Bright Angel Trail

For my last hike of 2015, I was on the Bright Angel Trail before 7 a.m. just as dawn's light transformed the shadowy wall's into bright oranges and pinks. Every step of the trail provides an inspiring view into the expansive gap carved through the layers of time.

The Grand Canyon is the inverse of a mountain. Unlike climbing up to a summit, the hardest part of canyon hiking is getting back out after climbing down in. Signs at the trailhead ominously warn hikers not to attempt to go all the way down to the Colorado River and back in a single day. People have died trying to do that nearly 16 mile roundtrip hike, or so the signs said.

Instead, at most, hikers are advised to only go as far as Plateau Point, six miles and 3,000 feet deep inside the canyon, but still 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. As I hiked down, I could feel the tug of the river.

Also in reverse to hiking up a mountain, the view as you descend into the canyon gets narrower than at the top but you can see further up and downriver. The weather warms up as the canyon immerses you, with the temperature dropping and the trail becoming less icy and snow-packed as it drops from 6,800 feet to under 4,000 feet above sea level.

Just past Indian Gardens, the trail splits between the river and Plateau Point. I hesitated for a moment but better sense prevailed and I took the fork to the left towards Plateau Point instead of descending deeper. The river would have to wait till another time. A couple hours later I was back at the South Rim and speeding in the direction of Colorado.