Ah, Christmastime—the season of twinkling lights, cozy gatherings, and… wanderlust? While others may dream of sugarplums and Santa’s sleigh, my mind drifts to scenic highways and the call of the open road. I’m choosing to blame it on Beth-Rose, who turned our family’s usual Spring Break routine on its head with one simple request: “I want adventure!” And, truth be told, I couldn’t agree more. I felt like we needed something new to get the blood flowing and the excitement going. The Ultimate Southwest Road Trip. Let me take you back to how this “Grand” idea began…
You see, some months back the family were sitting ’round the dinner table, chatting about our Spring Break 2025 plans. Most of our past trips have been to Fairmont Hot Springs for skiing and day trips to Banff, Alberta.
But our ever-opinionated daughter, (I don’t know where she gets that from…), suggested she was getting bored with that agenda. “Been there, done that, got the hoodie.” She wanted something new. She wanted “Adventure“!
I have to admit I was feeling a little of the same. We had slipped into an easy pattern of doing the same old things. And skiing was becoming less appealing to me and my aging quads. I was more interested in getting out and doing some hiking and exploring. But after years of Fairmont trips, the exploring was more like “revisiting”.
The “Grand” Excursion
Now I had been thinking about wanting to take a road trip south with the family. I’d been pining a little for visiting an old favourite that I hadn’t seen for many years. And it’s where Heather turned 30! So where the heck am I talking about? It’s a place older than dirt. It’s the Grand Canyon!
I broached the idea of a road trip to the Grand Canyon and Beth-Rose became interested. So we talked a bit about what that might look like, and she became intrigued. And over the next several days we talked more about it, and she became excited. Maybe a little too excited…
Beth-Rose used to complain about going on family hikes. She’d grumble and whine, but then when we were out on the hike, she’d have fun and get right into it. Pretty typical for little kids.
But then she’d complain about going on the same hikes all the time. She wanted to do something different, something new. And a road trip to the Grand Canyon was definitely something new!
My first road trip to the Grand Canyon was waaay back in 1990, just after I turned 30. With my friends Ric and Steve, and a rented Cadillac, I headed south, away from the cold and rain of a Vancouver winter. That trip led to us making the rash and ill-advised decision to hike down to the bottom, to the Colorado River.
Too Much Adventure?
And while that was the most difficult physical ordeal, it was also the most rewarding. I had never felt more alive after emerging three days later from that canyon hike. So talking about it with the family has probably infected Beth-Rose with that same feeling. And now she wants to hike down to the bottom! Crap!! Methinks that might be a bit too much adventure…
Over the past several weeks we’ve talked about the idea of hiking down to the River and what that actually entails. And maybe this is good information for you if you’re reading this and thinking, “What a great idea! I too am going to jump in my car and drive down to the Grand Canyon and dash down to the river and back! Sounds like great fun for an afternoon!”
According to The Hiking Guy,
“I’ll sum the (main) danger up for you clearly. You have an easy hike downhill, it gets hot, and then you have to hike back up through steep exposed sections of the desert with names like the ” Devil’s Corkscrew.” If you can’t make it, you don’t get a helicopter ride. A ranger will usually walk you back out to the top if you don’t die of heatstroke first.”
Cris Hazzard, aka Hiking Guy
And so we’ve had this conversation with Beth-Rose a few times. I really wanted her to understand what she was up against. A 5,000 foot elevation change, both ways, no water, no shade, and an average downhill grade of 21% for over 6 miles. This is no walk in the park.
Without a Permit
When my friends and I did this back in 1990, we experienced a 40+ degree temperature difference between the rim and the river. We started in the snow and finished in tee shirts and shorts. But the constant pounding on my knees almost did me in. I thought I wouldn’t be able to hike back out from the bottom.
Alas! she was not deterred. She badly wanted to hike down, and camp overnight, and hike back the next day. We suggested the possibility of hiking down to a campsite called Havasu Gardens, halfway down the Bright Angel Trail, and then hiking out to Plateau Point to look down into the Inner Gorge to the Colorado river. But any overnight in the Canyon requires a permit, and getting a permit to stay in a “corridor” campsite is very difficult. When we tried, there were none available.
We figured this would be enough to convince her to give up the quest, but no. We suggested lots of day hikes out from the Rim. Not good enough. She wanted ADVENTURE! And so she started searching and researching, and found other possibilities.
There’s a trail called Grandview, that leads steeply down to the plateau above the river, with a small camping area at the end. And on that trail we found available permits for the dates we’re there. So we now have a permit to camp overnight on the Grandview Trail. Not really a campsite, it’s what’s called “dispersed camping” and only for up to 18 people on any given day. No services, no toilets, no water, no shade. Sounds great!
In Training for The Ultimate Southwest Road Trip
Our camping is booked. We have 5 nights booked on the South Rim, and our overnight hike into the canyon. We also have 3 nights booked in Death Valley, as an added bonus. The Ultimate Southwest Road Trip!
Now all we have to do is get in shape…
Beth-Rose has a meniscus injury from dance, Heather has Achilles and hip issues, and I’m about to be 65. My knee bothers me sometimes, enough to make going up stairs a challenge on some days. So yeah, we might need to do some training.
Beth-Rose suggested we should get out and do some steeper hikes, just to start our training regimen. So this weekend we decided to hike our local Heart Lake Trail. Sometimes affectionately called the Heart Attack Trail, it goes up the mountain behind our little town to a beautiful lake and viewpoint. But it’s steep, and sometimes not very well marked. I tried hiking it several years ago when I went out for a walk. I made it to the viewpoint, about 300 meters from the lake, and realized I was thirsty and hungry.
Because I was just out for a walk, I wasn’t carrying snacks or water. So I prudently turned back, not willing to risk hypoglycemia or dehydration.
On The Heart Attack Trail
Sunday was a beautiful day. Sunny and calm, not too cool. Perfect for a hike. Heart Lake Trail can be done as a loop or an out and back. We chose the out and back as it’s shorter and both Beth-Rose and Heather had other commitments that day.
The hike is 6.3 kilometers there and back, with a moderate elevation gain of about 300 meters. Adding the hike from our house to the trailhead, probably another 100 meters or so.
The trail goes immediately up, and doesn’t really level out until one reaches the lake. It’s quite steep, so it really does make for a good training hike.
Going up is a great cardio workout. Going back down sucks! My knees were taking a beating by the halfway down mark. Heather suggested I was going too fast, but without poles and weak knee muscles, I was having difficulty maintaining a steady, even downhill pace.
And just like in the Grand Canyon, I was happy for the odd uphill stretches down toward the bottom of the trail.
But we completed the trail, and enjoyed a nice hot tub soak at the end. For the next 24 hours or so, stairs were a nightmare. The outside of both my knees were in agony! So I know I have some work to do, but hey! We have 3 months until the trip, so I’ve got time.
Countdown to the Ultimate Southwest Road Trip
So here we are, just a week from Christmas, and the gift wish lists have all been amended to include hiking gear. Who knows what Santa might bring us to help gear up for the trip?
It’s been a long time since Heather and I have slept on the ground, without the comforts of our propane firepit, our comfy camping chairs and our camping kitchen. But I’m looking forward to the adventure. I’m also looking forward to sharing one of my favourite Southwestern destinations with Beth-Rose. It’s something I’ve wanted to do with our kids for many years. Zachary will still be in school, so he won’t make the trip with us.
Now if my knees will cooperate, all will be well. I’ll just be sitting over here by the fire, relaxing with my hot toddy and my sugarplums, dreaming of red rocks, canyon sunsets and superlative views. Merry Christmas!
And if you’d like to follow along on the overnight trip we’re doing, here’s a great “turn by turn” video of the Grandview Trail, courtesy of Hiking Guy.
