Grand Canyon from the bottom, anyone?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Mama Zappa and I came back from the Grand Canyon last week. We are still awe-struck by its beauty. Mama Zappa is psyched up to see the Canyon again - but next time from the bottom up, as well as from the rim.

As we understand, there are three ways to get to the bottom of the Grand Canyon:

[ul]
[li]Hike[/li][li]Mule Ride[/li][li]Hi, Opal! [/li][li]Raft down the Colorado River[/li][/ul]

We probably should not bring the kids to the bottom, unless we want to hear “Are we there yet?” whined out for every … single … step of the journey. Also, Dweezil is morbidly afraid of boats, so leaving the kids behind[sup]1[/sup] makes a raft trip a possiblity.

Any Dopers done this?

What kind of physical condition do you have to be in to get to the bottom of the Canyon and back, by each method? Mama Zappa and I are serious couch potatoes. We’d have to work at getting into shape. She’s talking about doing some day hikes in nearby mountains, and getting some riding lessons. I barely know which end of a horse to point ahead. Did you know they don’t even have steering wheels? :dubious:

If you’ve gone to the bottom by more than one method (you lucky Doper, you!), which way do you prefer?

I’d prefer hiking - it’s most like walking, which I actually can do. But Mama Zappa has some knee “issues”, and I will NOT hike alone. I take the Park Ranger’s warnings seriously. I want to come home alive enough to remember the experience. We did walk a few hundred yards down Bright Angel Trail and back, and that was amazing. We know that going all the way down is serious stuff[sup]2[/sup].

Can one hire a hiking guide? Someone who knows what s/he’s doing, and can advise us about equipment, pacing, when to go into emergency mode, whether we’re too super-sized to even think about this?

Can one stay at the Phantom Ranch for more than one night, and do some day hiking around the bottom? Are there day hikes available?

What does one do if there is an emergency? We found out that cell phones do not work in the Grand Canyon area. Not a surprise in the National Park - who wants cell towers cluttering up the view - but a bit of a surprise in the nearby town. Eastern suburbanites that we are, we just assumed we could phone each other if we were out of eyesight. But if I fell and could not get up[sup]3[/sup], how do I call a Park Ranger? How does Mama Zappa call a probate attorney and Raoul the Pool Boy? :wink:

I won’t ask you to describe the view from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I’ve seen the view from the top, and that is beautiful beyond words. Paintings, photographs, posters, movies, the IMAX movie - none of them do it justice. The view up must be … indescribable.

Advice, anyone? Thanks in advance!

[sup]1[/sup]Appropriately supervised, of course. We’re not cruel or neglectful. And we’d hate to be indirectly responsible for the destruction of an entire National Park.

[sup]2[/sup]I mean all the way down the beautful, Grand Canyon. Aw, get my head out of the gutter! :rolleyes: I mean the National Park!

[sup]3[/sup]I’m not quite that old, I just feel like it most mornings.

2

You would really leave your children out of something you are likely to do only once?

You would deny them the memories?

For shame.

3

I did the mule trip. It’s certainly arduous, especially on the way down (mules don’t have shock absorbers). The first issue is whether you and the missus are both under 200 pounds. That’s the upper limit for the mules. You don’t have to be too experienced to ride a mule, but some riding experience helps.

I also did some day hiking – down three miles and up again. It’s different than most hiking you’ve done – typically, you don’t start at the top and have to hike * up * at the end of the day. I would not care to do the hike all the way down at any time during the summer – it’s just too hot. Even in September, you want to get a pretty early start. There is camping at the Phantom ranch and you can stay for several days, but you do have to make reservations pretty far in advance, as hiking permits are limited.

Although the views from the bottom and at various places along the way are very impressive, I found that the best views are at the top. What you gain from doing the hike/ride down is an appreciation for the scale of the thing.

Of the two ways of getting to the bottom, I think mule riding is probably the less arduous if you’re not in shape. Hiking all the way down (and back up) would be a serious walk.

4

The Grand Canyon is even more beautiful as you descend. You will not be disappointed.
However, it is a very, very strenuous hike. Especially coming out, when you are going seriously uphill. I saw an article the other day about a late twenties male from England, in good shape, that died on the way out. (Google Grand Canyon deaths if you want to see how serious a hike this is.)
Leave the kids at home. They can go themselves when they get older. It will still be there.
If you don’t have the time and inclination to train, take a mule ride. I haven’t done that, but I have seen some seriously out-of-shape people on the mules. I think most anybody could do that. It would be worth it.
If you were impressed at the top (and obviously, you were), you will be even more in awe at the bottom.
Find a way to make it happen. It is incredible.

5

Clearly, you have not met my kids.

We won’t necessarily exclude them, but we won’t force them to do something they would find unenjoyable, boring, painful, AND fear-inducing beyond description. Especially when forcing them to take such a trip would suck every molecule of enjoyment out of it for us.

They went with us on the trip we just took. We all had fun, but we’ve seen all of the Grand Canyon one can see from the South Rim without some serious physical activity. The little jaunt we took down one trail - less than a mile round trip in nice weather - was frightening for both of them. They did NOT like being close to the edge. Hell, I didn’t like being close to the edge, but I have the emotional control to deal with it and enjoy the views.

We will include them in our training for this, and see how they react in calmer, safer, controlled, and more familiar condtions. If, for example, they develop a fear of horses, a mule ride to the bottom is right out.

We’re at least a year, maybe two years, away from Our Big Trip to the Bottom[sup]TM[/sup]. That’s a long time in our kids’ lives, we’ll see where they are then.

But if they don’t want to go, you’re darned right we’ll let them “miss the memories”. They can make up for it as adults - or not as they choose.

I saw the Grand Canyon when I was ten. I liked it, but I did not appreciate how fantastic is is. I did not remember how amazing it must have been. That is why I wanted to see it as an adult - and share that with my children. We did that - and we’ll do it again. But we’ll only take them as far as we think it’s safe for them to go.

6

I’ve hiked down and up. It was somewhat strenuous, but not overly so due to the trails being smooth. Obviously you must get in shape to the point that you can comfortably walk up hill in very hot conditions for a few hours.

Keep in mind that the place is a giant reflector oven. Bring lots of oral rehydration formula and water, and go in the spring when the heat is not too bad and the desert flowers are blooming.

7

What’s wrong with a good running leap?

8

I’ve hiked rim-to-rim-to-rim twice now and I’ll make a few recommendations:

  1. DO NOT DO IT IN THE SUMMER!! Unless you’re an experienced hiker, you need to do this in the spring.

  2. If your wife has knee issues, it will make things difficult, both on the way down and the way up. Even more so if you are out of shape. Since you are not doing this right away, I would do a lot of training hikes on hills to see how your wife’s knees hold up.

  3. Water. Water, water, water, water. Lots of water. In fact, you’ll want to superhydrate yourself before you begin your hike (drink until you can’t drink anymore. Your urine should be completely clear and not yellow at all).

  4. Emergencies won’t be a problem. The trail will be packed. If you’re having a problem, don’t hesitate to ask someone for help. There will also be rangers around on the trail.

  5. Leave early in the morning to avoid hiking in the mid-day heat as much as possible. Take your time, drink lots of water.

  6. Don’t worry about riding lessons for the mules. You won’t have to give them any directions. Just sit there and don’t fall off. You’ll have a guide with you and be part of a big mule train with lots of other people, and the mules can do this hike with their eyes closed. Fun fact - mules like to walk on the edge of the trail, and not the edge that’s close to the canyon wall, the edge where’s there’s about a foot of trail between you and a very, very long drop.

9

I saw a program on the Grand Canyon a few months back. Here’s my impression (though I’ve only looked across from the rim…no personal experience):

  1. The mule thing scares the hell out of me. Are there any statistics on how many mule people don’t make it back? Do they ever go over the edge?

  2. The program said that the heat will slow down even the most experienced hikers. It is imperative that you listen to the lecture before you go down. These Canyon folks know what they’re talking about. It is dangerous.

  3. I believe the area at the bottom where some people camp is one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you can stay down there for a day or two, you won’t regret it.

  4. I wish there was a tour bus.

10

Someone dying while on a mule is almost completely unheard of. As far as I know, nobody has ever gone over the edge while on a mule.

I did not know this until a few minutes ago, but there is a 200lb weight limit on the mules that is strictly enforced. Typo Knig, you mention that you and your wife are somewhat large, so this may limit your choices.

11

I found one cite for a mishap in 2005. But it looks pretty safe. Here’s the poop on rules for mule-riding the Canyon:

http://www.grandcanyonhiker.com/planners/srim_mules.shtml

12

Ditto what Neurotik said.

No mention of trekking poles: if you’ve got knee problems, I think you’d benefit greatly from using them.

13

As far as I know, no one has been killed riding the mules. People have been injured. (A woman possibly broke her arm on the trip I was on.) It’s serious stuff and you have to follow the rules. One of the most important is not to let the mules develop any room between them and the next mule, otherwise this gives them room to run. You don’t want mules running with inexperienced riders on narrow steep paths. The way you keep the mules in a tight formation is to whack them with a leather persuader if they start to slow down – after you’re down with the trip, you know what it means to beat something “like a rented mule”.

When I was there, the guide pointed out buzzards circling where a new, inexperienced pack mule had fallen over the edge. So…it’s not Disneyland.

14

What if your mule doesn’t cooperate? Do the guides help you out?

Do they have saddles or just like a cloth/blanket thingy between you and the mule?

15

Of course. If you’re having trouble, just yell out to the guide and he’ll help you right away. They don’t want anyone to get hurt.

Saddles.

16

Standard Western saddles. Of course the guides help if the mules don’t cooperate. But the mules are trained and are used to the trip, so usually the worst they do is sort of mosey along slower than the group.

You’re limited in what you can carry down to what can fit in a plastic bag the size that 15 pounds of ice comes in. Why that shape? Because it has to fit in a saddle bag which is about that size.

17

An alternative is a helicopter ride. I did a trip from Las Vegas, which included a half-hour lunch stop at the bottom of the canyon. It was amazing, since you not only got to see right inside from the bottom of the canyon, you got a sense of its amazing proportions from the air. I used Sundance Helicopters, but there are several companies that do this. It was the best thing I did on that trip to Vegas.

18

I have been to the bottom of the canyon twice with this company:

Once was by helicopter, and the other was by SUVs across an Indian reservation near the west rim. I highly recommend them, especially for couch potatoes.

19

Now you’re talking! We’re supposed to return to the scene of the crime next year for our 10th anniversary (married in Vegas). I think maybe we’ll put the trip off until spring so we can do the helicopter trip. Is it expensive?

20

You can’t just drive down there?!? Don’t they have roads?? :dubious:

I would think a sturdy SUV could get you down quite handily.

Yes. I am only joking.