The Grand Canyon
By: Ansley Still
Tags: Hiking With Dogs, Hiking, Vanlife, National Parks, Grand Canyon

Driving under the speed limit with our eyes peeled for a dirt road pull off. We turn onto a road in the Kaibab National Forest only 15 minutes away from the south rim entrance. Visitors can pay up to $300 to stay in a hotel this close to the Grand Canyon, but our site was free.

We pull in just before sunset and watch the sky change from blue to purple as goosebumps cover my skin with the cooling desert air. The warmth of the van welcomes us inside as we start planning for our hike the next day. I look up information on the rim to rim trail, but it is best done as an overnight and we only have one day. We decide going a few miles below the rim will still be a great experience even if we can’t go all the way to the bottom.

I start brushing my teeth in bed and open the back door to spit it all out while Kevin goes to pee. He quickly jumps back in the van. He saw two animal eyes glowing in the distance from his headlamp. I tap my foot and fiddle with my hoodie sleeve thinking about how it could be a mountain lion when more realistically it was a deer.

We woke up with the sun the next morning and got on the road. The Grand Canyon only allows dogs on paved paths above the rim. We wanted to hike below the rim into the canyon so we boarded Bradley at the kennel in the back of the park. We stop at the visitor center to get a map of the South Kaibab trail and catch the shuttle to the trail head.

Walking to the visitor center we spot a ranger. He warns us that we should get crampons because the first couple switchbacks are covered in a thin layer of ice. I shrug as we walk away deciding to try our luck with just hiking boots. As we started on the first switch back I gain my confidence on the ice.

“I’m sure glad we didn't rent crampons this ice isn’t — ” I started to say.

Right then I place my foot down and it keeps sliding down the trail. I grab for Kevin’s shoulder and he lost his balance as well. He leans forward and braces into a low squat. Somehow we both stay on our feet and don’t talk much until the third switchback where the ice had melted.

The switchbacks change to a gradual downhill slope towards the center of the canyon. The walls beside us are so tall I had to crane my neck so much to look up at them that it would have been easier to lay down and see the top. The breeze blows up bits of rust colored sand.

We reached Ooh Aah point that overlooks the canyon below. An older couple from Seattle chatted with us while we all search for the Colorado river below. They begin to spew out facts at us including that the Colorado river took 6 million years to form the canyon.

Further down the canyon we reached skeleton point and took out our tuna and tortillas for lunch. We began at 8,000 feet of elevation and two hours later we were only 1,000 feet down. Not even one fourth of the way to the bottom. I can't fathom the size of the canyon walls. Every layer of sediment changes the color and adds to its depth. It goes on for miles and seams like it never ends. We sit in silence just soaking it all in while we eat.

On our way up we get stuck behind a pack of tourists on mules. The guides are talking to the group and say that only 20% of yearly guest go below the rim and only 1% go to the very bottom of the canyon. This inspires me even more to come back and do the rim to rim trail. But for today we had to get back to Bradley.