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]
