On Tuesday, Sept. 1, between 6 am and 7 am, I dialed the Grand Canyon Phantom Ranch reservations number 198 times. It's an endeavor that, with the high tech of a smartphone, is not as arduous as it sounds. The little red redial dot is a brilliant invention for would-be hikers like myself and Molly.
The ranch is a lodge at the base of the canyon, a 14-mile hike from the North Rim with an elevation change of 5,850 feet. We aimed to hike that distance in a day, spend two nights at Phantom Ranch, then continue the journey nine miles back up to the South Rim. It is a trip known as Rim to Rim, that many others have completed, and our months of research resulted in a relatively elaborate plan to make it happen.
We would fly into Flagstaff, Arizona, rent a car, and the next day drive to the Grand Canyon's South Rim to catch an afternoon shuttle to the North. The drive north first heads east, making a kind of horseshoe curve to the less-populated North Rim. It's a four-hour road trip that would then require we spend the night in one of only two available North Rim lodges in order to start the hike at daybreak. By securing a bed at Phantom Ranch, we would only need to carry a day pack with water, snacks, and minimal clothing because meals (even vegetarian options) can be ordered when making the ranch reservations. Our car with fresh clothes would be waiting at the South Rim, along with a reservation at one of the many lodges in Grand Canyon National Park, or just outside it in the small town of Tusayan. The entire Rim to Rim hike would take three days, with a day or two on either end to prep and then to relax and enjoy the afterglow of completing the trek.
Molly and I first intended to make the trip in early May 2016, but learned that the lodges on the North Rim don't open until May 15. That was too late given the rhythms of the busy times at my job at the university. We looked again at the calendar and determined early September instead, knowing that the horrendous heat of the summer would have dissipated by then. And that brings us to Sept. 1, 2015. Phantom Ranch Reservations must be made a year in advance.
When we began the trip planning in earnest this last Spring, it would have been strategic to make our other hotel and airline reservations at that time. However, we rightly determined that we needed to wait because the entire trek hinged on getting reservations at Phantom Ranch.
Molly briefly double-teamed with me that first hour that the reservation lines opened and got in 26 calls. We had both heard nothing but the "all circuits are busy" message when I finally had to leave for campus. A morning meeting got cancelled and I had a chance to call about 50 more times in the 8 o'clock hour. Molly's morning had a little more flexibility and she had picked up dialing again, also in the 8 o'clock hour, ultimately getting through after 246 calls! It was 9:36 am.
All beds at the ranch were sold out.
I have been wanting to share this story for many weeks now. Today finally seemed like the right time for several reasons. The most important being, it is Molly's 50th birthday and planning this trek has been a celebration of the blessings in our lives. The good health to take it on, the time to train, the renewal of our partnership. We have investigated other ways in which to make the trip happen and learned it's possible with a trekking company. We'll have to backpack and camp instead, but a guide will be with us all the way and do all the cooking! I will write more in the coming weeks about the new plans and our training.
Today also compelled me to write because I am weighted by the tragedy in Paris two nights ago. By the attack at a Kenyan university on Thursday. By not knowing exactly what to do when each week brings fresh news of humans killing humans. Planning and training for a Grand Canyon hike seems luxurious and inappropriate. Yet, the training also clears my mind, making room to engage in conversation with colleagues who aim to take action against gun violence, to stay informed about presidential politics to better understand my role as a voter, and to find a way to contribute, no matter how minimally, to fostering peace.
The ranch is a lodge at the base of the canyon, a 14-mile hike from the North Rim with an elevation change of 5,850 feet. We aimed to hike that distance in a day, spend two nights at Phantom Ranch, then continue the journey nine miles back up to the South Rim. It is a trip known as Rim to Rim, that many others have completed, and our months of research resulted in a relatively elaborate plan to make it happen.
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| A display at the South Rim that got us thinking. |
Molly and I first intended to make the trip in early May 2016, but learned that the lodges on the North Rim don't open until May 15. That was too late given the rhythms of the busy times at my job at the university. We looked again at the calendar and determined early September instead, knowing that the horrendous heat of the summer would have dissipated by then. And that brings us to Sept. 1, 2015. Phantom Ranch Reservations must be made a year in advance.
When we began the trip planning in earnest this last Spring, it would have been strategic to make our other hotel and airline reservations at that time. However, we rightly determined that we needed to wait because the entire trek hinged on getting reservations at Phantom Ranch.
Molly briefly double-teamed with me that first hour that the reservation lines opened and got in 26 calls. We had both heard nothing but the "all circuits are busy" message when I finally had to leave for campus. A morning meeting got cancelled and I had a chance to call about 50 more times in the 8 o'clock hour. Molly's morning had a little more flexibility and she had picked up dialing again, also in the 8 o'clock hour, ultimately getting through after 246 calls! It was 9:36 am.
All beds at the ranch were sold out.
I have been wanting to share this story for many weeks now. Today finally seemed like the right time for several reasons. The most important being, it is Molly's 50th birthday and planning this trek has been a celebration of the blessings in our lives. The good health to take it on, the time to train, the renewal of our partnership. We have investigated other ways in which to make the trip happen and learned it's possible with a trekking company. We'll have to backpack and camp instead, but a guide will be with us all the way and do all the cooking! I will write more in the coming weeks about the new plans and our training.
Today also compelled me to write because I am weighted by the tragedy in Paris two nights ago. By the attack at a Kenyan university on Thursday. By not knowing exactly what to do when each week brings fresh news of humans killing humans. Planning and training for a Grand Canyon hike seems luxurious and inappropriate. Yet, the training also clears my mind, making room to engage in conversation with colleagues who aim to take action against gun violence, to stay informed about presidential politics to better understand my role as a voter, and to find a way to contribute, no matter how minimally, to fostering peace.
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