Grand Canyon Trip - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/24/2005 09:59:35 PM · #1

I could use a little help planning a last minute trip to the Grand Canyon. If I can pull this off, I'll be there the first week of February. I�ve been searching the web, but I have a few seemingly simple questions for anyone who has actually done this.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Questions:

1) How long (in hours) does it typically take to walk down from the South Rim to the Phantom Ranch?
2) If I am in reasonable shape, how strenuous is this going to be.
3) How tough on the knees is the decent on South Kaibob and return on Bright Angel?
4) What is the difference (if any) in Sunset between the rim and bottom of canyon?
5) Is it safe to do alone?

And most importantly, has anyone been there in February with favorite places to shoot?

Thanks in advance

Marjo

Canon EOS-7D

01/24/2005 10:10:07 PM · #2

Well, Good luck! We went in May last year and it was pretty chilly at night and early morning. I just stood on the rim and watched everyone hiking down. I thought if you went on the mule ride down to the ranch it was an all day thing. I have some brochures...somewhere...

RHoldenSr

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

01/24/2005 11:01:02 PM · #3

Bill not knowing how old you are or your physical condition it would be hard to say.

My wife and I went to the Canyons (Grand Canyon, Zion Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Bryce Canyon.) last October. We did not atempt to hike in the Grand Canyon because we were told it is like hiking a mountain in reverse. Going down is easy and coming up is the tough part.

They also warn you to watch for rattle snakes and etc. The Grand Canyon hosts it's own variety of Rattle Snake not found anyplace else in the US.

Another reason we did not hike the Canyon was that it was late Ocotber and the winter weather was threatening our trip each day and we had a long trip still ahead of us. It was first stop we made on our trip.

There are a number of other ways to get down the Canyon without hiking. Mules, helicopter, 4 wheelers or private tours (jeeps/trucks). When we return we plan on going down into the Canyon via a private tour (jeep, truck or etc). I have noticed that a lot of the great images I have seen were taken within the Canyons not from the lookouts.

We did however hike some of the shorter trails at Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon.

They do warn you to never hike alone in the Grand Canyon or any of the other Canyons. Some of the trails are maintained but for the most part they can be very rough in some areas.

If you have not seen the National Parks site they offer hiking tips and general information on the Grand Canyon:

National Park Service - Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon Hiking Tips

Grand Canyon Trip Planning

Also when driving the Grand Canyon be sure to drive the posted speed and etc. There are a lot of wild Mule deer roaming the park. We saw a number of them get hit because cars came down the narrow roads to quick and the drivers did not see them.

We took this shot as we were driving out of the Grand Canyon and heading for Zion Canyon:

Best of luck with your trip :) Looking forward to seeing your photos.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

01/24/2005 11:08:23 PM · #4

I happened across this site while looking for guides - it might be useful.

I was surprised neither Photo Travel or Photograph America had guides. I have a couple of the Photo Travel guides and they are pretty comprehensive.

Artifacts

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/24/2005 11:20:27 PM · #5

I recommend you PM DBCer louddog (Daryl Faust)

Daryl hiked the route you are interested in taking last fall as a day trip and can tell you exactly what to expect. In Februray snow might be a big problem, though.

01/24/2005 11:24:39 PM · #6

Gordon: Thanks, there were a couple of sites in there that I hadn't found, and buried in one of them was some timing info (13miles in 6.5 hours down and up, which was particularly useful)

Robin: I jog 4ish miles many lunches and that is not much work. A seven mile road race feels like a hard yards to me. The snakes are a good warning. I'm pretty sure I can handle the walk, but my mate has a bit of a bad leg. He's off to the doctor to get a read on Wednesday. If he is fit, and we can find reservations, we're going to give this a go.

Margo: Thanks, looked on the web and it looks like a heat wave to me. 21F looks like a heat wave to New Englanders these days ;)

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/24/2005 11:25:09 PM · #7

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Thanks much, will do.

kreybar

Nikon D70

01/24/2005 11:42:35 PM · #8

Good advice Steve , so much of the answers to your questions lies in the weather,trail conditions & your physical condition , especially this time of year.It could snow for 2 days and be 50-70 degrees for the week following , I always referred to snow as "white mud" when I lived there . Another hitch is that the tops of the trails don't get any sun , so you might have to deal with ice , especially a problem in the early morning when you'll have to leave if you expect to make it to the river & back in one day .They do rent strap-on craampons @ the General store inside the park.The Tonto loop connecting the Kaibab & Bright Angel trails might be a more reasonable day hike this time of year with only 12 hrs of daylight .I would suggest keeping an eye on the long-range forecast & also staying in touch with the backcountry office @ GCNP for trail conditions . And one more very important piece of advice ; WATER ! Start drinking lots of it 2 days before your hike to hydrate your body and carry plenty with you , at least a gallon .Also , I doubt if any of the dirt/mud roads out on the reservations are passable this time of year .I talked to some friends there yesterday and there are quite a few vehicles stuck off-road . I'm not trying to be negative , I'm just saying BE AWARE. Enjoy

bobdaveant

Canon EOS-60D

01/24/2005 11:47:44 PM · #9

The canyon is amazing, my wife and I took a helicopter tour that flew us down into the canyon base where we took a river boat ride on the Colorado River and had lunch, it was the highlight of my Las Vegas trip last year. I cant wait to go back again and skip the casino and spend more time in this inspiring place. Here is one of the shots I took.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

01/24/2005 11:49:47 PM · #10

Originally posted by bobdaveant:

I did the helicopter trip once too - fantastic. I hate Vegas more and more each time I go - but there are so many amazing photographic places within a short drive - not just the Grand Canyon...

bobdaveant

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/25/2005 12:02:15 AM · #11

Here is one more shot of my wife and I, very snap shotty, but beautiful scenery just the same.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

01/25/2005 12:14:56 AM · #12

I think this is exactly the same part of the canyon :)

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

01/29/2005 01:46:40 PM · #13

I PM'd you some info.

Here are my photos from my last trip on this route:
//www.arizonahikers.com/board/modules.php?set_albumName=albun60&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php
The slide show is in order, going down kiabab and up bright angel. Running into a big horn on the way down is not a normal experience.

P.S. this year it's north rim to south rim for us

Message edited by author 2005-01-29 14:03:50.

kearock

Nikon D90

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

01/29/2005 02:13:45 PM · #14

I did the Bright Angel Trail in 2002 with a geology field trip group. The small group I was hiking with took most of the day to go down as far as the great unconfomity (I think roughly 3/4 of the way down) and back up, including a long lunch break and trip down a side trail. We left pretty early in the morning and I got back to the top just as it was getting dark, but I have breathing issues and am very slow going uphill. The park service warns against hiking all the way to the river and back up in one day, but a bunch of folks from our trip did it (note that this group was mostly composed of hard core outdoor people) and a few even went as far as phantom ranch (a little ways down the river from where the bright angel hits it) and back up. So, I'd say if your in good shape, it can definately be done in one day, but I don't think the kids that did got to stop and enjoy the scenery as much, so maybe it's not the best that way...

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/29/2005 02:22:03 PM · #15

Louddog: Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing those shots Its like having a cheat sheet for the final!)

Kearock: Thanks. I managed to get a bunk at Phantom Ranch, so it'll be down Thursday and up Friday.

Zoomdak

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

01/29/2005 06:58:44 PM · #16

Taken from South Rim near Lipan, Navajo, Desert View (somewhere towards that direction of Moran Point.)

Pug-H

Pentax K10D

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Pentax

01/29/2005 07:26:17 PM · #17

I can't recommend this outfit highly enough, mountainbiking on the North Rim. Best 6 days I ever spent in America, apart from the dory trip down Hell's Canyon, which was also 6 days.

LoudDog

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

01/30/2005 04:21:59 PM · #18

A friend went up to the canyon yesterday just to check out the snow. He said there was about 3 fresh inches on the ground yesterday, it's probably snowing up there today too.

See Pics here:
//www.arizonahikers.com/board/modules.php?set_albumName=albur09&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&PHPSESSID=fed8d7a8659dfeeea47692a342f62fe9

These were taken down the bright angel trail. Looks pretty bad, bad place to slip and fall. I also heard there are places on the kiabab trail that are iced over solid from someone that was also up there recently. Crampons will be a must and walking sticks will help.

Be safe, hafe fun, good luck!

kreybar

Nikon D70

01/30/2005 07:40:18 PM · #19

Ditto to Loudog and glad you were able to get a berth @ Phantom ! So many times (everyday) folks go to the Canyon expecting to see it all in one day , now you'll be able to relax a little and appreciate the "grandeur"!Drink alot of water & enjoy !