I pulled my late 1980s backpack out of storage. My first thought was that it was heavier than I remembered, just over seven pounds empty. Backpacking gear has gone through an ultralight revolution. Materials are stronger and much lighter. For my Grand Canyon Rim to Rim and future trips, I bought a new ultralight backpack, and a tent, each weighing under two pounds. The last time I'd gone hiking in the backcountry with friends, I'd carried nearly 50 pounds of gear, food and water. For my hike through the Grand Canyon, I would carry less than 35 pounds and that was probably 10 pounds more than I needed, mostly too much food and water.
We applied for a permit for May. We didn't win the primary lottery. Nor did we win the second chance bid. I re-entered the lottery for June, not the ideal weather window, but we figured we could handle the heat. We live where summers are hot and humid and by June, we would be heat (and humidity) acclimated.
We won the lottery for June. We had backcountry permits to hike the Grand Canyon. I continued my training. Living in Kansas, which is known for being flat and relatively low elevation (866 feet above sea level where I live), it can be difficult to train for climbing at higher altitudes. I was up most mornings before dawn, wearing a backpack, using trekking poles doing hill repeats, but I was gaining as much elevation in hiking four miles as I would gain in a single mile hiking at the Grand Canyon.
I practiced pitching my tent and setting up my gear. I told myself I'd do a dry run at some point before heading to the Canyon, but life gets in the way. I had to help someone move to Chicago the week before my trip. I twisted an ankle four weeks before the trip, which cut into my ability to train. Our spring was unseasonably cool, so much for getting heat acclimated before leaving.
We pulled permits for Mather campground at the South Rim, but could not get a spot at the North Rim campground for the date we needed. We managed to get reservations at Cottonwood, Bright Angel and Havasupai Gardens for the dates we wanted.
I made reservations for the steak dinner at Phantom Ranch and for breakfast the next morning. About a month before our departure, I received an email from the National Park Service informing me that due to work on the Trans Canyon Water Line (TCWL), the trail along the river from Bright Angel campground to Havasupai Gardens would be closed during our trip. This meant we would have to take the more difficult path up the "Devil's Corkscrew" on the South Kaibab trail and then cross the Tonto Plateau in order to reach Havasupai Gardens.
NPS's message warned that this route could be dangerous, especially during the heat of the June day and that there was no shade and possibly no water on the Tonto Plateau. We were given the option to cancel our trip and collect a refund.
I messaged my hiking buddy and we talked about it. We decided we could handle it and that we'd just leave earlier in the day and carry more water. I checked for availability at the North Rim campground again. Apparently some folks had backed out when NPS announced the TCWL work and trail closure. I was able to get a reservation for the date we needed at the North Rim campground, which is a short distance from the North Kaibab trailhead down into the Canyon.
The lesson here for others planning trips to the Grand Canyon is that if at first you can't get the dates or the camp you want, keep checking in as people often book sites even though their plans are tentative, cancelations happen on the regular.
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