Bales family hikes Grand Canyon from rim to rim in 13.5 hours

In what is likely a record, 8-year-old Elijah Bales might be the youngest person to hike the entire Grand Canyon in a single day in July. He, along with his brothers Jeremiah, aged 14, Joshua, aged 12, and twins Micah and Noah, aged 10, finished the hike in 13 hours, 26 minutes and 16 seconds.

Along with their parents James and Karrn, both physicians and Iron Man triathletes who meticulously planned the endeavor, the boys coped well with 109 degree temperatures and ambient temperatures of 130 degrees in the recesses, or the so called “box” of the famous canyon, during the near 24mile hike. The canyon’s rock walls radiated an astonishing surface temperature of 170 degrees.

Of the five million visitors to the Arizona landmark, fewer than two percent go below the rim and of those two percent, only .5 percent hike from the north rim to the south rim. Of those hikers, the majority of them stay at least one night in the canyon before resuming their journey up the canyon to the south rim. The majority of them don’t attempt the feat in a single day.

Called the “hyponatremia capital of the world,” the rigors of traversing the Grand Canyon is notorious for triggering the potentially fatal condition when sodium levels in the blood drop rapidly from heat, exertion and excessive perspiration. Daily medevacs, or air ambulances, out of the canyon average three per day and can cost as much as $40,000 dollars. Climbing out with the aid of a mule costs a hefty $300 per person.

Under James’ guidance, the family began training with twice-daily family workouts, six days a week for four months. Workouts consisted of the “Hour of Power” hill climbs, calisthenics and circuit training, swimming laps in the pool, and once-a-week gradually increasing runs up to eight miles.

A week and a half before the hike, the family tent camped in Utah’s state and national parks to acclimate to the heat. Each day, in more than 100 degree heat, the Bales took five to ten mile “fun hikes.” During that time the boys learned the importance of electrolyte replacement, nutrition, hydration and experimented with wearing cotton or synthetic gear.

On July 18, the Bales set out in the dark at 4 a.m. wearing head lanterns to guide their way along the North Kaibab Trail on their 6,000 foot, 14.3 mile descent to the canyon floor. At the bottom of the canyon they hiked six miles along the Colorado River in a section of the trail called “the box,” so named for being the hottest portion of the hike. They picked up the Bright Angel Trail for the 9.6 mile ascent to the South Rim, a climb of 4,500 feet. The trails they utilized are called corridor trails and are shared by mules and mule outfitters who have the right of way. However, they rarely met another person on the trail and felt, according to Karrn, that “the canyon was our own.”

The family kept up a brisk pace with James in front, 14-year-old Jeremiah in the position of “sweeper,” watching for left-behind articles, and Karrn in the middle. By taking breaks every 15 or 30 minutes to rest, hydrate and eat, they managed to complete the hike without injuries. Elijah suffered a blister or two and Micah showed very early signs of heat exhaustion that was caught and reversed quickly. The boys agreed that one of the best parts of the hike was cooling off in the 56 degree waters of the Colorado River. Everyone gladly followed the “get wet and stay wet” rule by dousing their clothes in the river during their hike through “the box.” They also implemented the buddy system. Each hiker had a buddy to help watch over them. Since there is no potable water in the canyon, their packs included iodine tablets and filters. They consumed high sodium, high calorie snacks like pickle packs, sport beans, granola bars, M&Ms, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, beef jerky and tuna packs. Everyone agreed that their trekking poles and camel packs filled with water were key pieces of equipment.

At one point in the trek, 10-year-old Noah asked to take his father’s place as point person. In very short order, he encountered two snakes, one of them a rattlesnake, and gladly relinquished the lead position to James.

Besides being the trek leader, a surgeon, competitive collegiate swimmer and triathlete, James is a very experienced climber. A native of Colorado, he has hiked 38 of the state’s 14,000 foot peaks. He made sure to mitigate the challenges of the trek by building in safety redundancies and reminders. He carried additional packs filled with medical supplies, changes of clothing and other necessary gear. Karrn, a family physician and sports medicine specialist, partnered with her husband to conduct research, gather supplies and gear, and monitor the boys as they hiked.

When asked if there were times during the trek when the boys were tempted to give up or give in to fatigue-driven negative thoughts, they seemed a little startled by the question. It hadn’t occurred to them to bail out of the adventure. Despite the extraordinary physical effort, they had a good time and lifted each other up.

The best part of the trip for Joshua, was “the first part when we started in the dark.” For twin Noah, it was “reaching the bottom of the canyon and swimming in the river.” For twin Micah, his favorite part was sending postcards with the postmark, “Mailed by mule from the bottom of the Grand Canyon” and having lunch at the Phantom Ranch lodge.” For Jeremiah, it was finishing the venture and sending out postcards, and for Elijah, it was being the youngest person to finish the rim-to-rim hike in a single day.

Karrn said that the best part of the experience for her was “being unplugged and experiencing the family’s intense bonding. It was really an idyllic experience.” And for James, the reward was “watching the boys identify a goal, take the methodical steps to achieve it, and see their sense of pride and accomplishment afterwards.”