Packing for Adventure

So now I am committed to hiking to the Phantom Ranch in late June 2025, right into the heart of Arizona’s brutal summer heat.

I’ve mentioned before that I prepared physically by signing up for a winter race series—5K, 10K, 10-mile, and two half marathons. Meanwhile, Chris… did nothing.

As the time for our trip drew nearer, I started planning local hikes with increasing difficulty and steepness grades. Chris is a naturally strong hiker, and from the beginning of our relationship, he has always outpaced me on hikes to the point of extreme annoyance on my part. But in all our preparations, there were 2 hikes we went on in which I totally beat Chris to the top (never mind that he was sick on those days).

As departure day loomed, my biggest concern wasn’t fitness—it was heat. What should we pack? What could we expect?

So I joined a bunch of hiking-focused Facebook groups, including one specifically for Grand Canyon hikers, to ask for advice. The overwhelming response was message after message warning how dangerous the heat is that time of year. Rangers. Hikers. Everyone: Be careful. Don’t underestimate it.

But I wasn’t about to cancel—it took too much effort to get that reservation. Which meant we needed to be prepared to be HOT without dying.

That meant I needed answers to very specific, seemingly simple questions. Things like:

• Is there air conditioning at Bright Angel Lodge, where we’d stay the night before and after?
• Is there air conditioning at Phantom Ranch cabins?
• Can we use a freezer at Bright Angel Lodge to freeze our Gatorade for the hike?
• Is there a freezer at Phantom Ranch?
• What time do we need to turn in our duffel bags for the mule service? When will they be available again?
• The early breakfast at Phantom Ranch isn’t until 5:00 AM, but countless advice says to leave much earlier than that. Can we get breakfast earlier?
• Same with the sack lunch—scheduled for 6:30 AM. Can we get it sooner?
• What should we do during our downtime at Phantom Ranch?

Not all of these questions I had are life or death, but given that we were getting so many warnings, from hikers and park rangers alike, about making sure we don’t die in the heat, some of these answers would be very helpful in preparing for the journey.

I called at least 10 times in the few weeks leading up to our trip, and I got big fat “I don’t knows” in response. It was extremely frustrating to try to plan a strenuous trip without details.

There are only two numbers you can call:

1. Central Reservations 888-297-2757 – they’ll talk to you if your trip is more than two days away.
2. Bright Angel Transportation Desk 928-638-3283 – used only to confirm details within two days of your trip.

But neither line could answer any of my questions (despite my insistence that maybe I could be put on hold while they find out), and you can’t call Phantom Ranch directly—because they don’t have phones. (But somehow they can still accept credit cards for lemonade…)

In most cases, the final answer I got was:
“You’ll have to ask when you get there.”

That’s not exactly helpful when you’re trying to prepare for a high-stakes, high-heat, remote hike.

Coming up next: the inside scoop on Phantom Ranch cabins — all the answers I finally got, plus tips you’ll struggle finding elsewhere.