS of water - and you're carrying it on your back, at least 1/2 way, if you bring a purifier and can refill at the river.

I would not suggest a 1 day cross hike of the canyon in the summer, unless you have prior experience hiking in the South West climate in the summer.

BTW: been there, done it........ in April.

the wall.....
 
A minimum (3) day packback with two overnights at your choice of campgrounds is a suggested pace that allows short side trips and leisure to enjoy the sights. We chose (3) overnights and stayed at each of the major campgrounds. Example: from Indian Gardens we took a side trail to a point overlooking the river. Be sure to protect yourself well from intense sunshine. This trip was so wonderful that we went back a second time the following year and used the route as described by "lilmountaingirl". Have fun!
 
Here is some sobering information re: hiking in the Canyon. I did a R2R 2001 at the end of June. It was 95 at Indian Gardens at 9:00 a.m. I started at 4 reaching the S.Rim at 11. Missed the worst heat, but it was still HOT. Pick a trail with plenty of water -you can't drink too much. Use electrolyte supplements and have fun.



From Morning Report on: Friday, July 16, 2004

Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Death of Canyon Runner

On Thursday, July 8th, Chicago resident Margaret L. Bradley, 24, and a companion began a day run from the South Rim on the Grandview Trail with the objective of crossing the Tonto Plateau and returning to the rim via the South Kaibab Trail – a 27-mile circuit. The runners had five quarts of water between them, but ran out sometime during mid-afternoon. At that point, Bradley and her companion decided to separate. She then attempted to make it down to Phantom Ranch to reach water and assistance; he spent the night in the canyon, suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, then managed to reach the South Kaibab Trail, where he sought the assistance of a USGS employee who was hiking out of the canyon. She used her satellite phone to contact park personnel and get directions to a water cache at Tipoff. No information was provided about their itinerary, nor that Bradley was missing. He believed that she’d gone on to Phantom Ranch, so asked a trail crew employee to leave a message at the ranch telling her that he’d abandoned his hike, but would shuttle her car back to the South Kaibab Trailhead for her return trip to Flagstaff. Bradley was reported missing to Flagstaff PD when she failed to meet her family there on Friday. Flagstaff PD then notified the park, where search efforts were immediately begun. Search dog handlers Marsha and Denny Bratcher from Page, Arizona, were flown to Grand Canyon by Glen Canyon NRA pilot Jim Traub. Ranger Chuck Sypher and court officer Jennifer Sypher interviewed Bradley’s companion in Flagstaff and were able to immediately relay information on where to focus search efforts. The park’s helicopter was launched, with pilot Mike Brinkworth, helicopter manager Mark Murray, paramedic Tom Clausing and helitacker Mark Peck on board. They located Bradley’s body in Cremation Creek between the Tonto Trail and the Colorado River, a thousand feet below the trail. Bradley had negotiated three pour-offs (dry waterfalls) while heading toward the river and apparently became stranded above a fourth pour-off which could not be negotiated. The Coconino Country medical examiner has determined her death to have been accidental, caused by dehydration due to environmental heat exposure. The temperature at Phantom Ranch on July 8th reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Bradley was in excellent physical condition, had been recently featured as an athlete of the month in a Chicago athlete magazine article, and had run the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:05. She had come to Northern Arizona for high altitude training. Running in the canyon is most popular in the fall months. Marc Yeston was incident commander.[Submitted by Ken Phillips, SAR Coordinator]
 
Rim to Rim

I did a rim to rim Grand Canyon Hike several years ago. My partner and I argued about how to do it -he wanted to do this as a day hike and I wanted to stay a week. We finally compromised on a tow nighter. We started at the North Rim in the late afternoon and hiked down to Cottonwoods Campground for the first night. The next day we hiked to Indian Gardens Campground, with a long stopover at Phanton Ranch. The third morning we just hiked up to the South Rim and got a shuttle bus back to the car at the North Rim.

You do not need a quide to do this hike. It is the main corridor trail and well travelled. This said- it is still an extreme and harsh environment and every year people die in the Canyon. There are
special considerations in regards to the environment- like it is so dry, you don't feel yourself sweating and you don't realize how much water you are loosing. Also it can be very hot. When we were there it was 129F at Phantom Ranch. Also there is no camping at large- you must stay at the campsites for a small fee. Make sure you put in your reservations asap. There is plenty og water from the streams that the trails follow.

It was one of the most beautiful places I have visited so far- I had a wonderful experience and long to return, without the partner, and do some exploration. This one guy did alot of exploration-H.Butchard (sp?). There is several websites dedicated to him. Cool guy.

Be sure to visit Ribbon Falls and see the Dippers.

Happy Trails-:D
 
You do not have to go with a group but you have to reserve campsites in advance, for a fee. I believe there is ample potable water at Phantom Ranch and Indian Gardens, whether you need to treat water from brooks depends on how much you want to carry.

The rangers will tell you that it is impossible to hike rim-to-rim in a day because they have to rescue people who can't. But the main trails are well graded for mules so the walking will be easier than a White Mountains trip of similar length and elevation gain.

Late June will be hot, I thought it was hot at the river in early May although pleasant at the rim. It is similar temperature difference bottom to top as Boston to Mount Washington.
 
I teach during the year so i am very limited on when I can go. If I could get the time off what is the best or most ideal time to hike the canyon.
 
At night! As Roy said, the terrain is no big deal, but the heat is. I have done the canyon from both rims, but never rim to rim. My two trips were in October and December. Seriously, I would start by headlamp down the South Kaibab (you have much less chance of falling on that trail), my wife and I made it to Phantom in four hours, and figure about six hour to the north rim. Try and book a room at the Bright Angel Lodge for the night before, so you can avoid the rangers, then set off at midnight. You probably can go by star and moonlight till you get down in the canyons, then you definitely will need your head lamp. Figure to make Phantom by five and the north rim by ten or eleven. The north rim has more shade and is cooler( that is a relative term in Arizona in summer).
 
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