We rent cars because we have an electric BMW that is really great for where we live but not great for long distances. For our trip to the Grand Canyon we rented a small SUV to transport our dog with us. At the rental counter the happy guy said “just the basic coverage today?”. Before my wife could question it I said, Yes. As we were driving away in the suv my wife had buyer’s remorse. I simply said, we took the coverage for peace of mind. Anything happens to this car, we walk away.
The Grand Canyon is dark when it is dark. There are no street lights and the roads are mountain roads. We were driving out of the park in the dark. Within 10 minutes or so we came upon some deer. I slowed and hoped they would run off. They did. I thought to myself “good thing they ran away from the car and not towards it or across the lane” Not 10 minutes later I was coming around a blind curve in the road. I was going the posted speed limit of 45. Deer. I swerved left towards the center of the road and slammed on the breaks. This time the deer ran towards us. Thwack I hit one of them or maybe two of them. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I stopped in the middle of the road, put on the flashers and got out. While my brother in law surveyed the damage to the car I searched for a deer lying on the road. I found no trace of deer. They were all gone. Back to the car and in the dark I could see the damage. Broken headlight cover, compressed front quarter panel and a large dent in the rear passenger door.
We turned the car in on Monday and other than an incident report the rental company let us walk away. Sure, your insurance may cover it but at what hassle? For 160 bucks we walked away from some real costly damage.
The Canyon
I have attempted to run Rim to Rim to Rim and this past weekend my wife and her brother hiked from the South Rim to the North Rim. Below are my thoughts.
- Prepare, my brother in law did not do much in the way of training for the hike. Meanwhile my wife did what she could during the week and on the weekend for 6 weekends put on her pack, carried more water than needed and walked the hilliest routes around for up to 4 hours. She made the hike in great shape, he did not.
-Start hydration early. Your are going to start early in the day when it is cool in the canyon. You also start downhill which is deceiving. Start drinking early and stay on a strict drinking schedule. If you are feeling it at Phantom Ranch which is 3 hours in you are too late.
-Separate Hydration from Fuel - Hydration is the most important aspect of the hike. The dry air, wind and oppressive sun/heat demand it. Mixing fuel and hydration is a mistake. I use LMNT for hydration and it is what my wife used. She then had real food to eat.
-Load Hydration and Food - When executing an Ironman it is good practice to front load on the bike. This prepares you for the demands of the run. If you wait to try to hydrate and fuel during the run you are asking too much from your body. In the canyon you have a 3-4 or more hike up from 2400 feet to over 8,000 if your finish on the North Rim. You better be loaded for that hike, it will be hard to eat and drink your way up.
- The I must be absorbing all of the water I am drinking I have not peed yet fallacy- Hot dry air is so deceptive it is not funny. When your body sweats it drys really fast in hot dry and especially windy conditions. If you have not peed much you are not drinking enough.
-Pace, the Canyon is really difficult to pace correctly. The start is always downhill and you are fresh. You will want to gain time early. Don`t do it. You should feel as fresh at Phantom Ranch (South to North) or Cotton Wood Campground (North to South) as you did at the start. In both cases on my run and my wife`s hike our partners pushed the downhill. In both cases the warning signs of dehydration were there in Phantom Ranch. In both cases it was too late to fix.
Hiking or running the Grand Canyon is one of the most amazing things you can do in your lifetime. The Canyon delivers beauty, calm and serenity all day long. At the end you will know you did something special. Your body will be tired but your mind will be alive. Ensure that happens with a few small tips I have shared. If you have more to add, leave a comment so more can learn.
