Hiking 'below the rim' at the Grand Canyon

We're on our way back up the Bright Angel Trail

View from a stop on the Bright Angel Trail

This was on the trail soon after we started. It got much warmer and more humid!

    Hiking in the Grand Canyon had been on the Baker Bucket List for, oh, more than 15 years.

    One of my sisters had ridden a donkey down to the bottom of the canyon, and then helicoptered out. A second sister had hiked to the bottom, camped, and hiked back up again.

    I met a woman who had been in a group of runners up and down the canyon, or "rim to rim." I also interviewed an 84-year-old woman who hiked rim-to-rim in an organized tour group. (She had prepared for this grueling task by hiking up and down the back stairs at Genesis Medical Center, carrying a heavy backpack.) 

    When it came to the Bakers, we researched the trails. I decided it would be best to do the Bright Angel Trail because we were able, this year, to rent a cabin at the top of it. This way our hike would be close to where we spent the night.

    These cabins are hot commodities. Usually it's necessary to rent the space at least at year ahead of time, we were told. But this pandemic means activities like this are less crowded than usual. We also were at the Grand Canyon after Labor Day so most kids were likely in school.

    We stayed in Flagstaff, Arizona, the night before the Grand Canyon hike. I was so nervous and excited I barely slept. On Sept. 15, we got an early start to the south entrance. We had purchased one of those "lifetime" national park passes, so we sailed through the entrance gate.

    I was concerned about Steve's hiking experience as he does not like heights, and we'd be miles above the canyon floor. But the Bright Angel Trail is wide and he stayed on the inside track. This is the trail that the donkeys use and it felt safe to me. 

    Still, plenty of folks have health problems day-hiking in the Grand Canyon and it pays to be cautious.

    We got started about 10 a.m. on that Tuesday. We were up high, of course, and it was blistering hot and humid. It went pretty well for the first 45 minutes or so; we were aiming for the first stop on the trail which comes at the 1.5 mile marker. We met up with some other individuals, including a mother/daughter duo, and three former U.S. Army guys who were hooting and hollering and carrying a U.S. Flag as they jogged past us.

    We were almost an hour into the hike when Steve suggested we turn back. It was hot and he was carrying the backpack with water in it. I did hope to get to the rest stop but we rounded a curve and saw the U.S. Army guys, again. There was no more hooting or hollering; they were resting and looking a bit sheepish. These men were retirees but still in military shape, they told us. They were also going to turn around before they'd planned, because of the heat.

    It was enough to convince me. So, we all started back, stopping every-so-often to catch our breath and that also gave me a chance to look out at the scene and take pictures. Visitors can see the Grand Canyon from the Rim Trial, which goes along the top, but it's a far different view "below the rim." I was so thankful to get that photo opportunity.

    We high-fived when we reached the top, and decided to go eat lunch and revive ourselves. Later that day I walked and walked along the very easy and safe Rim Trail. Both Bakers notched 20,000 steps, or about 10 miles on our FitBits that day.

    At night, we got into the cabin and opened the window overlooking the canyon. The Rim Trail was also in front of us, so we were able to people-watch and look at unparalleled scenery.

    Those Grand Canyon pictures I took will be enlarged, framed and placed on walls in one of our guest rooms. This was a magical, unforgettable Bucket List adventure.