Rule # 1 – Hike in the Grand Canyon before 10:00 am and after 4:00 pm.
Therefore, we woke up early, put some granola bars and a lot of water into our backpacks and headed to the bus stop by 7:30 am. We took a shuttle bus out to the furthest point on the west rim. We were planning to go on a U.S. Ranger guided hike. This hike was going to be a 1-2 mile round trip hike below the rim. It was on the challenging Hermit Trail. The view of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River were unbelievable. From every scenic point the canyon took on a different image. The colors changed depending on the time of day. Although the Colorado River looks beautiful from the rim edge, it is considered a serious danger. Although the top layer looks calm, only 1 foot below the currents become dangerously strong. and can sweep an average body down stream with little chance on survival. Fact of the day: Approximately 250 people die accidentally each year hiking in the canyon due to shear ignorance and lack of safety. Two people died this week and one today.
We met Ranger Nancy and headed down the trail with about 30 people. The trail was steep and narrow with loose rocks that made us check the treads on our shoes several times. We learned a lot of safe hiking techniques and used them throughout the hike. The ranger was very knowledgeable and geared the hike towards the children. We searched for fossils from the ocean bottom that were here 270 million years ago before the Grand Canyon existed. We used paint swatches, just like you moms do when deciding paint color for your dining rooms, to take notice of all the different colors that are in the canyon. Erin loved the hike because the ranger made it fun. She even got Nancy’s autograph. Once we got to the end of our descent hike, we were 3 layers down in the canyon.. We took a short rest, thanked the ranger and then began our ascent out of the canyon. The entire Walsh clan was surprised how much they enjoyed the hiking experience. Although we all had jelly legs at the end, we were wearing big smiles.
The calmness didn’t last long! As we were refilling our water bottles before heading back to the village, Torey let out a huge cry! She found a bee between her thighs and began to close her legs. Well the bee put up a good fight and stung her. With no first aid kit, Mom had to think “out of the box.” while Chris worked to calm his patient. Debbi ran back towards the trail, found a hiker and bummed her first cigarette. Chris and the kids were in awe when Debbi un-rolled the cigarette, took the tobacco, added a little water and made a paste. The paste was applied to the wound and Torey was smiling again.
We rested our legs in the afternoon before an early evening hike. This time we took the Bright Angel Trail, a steep and popular trail. It was a wider trail and we quickly noticed that this is where the mules take folks down & up every day. Yuck! There was mule poop everywhere! We hiked down 40 minutes and decided to head back when we heard thunder. We learned that getting out of the canyon takes longer and you should always be safe. Luckily, we got to the top just as the black clouds rolled in and the first drop of rain was felt. Within 5 minutes, the thunder and lightning was constant, as was the rain. There went our plans to watch the beautiful sunset as we all sprinted to our shuttle bus and to safety.
We decided to stay in the cabin for the evening and Mom pulled together a light fare – cheese/crackers, fruit and vegetables –very French like. It was perfect and our weary legs were ready for bed.
Keep on traveling with us,
Erin and Debbi
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