A Month Later

One month ago 4 tired men were trekking the last leg of their ascent up the Bright Angel Trail. I was one of those hikers, and I wanted to make the hike drag out as long as I could, making more stops than usual to gaze down from where we had come, to take photos, but mostly because the air was becoming thinner as we rose in altitude.

I am not used to 5,000 foot altitude; as you recall, I hail from Sitka, Alaska which is at sea level (and yes-- we get tourists asking the altitude of Sitka even as they're disembarking from their cruise ships in the Sitka harbor!). I was in better than "good enough" shape for this hike, and I was glad I took the advise on the FSG website to train in advance. The training DID in fact, increase my enjoyment factor. I loved ever minute!

All of us in our group were in our 50's but everyone was in good physical shape, so you didn't hear anyone complaining. The other two, Steve and Jim, were actually in their late 50's, and came from St. Louis area so they were fairly comfortable with the temperatures and altitude. Our guide was Scott Victor, also born and raised in St. Louis -- remarkably close to the same locale as Steve and Jim.

A good guide can make a world of difference in the quality of a hike, I'm sure. I enjoyed every day in the canyon, thanks to Scott. I would guess all the FSG Guides are as capable, educated and able to make any of their hikes as memorable an experience as mine was for me, however.

Hiking Boots

FSG strongly suggests training in the hiking shoes that you will be wearing. This gives them a good break-in time. They don't promote any one specific brand, but do suggest a well broken in boot with ankle support.

I wanted to get my boots on sale at Campmor, but my wife thought I should buy them locally so I could try them on and start wearing them on my hikes. The pair I bought here in Sitka cost $150.00, and I saw the same pair at Campmor for $120.00, so I didn't feel too bad.

The Vasque Breeze GTX XCR Airmesh leather uppers make these lightweight boots exceptionally breathable and comfortable. No kidding! These shoes have got to be THE most COMFORTABLE hiking shoes I've ever owned. They've got nylon lining, "DryTech" footbed, molded EVA midsole for shock absorption, and Vibram® Contact outsole for traction.
They ARE lightweight: 2 lbs. 7 oz.

I'm very happy with these, but the proof will be in how they treat my feet, both hiking down the canyon, and up. I've been told by a woman who did the same hike, that NO ONE escapes BLISTERS! She loaned me a CD of pictures of her hike, and there were some gruesome pictures of her feet with blisters and black toenails, which eventually fell off! UGH!
Of course, I'm taking my Smartwool socks in two different weights: heavy cushion and medium. I've also got some low cut Smartwool socks.

For blister remedy, I'm taking a couple sheets of Moleskin, some of my mother's corn pads (remember those?), and some devil's club salve which my sister makes. It's our Tlingit Indian medicine, which I trust over other blister medicines.

Good Hiking Pants

Some important notes about specific items from Campmor:

HIKING BOOTS deserve an entirely separate post, so I'll attack that later.

LIGHTWEIGHT LONG PANTS
TREKMOR 2/1 PANT
Details: These versatile pants are constructed of quick drying 100 percent nylon with moisture management treatment to keep you dry and comfortable. Sun protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. 9 in. gusset calf opening with Velcro® closure for easy removal of pants leg when converting to shorts. Quarter front pockets. Zip front fly has a button through closure. Rear inset welt pockets with Velcro® closure. Double pleat front has fixed front waistband and half back elastic waistband. Five 1.25 in. wide tunnel belt loops. Bellows cargo pocket on right thigh has reverse box pleat. Velcro® closure flap.
Avg. wt. 11 oz.

I've worn mine in 30 degree weather. They're comfy!
My hike will probably be in 80 degree weather, so I'm sure the zip-off pant legs will be very handy. If it's cool in the morning, I'll wear the pant legs, and unzip them on the way down. How neat is that?

This satisfies two items on Four Seasons Guides packing list; the pants and one of the two pairs of shorts!

My Purchases

I followed Four Season Guide's Grand Canyon packlist as closely as possible, researching other sites about specifics. I read long and hard before deciding on a pair of hiking shoes, for example. Here's FSG's recommendations:

Personal clothing should include:
We recommend that your clothing be made from wicking materials (Under
Armour®) and/or Coolmax. Cotton OK May-September

Each person is limited to 15 pounds
for all of the above listed personal equipment. Their season runs year
round, so keep in mind the season of your trip when packing, not all of
this list will apply to your trip.

FSG Recommends	I Got	Price
Hiking boots – well broken in!!	Vasque Breeze GTX XCR	$150.00
Sandals (something supportive w/ heel strap)	Tiva	free
Light weight long pants (Convertible zip-offs)	TREKMOR 2/1 PANT	$50.00
2 pairs of shorts (quick dry)	Trekmor 2/1 Loose nylon swim trunks	(above) Free
2 T-shirts (preferably synthetic, but can be cotton)	Northface™ Vaporwick Tee Duofold Thermax® Tee	$30.00 $10.00
Good synthetic socks (i.e. Smartwool®)	Smartwool® med. weight Smartwool® heavy weight Smartwool® Mini-Crew	$19.00 $15.00 $15.00
Pack Towel – small lightweight face clothv	MSR Ultralight™	$10.00
Warm jacket or warm shirt in summer*	Outdoor Research Razor Jacket™	$89.00
Rain jacket or poncho	Jacket Above	n/a
Wide brim hat	Hecho en Mexico!	200 pesos
Sunglasses	n/a	n/a
Spring/Fall/Winter (Mid October – April)
1 wool hat or tuke	n/a	n/a
1 pair of wool gloves/mittens	n/a	n/a
1 long sleeve synthetic shirt	Trekmor Travel Shirt	$50.00
1 heavy long sleeve synthetic shirt	above	n/a
1 pair of mid-weight long synthetic bottoms	Trekmor 2/1 Pants above	n/a
Waterproof pants	Trekmor 2/1 Pants above	n/a
Waterproof Jacket	Razor Jacket (above)	n/a
Personal toiletries:
Toothbrush and paste (travel size)
Strong sunscreen (SPF 35 and up)
Personal medication (ibuprofen, Benadryl, Tums, Epi Pen)	Ibuprophen 400mg Tums
Other items:
Hydrations system (Camelbak)	CamelBak Omega Reservoir (70 oz.)	$22.99
Camera – batteries	Nikon Coolpix 4300
Lip balm	Devil's Club lip balm	free, made by sister
Bandanna
Flashlight or headlamp	Clip-on LED	$12.00
Knee brace (if you have knee problems)

The desert is a hard place to figure the weather out. Especially in the early spring
or late fall, the day time temperatures can be very warm, reaching into the 70's or
even the 80's, with the night time temperatures dropping near freezing. It's best
to be prepared for both warm days and cool nights.

The Ongoing (?) Exercise Regimen

The Four Season Guides has Training Information (pdf) for the backpacking hiking trips. In it, they point out:

"The best way to train for your trip is to go on numerous hikes. The steeper these hikes are the better. Elevation gain/loss of most of the trails in the Grand Canyon is over 4,400 feet. If hiking is not an option, we recommend running up and down stadium bleachers or stairways of tall buildings. It is strongly recommended for those going on a backpacking trip with us, to wear a backpack (a day pack or school backpack will work) carrying some substantial weight inside (about 30-35lbs.). An example would be a bag of dog food, kitty litter, or 3 gallons of water. Going to the gym or using a stair climbing machine will not prepare you nearly as well as hiking. Overall, any form of training that gets your heart pumping is better than none."

When my wife and I went to Mexico in January, we asked for a 9th floor room, and I made sure to use the stairs and not the elevator. This is what my stair climbs looked like:

Day	Number of Flights	Extra
1	14 flights	6 mile walk
2	35 flights!
3	9 flights
4	13 flights	Gym workout
5	12 flights
6	12 flights	6 mile walk
7	35 flights!
8	36 flights!
9	18 flights
10	9 flights
11
12	18 flights	Gym workout
13	36 flights!	Gym workout
14	45 flights!

This is my 4 mile walking/jogging route I try to do daily, as a replacement for the forest trail I mentioned earlier:

I know... Four Seasons Guides suggests hiking up steep hills with a backpack!
Yesterday, after a period of inactivity (I did a fresh install of Windows XP that has taken 2 days -- and I'm still not finished!) I felt guilty and thought I would make up for my laziness. I put my backpack in the car, drove over the bridge (above) to the stairclimb, and I climbed up and down the stairs 8 times!
I really exerted myself. On an empty stomach. Without having drunk water.
BAD!
Did I feel sick afterward!
Today I jogged the route on that map above, and included 3 stair climbs. I love to exhaust myself. This time I ate a triple decker peanut butter sandwich and drank good amounts of water before hand. It felt WONDERFUL!
I decided to rotate my regimen -- one day jogging, to work on endurance; the next day stairclimbing, to work on strength. I'll figure out how to get those back woods hikes in there too. I miss the woods. There's nothing like our Sitka forests to clear the head.

Expenses To Date

Started keeping a spreadsheet to track expenses on this trip.

Looking like this so far:

TOUR:

Item	Cost
Four Seasons Guides 1/2 pmt.	$400.00
TOTAL TOUR	$400.00

TRAVEL:

Item	Cost
Alaska Airlines -- Round Trip Sitka to Phoenix *mileage rewards	$10.00
Greyhound Phoenix to Flagstaff R/T	$0.00
Greylines Bus Sea-Tac Airport to Downtown R/T	$22.00
Seattle Metro 3 Day Pass	$15.00
TOTAL TRAVEL	$47.00

LODGING:

Item	Cost
Phoenix 2 nights	$185.60
Flagstaff 1 night	$54.08
Flagstaff 1 night	$54.08
Phoenix 1 night	$79.85
Seattle 2 nights	$211.62
TOTAL LODGING	$585.27

SUPPLIES AND INCIDENTALS:

Item	Cost
Campmor - Hiking clothes, boots, supplies	$196.73
Local Sporting Goods Store (Hiking Boots)	$204.12
TOTAL SUPPLIES	$400.85

My total trip expenses only came up to $1,433.12!!!
*This is mostly due to the fact that I used my Alaska Airlines Mileage Rewards.

My Itinerary

Okay. My wife has this trip she loves to make every year to New York City, made easy by the fact that Alaska Airlines flies Seattle to Newark now. She returns April 11, and I'll spend a few days with her before I leave on my hiking trip.

ARRIVING
I leave Sitka on April 15 (we've already filed our taxes!), switch flights in Seattle, get to Phoenix in the evening where I'll head straight to my airport hotel till the 17th. On the 17th I catch the morning Greyhound to Flagstaff (3 hr. ride) where I'll stay at a hotel walking distance to the Four Seasons Guides. We have a 4pm Orientation meeting the night before the hike.

THE HIKE
We depart Flagstaff at 6am on the 18th, a scenic drive to the head of the S. Kaibab trail which begins at Yaki Point, where we'll begin our 7 mi. hike down the steepest trail in the Grand Canyon. Thank goodness we're taking 2 days for the return! We get back to Flagstaff about 4pm on the 20th. I thought I might appreciate recuperating in a hotel room for the night, rather than catching a Greyhound to Phoenix. Maybe I'll have some time to scout around downtown Flagstaff, which is right on historic Route 66.

RETURNING
I catch the morning Greyhound back to Phoenix on the 21st, and spend the day there. I fly out of Phoenix to Seattle on the 22nd, and spend the 23rd in Seattle. I fly home on the evening of the 24th, and arrive back in Sitka very late. But I'll have achieved this "heroic" thing in my book of life!

So... all this booking of flights, hotels, and buses probably sounds quite complicated, right? Nope. It was made easy by this remarkable (and FREE) website, Trip It I read about in PC magazine. All you do is forward your confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com after you create an account, and they parse the email and enter the information in your trips. What I ended up with was a printout of my intinerary, with all the hotels + check-in/check-outs, AND maps! HOW CONVENIENT IS THAT?

I booked all my hotels using Alaska Airlines hotel finder, so I had confirmation emails that I just forwarded to Trip It. I could have entered my Greyhound trips, but I didn't want to have those "set in stone." But now I have my entire trip laid out in front of me!