Fifty deserved something big. The national parks are on our life list, and I like to research and plan which lead to this quest. Googling "hiking the Grand Canyon" I got the idea for a rim to rim hike. There are guide services and outfitters out there who make this trip happen for many, but for me with a husband who has 45 years of backpacking experience and my own 7 years of hiking experience, the National Park Service and Grand Canyon Association websites, blogs written by individuals and former employees of the park service, I began to plan my own itinerary. I bought a trail map and Over the Edge, Death in the Canyon (know thy enemy) from the Grand Canyon Association and ordered a Backcountry Trip Planner from the NSP.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm
Our crew consisted of fairly fit people aged 51 - 60, so we chose a rim to rim hike from North Kaibab to Bright Angel. A 6.8 mile 4161' elevation loss on day 1. Camp at Cottonwood. A 7.3 mile 1600' elevation loss on day 2. Camp at Bright Angel for the men and Phantom Ranch for the women. Space at Phantom and on the rims must be reserved 1 year in advance starting on the 1st day of the month during which you will stay. We were able to secure 2 spots in the women's dorm for 2 nights so that we could have a day of rest on the canyon floor, 2 days of breakfasts, and 2 days dinners at Phantom. Backcountry campsites can be reserved 4 months in advance beginning the 1st of the month 4 months before your requested dates. Those are hard to get. The Backcountry Office considers all requests received by fax on the 1st day of the month 4 months before the trip on a random basis. Last year we were unsuccessful and had to cancel all of our Phantom and rim reservations. I knew how I wanted to do this and rim to river in one day was not it. This year we were successful and got our backcountry campsite permits. After a day of rest on day 3 on the canyon floor, we would hike 4.7 miles with a 1320' elevation gain to camp at Indian Gardens on day 4. On day 5 we would hike 4.6 with an elevation gain of 3060' to the South Rim. Corridor trails, regular water sources, an extra day to rest seemed reasonable for 4 people with no canyon experience. An itinerary with no regrets. Time to enjoy the experience.
