Day 1 - 7.5 Mile Hike to Bottom of the Canyon

Our day started bright and early at 6:15 A.M. to make sure our backpacks, Camelbaks, and layers of clothing were ready to go. It was 20 degrees at the top of the Canyon but by the end of the day at the bottom of the Canyon, the temperature would be near 80 degrees. The kids were super excited and ready to take on the adventure head on!



We boarded the Hiker Express bus at 8 AM with the other camper/hikers, heading toward the top of South Kaibab trail. Canyon and Presley were the only kids on the bus! Real Rock Stars!



Our 7 hour adventure began at 8:45 at the rim of the trail! The trail was steep and long with steep sides. Mom's constant quote of the trip. "Slow and steady. Stay focused!"





On our hike down, we took many snack breaks and many bathroom breaks. We also passed the infamous mule trains heading up to the top of the rim (the "easy" way). We enjoyed the vistas, our lunch breaks on the side of the mountain, and the amazing trail! We also began to shed layers as we descended towards the bottom.







The end of the day was tough. While it is down hill, it is tough on the legs and tough on the stamina. And this was only Day 1. We still needed to head up and out of the Canyon on Day 2. We truly didn't know if the kids could make it. Reaching the bridge that crosses the Colorado river was a huge triumph! We then headed to Bright Angel Campground, retrieved our bags from Phantom Ranch and set up a beautiful campsite alongside a rushing creek. Our reward was a huge steak dinner at Phantom Ranch! After dinner, we played a couple of games while Mom gave foot rubs in the tent. And by 7:00 pm, the crew was out, exhausted and trying to recharge for our 5:15 AM wake up the next morning to hike out!