Day 2 – Into the Grand Canyon (S. Kaibab)
Apr 10
2010
I was up and ready to go this morning. After years of wanting to hike the Grand Canyon, I was so excited to get started. We had an hour drive and we stopped along the way for a hearty Denny’s breakfast, our last real meal for the next two and a half days. When we finally arrived at the canyon, we toured the rim a bit and made one last shopping stop.
![img_0030 first look into the canyon](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0030.jpg)
first look into the canyon
![img_0032 hubby, peach, and sylvis a the rim](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0032.jpg)
hubby, peach, and sylvis a the rim
![img_0033 hubby and i ready to begin our trek](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0033.jpg)
hubby and i ready to begin our trek
At last, we caught the shuttle to the South Kaibab trailhead and started our descent into the canyon around 13:00.
![img_0035 south kaibab trailhead](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0035.jpg)
south kaibab trailhead
![img_0036 view from the start of the trail](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0036.jpg)
view from the start of the trail
I was still a bit anxious when we started. I knew I could do it but I just didn’t know what lay ahead of me and I was a bit nervous. I had heard that the trail could get scary. I have a history of freaking out on extremely narrow, two-sided-fall trails. I was led to believe that this trail could be like that in places. It was not. It was, however, a very downhill trail. By that I mean that there was steepness the ENTIRE way. There were not stretches of level ground with steps between – there were steps or steep declines and switchbacks all the way down.
![img_0041 looking down at the first of many switchbacks](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0041.jpg)
looking down at the first of many switchbacks
![img_0045 looking back up at that same set of switchbacks, nearly invisible in the cliff-face](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0045.jpg)
looking back up at that same set of switchbacks, nearly invisible in the cliff-face
![img_0051 a little trail and a lot of view](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0051.jpg)
a little trail and a lot of view
Also , I have never done any packing. I started the trek this morning carrying 25 extra pounds of supplies and equipment. I was unsure how my legs, back, and shoulders would adjust to this extra stress.
![img_0096 out of sequence but here's me showing off my awesome pack](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0096.jpg)
out of sequence but here's me showing off my awesome pack
By the end of it, my two big toes (not to mention my broken fourth toe) were killing me. But the views… the views were incredible.
![pan1 panoramic views](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/pan1.jpg)
panoramic views
![img_0057 me, hubby, canyon](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0057.jpg)
me, hubby, canyon
![img_0071 img_0071](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0071.jpg)
hubby in nature
![img_0075 our first view of the river!](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0075.jpg)
our first view of the river!
![img_0077 twisty turny trail](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0077.jpg)
twisty turny trail
![img_0081 hubby taking it in](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0081.jpg)
hubby taking it in
![cob_0015 desert blooms - this is one of many photos taken by peach with my little d10 after his very nice SLR died](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0015.jpg)
desert blooms - this is one of many photos taken by peach with my little d10 after his very nice SLR died
![img_0090 vista](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0090.jpg)
vista
![img_0097 getting into the red earth](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0097.jpg)
getting into the red earth
![img_0100 lean on me](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0100.jpg)
lean on me
![cob_0019 crazy swedes passing hubby as they RUN the trail (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0019.jpg)
crazy swedes passing hubby as they RUN the trail (by peach)
![img_0107 the river, in all its silty glory](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0107.jpg)
the river, in all its silty glory
![cob_0020 monoliths (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0020.jpg)
monoliths (by peach)
![cob_0023 hubby and me (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0023.jpg)
hubby and me (by peach)
![cob_0024 red rock (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0024.jpg)
red rock (by peach)
And the hike was wonderful. It has been so long since we really did any hiking that I had almost forgotten how enjoyable it really is. I LOVE hiking. Even toward the bottom, when my toes had started throbbing, I had a huge smile on my face and was enjoying every minute of it. Although, I will admit to being overjoyed at the sight of the black bridge, which I knew to be the end-marker of our descent and the gateway to our end-point.
![img_0109 first view of black bridge - the end is in sight](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0109.jpg)
first view of black bridge - the end is in sight
![img_0111 more river views](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0111.jpg)
more river views
![img_0112 zoom-in on the above shot showing the silver bridge and some mule corrals](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0112.jpg)
zoom-in on the above shot showing the silver bridge and some mule corrals
![cob_0025 getting closer to black bridge and the end of this crazy descent](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0025.jpg)
getting closer to black bridge and the end of this crazy descent
![cob_0029 panorama (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0029.jpg)
panorama (by peach)
Once we crossed the bridge, it was fairly level ground and only a ten or fifteen minute walk to the Bright Angel campground.
![img_0124 hubby at the mouth of the bridge tunnel - smiling because there's no more downhill!](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0124.jpg)
hubby at the mouth of the bridge tunnel - smiling because there's no more downhill!
![img_0125 view of silver bridge taken from black bridge](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0125.jpg)
view of silver bridge taken from black bridge
![cob_0034 enter black bridge (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0034.jpg)
enter black bridge (by peach)
![cob_0035 sylvis and hubby and me coming out of the tunnel (by peach)](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0035.jpg)
sylvis and hubby and me coming out of the tunnel (by peach)
![img_0127 peach, sylvis, me, hubby at black bridge](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0127.jpg)
peach, sylvis, me, hubby at black bridge
![cob_0038 fleur de cactus](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0038.jpg)
fleur de cactus
We found a campsite and settled in.
![img_0132 peach busting out the tools to set up camp](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0132.jpg)
peach busting out the tools to set up camp
![img_0134 hubby building shelter](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0134.jpg)
hubby building shelter
![cob_0039 sylvis and me guarding home and hearth](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/cob_0039.jpg)
sylvis and me guarding home and hearth
My toes were thrilled to get out of my boots and into some comfy flip-flops – what can I say, they are beach feet!
![img_0137 drying and airing out the socks and boots](http://reflectionsofme.com/travel/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_0137.jpg)
drying and airing out the socks and boots
Peach cooked dinner (Mountain House lasagna for hubby and I – a surprisingly tasty meal), which we took with us to the ranger program up at Phantom Ranch where we learned all about the CCC and the improvements that they made to the canyon. When we returned to our campsite, we shared a dark chocolate cheesecake dessert (basically just chocolate pudding with toffee crumbles, no cheesecake flavor) before calling it a night.
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