Category: Hiking
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Getting a reservation at Phantom Ranch might be harder than the hike itself. I share how I managed to book a stay—despite midnight battles with their clunky website and months of lottery rejections. If you’re hoping to stay at Phantom Ranch, this is the post you’ve been searching for.
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Hiking the Grand Canyon in late June? Here’s how we prepared for the heat—including early start times, cooling gear, and hydration tips that helped us safely hike 20+ miles during Arizona’s hottest season.
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After over 20 miles of hiking and thousands of feet of elevation gain, we finally reached the South Rim. In this post, I share the final stretch of our Grand Canyon trek. Up next: the truth about Phantom Ranch, including answers to the questions no one else seems to cover.
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We crossed the Tonto Trail just after sunrise, chasing shadows, finding peace, and realizing how right our decision had been. We even got a blessing from a butterfly—and beat the heat to Havasupai Gardens.
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We started our hike out of the Grand Canyon at 3:30 AM in total darkness, facing a big decision: stick with the South Kaibab trail, or risk the longer, lonelier Tonto Trail. A park ranger’s story gave us pause—Chris’s logic gave us the push.
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With the Bright Angel Trail closed just two weeks before our trip, we were left with a choice: play it safe on the South Kaibab or take a risk across the Tonto Trail. What followed was a whirlwind of warnings, reroutes, and resolve.
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With a long-awaited Phantom Ranch reservation in hand, we hiked 7.5 steep miles down the South Kaibab Trail. From slipping knees to cold lemonade, this was the descent we’d trained—and maybe not trained—so hard for.
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For our first trip to the Grand Canyon, we decided to go all in—with an overnight stay at the legendary Phantom Ranch. What started as a childhood fear (thanks, Donald Duck!) turned into a bucket-list hike years in the making.
Packing for Adventure 