The Hike of Hikes - Intermission

This intermission is to describe and share pictures of the period between The Descent and The Ascent. That is, the time we spent on the floor of the Grand Canyon, near the river. We spent about an hour down there, resting, eating, stretching, rejuvenating.

We were quite happy upon reaching the bottom of the canyon. It was only 11:30, we were making great time. We had all afternoon for the hike up. (Even though we knew we'd be hiking during the hottest part of the day...also something they don't recommend.) We crossed the bridge and were now on the north side of the river.


The South Kaibab bridge (pictured above) is a suspension bridge, but it's very sturdy. It's the only bridge they take the mules across on, so you know it has to be.

We were now making our way along the north side of the river, looking for a nice place to picnic, as well as finding the water supply and restrooms. Not to mention enjoying the amazing views from the bottom that the vast majority of visitors don't even get to see!





The sign pictured above notes that our elevation is now about 2400 feet. Compare this to over 7000 feet at the trailhead. Yes, the difference is huge! This contributes to a large temperature difference. The river is about 20 degrees HOTTER (not cooler) than the rim. Some people don't think this makes sense. But think of it this way: 4500 feet is considerable. It's basically the difference between Phoenix and Flagstaff; between Kitt Peak Observatory and the city of Tucson; between Provo, Utah and the top of Y Mountain. (No, not up to the Y...the PEAK of the mountain, which you can reach if you keep hiking another few miles.) It's crazy to think about. Another neat thing I learned from my reading park materials is that the bottom of the canyon gets quite a bit less rain than the rim. Sometimes if it's raining on the rim, the rain evaporates before it ever reaches the bottom. Wow, is this stuff cool, or what? I think it's so interesting!

We found a nice picnic table, but it was guarded by 3 deer that didn't even flinch when they saw us. In the end, we left them alone and pulled up a nice bench in the shade.



It was great to sit down, take off our shoes, and eat! Upon taking off our shoes, we realized just how dirty our legs were getting! The trail was dusty!




I had a hole worn through on the big toe of my left sock, but I had a feeling that might happen (given the state of the socks before the hike started), so I had brought an extra pair that I put on before beginning the second half of the hike. In addition to eating and resting, I was insistent that we stretch. I've done enough hiking at the Observatory to know that the hike down makes muscles just as sore as going up, and it's usually muscles that you didn't even know you have. Michelle took a picture of me laying on a rock while stretching, but we only got it with the disposable film camera, not the digital. Maybe if it turns out after we get it developed, I'll post it. :)

As I mentioned, the hard part of the hike was about to start (the UPHILL part), and we were about to enter the hottest part of the day. Because I was trying to be a smart hiker, I did two things I usually don't: put on sunscreen and wear a hat. My hair was driving me nuts just being in a clip (pieces kept falling out), so I broke out the elastics and tied it back. But I was worried about my part getting sunburned, seeing as my hat was just a visor. (Which one could argue wasn't the best hat for a hike, but that's beside the point.) So I first tied my red bandanna around my head, then put on my visor. I asked Michelle, "Does this make me look too dorky?" She told me no, then clarified: "Well, you don't look like Miss America." But then quickly added, "Maybe 'Miss Hiker, 2008.' " I took this picture of myself to see how I looked. I decided it was passable. (Though really; who was I trying to impress?) And my face is a bit sunburned already, though I suspect most of it was from my hike at the Observatory 2 days before, rather than the first part of the current hike. (Though I'm sure that contributed some.)


Once we finished lunch, it was time to use the restroom one last time, and fill up the water. Michelle was super prepared with a camelbak, but I just had several water bottles. The South Kaibab trail had no water, so I had a lot to fill up. Fortunately, they had drinking water down there. This is me filling up my bottles, and the next one is me after I tried to turn the water off, accidentally turning it the wrong way and getting myself all wet!



We passed the mule corral on the way to the bridge...


This is the Bright Angel Suspension bridge.



I'll be honest; crossing it was a little bit scary. Not only did it sway a bit in the wind, it was like crossing the river on a long grate (that clinked and clattered with each step, adding to the effect). I took this next one looking down, to get the full effect for posterity. (That was the only time I wanted to look down!)


But I had to stop in the middle to take this picture. This is one of my favorite pictures from the hike. I want to get it blown up and framed. This place is so, so, so beautiful!