So for years Chad and a group from Yuma called the Yuma Social Club have been making a weekend trip to the Grand Canyon during the beginning of May. The trips usually involved staying a couple days in Williams, AZ separated by a day trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and hiking the Bright Angel trail. I was invited in the past, but for various reasons I was not able to go. Once again I was asked if I wanted to go and without a viable excuse besides laziness, I accepted the invite.
Hindsight being 20/20 I should have prepared for this trip, but before I knew it the day had arrived. Due to working the graveyard shift at my day job, I got off of work on Friday morning waited for rush hour to die down and then headed north from Phoenix up to Williams, AZ.
Originally I was to meet with the rest of the group around 1pm, but I was greeted by a text that they had just left Yuma as I was rolling into Williams. My first thought was “that gives me time to explore Williams on my own.” I went to my hotel two hours before check in to simply ask if I could park my car while I walked around Williams, but instead they quickly checked me in and handed me my key. So I set off on foot.
One plan I had for myself while in Williams was visiting the Grand Canyon Brewing Company, but I had some time to kill before they opened. Williams is located on historic Route 66, so the main streets are filled with lots of nostalgia based shop, hotels, and dining options. I decided to stop for a drink at Sultana Bar.
While I had a couple drinks, I had a conversation with the bartender about the various attractions nearby such as the zip line, gas station museum, and Grand Canyon Railway.
Next on the agenda was walking to Grand Canyon Brewing Company. A flight of their beers and some lunch later, I inquired about their line of distilled beverages. I’ve seen their bottles in stores in Phoenix, but now was the time to try their wares. So a few samples later, I walked back to my hotel with a bottle of their best.
So after returning to my hotel room, I decide that a quick nap was in order since I had been up for 20 hours at that point. After what felt like a 30 minute nap, I received a call that the rest of the group had arrived. Dinner plans were at the Crusiers Route 66 Cafe. After a quick dinner and planning session for the following day’s adventure, we called it an early night.
A cool Saturday morning of 29 degrees had an early start as we quickly stocked up on supplies and hit the road for an hour drive to the South Rim. So as discussed during last night’s dinner, various groups within the main groups had different goals with the upcoming hike. Some planned to make it to Indian Garden (4.9 miles one way), others heading to the River Resthouse (8 miles one way), and even to Phantom Ranch (9 miles one way). I had no preparation for this hike so my plan was to go as far down as I felt comfortable hiking back up, beside as an avid shutterbug I have a tendency to stop and take lots of photos along the way.
So after a quick photo at the trailhead, we started our descent down the trail and into the canyon. As photo opportunities appeared around me, the rest of the group continued down to their desired destinations. The Grand Canyon is a busy places on a Saturday morning as people from all over the United States and many parts of the world come to enjoy its natural beauty. I continued down the path nodding, waving, and having short conversations with random people along the way. You never quite know where different people come from when you’re hiking in the Grand Canyon. I spoke with people from eight different states and five different countries (France, Belgium, England, South Korea, and India), which is quite a bit when you’re an introvert like myself.
So after some time i decided it was time to head back up. After arriving back at the top, I checked my tracking app and found out I ended up hiking down 2.5 miles and hiked (very slowly) 2.5 miles back up. Not bad for absolutely no prep beforehand. Plus I took lots of photos along the way while enjoying the beautiful weather and fresh air. Later on my body would make me regret not doing hike prep. So back at the top, I had some time to kill before the others arrived, so I walked along the mostly flat Rim trail and took more photos.
Eventually the others arrived back at the top, demeanors varied heavily on how far down each individual went. As per the group’s tradition we had dinner at We Cook Pizza and Pasta in Tusayan before driving back to Williams.
Sunday morning was a slow morning as sore and tight leg muscles made rising from bed a difficulty task, but I made it across the street to Brewed Awakenings for hot cup of tea. Originally the group had planned for a late breakfast, but that ended up turning into a late lunch at Goldies Route 66 Diner. A hearty lunch was had by all as everyone spoke of their accomplishments from yesterday’s adventure. With lunch done, we went our separate ways until adventure brings us back together.
