Arriving at the south rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset gives you a breath-taking view of the one of the great natural wonders of the world.  Last week the rim was crawling with families on Spring-break trips, tour groups of retirees in touring buses and clusters of foreigners taking endless pictures. Even the seven-inch wide postcards in the gift shops barely show the expansive views of the noble canyon.

From Mather Point we watched the sunset cast its evening glow on the rock formations on the mile wide and mile deep canyon. My two children talked with my wife and me about our plan for the next day – to hike to the bottom of the canyon and back up, a 17-mile hike.  Clear, warm weather was forecast.  With map in hand we located the South Kaibab trailhead where the seven-mile trek to the Colorado River starts.

I slept fitfully in the Maswick Lodge, waking every hour beginning at 1 am.  We were up by 5:30 am and had a 6 am breakfast at the Maswick Lodge restaurant.  By 6:30 am our backpacks were loaded with apples, trail mix, bottled water, Gatorade, bagels and peanut butter.  We stood at the South Kaibab trailhead at 7 am, gaping at the massive canyon before us. 

Beside a sign describing the trail and the 5,000-foot descent awaiting us stood another sign warning of the dangers of attempting to hike to the bottom of the canyon and back in one day.  “Do not attempt to hike the bottom of the canyon and back in one day,” the sign said.  The National Park Service sign says that every year more than 250 people attempting this feat have to be rescued, many of them airlifted out by helicopter.

Most of those rescued, the sign warns, “Look just like this.”  It’s a picture of a handsome, well-built 25-year-old man. 

With sturdy shoes, comfortable clothing, and a good dose of common sense, we began our descent.  Almost immediately spectacular views of the canyon were evident.  About 10 minutes into the descent, our two teen-agers were 100 yards a head of us.  They waited for my wife and me at one point, only to say they would see us at the Colorado River.

In a just over two-and-a-half hours, and seeing fewer than a dozen other people, we had descended the rocky trail to the Colorado River, where we found our kids eating their lunch and waiting on us.  For about 40 minutes we all ate, took pictures, refilled our water bottles and watched the gushing, brown, silt-laden Colorado River. 

Eager to keep moving, we headed up the Bright Angel trail that ascends nine miles to the top of the canyon rim.  For a mile or so, the trail is flat and parallels the river before turning and taking hikers up miles of steep switchbacks.  We stopped at Indian Gardens – a natural plateau three-and-a-half miles below the south rim where we rested with other hikers and mule trains and refilled our water bottles.

The final ascent was exhausting.  The sky was clear as temperatures neared 90.  We got sandwiched between two mule-trains kicking up dust.  With a mile to go, we started meeting lots of day hikers who descend a mile or so and then head back up. 

One tourist with a British accent looked at me and said, “My goodness man, you look absolutely exhausted.”  I stopped to rest, but even being in good condition did not keep my legs from shaking or my knees from aching.

Our teen-agers made it to the top 15 minutes before my wife and I finally stepped on to the asphalt walkway at the top.  The 17-mile hike took just over 8 hours.  Along the way we snacked several times and each consumed about three quarts of water.

But the day was not over.  We headed back Maswick Lodge for a shower and short rest before walking a half-mile to the famous El Tovar restaurant for a celebration meal.  With no drinks, desert or gratuity, the tab came to $124.00.  The food was great; the sense of accomplishment was even greater. 

We talked about how fast we had done the hike, and we recounted the highlights of the day.  The analogies of the Christian life were not lost on any of us.  The path is narrow, rocky and steep.  I kept thinking of this verse in the book of James:  “Those who endure to the end will be saved.”