Bright Angel Trailhead

Hiking inside The Grand Canyon is an epic experience. Bright Angel Trail is the gateway into one of the 7 natural wonders of our world. The Park Service is right when they say this hike can be a revelation or an ordeal. I find it to be somewhere in-between. It is a physical and mental challenge that you have to prepare for. As I write this review, I am a 55 year old man who lives in Arizona. I walk my dog twice a day everyday for up to and over 10 miles a day. I last did the hike on March 12 and 13th of 2018. I made it down the SA in 7 hours and up the BA in just over 10 hours. The way I do this hike is snag bed at Phantom Ranch. They serve a great steak dinner, cook up a big breakfast and give you a sack lunch for the walk back up. If you can swing it, stay two nights. You can hang out on the beach and watch the rafts go by or take any number of day hikes. The River Trail between SA and BA is really nice. If you camp, let the mules haul your equipment in and out. It is the best 150 bucks you will ever spend. Campers can reserve breakfast, lunch and dinner at Phantom. You can spend less time cooking and more hiking. BA is a series of switchbacks. To hike it you have to think like a mule. Never step up onto something when you have to step down. The log and rock supports on the trail are the highest points. Step over them, not on them. Look 10 feet ahead and step in the most level spots, which are often exactly where the mules step. I live in Arizona. On a moderately hot day (105 degrees), I will consume about 32 ounces of water for every two miles I hike. The number one hiking rule in Arizona is when you are halfway done with your water, you are halfway done with your hike. Wear a hat and sunscreen. Walking sticks really help on the BA going up and down. I always bring an extra pair of socks. Remember, lite is right. I bring a small Canon 720, not my 5D Mark IV. That 5 pound 5D morphs into a 25 pound cannonball that is wrapped around your neck on the way back up. Leave No Trace!