Grand Canyon – a Hiking Experience

Join Innovative Fitness to experience the beauty and size of the Grand Canyon on a  guided hike in the South Rim.

from $1379* USD per person based on double occupancy

March 30   Vancouver to the Grand Canyon Village

Depart from Vancouver at 7:44am arrives Phoenix 10:47am, nonstop flight with US Airways.

• Upon arriving in Phoenix, we will pick up our gear and convene at a central meeting place to be advised.  We will immediately arrange to pick up our vehicles to transfer to the Grand Canyon village. This village is approximately 4 hours from Phoenix airport. En route, we will be stopping for lunch as well as at a food centre for supplies. This will be done before we get too far out of town. The list of recommended food supplies for day of hiking is below.  Upon arrival at the village we will check into our rooms at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn. When we check in, we recommend you take the time to prepare your day packs for the following morning. Contents for the day packs are also listed below.

Arrive and check in to our hotel for 2 nights:  the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn.  The rest of the day is free.

March 31    The Hike!

• Saturday morning we will depart the hotel at 7:00 a.m. sharp. It is advised you wake up at 6:00 a.m. and have breakfast (in your room, or at a local eatery). You will need a good breakfast at the beginning of the day.
• Please convene in the lobby no later than 6:45 with your luggage in check as we will be checking out of the hotel upon departure.
• We will arrive at the trailhead for the South Kaibab Trail at approx 7:35 (depending on the line up to get into the Canyon), and look to begin our hike no later than 8:30 a.m.
• The actual hike will take no longer than 4 hours down. To the Colorado river for the intermediate to advanced hiker. The trail is clearly defined.
• *if you experience problems on the way down, or do not believe you are capable of making it to the bottom and back in a single day, please feel free to wait at the ½ way point. It is clearly defined by a rest station and bathrooms. It is suggested that anyone who does not make it to the ½ way mark in less than 2.5 hours, does not continue all the way to the bottom of the canyon
• Our experienced guides will be equipped with radios to maintain communications and between groups on the trail.
• When we arrive at the bottom of the Canyon we will break for an hour lunch. (12:30 – 1:30) and then commence back up the canyon. We will make our way back up in groups according to relative hiking ability to allow for the appropriate spacing.
• Our goal is to be at the top of the canyon by 5:00 p.m.

Then dinner and drinks to celebrate the epic experience!!!

Equipment Needed:

Suggested hiking items

• Bandana, sun glasses, ball cap, sunscreen.
• Fleece and shell, for weather changes
• Minimum 2 liters of water & Gatorade or sport drink
• Food. 2 Sandwiches, 2 energy bars, nuts, candy, banana, apples.
• Recommended you wear shorts or comfortable hiking gear.
• Hiking boot’s or trail running shoes. *something with traction and ankle support.
• Hydration pack
• *hiking poles are a must!
• Camera
• Ipod / mp3 player.

*it is strongly suggested you constantly fuel yourself every hour of the hike.

Suggested breakfast purchase      

• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Peanut butter & bread
• Gatorade
• Egg Mcmuffin (yes we are serious)

Suggested lunch items

• Sandwiches pb / banana / jam
• Gatorade
• Fruit, energy bars.

Intensities:

• All levels can enjoy this experience, however, must be prepared to hike in the heat.

April 01     Grand Canyon Village to Scottsdale

We’ll leave after breakfast to drive back to the Phoenix area, approximately 4 hours.  Check in to the W Hotel Scottsdale for one night.   The rest of the day is free.

April 02   Home!

We’ll leave after breakfast for the short drive to the Phoenix airport.

Depart Phoenix at 10:15am arrives Vancouver at 1:37pm, nonstop flight with US Air

Contact Colleen Burke at 604-273-1811 extension 237 or colleen@traveltst.ca or Curtis Christopherson at curtis@innovativefitness.com

Space is limited to a maximum of 30 people, therefore we recommend that you book as soon as possible to secure your space.  Bookings must be accompanied by $400 deposit along with completed Group Traveler Information Form (call or email Colleen for a copy of this form) no later than the 20 Dec.  Bookings close after Dec 20. Balance is due no later than Feb 7, 2012. Prices are in US dollars based on double occupancy and subject to change without notice.

Some helpful inks to more information:

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/SouthKaibabTrail.pdf

http://www.grandcanyonsquire.com/

http://view.meierpublishing.com/?id=w_scottsdale_ebrochure