The Grand Canyon

May 10, 2023

Mile 699.5-708.4 (8.9 miles)

Didn’t sleep great last night. Henry was tossing and turning a lot and my stomach hurt off and on. In the morning we packed up, walked down to get breakfast sandwiches at the deli, charged up the battery pack at an outlet outside and then took the bus to the trailhead. It’s finally sinking in for me today that we’re almost done.

Voodoo and Eagle were nice enough to offer to drive us around the trail closure in the next couple days, MuoN messaged me offering to pick us up at the terminus and our plane tickets are bought for Monday!

We stopped at a popular viewpoint on the descent and got a breathtaking view of the canyon.

Then hiked down, down, down. The trail was gradual and easy and we passed tons of people. The traffic finally thinned out about halfway down. The canyon was absolutely beautiful, the colors popped, the weather was perfect- overcast off and on.

As we got closer to the bottom it began heating up. We pulled off trail to allow a team of mules carrying supplies to pass us by. We hiked through the tunnel and across the bridge and then set up the tent at Bright Angel Campground. There were several other people in the campground but we got lucky with a site that felt secluded away from them all by a rushing creek. I was washing my socks in the creek and laying them out on a rock to dry when I heard a shout from across the creek- it was Katie and Michael! They came across the bridge and talked to us, they’re doing some extra miles and hiking different trails throughout the canyon. Back at the campsite I realized a squirrel had gotten into my fanny pack and we quickly secured anything and everything in the big metal rodent box so it couldn’t get anything else.

Then we walked down to Phantom Ranch where we got some lemonade and sent postcards to family which will be carried out of the canyon on the mules. With the trail closure the trail up the other side of the canyon is closed so we will be hiking back out the south rim tomorrow but will take a different trail for some new views.