June 2006

Hiking the Canyon, Clearing the Mind

I am a beast of burden. My 50-pound backpack grinds me into the floor. Certainly I will shrink four inches by the time this trip is over. Instructor Denise Traver walks down the line checking the packs of strangers, women who have come together to backpack the Grand Canyon. I’m last in line and when Denise sees me she exclaims, “Donna, your pack!”

“I know,” I smile sheepishly. “And to think I’ve been wearing it like this for 12 years.”

I remove my pack, and after Denise makes a few quick adjustments, I stand tall, most of the weight on my hips instead of my shoulders. “What a difference!” I exclaim. “I’m already glad I joined the class. And to think I thought I knew everything about backpacking.”

I’m a photojournalist who specializes in outdoor guidebooks. Unfortunately, I’ve trudged down many a trail in pain, thinking that the pain was just a part of backpacking. I’ve since learned that backpacking doesn’t have to be that painful.

We had come together as a group of nine women destined for a five-day journey from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim. During that time we would hike 24 miles, descending 5,800 feet and then climbing 4,300 feet. And we would explore another 16 miles of trails in between.

Getting Organized
It was a warm Saturday morning in mid-May when I met the group. Jann, Linda, Cathy, Gail and Kim all knew each other from Phoenix and Flagstaff, and Cecilia and Susan lived and worked at the Grand Canyon. Most of the group had hiked with Denise on a previous occasion, so hugs and big smiles were all around as Denise sprinted into the room.

Soon, the contents of our packs were sprawled out on the floor as Denise did her best to lighten our loads. She stressed carrying “munchies” and “salty-stuff” while whittling down our loads. Two hundred-plus-miles later our driver, Brad, had us at the campground at the North Rim.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the lodge and started out. Denise stayed with the slowest of our group while the others moved on ahead, stopping to enjoy the scenes.

Only 11 air miles from the South Rim, the north side is a whole world apart. We descend through five of the seven life zones, seeing everything from aspens to juniper. Along the way we look for animal life, and are entertained by a yellow desert collard lizard that is pumping iron in a scraggly shrub.

It’s a long seven-mile, 4,200-foot descent to the Cottonwood Campground. Along the way we stop at the Aiken Ranch for lemonade. Bruce Aiken is chief engineer at the Roaring Springs pump house and well known for his paintings of the Grand Canyon. His wife, Mary, carries on a tradition their children started—giving out lemonade to thirsty hikers.

Amazing Sights
Like most of the others I wake up very sore, the result of yesterday’s long downhill, but it’s no problem. Today we are hiking to Ribbon Falls. Meandering along the narrow path, we are amazed by the wildflowers and equally as thrilled with the rainbow of lichen covering some of the rocks.

The group reads and relaxes while I spend my time talking to them, curious as to ages, occupations, and so on. Our ages range from 28 to 50; occupations from that of a homemaker and summer intern to social worker consultant and office manager. About half the group is married and half are not, but most of the half that aren’t married used to be.

As I talk to one woman about her journey from an alcoholic to a sober, enthusiastic outdoorswoman, it starts to rain and we hurry over to another portion of the falls, a place with rock overhangs where we can enjoy the falls without getting wet.

We eat our lunch behind the falls, and then most head back to the campground while I stay to photograph the three-tiered waterfall from a place known as the Alcove. Cathy joins me and while I wait for the best light, we talk about the trip. I’m curious as to why her group is back again. They’ve been on Denise’s beginner backpack trip. “Why would you pay for another?” I wonder. “Aren’t you content hiking on your own?”

Cathy explains that they feel more comfortable with Denise. “We just want to do it right,” she says, “and Denise knows how to do it right.” There’s no doubt the group gathers strength from Denise and from each other.

Former Park Ranger
Back at camp, we cook in the rain while we talk about husbands and ex-husbands, boyfriends and ex-boyfriends. Later, while everyone is snug inside the tents, Denise and I sit down to chat. I’m wondering how this bubbly, enthusiastic 45-year-old got into the business of guiding.
A Field Institute guide for three years, Denise spent the previous six years as a full-time park ranger. Her reasons for starting a women’s backpacking class are simple: some men hike farther and faster than their wives or girlfriends.

Denise uses a combination of knowledge and humor to make backpacking fun. “I just want everyone to feel comfortable, comfortable and safe that is. And I think humor is the best way to make everyone comfortable. I’m passionate about it!”

Denise is also passionate about the rewards of hiking, saying, “It’s a way to get used to yourself, to get comfortable with yourself.” Denise always felt second-rate while growing up, and hiking helped her to gain confidence. “I want women to know that you should accept what you consider are your faults and find the strength in them.”

Although married, Denise goes out on the trail alone, spending up to two weeks backpacking by herself. She claims, “Backpacking is better than a lifetime of counseling. It’s a chance to look inside yourself.”

Contemplative Walk
One of the hikers and I head out alone the next morning, going back to Ribbon Creek. Along the way we agree that hiking and backpacking are a form of therapy, a way to walk and think and work problems out. As we head back to the main trail and then on to the Bright Angel Campground, we walk close enough to chat and then far enough away to be alone in our own thoughts. Along the way a lifelong friendship is born.

After arriving in camp and pitching my tent, I head over to Phantom Ranch with some of the gang. At the 1922 ranch, we indulge in bagels and cream cheese, iced tea, and candy bars, all while mailing out postcards bearing the unique stamp, “Mailed by Mule from the Bottom of the Canyon.”

The next day our downhill muscles might be sore, but it’s no matter. Today we are hiking five miles and climbing 1,400 feet en route to Indian Gardens. After lunch, most of us decide to hike along the Tonto Trail, where a calm, coiled, rattlesnake watches us pass by.

After dinner, a few of us decide to hike to Plateau Point. Denise describes the canyon geology while we bask in the last rays of sunshine. When the others decide to leave, Susan, Cecilia and I wait for the moonrise.

Departure Day
It’s our last morning in the canyon and we’re up early to beat the heat. As we pack up camp, we cheer one another on by saying, “See you at the top!” The top is 4.6 miles away and 3,000 feet higher than our camp. It’s the South Rim and Kolb Studio, where the institute is located. Here, chips and salsa await our famished group and while we munch on salty stuff, we promise to meet again in January for a fancy dinner and a slide show. Setting a date makes parting a lot easier.

After our hike I received letters from some of the participants. Cathy wrote, “When I am backpacking I totally escape into the wonderful environment. I seem to be able to reconnect with me.” She goes on to say that the hike increased her confidence and helped her to keep her life in perspective. “I am able to accept new challenges with more confidence and enthusiasm,” she wrote. Also, if work or life is too darn tough, she added, “Just a few moments of daydreaming about the canyon helps me to refocus and decrease my anxiety level.”

Susan, the youngster in our group, wrote to say she enjoyed all the little things like new cooking ideas. She added, “Beyond equipment, there is nothing like getting a combined 170 years of marriage advice. Having the insight of nine hiking companions on this tricky question was exactly what I needed as I begin my working career as a single woman.”

I changed too. Although used to traveling alone, to being one with myself, I am now more willing to accept someone else’s advice. My backpack adjustment proved that I do not know everything!

Ready to shed your own Beast of Burden?
The Women’s Rim-to-Rim Backpack is designed for the woman who has backpacked before. New to backpacking? There’s a Women’s Beginning Backpack course just for you.

The Grand Canyon Field Institute offers other in-depth classes about the canyon from April through early November. Courses cover many subjects and include backpacking, geology, native cultures, photography, and much more. Day hiking and walking tour classes are also available, as are classes designed specially for women.

For more information call or write: Grand Canyon Field Institute, P. O. Box 399, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. Phone (928) 638-2485 or visit www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute.

Donna Ikenberry is a photojournalist who lives in South Fork, Colorado.