Surviving the Canyon at Its Meanest:
Out of the millions of people who visit the Grand Canyon each year only about one percent hike all the way to the bottom and back up.
The average depth from the rim of the canyon to the roaring Colorado River below is one mile. To reach the bottom, the hiker needs to traverse trails six to nine miles long that descend steeply, zig zagging along the edge of a cliff. These trails can be rugged and narrow. One false step and the hiker may find himself painted on the bottom of the canyon floor.
Temperatures at the canyon floor during the summer easily get above 100 degrees. Combine the hazards of this natural terrain with the extreme heat of summer and you have unique conditions that challenge the hiker every step of the way. Backpacking in the canyon during the summer is strenuous and life threatening if the proper precautions are not taken. Illness, injury, and even death can result. It is not uncommon for park rangers during the summer to treat on a daily basis hikers suffering from heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Should you be foolhardy and determined to brave the inner canyon during the summer, the first thing you will be greeted with at the trail-head is a 4’ x 6’ sign with skull and cross bones and large red letters proclaiming: warning: Heat Kills. This sign goes on to describe in smaller black letters the danger of hiking in extreme heat.
There are other warnings and recommendations that can make a difference between success and failure, as my group of foolhardy adventures witnessed and experienced.
First of all, the blazing sun, intense heat, and dry air conspire to conquer the unwary hiker. To defeat this enemy the number one rule is don’t hike during the hottest part of the day. The park service recommends starting your hike no later than 7 a.m. or to wait until after 4:00 p.m.. Once the sun hits you it’s hot and as the day goes on it only gets hotter. It was not uncommon to see a group come stomping into camp at 10:00 p.m.. You hear crunch, stomp, crunch and see a row of weaving, floating, and bobbing lights, and think you’re under attack from some mutated canyon monster with six glowing eyes. Then you realize it is only a group of hikers with their flashlights. In the morning if you’re not out of camp by 5:00 a.m., fellow hikers look your way and nod knowingly to each other "amateurs".
Those who ignore this rule pay the penalty for their error. At our first camp in Indian Garden, a hiker was looking for Gatorade for her companion who had spent most of the night throwing up after hiking during the heat of the day. The next night at Salt Creek Campground, a camper told us about a group that had pulled into Monument Creek Campground in the late afternoon. Suffering from the brutal effects of the heat, the whole party looked wretched. Especially, one member of their party, who upon arriving at camp immediately crawled into his sleeping bag shivering madly, and complaining of a headache.
Shade is rare in many parts of the canyon. Even though you may not be on the trails during the hottest part of the dayby 9:00 the heat is already fierce. If you’re going to be exposed to the sun you need to protect yourself. Wear lightweight clothing made of cotton that covers all your limbs. Any exposed skin should be lathered in sun block no less than 30 SPF. Be sure the sun block you use is water-resistant. Other wise your sweat will render it useless. Also, you will want to wear a hat and sunglasses if your eyes are sensitive. Personally I don’t like sunglasses but in the glaring sun they can be nice.
Water is your best friend and a key to survival. It is a good idea to carry as much water as you are capable of without burdening yourself. I recommend starting the day off with no less than four quarts and plan on drinking a quart for each mile you hike. In these arid conditions hikers lose about 1 quart of water per hour. For an extended hike over several days it would be impossible to carry all the water you would need so it becomes necessary to procure water from natural source inside the canyon, which in the summer can be scarce.
I strongly recommend visiting the ranger station and having the rangers mark all available water sources on your route. This is important because where a map may indicate a spring or creek, you are likely to discover no water but instead a dried up creek bed. Armed with this information you can now decide how much water you need to carry each day and most importantly when you can look forward to refreshing your supply. All of the natural water sources in the canyon need to be treated before it can be safely drunk.
Fuel for the body is also crucial. Hiking in this rugged terrain with a backpack burns a lot of calories. It is not only important to bring enough food but to make sure you intake it on a regular basis. In these high temperatures some hikers are prone to lose their appetites. The danger with this is the body requires a certain amount of calories to perform in peak condition. Limiting your body from these precious calories weakens the body. The hiker tends to stumble more and is prone to making judgment errors. Not something you want to do on an edge of a cliff with 5000 feet of air between you and the bottom.
Protect your food. Thieves are abundant. I am not talking about your fellow hikers but the clever creatures that roam the canyon floor. Scorpions and rattlesnakes are docile compared to the ravenous squirrels and ravens. Do not let their meekness fool you. They are the nightmare of every hiker. At Monument Creek Campground we met a lone hiker, who was clutching a small daypack. Beware of the varmints he warns. He had left his pack unattended while he took a refreshing dip in the creek. Upon returning to camp he discovered his pack under attack by a band of ravens and squirrels. The casualties were heavy. He lost half of his food. Now he carries his pack with him every where he goes. Our group nods with understanding because we had survived a minor scrimmage the day before at Salt Creek Campground losing one bag of trail mix to a gang of wild squirrels.
If you are lucky enough to have a campsite with trees, hang your food in a bag from a limb with a rope. Apparently squirrels are not adept as scaling a rope vertically. If there is nothing to hang your food from you may need to improvise. One night when we did not have the option of hanging our food, we set all our packs in a pile and encircled them with our sleeping bags. In areas where there are predatory animals such as bears you would not want to do this. Better to lose the food than your life!
Backpacking in the canyon during the summer is strenuous and life threatening if the proper precautions are not taken. It is not a simple walk in the park. Careful trip planning and physical conditioning is required. Know your environment and prepare for it. Avoid hiking during the heat of the day, drink plenty of water, pace yourself, keep the body fueled up.
And most importantly stop and smell the cacti. |
