[Katya Frischer]

Hi, I am planning a trip to the Grand Canyon on April 25, -May 1st. Don't have an exact route in mind yet but would like to hike with someone - or several people. Very flexible as to route since this is my first trip. Please send any good suggestions for route even if you can't join me. Thanks Kfrischer@hotmail.com

[Rainier Guy]

Make sure you take a lot of water with you. The NPS website for the Grand Canyon talks a lot about hikers who come unprepared and have to be rescued. Also make sure you save enough energy for the hike back up to the rim. The sun can be brutal and you can lose energy quicker than you thought you could. I've never hiked the Grand Canyon, but have been wanting to at some point and have done some reading on the subject.

[MooseAndSquirrel]

I rode the mules down Bright Angel trail when I was a teenager- not as dopey/cityslicker as it might seem, because on the way back up we passed many an envious hiker. This place is on my to-do list someday, and spring is a great time to do it.

[chilleejillee]

I did bright angel last summer with my best friend and her 11 year old nephew. We took our time - 2-days down, 2-days up and an extra night at the bottom. THe first third of the way was intensely crowded -- people wandering down the first few miles with cans of pringles and coke. by the half way point we only saw backpackers. The bottom of bright angel was HOT-- 120 in the sun and luckily we camped beside a river cuz I sat in it all day long. Bright angel also has a few free standing cabins, a bunkhouse and family style restaurant serving three meals: steak, veggie loaf and beef stew. You order if you choose before you begin your descent. Oh, and the restaurant is air conditioned! These buildings were all built with materials floated in via the colorado river. All their supplies are carried in by mule. Workers at the ranch carry their belongings in on their back. We had a great time, especially taking the "kid" with us-- who had never done anything quite so "grand" before. He picked the park, we picked the trail. The mules sucked. Riders were considerably inexperienced and I was pushed aside by more than one bossy mule-- and often had my pack whacked around. The heat is almost unbearable and we rose at 4am each day to be on the trail by 5. Hiking after 9am was murder. There was an incident while we were there of a guy dehydrating (tried to hit the bottom and back to the ridge in one day with minimal water) - but rangers nursed him back to health and told him to get hiking. There is plenty of water on that trail-- every 3-5 miles, I'd say. Just have to keep refilling and DRINKING. J.