The Kaibab Shuffle

The Kaibab Shuffle is the term used to describe the hobbled walk that many folks who have hiked into the Grand Canyon exhibit a day or two after the hike. I was 5 days out before I stopped doing the Kaibab Shuffle!

Our trip was great. We got to Phoenix on Thursday and immediately hit In N' Out--it was beyond delicious. Then we hit Target and loaded up on Clif Bars and Gatorade powder. Andy took us to a fantastic Mexican place where we stuffed ourselves. Then Andy and Jay did a quick hike up Pinnacle Peak. I stayed back due to my coughing and chatted with Don, the volunteer park person. He gave me lots of interesting info about the local vegetation. Did you know that a saguaro cactus takes over 175 years to get 30 feet tall? And that it can suck up 200 gallons of water in a very short period of time and then live off that water for an entire year? Arizona is dry and feels like a frying pan but it is definitely beautiful in its own way.

On Friday we made our way to the Grand Canyon. It was nice to leave Phoenix at 103 degrees and arrive at the Grand Canyon at 75 degrees! We took a walk out to the South Rim, which is where our hike was to end. I'm glad I wasn't paying too much attention to the height at this point, otherwise I might've chickened out. We had a great dinner and then tried to get some sleep to be ready for our 4 AM wake up. Didn't work too well--there was a huge party somewhere in the campground and they were rocking out to Lynard Skynard and REO Speedwagon until about 2:30 AM. And someone kept howling every few minutes. So none of us got much sleep but got to rock to the hits of yesteryear.

Saturday morning, 6:30 AM. We began our hike into the canyon. After a group photo we started the trek down. We were all excited to finally be doing the hike! Even the sign telling us to NOT do this hike couldn't dampen our excitement! :) At some points we were actually jogging because it was easier than trying to stop your body at each step. The views were spectacular--the South Kaibab Trail is very steep but very open. I was feeling good but the downhill is definitely tough on your knees. The lower we got, the more I started to feel just the slightest bit nervous. The walls are very steep and I was starting to wonder if this maybe wasn't the best idea. I finally made it down to the Colorado River (which was a gorgeous shade of green) and up to Phantom Ranch. The hike to Phantom from the river just about did me in (and it was pretty much flat!!!). I was really hot and needed food badly. I sat on a rock at Phantom for a few minutes to cool down. Jimbo was down there and glad to see me but impatient to get going. Jay wasn't there--he had already left. Jimbo made sure I was okay and then took off. There were still folks down there to hike with though so it wasn't like I was being left behind. Vujo always stays in the back to walk with the slow folks. Funny part is that he hikes in his swim trunks (and sometimes water shoes!) and could probably run up and down the canyon without breaking a sweat. So I forced myself to eat a Clif bar and drink some Gatorade. I may never be able to ingest either of those items from now on.

I was getting ready to leave Phantom Ranch when the very BEST part of my whole day happened. I saw Jimbo walking back up the trail towards me! He decided to turn back and stick with me. I almost started crying because it was just so meaningful to me. For those of you that know Jimbo, you know he is springloaded to the ON position and wants to always be moving. He loves to charge on and really push himself on these hikes. I just can't do that--I'm lucky to get out alive. So for Jimbo to willingly choose to go slow when he could've gone much faster meant the world to me.

Jimbo and I set off from Phanton Ranch and started the trek towards the top. The trail curves along the river and runs parallel for a ways--probably my favorite part of the hike. It was beautiful and FLAT!! We turned away from the river and started the long hike up. It was pretty gradual and Jimbo and I were having a nice chat and making fairly decent time. Then we got to the absolute worst place on earth--The Devil's Corkscrew. I am so glad I didn't know it was coming, otherwise I might've tried to drown myself in the river! The Devil's Corkscrew is a series of switchbacks that cause you to gain some major elevation in a really short time. It is pretty steep and we hit it in full sun. The trick with this hike is to get to certain places ahead of the sun--it makes a huge difference in how you feel. Unfortunately we ended up here as the sun was clearing the canyon wall. There was some cloud cover though so that did help but the temp definitely was rising as we climbed. We trudged along and I started feeling worse and worse. Finally, I stopped right in the middle of a switchback and announced that I thought I was going to throw up. And then I got scared. Because everything I had read said that once you start hurling, it's over for you. The only fix for this situation is to eat and drink but your body naturally does not want to do either of those things. As I'm standing there taking little bites and little sips, my vision starts to get a little funky. I start seeing a zigzag rectangle around my right eye's field of vision. Scary. I couldn't blink it away and then I really started getting scared. I tried eating and drinking more heartily but it was tough. After a few minutes my eye cleared up and I started feeling better. But I was still in The Devil's Corkscrew so how much better could I really be?

We finally got to the top of the Corkscrew. Jimbo renamed them The Rachel Killers--it was that bad. Jimbo never once got impatient with my slow progress or told me to hurry up--he was so encouraging and supportive. Best hiking partner ever! We were on our way to Indian Gardens. As we hiked up, we asked the mule train drivers how far Indian Gardens was. The closer we got, the further it was away, according to them. I almost felt like cursing at them. We started seeing the big cottonwood trees that lead into Indian Gardens. But the trail just kept going and going and going. I was starting to really run out of steam at this point--my feet were killing me, I wanted to see Jay and I really needed to eat. I finally snapped, "Where the hell is this place!?!?" and then I saw my sweet little brother Jake heading towards me with food. He gave me the wonderful news that it was right around the corner! Then he told me that Jay and two other guys had already gone up. I was so PISSED! I took off my shoes and stood in the creek for about 30 minutes thinking angry thoughts. And then I started getting worried that something bad would happen to him and how I was the worst wife ever for thinking bad thoughts about him while he lay dying of dehydration or low blood sugar. I choked down some lunch, laced my shoes back up (fresh socks though--good thinking!) and went to refill my water. At the water faucet we met a woman looking for gatorade powder for her husband. Apparently he was running out of steam. Poor guy, right? Not really. This dude had CARRIED a 215 pound man out of the canyon the day before. This other hiker was startled by a rattlesnake and broke his leg falling into a ravine during their rim-to-rim hike. So this guy helped carry this hiker out and then came out on a pleasure hike with his family the next day. We gave him some powder and headed out. Yeah, he totally blew past me not long after that. Humiliating.

After we left Indian Gardens, we noticed that there was a forest fire up on the rim. Pretty cool, except the smoke started filling up the canyon! As if I wasn't having enough trouble breathing. The distance from Indian Gardens to the Rim is about 4 miles. That doesn't sound so bad, right? It is. You stand there looking up thinking there is no possible way you are getting up these walls. They look so sheer that you wonder how there could be a trail that will get you up there with even a shred of safety.

We plodded along, with me leading Jimbo, Jake, Heidi, Andy, Vujo and Kent. I was not leading because I was fast--I was leading because I was the slowest. But no one complained or tried to hurry things along. We were just getting it done. I was having a really hard time breathing--that elevation just kills me. We were going from about 2,500 feet to around 7,000. After a while I fell back to the end of the line. Vujo and Kent, who I will be forever grateful to, stuck behind me the entire way. They are both really strong hikers and certainly could've gone much, much faster but somehow they knew that I needed them behind me. I appreciated that. If I was left on my own at the back, I would've just kept falling further and further behind. With them there, I knew I could rest but it gave me the kick I needed to get going again.

We finally got to the Mile and a Half Resthouse (that is really the name--creative, right?) which is, you guessed it, a mile and a half from the top. I got cell service and texted Jay. First I asked if he was alive and then I told him I was furious with him for ditching not just me, but the entire group. Funny thing is that once I knew he was okay my anger dissipated quite a bit. I was still irritated but had a certain amount of respect for how quickly he was able to get down and back out again. So here we are, a mere mile and a half from the top. This is the LONGEST mile and a half on the planet! There is one point in the trail where it looks like the trail just dead-ends right into a cliff wall. I was really dragging at this point and just kept my head down and plodded away. It started getting dark so we put on our headlamps. It was kind of cool to look behind us and see this trail of headlamps trudging up the trail behind us. As we climbed the trail started to have steeper drop offs and I noticed that Jake turned around with almost every step to make sure I didn't slip or lose my footing. I am so grateful to have hiked with these great people! We finally got to the final stretch and I remember silently cursing in my head and then suddenly, Jay is standing right there! How about that? It was a little anticlimactic coming up in the dark because you can't really look at where you've been but it was still wonderful to be done!

We got showers and a hot meal. Then we all crawled into bed and didn't move again until morning. No campground dance party could've kept me awake. I didn't even brush my teeth and I ALWAYS brush my teeth before bed! It just seemed like too much work.

The next morning was pretty hilarious. We were a sorry bunch. Most of us were stumbling around, either because of muscles or blisters. I have never been that sore in my life! My knees kept locking up on me and I would almost fall over. We spent the day riding the shuttle bus along the rim and taking pictures of where we had been. I finally came to the realization that I am not a hiker. At least not this kind of hiker. I am too slow, and I've always been that way, even when I was in much better shape. I never quit but I am so slow you might not be able to tell! :) I do love these trips though for the fellowship and the scenery. So from now on, I will go on the trips but while the rest of the group kills themselves on a trail, I will do a tasteful hike and enjoy myself. I can now say that I've done this hike and I will never need to do it again.

I will post pics in another posting. Oh, BTW: I popped the blister and it was glorious! :)