Hiking the Grand Canyon next month! Tips?

[Leimanu]

Hello! A friend has invited me to go on an EPIC 3-day hike of the Grand Canyon. I've never been out west and I've been dying to see the Grand Canyon for over 10 years, so it was a chance I couldn't pass up.

I like to assume the best and prepare for the worst. So here's what I know:

--We're hiking in on the Hermit Trail and camping two nights. I think she said it's 9km or 9mi or something. Something long. She's done this before so she knows what times of the day to go in and out.

--It's gonna be like 100 degrees. Though I love the heat, I did just come through winter so I'm not used to that kind of heat.

--Carry in what we need and carry it back out. Backcountry camping.

--Most of the weight should be food and water, and I have to bring a sleeping bag. About 1L for every hour of hiking and salty snacks to retain water.

--She's bringing iodine tablets and stuff to treat the river water.

--Heat exhaustion and other heat-related problems sneak up on you.

--I'm super excited about this!!!

What I don't know:

--Never done backcountry hiking

--Though I'm very strong now compared to last year, I've never hiked that long a distance, and carrying heavy water.

--I don't know deserts at ALL.

--I'm kinda a hippy and don't like sun tan lotion (won't put on my skin something I would mind accidentially ingesting) but I'm pretty sure pasty-winter me should have some in the desert sun.

Any advice?

[Sea Level]

The rim is at about 7,000 feet, I think, so it'll be cooler there, warmer at the river. Definitely consider trekking poles; hiking down and up is killer on the knees, and the trekking poles should help.

Whenever I'm there, I find myself staring at the canyon, not quite believing it. It's tough to take it all in!

Enjoy!

[tigersheart]

What I don't know:

--Never done backcountry hiking

--Though I'm very strong now compared to last year, I've never hiked that long a distance, and carrying heavy water.

--I don't know deserts at ALL.

--I'm kinda a hippy and don't like sun tan lotion (won't put on my skin something I would mind accidentially ingesting) but I'm pretty sure pasty-winter me should have some in the desert sun.

Any advice?

It will be AMAZING!

Here is some advice from someone who has lived in Arizona since 1979.

The grand canyon is high desert, and as such may not get to the 100s that you are thinking, when you are on the rims. It really depends on what part of the grand canyon you are going to.

Check this site out: http://grandcanyonhiker.com/planners/weather/index.shtml

The north and south rim areas stay decently cool even in the summer, maxing around mid to high 80's, but the inner gorge area can get to the 100+s easily in summer months.

So some advice. First, get outside now, and start getting as much sun as you possibly can. Natural sun, mind you, not tanning booth 'sun'.

Start walking now...preferably find some steep hills nearby and just hike them. Even if they are small hills, hike up and down them a lot! Take a backpack, put some rocks in it, and go for it!

Take sunscreen with you. I hate it too, but realize that you won't be putting these chemicals on your body every day for the rest of your life, but for this trip it will definitely be worth it. The higher altitude can burn you more easily, and the higher heat as you go down in the canyon will do the same. I usually never wear sunscreen, even in southern arizona, but if i was to go on your hike today, I would wear some.

I know you need to pack as light as possible, but bring some layers of clothes. Even if it is just one each, bring at least one long sleeve shirt, one tank top, one pair of long pants, and a pair of shorts as well. If you find yourself burning, wear the long clothes, even if it is hot.

soooooooo A.D.D kicking in...why do they call it a 'pair' of pants/shorts if it is just one???? is it because they have two legs?

back! Bring a hat! Preferably wide brimmed that can shade your face and neck.

Now for hiking in the desert....WATCH EVERY STEP YOU TAKE! Watch where you put your feet, watch where you put your hands, and watch where you sit. And be aware of your surroundings.

Some animals to be wary of:

Mountain Lion

Black Bears

Elk (while rutting are really grumpy)

Rattlesnakes (for the 'watch where you step' part)

Scorpions (same as the snake part)

Do not fret over the list, just be aware of them, be aware of your surroundings, and you will be fine. But if you do see lion or bear cubs....stay away from them!!!! It is not as dangerous as I am making it sound, but still be aware of what is out there.

Hope you have a great time!

[wildross]

Camera with extra batteries.

I rode the mules down into the canyon when I was a teenager. Wish I'd had a digital camera back then.... Still very memorable.

[RaeVynn]

There is a database of safe skin products here: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

I, too, will not put anything on my body that I wouldn't eat... I am a huge believer in coconut oil as a sunscreen/after sun. You might also look at Astaxanthin, which helps your body heal from UV damage.

When I travel to places with way more/stronger sun than I'm used to, I use Absolutely Natural sunscreen as I think it is pretty darned safe.

[ETFnerd]

don't fall off the edge...

...and have a great time...

[br!t3r]

Super jealous!

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[br!t3r]

Soooo jealous!!!!!

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[starmadepath]

Edited for privacy.

[sumdawgtwigg]

Very jealous! Have a great time!

[NinjaSamurai]

If it's a three day trip, and it's 9 miles, that's only an average of 3 miles per day. The main part of the weight in your pack will be water, which will get your pack to maybe 50 lbs, depending on what you pack that you don't need. With that much weight and that distance, you should be fine, but I have no idea what the terrain is like out there. If you really need to take a break, you can stop and take your pack off. Just don't leave it off for too long, or you might tighten up, and starting again will be much harder. A rule of thumb is that if you stop for more than 5 minutes, extend the break to half an hour to give yourself a chance to stretch and loosen up again.

If you start to get thirsty, take a break and drink. Better yet, get a CamelBak or a Platypus water system, so you can drink as you go. One of the first signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke is not drinking enough, and not wanting to drink when it's needed. If you don't think you need water, drink a sip or two anyway, just to be safe.

At night, it should get pretty cool, so bring some warm clothes to sleep in. Bring a sleeping pad to sleep on, not a cot or an air matress. Both of those will add more air circulation below you, which will make you even colder than before. It might be a good idea to eat a granola bar (well away from your tent) to give your body more fuel to keep you warm while you sleep. At night, sleep with your clothes in your sleeping bag so they aren't freezing in the morning when you wake up. In the morning, dress in layers, so that as you go down the trail, you can remove layers as they get too hot.

If you can, store any food away from your tent, preferably up high. At least 15 feet up and 8 feet out from the trunk of any tree will work well against anything large, and multiple layers of duct tape will stop any squirrels and chipmunks (or minibears as they're called at Philmont). Ty to avoid eating inside your tent, and if you do, keep crumbs to a minimum.

I think that's all the camping and backpacking wisdom I can give you for now, but if I think of any more tips, I will post them. Good luck!

[Sea Level]

Take care of your feet!! Bring the bandaids brand magic blister bandages (forget what they're really called, but you'll see them in the pharmacy along with the bandaids). Also bring moleskin and stop from time to time to change socks and air out your feet. Because it is hot, you will sweat in your boots a bit, and if you're not too the long hours of consistent hiking/being on your feet, you'll probably have some discomfort - so be prepared for that. I'm not sure what can be done about this except to toughen your feet up beforehand and do some long back to back day hikes as practice.

^^Yes.

[Leimanu]

Oh, this is all such great advice! I would never have thought of some of this, like how to take care of my feet, what layers to bring, and side-stepping the desert creatures. Thanks so much everyone!

I've started walking this big hill with a 30lb pack. Hopefully will increase distance and weight and then I won't be shocked by what I've gotten into.

I'm going down into the canyon, so my friend says it'll be hot, but we're going in in the evening, I believe, and hiking out really early in the morning. It's one day straight day of exploring and hanging out. So one looooong hike, with a one day break.

So cool to hear others' stories!

[Leimanu]

You guys, I did it! And it was sooooooo hard!! Yet amazing, and life-changing. In the shelter on the trail, someone left a notebook that people could leave quotes and autographs. One person wrote this:

"99% of visitors only go to the Rim. 1% go into the Canyon. We are the 1%."

I took all ya'll's advice (I especially remembered "take the camera out of your pocket before jumping into the water") and it really helped me have an enjoyable time. I lot was hard:going in the "danger months," unmaintaned trail, I'd never been to the desert, we left a little too late (instead of being at the trail head at 4am, we started at 7:30am), the pack was heavy with water, and I had so many borrowed things: hat, hiking stick, tent. I wore long pants and a long shirt (but for the heat, so they weren't hot). It should've taken us 4hrs to hike the 8mi trail; it took us 8 hrs. A mile an hour. I got a little heat exhausted, but we took a break and I was fine. I knew that the heat is sneaky.

So amazing. I went with a great group who looked out for each other. They were all Peace Corps volunteers, and I haven't seen another Vol for 2years since I finished service. Walking on the side of the cliff, crazy-steep switchbacks, and the most amazing views. We camped on the creek (filter the water!) and took a 2mi day hike to the Colorado River. We left at 4:30am to hike out, and we made that trail our bitch. Got out in 6:30hr, less time than going in! The weather and temp make a huge difference. And all the exercising I've done in the last year helped. The quads were sore, but really the calves were sore for days after. My AZ friend was impressed by my stamina. Yeah, I was usually in the back and the group of 7 broke up a little bit into two so the faster could go at their pace, but I didn't care and it's important to go at your own pace. I saw 2 rattlesnakes, a baby and an adult (he crawled into our camp, eee!) And Arizona is absolutely beautiful. I'm fascinated by the life in the desert.

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[ETFnerd]

so cool... seems like you have wonderful friends...

[Seabright]

Awesome! Congratulations on a wonderful trip!

[sumdawgtwigg]

That is so dang cool! It sounds like it was an amazing adventure! I'm all kinds of jealous. I've been obsessed with making my way to the desert for a long time. lol

[Sea Level]

Way to go! Sounds like you had an awesome time!

[slcathena]

First of all, amazing. I love the pictures! What you did was so awesome. 1% indeed. Second of all, I am beyond jealous. I grew up in that area (Southern Utah) and it is the prettiest, most amazing place in the world. The desert is so surreal and beautiful.

Glad you enjoyed yourself!!!