Grand Canyon

Thursday, 5.10.

Grand Canyon in the dark

• From Monument Valley we drive to our next stop: Grand Canyon and the nice thing is that our road even runs along the huge canyon (on its South Rim).
• Our original plan to drive along the Grand Canyon at sunset of course goes wrong, because when we arrive it is pitch dark and we see nothing but dark forest on the left and an unfathomable pitch at the right of the road

• Good for us that the Grand Canyon is so touristy and that there is a place right at the park entrance with a supermarket that is still open at this time of day – this is where we stock up on supplies for the planned hike tomorrow.
• Right next to it we see an illuminated sign “Steakhouse” – hello Steak, we think and 5 minutes later we sit in the comfy place and have each ordered a steak

• The steakhouse turns out to be a very lucky find, because it is very rustic, really nice and they serve really tasty (and huge) steaks, of which we each (almost) eat a whole one.
• Full and satisfied, we drive the last few miles to our accommodation – the Grand Canyon Hotel, a typical motel right next to the road, which is also very cosy and nice.

Friday, 6.10.

A park in the walk

• Catching the sunrise is our plan and not a bad one considering our planned monster hike.
• That means 5am wake up, then at 6:15am we leave for the Visitor Center car park.
• We are a little stressed, because of course we start a too late and the shuttle leaves at 6am, but it turns out, we do not have to show our National Park Pass and do not even see a station or anything else that looks like its charging entrance fees and there is still a lot of space at the car park thanks to the early hour.
• We wait for the Red Route Shuttle, in a queue and are a bit surprised, because two Red Route Shuttles come, stop at the station next to us (where no one is standing) for a short time and then leave empty driving almost teasingly past us.
• As the third such shuttle passes us, we begin to wonder if we’ve landed in a bad “Verstehen Sie Spaß?!” episode.
• Finally the bus arrives and we make it to the starting point of the hike in time for sunrise.
• the moment when we all catch a glimpse of this natural wonder for the first time – and at sunrise at that – is one of those moments when time seems to stand still – we all stand on the edge and stare (not with our mouths open, but almost) at the spectacle that stretches out before us.

• Our plan is to hike down the South Kaibab Trail and then hike back up the Bright Angel Trail, as there are several water refill stations on the latter, which are more necessary on the way up than on the way down.
• Fun fact: we checked before the hike whether the water refill stations are in operation, Julian: “Great, it says – yes they are there until ‘early October’; what kind of information is that! In Bavaria it would say ‘the station is open until 2 October, 11h’.”

• There are warnings and signs everywhere, pointing out that one should not overestimate oneself, that the hike is really very strenuous, that many people die due to overheating and dehydration, that it is a very “strenuous hike” overall and that one should definitely and really not hike down and up the canyon in one day.
• That is understandable, because the ascent is a steep one with 1400 metres of altitude gain, it is about 33 degrees (Celsius) at the bottom of the canyon and 22 degrees at the top during the day and probably enough tourists, like us, think “ah, that’s okay”, especially because, treacherously, the descent comes first of course and there is no turning back, once you have descended into the valley, you have to climb back up again – Matthäus reads and kindly shares with us that 250 people had to be rescued from the canyon last year

• At the same time, the signs are a little exaggerated and since they warn about everything and everyone, you no longer know what to take seriously and what not – for example, the website warns us that in the morning there are “freezing temperatures” and you should therefore dress very warmly.
• For this reason we arrive at the canyon with our down jackets and rain jackets, only to find that it is warmer than expected and soon gets very warm (especially during hiking), so we end up carrying the jackets along on the hike instead of using them
• Julian’s comment on the countless warning signs: “What’s next?! A sign: ‘if you hike past this point I hope you made your will’ and then a photo of a crying grandmother.

• It is very unusual to start the hike with a descent (according to the motto: “Owi muss I des Tal ruft” (an Austrian saying)), but it pays off: with the fascinating play of colours provided by the light of the rising sun, fascinating and truly impressive views of the incredible Grand Canyon, which lives up to its name, reveal themselves behind every bend in the trail.
• The great thing about the South Kaibab Trail is that you have great views of the Grand Canyon and the play of light and shadow. More and more rocks are illuminated in a way that is really indescribably beautiful and always makes us stop in awe anew.

• The canyon first has steeply sloping rock faces, before some green areas (on which some kind of bushes and even trees grow) on plateaus give the impression of gently rolling green hills (it reminds me a bit of the Hobbits), between which, however, there are again smaller canyons that spread out like branches over the green areas, so that dark crevices open up that give the landscape a rugged but at the same time beautiful character.
• This is also the course of our hike: While at the start the path leads steeply down the rock face in serpentines, it then runs rather gently downhill through green landscapes before it leads again more steeply down into the canyon in serpentines.

• The small canyons in the big one also explain why we don’t get to see the Colorado, the river that has formed the canyon – it keeps hiding in the dark canyon until just before we reach the bottom – but then it reveals itself all the more impressive.
• We descend quite quickly and soon arrive at the bottom of the river, where a bridge leads to the other side and to Angels Camping and Phantom Ranch.

• because of this and our brisk progress, I say at some point, fully committed and self assured: “Pah, that’s a park in the walk!” Julian and Matthäus agree, until at some point they look at me with raised eyebrows and Matthäus says, “That’s a what?!”
• At both, Angels Landing and the Phantom Ranch you can stay overnight with permits and after you have won a lottery, for which – as we look up later – you can only apply again for December 2024. We decide that it must be an amazing experience, but really requires serious planning so is probably not for us.
• There is a green oasis by the river, with trees, bushes and even grass growing here, which contrasts beautifully with the dark rocks – it’s super fascinating and simply beautiful.

• We hike up to the ranch, thinking that this is where the water refill station is, only to find out that there are water refill stations around every corner here in the valley (we actually already walked past minimum two until that point…).
• The detour pays off anyway (at least that is what we tell ourselves), just to see the ranch, which even has electricity and doesn’t look like huts just lying in the middle of nowhere.

• Besides, it is even more fascinating to experience the huge canyon inside and to see the steep rock walls growing upwards on both sides.
• Of course, there is also an American-style bar selling beer, snacks and soft drinks – and to our delight, coffee, which we grab right away.
• There are also toilets and Julian runs ahead with the coffee while we fill up water bottles and stow them away – I follow and notice that Julian is still the last one in the queue for the toilet.
• Julian is excited, because as he tells me, he has just thought to himself “Ah, it would be practical if Marie would come, she surely wants a coffee too” and at that moment I have come around the corner – thought transfer, so to speak.

• We consider swimming in the river, but first of all it is a bit wild (you can also book rafting tours on the Colorado River) and secondly it is not easily accessible, so we give up the idea.
• We meet mules carrying supplies down the river and they are very relaxed in view of all the hikers (of course they are used to them) – it is impressive how safely they move over the steep hiking paths

• Later, a second group of mules passes us, carrying people down – this is of course the more relaxed way to see the canyon from below.
• We start the crazy ascent, which already makes us a bit uneasy – as 1400 metres of altitude on a trail that leads mainly through the sun should (especially considering it’s 33 degrees)

• After a few metres we see a lady throwing up next to the path – like the guy on a warning sign – so it seems to be necessary to put up the warning signs after all.
• Soon we reach the River Resthouse, situated on a small creek leading down to the Colorado River, where we take a longer break and refuel for the upcoming ascent.
• The healthy-looking sandwiches we bought in the supermarket come with a packet of mayonnaise – reminiscent of the nut mixes we chose especially because they didn’t obviously have M&Ms in the packet, but half of them are chocolate chips

• Well fortified, we set off and in the heat it is really exhausting, but also full of great views into the canyon.
• Soon the trail leads away from the main canyon along a small creek, the Garden Creek, which lives up to its name and forms a real oasis in the otherwise very rugged and barren landscape.

• Here the hiking trail even leads through several small streams, which leads to slightly wet feet for Julian and me with our trainers, but through which Matthäus stomps unperturbed with his hiking shoes.
• It is beautiful and also very fascinating how the different landscapes alternate and always open up new views.
• By now the sun is at its peak and therefore the midday heat is also insane, which makes us very grateful for all the water refilling stations (which are all still open), because you really need the water

• After a long time (we don’t progress quite as fast) we reach the 3 Miles point, which is misleading, because although it’s only just under 6 km from here, these 6 kilometres still hide almost half of the altitude difference (650m).
• This is where we part ways, because while Matthäus and I take a little break, Julian sets off for the final spurt and continues faster
• We start talking to other American hikers and realise that hiking the Rim Trails (South Rim and North Rim Trails) is a lifelong goal of some people – a hiker from Arizona tells us that he trained for 6 months for this and is hiking from the North Rim to the South Rim today together with friends and his sons – they left at 4:15 with headlamps – amazing!
• The South 2 South, as the Americans affectionately call it, which we are also doing, seems to be the classic, as it is easier to organise – the North Rim is, after all, over 300km away by car.

• So while I first explain in a complicated way, “we walked down the South Kaibab Trail, before we passed the Phantom Ranch and then ascended via the Bright Angel Trail”, I now proudly answer the question, “Which hike are you doing?” “We are doing the South 2 South”.
• At 1.5 Miles Point is the last stop before the summit, or trailhead, where we only have a short rest, but at least we eat a sandwich before we start the last (and steepest) part of the ascent.
• It really drags on and everyone is walking at a snail’s pace – understandably.
• When two ladies in front of me offer “You can pass”, I just say “No, thank you – I won’t pass anyone anymore” and mean it – our drinking break frequency increases considerably
• We are very happy when we see the first tunnel, because from the second tunnel on it’s really almost done, another hiker tells us
• To our astonishment, a trail runner still running overtakes us before we finally reach the second tunnel and actually arrive at the trailhead shortly afterwards.

• There we sit down comfortably and just exist – totally exhausted – but slowly we realise: We have made it! And it was a really great, if indeed very strenuous hike (of almost 30km with 1400 metres of altitude).
• We text with Julian, who has meanwhile gone to the only café in the park, which closes at 5pm, and have the idea of going there for a coffee, which we quickly abandon when we see the really long queue at the shuttle bus.
• Instead, we arrange for Julian to come here, from where we can take the shuttle directly to the sunset point, where there is already a long queue, which Matthäus and I immediately join.
• So we’re at the front of the queue when Julian arrives with perfect timing (making us a bit nervous) right at the last shuttle (which only runs as long as the sunset is still going on) and sprints over from the blue shuttle.
• The driver makes an announcement to the really full bus “You guys are certainly all here for the sunset” and explains where we have to get off, when the shuttles are coming back and that we won’t be going to the last two stations because we won’t make it to the sunset there.

• The viewpoint where we get off is perfect and we enjoy the sunset and the great light in which the canyon appears again to the fullest – as Matthäus says “Now we have seen the Grand Canyon from sunrise to sunset in the full light of day” – it was totally worth it.

• As if that wasn’t enough of an impression or hike, we also take a walk up to the lookout point at the Visitor Centre, from where we admire the starry sky over the Grand Canyon.

• With this picture in mind, we return to the motel, where we take a shower (wow, a warm shower, that really feels good) and then have dinner at the motel, which is good, as we can’t move any further in our condition.
• It turns out to be surprisingly good and so the last evening ends very nicely

• Our enormous tiredness leads to us all falling sound asleep very quickly

Saturday, 7.10.

Los Angeles is calling

• Again we get up much too early, because today we have to drive all the way (about 600km) to Los Angeles.
• I take the first driving shift, but first I need coffee, which I tell the others “Guys I need coffee!” I look out of the window of the motel, “Ah, over there!” – on the other side is a huge sign “Coffee”.
• So our first stop is right across the road, at a cute little coffee truck, which to our great delight has very good coffee and also delicious breakfast, which we eat with relish in the sun in front of the truck – that’s a good start to the day =)

• Julian’s coffee has a sticker that says “Less talk, more work” – Julian not amused

• Off we go towards Los Angeles, first on the highway, then via Insterstates.
• We google the state names, California, “The Golden State”, Arizona “The Grand Canyon State”, Nevada “The Silver State”, Oregon “Beaver State” and think of nicknames for the Austrian federal states (if you are interested find more details on this in the German version.)
• We see a dubious construction: a Texan camper with a car attached to the back (?!?!).
• To the right of the interstate runs a railway line on which we see one goods train after the other pass by, which are so long that even on the straight surface where you can see the horizon, you can hardly see the end when the locomotive passes you, a madness!

• At one of the petrol stations we visit, it is interesting to note that the petrol is cheaper if you pay cash than if you pay by card: Julian’s comment on this: “Yes, the Austrians have already seen through this principle”.
• Already 200km before Los Angeles the traffic starts to get very dense and even the 5-lane motorway is full of cars (see photo), there is even a lane for car pools, i.e. cars with 2 or more passengers, Matthäus: “That says everything about how busy the city is with cars” and Julian confirms that you can’t get anywhere in LA without a car, so it’s a real American city.

• We unload Julian at the car rental station and drive to LA airport, from where we continue – off to our next adventure in Salt Lake City!