By Debby Merickel
Why anyone would want to descend the Grand Canyon when the temperature was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit at the top was the question that should have kept me at home. I am an adventurer but I am usually sane and a little cautious. I realized that this would be a serious undertaking and knew that I had to be very prepared.
Ready or Not
Another friend who had trekked the Bright Angel path a few months previous to my attempt shared her preparations. She had plenty of water, plenty of food, good sox and shoes, sunscreen, and a body that had done stretches, weights and a few preliminary climbs.
As she is also my Pilates instructor, I asked her to help me get ready. I did a couple of weekly climbs up the backside of Cowles Mountain in San Diego, did lunges and acclimated myself to the hot afternoon sun.
Dull Angels?
As the day approached I began to wonder in earnest whether my hiking companion and I could pull this off. I was well aware that our attempt bordered stupidity. However, I got the trail mix, the Power Bars, the electrolyte mixture, and the liter sized water bottles with a carrying strap. I found hats with brims and tails. We decided that we would go down South Kaibab and up Bright Angel for a couple of reasons: one, no one would know that we were going to be returning the same day, and secondly there would be plenty of water and rest areas for our climb back up.
By the Dawn’s Early Light
We spent the night in Grand Canyon Village in order to be on the trail as day broke. It was already in the high 80’s, but beautiful and not crowded at all. Within three hours time we were at the bottom, soaking in the Colorado River, watching the smart people on horseback!
We filled our stomachs with water and then refilled the water jugs. It was much hotter on the floor. Thank goodness we did not know how hot. The Phantom Ranch appeared to be pretty much that—an apparition —as there were not any people about!
Hard part last
Not being easily deterred, we traversed the half mile on the canyon floor over to the Bright Angel path. We stopped at every rest area where we soaked in the pools, stayed in the shade for awhile and replenished our water supply.
Surprisingly, there were now more people on the trail even though it was the hottest time of the day! It wasn’t until we arrived at the final rest area only one and a half mile from the top that we both crashed, having completed about 12 miles in the grueling heat.
I wasn’t sure that I could manage to put my boots back on after trying to soak my body in the drinking fountain. We would climb only about 25 yards before we needed to sit.
Who are all these people?
At this point I noticed people in dress shoes and without hats. That was probably the impetus I needed as I found the will to scramble to the top, leaving my friend to fend for himself. An adventure that I won’t repeat in July ever again…the drive back to Phoenix that evening was a quiet one! <<
Debby Merickel is putting the finishing touches on her book– a travelogue called The Misadventures of an Aging Globetrotter. Debby has traveled over 85 countries and 65 of them were after she turned 50, eight years ago. Reach her at Debby@LetLifeIn.com
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