So you want to hike into the Grand Canyon without Mules?

I recently traveled to the Grand Canyon south rim for a few days of remarkable hiking and pure awe-inspiring beauty with my family.  This is a wonderful trip and I would recommend this trip to anyone.  You just might need to take a mule into or out of the canyon.  The mules are quite expensive from $110 for a 3-hour trip or, $700 for two days in the canyon.  Also, there are only 10 mule positions available daily.  I would imagine these prices are going to keep escalating in price as fast homes in San Jose, CA.

On the way down it is wonderful.  It takes very little time to descend 1000ft. Thankfully one of our crew carries fold up hiking poles.  These are really the bomb for trekking up or down as they give you more balance points of contact and can distribute some of the up and down tasks to the upper body.  These poles are pretty common but, I really like that they can stow into a pack.

Lodging:  Something that I thought would be simple enough required us to drive for about an hour each morning to get to the parking area of the south rim.  After this very short trip, I felt as if we had driven for a week.  Our daily time in the car was two to three hours.  We stayed 30 minutes south of Tusayan.

This park is very large.  1,904 sq. miles  I don’t think it is possible to appreciate the sheer scale of this park without walking some part of it.

To help with some of the grandest of the Grand Canyon I would recommend staying in the park.  Staying at the park could mean camping, using a motor home or using one of the lodges at the park itself.  Getting into a lodge is quite difficult and reservations are two years out.  (http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com).

Staying at the park requires a little planning.  These numbers tell the story of what type of overnight stays are most common.

It seems that RV Camping numbers are low in comparison to other types of lodging and might be an easier method of staying at the park.   These are some possible RV sites available this summer.  This is pretty amazing really.

One huge bonus of National Parks is the backcountry camping and total silence.  Traipsing down the easiest trailhead for only 30 minutes there are moments when there isn’t anyone within earshot.  Our party is the only group on this section of the trail for a few minutes.

Backcountry Camping camping is available at the park and the greatest part about this is that when we have a backcountry camping permit we aren’t allowed to stay in the campsites.  Check out the Backcountry Camping page for any updates and how to pack for Backcountry Camping.

Mobile phones have sporadic coverage and the Mickey Mouse walkie-talkies we took to Yellowstone were alright.  They sort of worked when we were separated but, I wouldn’t stake my life on these.  The range of these isn’t enough for either park.  If I did it again I would use something cheap like this Baofeng Radio but, also with better range ham radio; get an Amateur radio license.  If you aren’t in the mood to get a license then maybe something like the Inmarsat IsatPhone 2 or the In-Reach Explorer 2 Way Communicator are more appropriate.  I haven’t used any of these yet.  I’ll see if I can get some of them to test out in real-world situations.

Temperatures:  One of the biggest problems I experience while hiking in the canyon was the difference in altitude from the top to the bottom of the canyon.

It is significant and it gets much warmer every few hundred feet.  At the top of the canyon, it is maybe 65 to 75 degrees Farenheight.  By the first mule stop halfway down the canyon, it is 10 degrees F warmer. 6,093 feet down, at the bottom of the canyon, the temperature is above   Fahrenheit.  This is where the trek back up starts.  The problem occurs with the heat exhaustion and rapid elevation climb.  So be cautious and try a few switchbacks down then try to go back up.  Very few people who visit the canyon brave the canyon trails down.

Weather: I think the only other thing that we didn’t count on in this park was the weather.  While walking with others in the family, feeling the heat of the day.  Rain begins to fall on us and I’m so grateful but the fun is just starting.   After the rain starts it’s getting painful.  We take cover in a small cedar and try to wait it out.  20 minutes go by and we are still waiting for this thunderstorm to pass and that is when I feel the hair on my skin start to pull away.   Knowing that lightning is a huge risk we begin moving away from the edge of the canyon under taller trees and cover.  Yikes.  I’m not sure how many people die from lightning strikes at the canyon but, Google says that 12 people die there annually.  Lightweight rain gear is a must if hiking away from the visitors center.

From what I have read Havasu Falls is the place for a hike, stay and beauty.   It’s a 10-mile hike to get to the falls and it requires a night camping there on the beach.  I haven’t done this one yet and getting a spot for camping there isn’t as easy as a backcountry camping permit.  It looks well worth it and I plan to make this trip ASAP.