"DON'T DO IT! Do Not Hike Down and Up in a Day"

At last the time had come when everyone piled in cars and met inside the Grand Canyon National Park for the long anticipated "hike." Jay and Heidi drove their Prius and rubbed in how they were getting 51 MPG! Dan and I drove with a couple from church, Greg and Stacey, and then Heidi's brother, Bernie, and his wife and son, Lorena and Kade (who is almost 3), drove in from the Tuscon area.

Friend Greg in the early morning sun.

We drove from SD all the way to the GC in a day-basically 10 hours. We checked in to the Yavapi Lodge Wednesday evening and settled in for the night. We were up early on Thursday and began exploring the canyon rim by Bright Angel Trail. It was a little warm-up for the hikers. We ate and walked a bit, and stopped at the visitor center to get important hiking information. All the rangers, park personnel, and billboards stressed "Do not attempt to hike down the canyon and back up in a single day." "People die from lack of water and heat exhaustion." This was not going to detour our group!

Dan, Bernie, Heidi, Jay, and Greg end their hike at Bright Angel Trail!

The training regimen that Jay worked up for everyone had them "over prepared." They said the training hikes to San Jacinto and San Gregornio were much more challenging. They started down the Kaibab Trail at 5:30  just before sunrise. They were at the bottom in good time and after crossing the river headed back up the Bright Angel Trail around 10. It takes 2 to 2 1/2 time longer to go up than down. The traversed MANY switchbacks that Stacey and I could see some of from up above. They anticipated a 10 hour hike and they made it in 8 hours 45 minutes! Amazing. Stacey and I were their at the trail head to welcome them back. No injuries, plenty of food and water. They were exhausted after hiking the 17 miles, some of it in 90+ heat. Dan said the last 2 miles was just one foot in front of the other him. But at 3 months shy of 63 he made it! So now he can check off his bucket list, "To hike Mount Whitney" and to hike the Grand Canyon "down and back up in one day." They have already planned their next adventure-The Narrows in Zion National Park. That is only 15 miles in water!!