Facing My Fears: A Walk to the Bottom of Grand Canyon
Posted on Thu, Mar 17, 2011 @ 10:13 AM
This is the first of a series of installments about my experience in the Grand Canyon last week (March 6, 7 and 8, 2011). Along the way I will share thoughts on how to prepare for such an experience, services that are currently available on the trail, the gift of facing my fears, my recent and on-going struggle with depression and thoughts on living one’s business as one’s life.
In this post, I want to share thoughts on how to prepare for this journey and the services available on the trail as four good friends of mine are heading for the Canyon in a couple of weeks.
My walk started at Yaki Point, the trailhead of the South Kaibab Trail. This approx 7 mile walk to the Colorado River starts on a very narrow (.75 meter; 2 foot) path. Starting just before dawn, winds of 35 mph scoured the canyon rim; anything not tied down went into the canyon.
As of March 6th the first mile of the trail was covered in packed ice. At this time of year walking poles and Yak Traks are essential safety tools. There is no water available along the trail. I consumed all of 4 liters of water before I reached the bottom. I was starting to experience dehydration during the last 1.5 miles of the walk.
Including one at the trailhead, there are three or four well-maintained restrooms on the trail, each located at a wide spot in the trail. There is another one just to the left of the entrance to the Bright Angel Campground on the north side of the Colorado just after the Black Bridge (it’s well hidden near the helicopter landing zone). I recommend stopping at each wide spot and resting your legs while taking a few minutes to drink fluids and eat some food. Perhaps if I had done this my legs would not have given out.
Another note on restrooms before I end this post: At each restroom/rest stop you will be greeted by very aggressive and clever squirrels. I saw them actually eat through a backpack left outside a ring of 7 hikers. Before anyone noticed, one was inside the pack having lunch! One stole my string cheese while I was taking a picture. Protect your supplies from the varmints!
Looking forward to your comments and feedback. A follow-up will be posted on Saturday evening.
Stay in touch with us on: