Packing for Adventure

Pack Light. Travel Far.

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  • A Marriage Built on Love… and Pizza

    A Marriage Built on Love… and Pizza

    I’ll kick off this series about our pizza trip by telling you why we did it.

    Chris. Loves. Pizza.

    I often joke that while most people are 80% water, Chris is 80% pizza (insert laugh tracks here).

    I knew before marrying him that pizza was important to him. In fact, he didn’t have much say in our wedding plans, but his family hosted the wedding dinner. Instead of prime rib and crème brûlée, he served pizza and donuts. (Don’t worry, everyone loved it!)

    It was very early on in our marriage that I realized how important pizza is to Chris. Very early. I’d say probably the first Friday after the honeymoon. We both get home from work and needed to resolve dinner plans. He asks if we can do pizza. I say sure. Then he looks me dead in the eyes and asks “can we have pizza EVERY Friday?”

    I kinda shrug and say “sure?”

    Chris has treated this response as a legally binding contract signed in blood.

    Any time I suggest an alternative to pizza on a Friday? “You agreed to have pizza every Friday. You said you’d never lie to me.”

    Eye. Roll.

    Dinner plans with friends on a Friday that does not involve pizza? “We’ll have to get some pizza on the way home.”

    His rules have gotten stricter over the years. If neither of us have time to make dinner on… say… a Tuesday, and one of us brings home a Little Caesars Hot ‘n Ready- it doesn’t count and we have to get pizza on Friday too. And not only that, but not all pizza is “Friday” pizza. Little Caesar’s is fine on a Tuesday but not good enough for a Friday.

    Me and Chris have been married for 11 wonderful years. I joke about how annoying the pizza rules can be, but I am 100% aware of how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband. And it could be worse… at least he’s not addicted to sloppy joes or, I don’t know, chopped liver. Everyone enjoys pizza to one degree or another. But I sure can get sick of the same pizza over and over again. (Chris somehow doesn’t.)

    Over the years we’ve come to an arrangement with Valentines Day and our anniversary. Our anniversary is about a month after Valentine’s Day. Chris plans Valentine’s Day and I plan our anniversary.

    For our milestone 10th anniversary, I wanted to do something extra special. I spent a couple months toying with the idea of how to combine our love of food, travel, and Chris’s love of pizza.

    The idea? A cross-country pizza crawl.

    I knew we’d have to include New York City and Chicago, with a third being Detroit. I figured that was sufficient, but my research at the time was pointing to New Haven, Connecticut being a top contender.

    All four are pizza powerhouses, and close enough to string together into one amazing itinerary. The next trick would be keeping it secret from Chris!

    https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1X_k10tL8AybpwkcvzZaBpx_v6BOaC94&usp=sharing
  • Why We Didn’t Do Rim to Rim to Rim

    Why We Didn’t Do Rim to Rim to Rim

    Now that I’ve wrapped up documenting our Grand Canyon adventure, I want to address a seeming discrepancy before moving on to other topics.

    You’ll notice a lot of talk about “immersing ourselves” in the places we visit. You might wonder why we didn’t hike Rim to Rim to Rim? Not only did we not do that this time, but in my prior post you’ll see it’s not even a future plan.

    This is not because I don’t think we could do it. I think we could… but would we enjoy it?

    I applaud all those who do the Rim to Rim to Rim, and I am wildly impressed by those who do it in a single day! And we did seriously consider training to do it. But after researching, we decided that were we to do it, we’d only be doing it to say we did.

    We decided we don’t want to travel merely to check off a box. We want to travel to experience the beauty and diversity of the earth and to more fully appreciate God’s creations, nature and cultures. We want to feel small. We want to feel grateful for our blessings.

    This is why you’ll find that many of our travel goals are “unofficial.” As much as we’d love to visit every single country and national park, we don’t want the joy of each place to be overshadowed by the pressure to cross it off a list.

    Also, we know our limits. Chris has a titanium shoulder due to a high school football injury, so rock climbing is off the table for him. I have weak knees and a family history of knee replacements. We’re not climbing Mount Everest, nor do we want to.

    That being said, I hope readers can see us as average. We are passionate, but not especially athletic. We are daring, but not reckless. We work hard and play hard. When we get home from vacation, we usually need another vacation to recover from our vacation!

    Chris is definitely stronger than me, and I have to work hard physically to keep up. Bottom line: if I can do something, anyone can. I hope these posts can inspire others to dream big and accomplish what seems impossible.

    Coming up: A recap of our cross-country Pizza Crawl – an entirely different trip, but just as memorable!

  • Plans for the Next Grand Canyon Adventure

    Plans for the Next Grand Canyon Adventure

    We really loved the Grand Canyon and felt like we were truly immersed in the South Rim experience. But we didn’t get a chance to see the north side, and we’d love to see more of the Tonto Trail.

    I’d even love to stay at the Phantom Ranch again! However, I’ll hold out for a 2-night stay next time. I better start trying now! I’d also prefer to go in October when the temperatures are less treacherous.

    Here are the key things we’d think about on a future trip.

    Add an extra day BEFORE the inner rim hike

    Our first day was 10 hours of driving, and even though we arrived around 2:30 PM, we were focused on prepping for our trek down and didn’t have much time to explore. This is how we’d do it next time.

    Day 1: Drive in, Explore Desert View, Check In

    We’d still drive 10 hours coming in, but leave a little later in the day (6:00 AM is not my favorite). We’d plan to arrive around 4:00 PM, including the time change.

    • We kind of missed out on the Desert View area this time. I am directionally challenged (thank goodness Chris drives us around) and I assumed we’d pass it again on our way home, but we drove out the other end. We did stop at the Watchtower for a few minutes on the day we drove in, but we didn’t stay long since we had to drop off our mule bag before 4:00 PM. Next time I’d like to actually ascend to the top of the Watchtower. It is free, you just have to get a timed ticket.
    • We would also stop at all the viewpoints between The Desert View area and the Bright Angel Lodge. I believe 2 hours would be sufficient in this area.
    • We’d plan to check into our hotel or campground site in the Bright Angel area around 6 PM. We’d grab some dinner and enjoy the views.

    Day 2: Rim Trail to Hermit’s Rest, Prep for Inner Rim

    We’d SLEEP IN!

    • We’d spend the morning walking along the Rim Trail that leads to Hermit’s Rest, getting on and off shuttles as desired. It’s a beautiful and easy trail with stunning views – and it would be a good warm up to the big hike going down the next day! We would FOR SURE bring a lunch and eat on one of the picnic tables along the Rim.
    • We’d make sure to get our duffel bags turned into the Mule Barn before 3:30 PM if we were planning to use the mule service again.
    • Grab dinner and go to bed early!

    Day 3: How we’d spend Day 3 would depend on if we got Phantom Ranch reservations or not.

    2 Nights at Phantom Ranch:

    Day 3: We’d descent down South Kaibab and spend the night at Phantom Ranch (7.5 STEEP downhill miles)
    Day 4: We’d hike to Ribbon Falls and back to Phantom Ranch and spend another night (13 mostly flat miles)
    Day 5: We’d hike up Bright Angel (9 STEEP uphill miles) – I am eager to see the part of this trail that was closed this time around
    Day 6: Drive home!

    • I’d pay for the mule duffel service going down, but not going back up
    • I’d pay for the stew dinner on day 3 and the steak dinner on day 4 (steak dinner is earlier and would allow for an earlier bed time for the trek back)
    • I’d pay for breakfast on day 4 before the hike to Ribbon Falls, but not on day 5 as we’d leave earlier than it would be ready
    • I’d skip paying for the sack lunch

    No Phantom Ranch:

    I wouldn’t be likely to stay for only one night at Phantom Ranch again. If I couldn’t get a 2-night reservation, I’d settle for staying a few nights in a hotel or in our camping trailer at the South Rim.

    Day 3: We’d do a mini version of the trip we’ve already done, focusing on our favorite parts

    South Kaibab ➡️ Tipoff Point ➡️Tonto Trail ➡️ Havasupai Gardens ➡️Bright Angel Trailhead.

    This would be a long strenuous day going 14-15 miles altogether. Even in October, we’d have to start early.

    Day 4: Drive home! This is a great option if we don’t want to leave the kids and pups home for too long. Hopefully one day our kiddos can have strong enough hiking legs to join us!

    Tonto Trail:

    The whole trail is 90+ miles, so it’s not likely we’ll see the whole thing. We for sure want to explore more of it, though to see more than we have already could possibly require camping overnight, which in turn would require a backcountry permit. If we want to see more of the Tonto Trail, the most likely thing we’d do would be to hike the Horseshoe Mesa Loop. This is around 9 miles.

    Grandview Trailhead ➡️Horseshoe Mesa ➡️Cottonwood Creek ➡️Tonto Trail ➡️Grandview Trailhead

    This would be a challenging day hike, but it would reward us with historic mining ruins and the opportunity to see more of the Tonto Trail that we loved without requiring a backcountry permit. Hopefully one day Cave of the Domes reopens, but even without it, this sounds like a hike we’d enjoy.

    I could be persuaded to obtain a backcountry permit for the chance to see the Hermit’s Camp ruins, but we’ll see about that!

    North Rim:

    Chris would be open to hiking down to Phantom Ranch from the North Rim, staying one night, and hiking up the Bright Angel Trail. This would require a using the Trans-Canyon Shuttle to get back to our starting point at the North Rim.

    I’m not convinced this would be worth it. I’ve heard:

    • The North Kaibab Trail is steeper and tougher than the South Kaibab Trail (which my knees still remember).
    • The views from the South Rim are superior
    • The best part of the North Kaibab Trail is Ribbon Falls – which can be accessed from Phantom Ranch

    If you disagree, please comment and change my mind!

    Other Fun Ideas:

    • Mule Rides – this is not a viable option for me and Chris. There is a weight limit of 220 lbs to ride the mules. When I asked Chris if he could make it there, he looked me in the eyes and said “when I was in high school playing football, working out every day, and had 6% bodyfat, I weighed 225 lbs…. so no.” Chris is my big and strong man, what can I say? But many others enjoy this option! And I’ll be honest, I’m still spooked by the Donald Duck video.
    • Colorado River Rafting Trips – this is not our cup of tea. I could be persuaded to do a river trip, but we prefer land! But this is a very exciting alternative to hiking!

    Whatever adventure you choose in the Grand Canyon, prepare well, respect the heat, and enjoy every moment!

    Chris and I will absolutely be back. Probably with stronger knees, more trail mix, and definitely more memories to make.

  • Our Grand Canyon Packing List

    Our Grand Canyon Packing List

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

    Packing for Phantom Ranch was the most stressful part of the trip. I wanted to make sure we had everything we needed for the descent, the stay at the bottom, and the climb out—without overpacking. Here’s a refined version of what we brought!

    Duffel Bag for Mule service down
    (must be under 30 lbs, next time I’ll use this foldable duffel bag that I can stuff in my CamelBak to save money on the return trip)

    • Frozen Gatorade and extra water bottle for hike back
    • Trail Mix set aside for hike back (scroll down for my elevated recipe)
    • Honey Stingers for energy on the hike back
    • Gatorade Protein Bars for breakfast on the hike back
    • Clean hiking clothes
      • Good hiking pants
      • Lightweight long sleeve UV protectant shirt
      • Clean underwear and socks
    • Essential Toiletries
      • I only brought deodorant (makes me feel better) and contact solution (it’s DRY in Arizona!)
      • Note: The Canteen has travel sized versions of most essentials
    • Portable Fan with lights to use on hike up
      • We didn’t need it on the hike down
    • Flip Flops (we didn’t bring them and wished we did) – I love my Womens Croc Flip Flops and have even done some light hiking in them. Chris loves his Mens Skechers Flip Flops

    Duffel Bag for Mule service up
    (must be under 30 lbs – probably not worth the money)

    • Dirty clothes
    • Toiletries
    • Flip Flops

    CamelBak (Going Down)
    (I use one like this)

    • 3 liters of water
    • Trail mix
    • Cooling Towel
    • Sunscreen
    • Wipes

    CamelBak (Going Up)
    (Chris uses one like this)

    • 3 liters of water
    • Extra water bottle for wetting clothes (from mule bag)
    • Trail mix (from mule bag)
    • Cooling Towel
    • Sunscreen
    • Wipes
    • Gatorade (from mule bag)
    • Honey Stingers for energy (from mule bag)
    • Gatorade Protein Bars for breakfast (from mule bag)
    • Snacks from Canteen (from prepaid sack lunch or your own assortment)

    Fanny Pack (Both Ways)
    This one has gotten me through many trips, it’s perfect! It is big enough with several pockets without being too bulky

    • Bandaids/Moleskin
    • Chapstick
    • Medicine (Ibuprofen/Tylenol/anything else you need)
    • Inhaler (if needed)
    • Lotion (it’s DRY)
    • Emergency blanket (probably not necessary for the Grand Canyon, but it’s very small and lightweight and it just lives in my fanny pack)
    • Tissues
    • Hand sanitizer
    • Phone
    • Headphones (if you want to listen to an audiobook or music)
      • Chris uses these because they block out noise
      • I use these because I CAN hear my surroundings and can stay safe on the trails
    • Car keys
    • Wallet/Money/Cash/ID
    • Goldbond (we didn’t use and wished we did)

    Worn on the Trail

    • Good hiking pants – Chris wore something like this and I wore something like this
    • Lightweight long sleeve UV protectant shirt – Chris wore something like this and I wore something like this
    • Cooling Hat – these covered our necks and kept us cool
    • Cooling Towels – these worked much better than I thought they would
    • Trekking Poles – don’t hike the Grand Canyon without these!
    • Good shoes – I wear these hiking boots, the ankle height helps with my stability, and Chris wears these – whatever hiking shoes you wear, make sure they are worn in!
    • Good socks – I actually also put sweat bands around my ankles since I wear ankle height boots
    • Sunglasses – I bought these specifically for this trip They have polarized lenses and high UV protection
    • Kinesiology Tape for targeted muscle support
    • Goldbond
    • CamelBak
    • Fanny Pack
    • Portable Fan with lights – this was a total game changer

    Waiting in the Car

    • Clean clothes for remainder of trip
    • Toiletries not taken down to Phantom Ranch
    • Hair needs (brush/pick/comb/ponytails)

    Elevated Trail Mix

    I have never loved trail mix, but I appreciate its value when hiking. I hate raisins, and I don’t love plain pretzels either. So I made my own version that I actually crave, even when I’m not on a trail. It’s nothing too crazy special, and it’s pretty simple, but it tastes great!

    • Peanut M&Ms – no way I’m using plain
    • Snyders of Hanover Cheddar Pretzel Pieces – don’t skip this! They’re so good and a major upgrade from normal pretzels!
    • Cashews – full of fat and satisfaction – make sure they are salted for an electrolyte boost
    • Craisins – much better than raisins and provide the tart flavor trail mix needs
    • Sunflower kernels – adds another layer of salt and protein

    Simply mix together using your heart as a guide for amounts and divide into baggies. Delicious!

  • Our 4-Day Grand Canyon Itinerary

    Our 4-Day Grand Canyon Itinerary

    We packed a LOT into a short amount of time!

    Day 1: Drive to Grand Canyon

    6:00AM – left home for a 10-hour drive to the South Rim

    • We wanted to get there by 3:30 PM to turn in our duffel bag ($10 late fee if dropped after 4:00 PM
    • Luckily we gained an hour due to the time change and made it by 2:30 PM
    • We made a quick stop at Desert Viewpoint for a scenic overlook before turning in our duffel bag at the Mule Barn across the street from the Bright Angel Lodge

    3:15 AM – we used the shuttle service to head to the Visitor Center

    • We wanted to get some last minute advice from a park ranger before they closed at 4:00 PM
    • Afterwards we stopped at the Conservancy Store across the street to window shop for souvenirs

    4:30 PM – we used the shuttle service to head back to the Bright Angel Lodge

    • We checked into our room – we were lucky to be staying the night in the one cabin that had ice
    • We took some time to check our bearings, make sure we knew how to get to the Hiker Express shuttle in the morning, and got our things packed for the morning
    • We explored around the Bright Angel Lodge at the different shops

    6:00 PM – ate dinner at the Harvey House Cafe

    • We ate here because it was right next to our hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised! Chris got the fish and chips and loved them. I got the Southwest Caesar Salad and Fajita Chicken Quesadilla. I loved the salad! The quesadilla was pretty good too.

    8:00 PM – Straight to bed! Early morning ahead!

    Day 2: Descent – South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch

    3:30 AM – woke up

    • Got dressed , got our gear, and dropped off some things in our car before walking to the shuttle bus and caught the 4:00 AM Hiker Express

    4:30 AM – Arrival at the South Kaibab Trailhead and started our descent!

    8:45 AM – Arrival at the Phantom Ranch!

    • It was HOT! 103°F – Our cabin wasn’t ready yet, so we enjoyed some lemonade (and a few refills) in the air-conditioned Canteen
    • We took off our shoes and waded in the nearby creek to cool off and enjoy the scenery

    11:30 AM – Cabin was ready! We checked in and took a much deserved nap!

    5:00 PM – Steak dinner family-style with other hikers – we swapped stories and advice

    8:00 PM – Last stop at the Canteen

    • We picked up our sack lunch for the next day
    • Purchased some ice to help keep our Gatorade cool
    • Dropped off our duffel bag for the mules to take to the Bright Angel Lodge Mule Barn

    9:00 PM – Straight to bed! Even earlier morning tomorrow!

    • Even though we were getting an earlier start, we went to bed a little later due to our nap

    Day 3: Ascent – Phantom Ranch → Tonto Trail → Bright Angel Trail

    3:00 AM – woke up

    • Got dressed , got our gear, and we were off!

    5:00 AM – arrival at the Tipoff Point – ate some breakfast and took a short break

    7:30 AM – arrival at the Havasupai Gardens via the Tonto Trail – took a 15-minute break

    11:45 AM – arrival at the Bright Angel Trailhead!

    • We took some short breaks at the 3-mile and 1.5-mile Resthouses
    • First stop at the top was ice cream at The Fountain! It is perfectly located very close to the trailhead, the Bright Angel Lodge, and spectacular views!
    • Then we made the rounds to get some lunch and some hard-earned souvenirs and gifts for the kids and grandparents

    2:00 PM – duffel bag pick up at the Mule Barn

    2:30 PM – Bright Angel Lodge check in

    • We had tried to check into our hotel before we got lunch, but they were having computer problems – we were very eager to have a shower!

    4:00 PM – Hermits Rest

    • We took the shuttle bus to Hermits Rest and made several stops along the way – our favorite stops were Hopi Point and Pima Point

    6:30 PM – Dinner at Harvey House Cafe

    • We would have preferred to eat somewhere different, but this place was so close to our cabin and we were tired, and we liked it enough the first time to eat there again
    • I’ll admit I had been eyeing a molten lava cake the night before our trek to Phantom Ranch, and I vowed to have it when we had successfully finished our hike. Chris got the apple crisp dessert.

    Day 4: Drive home

    10:30 AM – woke up, packed up, and hit the road!

    • We were excited to see our kids and pups back at home! We really enjoyed sleeping in!!
  • Hermit’s Rest: A Perfect South Rim Wind-Down

    Hermit’s Rest: A Perfect South Rim Wind-Down

    I’ve mentioned previously that we were on a tight timeframe. We had to pack a LOT into a short amount of time. We were really only in the Grand Canyon for 2 full days. We spent one day driving there, so that doesn’t count. Then our first full day was hiking down to Phantom Ranch, and we hiked back up on our second day. We planned to drive home the next day, so if there was anywhere else we wanted to visit, we had to do it on day 2.

    We made it to the South Rim from Phantom Ranch before noon, so we had a good chunk of the day left to see more. But since we were BEAT, we had to be selective.

    We started by getting some lunch and checking into our cabin at the Bright Angel Lodge, and then of course a well-needed shower!

    We wanted to see the maximum amount of the South Rim with minimum movement. Luckily there is a shuttle system that makes this pretty easy. There is a shuttle bus that takes you to Hermit’s Rest right by the Bright Angel Lodge, and it has several stops along the way. Perfect for tired legs and limited time.

    We planned to make our way to Hermits Rest with a few stops and then grab some dinner when we got back and GO TO BED.

    A quick tip: some shuttle stops serve both directions (eastbound and westbound), so make sure you’re getting on the right one. We accidentally hopped on the wrong bus once and had to backtrack—but thankfully, the next shuttle wasn’t far behind.

    We didn’t stop at every overlook, but if we hadn’t been so wiped out from hiking 20 miles in the last two days, we would’ve loved to walk portions of the Rim Trail. It’s flat, well-maintained, and incredibly scenic.

    Our favorite stops were the Hopi Point and Pima Point. We didn’t make it a point to be there at sunset, but I imagine it is glorious.

    The final destination was Hermit’s Rest itself – named for Louis Boucher. It was built as a place for tourists to rest on the way to the Hermit Camp. Hermit Camp itself is no longer there, but rumor is there are still traces of it. Now Hermit’s Rest is nothing more than a rustic spot to buy souvenirs and refreshments. It is sad to me, I wish I could have seen the camp and travelled on the mules getting there. There is a trail you can hike to explore more of what used to be, but it is long and difficult, more so than what we’d already done!

    Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for our itinerary and packing list!

    Hopi Point

    Hermit’s Rest
  • Phantom Ranch Prep: Questions Answered

    Phantom Ranch Prep: Questions Answered

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

    If you’re prepping for a trek to Phantom Ranch, I hope this post helps you feel more prepared—because I’m sharing everything I wish I’d known ahead of time.

    I mentioned before how unimpressed I was with the lack of information available during planning. I get that the reservation staff can’t know everything—but considering people literally die in the summer heat of the inner canyon, it would be nice if you could talk to someone who does.

    However, my experience at Phantom Ranch itself was the opposite: the Canteen, the staff, and the cabins were all wonderful! The Canteen is a literal oasis: perfectly air-conditioned, well-stocked, and run by friendly, knowledgeable people.

    Here’s everything you need to know!

    The Cabins

    The cabins are GREAT! The air conditioning works well, and each room has a toilet and sink. Showers are communal and located near the canteen. The beds were far more comfortable than expected, a welcome detail after the grueling hike.

    The Duffel Service

    We used the mule duffel service, which was nice, but make sure you understand the booking. We assumed we had one duffel per person. Nope. Each duffel requires its own itinerary number. So our itinerary—2 people, 1 cabin, meals for both—only included one duffel.

    To send two, we’d have needed a separate itinerary just for the second bag. At $90 per duffel, we decided to ditch the less essential items and we combined our two bags into one.

    Duffel Inbound Service:

    • Go to the Bright Angel Lodge Activities desk (first desk on the left as you enter)
    • Fill out paperwork and take your duffel to the mule barn across the street
    • Bags must be under 30 lbs and dropped by 4:00 PM (you can drop off up to 8:00 PM for a $10 fee if you miss the 4:00 PM cut)
    • Duffels usually arrive before you do and may be waiting when you get there.

    Duffel Outbound Service:

    • Follow the instructions at the Canteen – label your duffel and drop it off near the Canteen
    • Bags still need to be under 30 lbs and dropped by 6:30 AM
    • Duffels are available for pickup at 2:00 PM at the same mule barn where you dropped it off
    • Maybe not worth paying for – our return bag was basically just dirty clothes. Pickup at the mule barn was super easy. I tried to give my ticket to an employee, but he said “you look honest enough.” Chris laughed at that and said “why would we want to steal someone else’s dirty clothes?”
      That said, if we get the opportunity to do this again, we’d use a duffel bag like this one – it’s lightweight and folds down to a small enough size to stuff in your backpack.
      • Everything we sent down on the mule was something we needed on the trek back up (Gatorade, trail mix, clean clothes, etc.) so we could have saved $90 by stuffing our dirty clothes into our backpack along with everything else.

    Cold Storage Tip: Ask the mule barn staff to note that your duffel needs refrigeration. The Bright Angel Lodge, and even the mule barn employees, will warn you that the Phantom Ranch might not oblige the request, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. I had some frozen Gatorade and heat-sensitive supplements in my duffel. I was hopeful that the ice cold Gatorade would keep the supplements cold enough during the mule trek down.
    Upon arrival, I asked about our bag, and they said “oh we put that right in the fridge once we got it” like it was not in any way the big deal that the reservations line made it out to be. They even let me keep it in there until I was ready for it! We kept it there until the last possible moment. The Canteen closes at 9:00 PM and doesn’t re-open until 5:00 AM, and since we were planning on being gone before they re-opened, we grabbed our duffel out of their fridge around 8:30 PM and purchased some ice in an attempt to keep our Gatorade and supplements cold overnight. Then we got our backpacks ready, changed into our clean clothes, and packed our dirty clothes into the duffel to be returned via mule. Then it was off to bed! Our Gatorade was sufficiently cold on our return hike.

    Flip Flops

    Not a necessity, but we wished we had brought flip flops with us. Walking between our cabin, the Canteen, and the creek with our full-blown hiking boots was clunky. The Croc Flip Flops I use on a regular basis would have been perfect – they have really good traction (I can even do smaller, gentler hikes in them) and they are really easy on your feet.

    Phantom Ranch Meals

    1. Skip the sack lunch. At $27 per person, it’s just a collection of Canteen snacks (frozen bagel with PB&J, apple, peanuts, jerky, Babybel cheese, etc). You could easily assemble the same for half the cost, and better tailored to your preferences. If you do opt to pay for the sack lunch, they will give it to you whenever. The itinerary says it will not be available until 6:30 AM, but they happily gave it to me the night before.
    2. The “early” breakfast is too late. The inner canyon temperatures are high enough that rangers panic and scare you and make you think you’re going to die if you leave the Phantom Ranch later than 4:00 AM, yet the earliest you can get breakfast is 5:00 AM. So skip paying for breakfast if you plan to leave earlier than that.
    3. Dinner was $75 per person, and it was decent enough. We had the steak dinner at 5:00 PM family style. It was nice to chat with other hikers and swap advice. They also offer stew at 6:30 PM. The staff is very friendly and make sure you have everything you need and give trivia.

    Downtime

    Plan your downtime. We arrived by 8:45 AM but our cabin wasn’t ready until 11:30 AM. It was over 100°F by then, and though we considered hiking to Ribbon Falls, it’s 13 miles round trip from Phantom Ranch, and despite being told it’s an easy 13 miles, we didn’t want to overdo it. We cooled off in the creek and relaxed in the Canteen instead. Next time, we’d try to stay for two nights – hike down day one, visit Ribbon Falls day two, hike out day three. The Canteen has some games and books you can borrow.

    The Truth about Lemonade

    The lemonade is touted as legendary – but it’s just Minute Maid. The way people go on about it, I assumed it would be handmade and fresh squeezed. Don’t get me wrong, the first ~$16 spend on lemonade was definitely worth it! First cup is $6.75, but you get $1 refills if you keep the cup. Chris went through 2 refills in the first 10 minutes upon arrival!

    TLDR: Questions Answered

    • Is there air conditioning at Bright Angel Lodge, where we’d stay the night before and after?
      • NO – they did have a fan in the room. However the South Rim is 10-20°F cooler than Phantom Ranch.
    • Is there air conditioning at Phantom Ranch cabins?
      • YES! And it works great!
    • Can we use a freezer at Bright Angel Lodge to freeze our Gatorade for the hike?
      • NO – and only one of their cabins even has ice. We had frozen our Gatorade at home and put it in a cooler full of ice, but it had already started to melt after the 10-hour drive to the Grand Canyon. Even if they had let us use a freezer, we had to turn in our duffel bag by 4:00 PM anyway.
    • Is there a freezer at Phantom Ranch?
      • For whatever reason, I didn’t dare ask. They were SO NICE down there and had put my duffel bag in their fridge, and I didn’t want to push it by asking for freezer space. Comment and let me know if you use their freezer!
    • What time do we need to turn in our duffel bags for the mule service? When will they be available again?
      • Duffel service down – turn in by 4:00 PM and available when you get to the Phantom Ranch
      • Duffel service up – turn in by 6:30 AM and available after 2:00 PM
    • 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?
      • NO – they serve breakfast family style, same as dinner. The Canteen doesn’t open before 5:00 AM. Luckily I was able to get a refund on the breakfast of $38 per person
    • Same with the sack lunch—scheduled for 6:30 AM. Can we get it sooner?
      • YES – they will give it to you whenever the Canteen is open.
    • What should we do during our downtime at Phantom Ranch?
      • It depends on your legs and your heat tolerance! It was over 100°F when we were there, and we didn’t want jelly legs on the hike up the next day. You can hike to Ribbon Falls, or even all the way to the North Rim if you are feeling ambitious. We just cooled off in the creek, took a nap, and played games in the Canteen.

    If you’re planning a Grand Canyon adventure, stay tuned—I’ve got more posts coming soon! I’ll be sharing our visit to Hermit’s Rest, our complete itinerary, our packing list, and how we’d plan the trip differently if we did it again.

    Cute Welcome sign at the Canteen! We sent a postcard to both our kids and ourselves at home – delivery via mule service!
    Cooling off in the creek while waiting for our cabin to be ready – that water was COLD! And little fishies kept nibbling on me.
    Beautiful creek!
    Walking along the trail looking for a good spot to soak in the creek.
    The “legendary” Minute Maid
    Canteen snacks and toiletries – they even had merchandise!
    Games you can borrow at the Canteen
    Cute little library
    Cabin Sweet Cabin – I loved the cacti!
    Beds are much more comfortable than you’d think!
    AC works great!
    Showers are communal, but cabins have sinks! I was thrilled to have our own.
    I’m not generally in the habit of taking toilet pics, but there are communal pit toilets in the campground available to anyone, so I was very excited to have our own flushing toilet!
    The whole cabin was quite charming – I loved the faux fireplace and lamps!
    Such beautiful scenery!
  • Phantom Ranch Prep: All My Unanswered Questions

    Phantom Ranch Prep: All My Unanswered Questions

    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.

  • Phantom Ranch Reservations: Navigating the Lottery System

    Phantom Ranch Reservations: Navigating the Lottery System

    Now that you know how our journey started and ended, I’m going to rewind a bit to talk about how we even managed to stay at Phantom Ranch. This is where I feel like I can offer the most valuable advice—because while I loved the experience once we arrived, I was completely unimpressed with the availability of information beforehand.

    Let’s start with the trickiest part: getting a reservation.
    I don’t have any magical tips or tricks to beat the system (though I do have some tips for scoring a Half Dome permit—which I’ll share in a future post).

    As you may recall from a prior post, I didn’t decide to attempt the trek to the Phantom Ranch until I had successfully made it to the top of the Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Almost the second we got home from that trip, I started planning our next big adventure. I was so young and naive back then (two years ago). I figured “we are in hiking shape right now, it’s only September, we can go in October!”

    I was pretty bummed to discover that if you want to stay at Phantom Ranch—and I absolutely did (go big or go home!)—you have to enter a lottery system that opens 15 months in advance. Otherwise, your only hope is to check the website daily for cancellations… which are rare.

    Here’s how it works:

    • The lottery opens on the 1st of each month for stays 15 months later.
    • They draw winners on the last day of the month.
    • Then, at midnight on the 1st, they release any unclaimed reservations for that month.

    My calendar became a nonstop string of reminders: apply for the next lottery window, check for midnight openings, rinse and repeat. I received many polite rejection emails.

    But finally, at midnight on June 1st, 2024, I found an opening! I booked it instantly for June 23rd, 2025. I didn’t stop to think about how hot it might be in Arizona in late June—I just booked it as fast as I could.

    And let me just say: their website is awful. It took me about an hour of trying before my booking actually went through.

    The next morning, I called to confirm and ask a few questions—knowing I had a whole year to sort out the details. That’s when they asked if I wanted to use the duffel service (a mule carries your gear down and back up), and whether I wanted dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch. I just said yes to everything—I didn’t want to risk missing out if I changed my mind later. Thankfully, they told me I could cancel anything up to two days in advance for a full refund. Super reasonable!

    With everything booked and paid for, it was time to figure out how we were getting there and where we’d sleep before and after. Once that was all in place, the reality hit: late June is an absolutely brutal time for a long, strenuous hike in Arizona.

    So I figured I’d try for a backup plan.

    I decided to try for an October 2025 reservation when that lottery opened a few months later. But again—another polite rejection email.

    So on October 1st, 2024, I waited (impatiently) for midnight to strike. Sure enough—there were three unclaimed nights available, and two were back-to-back! I frantically tried to book the two-night stay but kept getting error messages (again… awful website). I tried for just one night. Same error.

    It’s now 12:30 AM, I had work the next day, and I’m in bed switching between two different browser apps on my phone trying to get it to work. Eventually, I gave up on the phone and got out of bed to try on my laptop. Now I was toggling between two phones and two computer browsers, desperate for success. I kept at it until around 2:30 AM, when I finally gave up. I can only assume that there were other hiking enthusiasts also trying to book the unclaimed reservations and the server couldn’t handle the traffic?

    At that point, I had to accept it: we were doing Phantom Ranch in the heat of June.
    So I committed. Doubled down on prepping myself physically and mentally—and nagging Chris to do the same.

  • How We Beat the Heat: Hiking the Grand Canyon in Late June

    How We Beat the Heat: Hiking the Grand Canyon in Late June

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

    We made it! I have hinted in prior posts that I spent a great deal of time and energy and countless miles preparing for this trek, while Chris barely did anything. After all that, and despite the fact that I beat Chris to the top of TWO of our training hikes (don’t worry about the fact that he was sick at the time), Chris was ahead of me the whole time at the Grand Canyon, AND he was nowhere near as sore as I was afterwards. I guess he’s a horse.

    Our Top Concerns Heading In:

    • The Arizona heat in late June
    • Bright Angel trail closure

    We had decided to be prepared to hike the Tonto trail to meet up with the opened portion of the Bright Angel trail on our descent, which meant we needed to be prepared for heat.

    At our family-style dinner at the Phantom Ranch, there was debate on our table about whether the Tonto Trail was too risky in the summer heat. We were happy to hear of two other groups planning to do it. One planned to leave at 2:30 AM, and one planned to leave at 4:00 AM. We actually met up with the 4:00 AM group at the top when we were walking from the Hermits Rest shuttle to get some dinner. We were so happy to see that they made it! Their journey was more difficult than ours. They didn’t have a cabin at the Phantom Ranch, they had just paid for dinner and camped there. So not only did they NOT get a comfortable night’s rest in a bed, but they had to carry everything on their backs! They also ended up leaving later than they planned – 5:30 AM. Despite the difficulties, they still loved the Tonto Trail.

    Makes you wonder… is all the fear about the Tonto Trail overhyped? (I suppose it would be prudent to remember that it was 10 degrees cooler than it was the week prior…)

    How We Stayed Cool in the Heat:

    • Starting early! Though some of the other things we did to help keep us cool were also amazing, this is definitely the most effective strategy to stay cool.
      • It’s 7.5 miles from the South Kaibab Trailhead to the Phantom Ranch. We left the earliest we could with the 4:00 AM Hiker Express shuttle and started our descent at 4:30 AM. It was early enough to beat the sun, but bright enough to enjoy the view without headlamps.
      • It was a little over 12 miles from the Phantom Ranch to the Bright Angel Trailhead including passing through Tonto. We left Phantom Ranch at 3:30 AM with the goal of reaching Havasupai Gardens by 8:00 AM before the heat set in. So we DID need lights for the first hour or so, and we didn’t mind hiking in the dark since we had seen the trail the day prior in the light. The lights we used hung around our necks and doubled as a portable fan, and it worked great!
    • Bringing a Portable Fan was a game changer!
      • We bought these portable fans about a week before our trip hoping it would help in the heat. The battery life is GREAT! It has a USB charger. We charged it to 100% before our trip, and I used it for almost the entire hike up from Phantom Ranch, through Tonto, and up Bright Angel. When we got to the top, I still had over 90% battery life left.
    • Stay Wet!
      • We kept our hats, shirts, and cooling towels wet. I made sure we had an extra bottle of water in our backpack that we could use to get them wet if needed. Once we got to the Bright Angel side, there was plenty of water and signs everywhere telling you to get wet to stay cool. It really works!

    Was It Still Hot?

    Definitely yes. I’m not gonna lie about that. But there was never a point in our journey that I thought we would dehydrate and die.

    I admit that our journey was 10 degrees cooler than feared with our lucky “cold front,” but I am confident that these things we did to prepare for the heat would have helped even in the hotter climate.