Bright Angel Trail - May 2017
Summary
The Bright Angel Trail is an out and back style trail starting at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and going all the way to the Colorado River. You can choose how far you would like to go, given it is a strenuous hike and it is out and back.
Where
This trail is located at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It is easy to get to the trail head, but that is probably the easiest thing you will do all day, if you decide to embark on this trail either as a day hike or an overnighter!
Logistics
We did this trail as a day hike, but even in May there were a variety of challenges logistically. If you intend to give this trail a whirl, plan for 3 season style day hiking. We started our day early with temps in the 30s and at one point I remember it feeling like it was in the 80s and I was sweating pretty heavily. With this variability in temperatures, it is also very important to consider your water needs. There are a few places you can fill up water, but the key to success here is to make hydration and clothing a priority in your preparations.
Hiking
There’s no getting around the fact that this trail is HARD. The views are amazing, but the challenge around this trail sneaks up on you, especially if you start at the rim like we did. Going down is easy, climbing up is hard. So we started our day descending and ended it climbing. Couple this with the temperature changes, and expect an ascent in warm weather, pretty much any time of year outside of Winter. This is a popular trail so there will be many others working through this challenge alongside you. Worst case, you can rent a mule/donkey or in an emergency a helicopter rescue (not recommended).
Photos
All photos shown below were taken with a DSLR (Canon).
