{"id":2887,"date":"2014-06-28T21:32:55","date_gmt":"2014-06-28T21:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=2887"},"modified":"2014-06-28T21:32:55","modified_gmt":"2014-06-28T21:32:55","slug":"hiking-the-grand-canyon-with-the-venture-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/2014\/06\/28\/hiking-the-grand-canyon-with-the-venture-crew\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiking the Grand Canyon with the Venture Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This past week I was one of five adults who supported a trip to hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim. \u00a0(Venturing is a program of Boy Scouts of America that is co-ed.) \u00a0The trip included three major phases: \u00a0two days in Bryce Canyon, four days in the Grand Canyon, and two days in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Crew arrives in Las Vegas and finds our bags<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Early last Saturday we flew from BWI to Las Vegas with all our camping gear. \u00a0Then we rented a 15-passenger van (with surprisingly little cargo capacity) for the three hour drive to Bryce Canyon. \u00a0Despite the cramped conditions in the vehicle, everyone was in high spirits. \u00a0We stopped at Walmart near the airport and bought all our food for the camping days and then headed to Bryce.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The entrance of Bryce Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The Crew<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We spent a day and a half hiking around Bryce Canyon. \u00a0This was a good shakedown and opportunity for people to exercise those hiking muscles prior to the main event.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A view of the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We camped two nights in the Bryce Canyon campground and hiked during the day. \u00a0A couple of the adventurous kids and I got up early to see the sunrise over the hoodoos.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The "Natural Bridge" at Bryce Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cooking<\/a>
Cooking quesadillas in the Bryce Canyon campground<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our last morning in Bryce we took a final hike to see the “mossy cave.” \u00a0Nearby was a nice side hike up to a window formed in the rocks by wind and erosion.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The final hike at Bryce before heading to the North Rim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This last hike was a lot of fun. \u00a0I remember making this hike with our kids many years ago the first time we visited Bryce. \u00a0We crammed ourselves back into the van and drove three hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. \u00a0We chose to start our rim-to-rim hike from the North Rim because it is 1000 feet higher than the South Rim. \u00a0We figured this would be a slightly easier route.<\/p>\n

\"Entering<\/a>
Entering the Grand Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first day, North Rim to the Cottonwood campground, began at 0540. \u00a0Our aim was to avoid hiking in the heat of the day. \u00a0It was actually cold when we departed, so you can see some of the folks wearing jackets in the picture below. \u00a0As we moved down into the canyon, the temperature rose.<\/p>\n

\"Heading<\/a>
Heading out at 0540<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below you can see us snaking around a switchback. \u00a0You can see in the background just how deep we were going to go during this first hike.<\/p>\n

\"Early<\/a>
Early in the looooong downhill trek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first portion of the hike involved a large number of switch backs. \u00a0After hiking for about a mile and a half, we stopped to rest. \u00a0I was thinking that the hike wasn’t as bad as I expected, but then it got worse!<\/p>\n

\"One<\/a>
One of the many beautiful views as we descended toward the valley floor (note the trail far below)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There is debate among the Crew as to whether the first or last day was harder. \u00a0After we crossed the bridge shown below, the sun came out, and the next couple of miles were brutal.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This bridge over a gorge marked the beginning of the most grueling part of the first day's trek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The scenery throughout the hike to Cottonwood was breathtaking. \u00a0The hike was about 7 miles long, and we were pretty tired when we finally stopped.<\/p>\n

\"Wow!\"<\/a>
Wow!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We arrived at Cottonwood by noon. \u00a0There was little shade in the Spartan campsite. \u00a0The temperatures was over 100 degrees. \u00a0Some of the folks sought the little shade that was available and played cards. \u00a0I took four of the kids to see the Ribbon Falls (pictures to be posted in a subsequent article). \u00a0While I didn’t feel like hiking an extra three miles, Ribbon Falls were definitely worth the effort.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/a>
One of the two campsites in the Cottonwood area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The “girls'” campsite was visited by a small rattlesnake which slowly made its away across the trail to another site.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A rest stop along the Cottonwood to Phantom Ranch hike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next morning we set out early through “the box” from Cottonwood to Phantom Ranch. \u00a0We set out early to avoid the direct sun. \u00a0It worked. \u00a0All day (7.2 miles) the direct sunlight was blocked by the high canyon walls, so we arrived at Phantom Ranch in good condition.<\/p>\n

\"Early<\/a>
Early morning view as we head from Cottonwood toward Phantom Ranch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The walk was mostly downhill, and the terrain wasn’t very rough. \u00a0Because we avoided the direct sunlight, the hike was pleasant. \u00a0We actually arrived at Phantom Ranch sooner than we had expected.<\/p>\n

\"Arriving<\/a>
Arriving at Phantom Ranch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We turned around a corner and found a sign saying “Bright Angel Campground .3 miles ahead.” \u00a0Phantom Ranch has flush toilets and a terrific creek in which to sit and cool off. \u00a0It also had Kamikaze squirrels who preyed on our backpacks looking for food. \u00a0In fact, they’ve gotten so used to stealing food from campers that they are attracted to the smell of plastic bags in which food is usually stored.<\/p>\n

The temperatures at Phantom Ranch reached 120 degrees by mid afternoon. \u00a0The thermometers near the Bright Angel Campground said it “felt like” 130 degrees.<\/p>\n

\"Steak<\/a>
Steak dinner at the Phantom Ranch Canteen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That night we had a wonderful steak dinner. \u00a0You have to reserve and pay for this in advance. \u00a0All the food is carried down by mule that day and included very good steaks, baked potatoes, corn, peas, cornbread, and a great salad. \u00a0I was surprised at the fresh butter and sour cream for the potatoes. \u00a0Every was stuffed. \u00a0After dinner many of us hit the sack early, but a couple of the kids came back to the canteen to play cards. \u00a0The next morning we had a bacon, eggs, and pancakes breakfast and picked up bag lunches before heading out. \u00a0 These pre-paid meals allowed us to reduce the weight in our packs by three meals. \u00a0All the food was excellent.<\/p>\n

\"Crossing<\/a>
Crossing the Silver Bridge over the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were up at four and on the trail by 0530. \u00a0Just outside Phantom Ranch we crossed over the Colorado River on this bridge, which was narrow and swayed as people tromped over it. \u00a0The view was amazing.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Silver Bridge over the Colorado River<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A little way up the hill toward Indian Garden, you can see the view of the river and the Silver bridge.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A view up from along the trail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The hike from Phantom Ranch to Indian Garden was about 5 miles, mostly up hill. \u00a0At the end of the hike there were lots of sore muscles and tired campers. \u00a0We made this hike in just over three miles and arrived at the campground sooner than expected.<\/p>\n

\"Arriving<\/a>
Arriving at Indian Garden campsite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Indian Garden had a creek that was deemed “lame” by the kids compared to the creeks at either Cottonwood or Phantom Ranch, all the campsites had shade. \u00a0We had thick cloud cover all afternoon, which further cut the heat. \u00a0A couple of us even managed to take a nap in the late morning.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/a>
Some of the crew engaging in yoga to loosen tired muscles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hiking<\/a>
Hiking up the trail from Indian Garden toward the South Rim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next morning we woke at 0300, planning a 0430 start time for the last 4.5 miles of the hike to the South Rim. \u00a0This was straight up for 4.5 miles. \u00a0The picture above gives you a sense for the climb. \u00a0We stopped every 1.5 miles for a water break.<\/p>\n

\"Kitt<\/a>
Kitt in front of a sign with our favorite expression about hiking the Grand Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Less than a mile from the South Rim and the Bright Angel trailhead we saw this sign: “Going down is optional; up is mandatory.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A view back down the trail -- note the switch backs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is another picture which provides some idea of the difficulty of the climb with full backpacks. \u00a0In the center is the three mile rest house from a few minutes farther up the trail.<\/p>\n

\"Done!\"<\/a>
Mission complete!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At 0830, a half hour ahead of schedule, we arrived at the trailhead. \u00a0I asked everyone to pretend they were tired for this pictures, since none of us were really<\/em> tired.<\/p>\n

Everyone did well. \u00a0Several had doubts when we began whether they could finish the walk. \u00a0“Up is mandatory,” \u00a0however. \u00a0In the end, many of the participants accomplished more than they expected and learned something about themselves. \u00a0More importantly at the end of four tough days, everyone was still friends. \u00a0We had no serious sun burns and few injuries, other than three bruised toes.<\/p>\n

Just a few minutes after we completed the hike, Candy showed up with the van. \u00a0After spending an hour repacking duffle bags in shoving all our gear back in the van, we all headed for the gift shop to get our “rim to rim” T-shirts. \u00a0After a large lunch in the nearby lodge, we headed to Williams, Arizona for some rest and relaxation, which included showers, time in the pool, showers, horseshoes, showers, pizza, showers, and early bedtime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This past week I was one of five adults who supported a trip to hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim. \u00a0(Venturing is a program of Boy Scouts of America that is co-ed.) \u00a0The trip included three major phases: \u00a0two days in Bryce Canyon, four days in the Grand Canyon, and two days in Las Vegas. Early … Continue reading Hiking the Grand Canyon with the Venture Crew<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2887"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2887\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bucksurdu.com\/bucksblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}