Most visitors to the Grand Canyon peer down from the rim and call it a day. A pair of Arizona Trail thru-hikers just did the opposite: an out-and-back trip into Hermit's Rest, then an eight-mile, 4,300-foot climb back to the top — all in a single morning.

The route followed the Hermit Trail, and the writer's account is a useful reality check for anyone tempted to drop below the rim. The first couple of miles out of camp were gentle, but the trail soon stacks up a series of weaving switchbacks that gain elevation fast. By miles three to four, the hikers were high enough that the canyon's inner walls opened up into wide views — the kind of payoff that makes the grind worth it.

It wasn't all smooth. Recent rain had left rock slides and washouts on the trail, and loose dirt and scree made a few sections slow going uphill, even though climbing up loose terrain feels safer than descending it. The final mile turned out to be the steepest of the whole route — barely noticeable on the way down, punishing on the way up. The pair topped out just after noon with seriously trashed calves.

There are some fun details along the way. The trail passes a small historic stone shelter with a piped spring water source right beside it — a handy refill point. Hikers should also keep an eye on the rock in the upper section: fossils are supposedly visible in the layers there. And when the legs give out, the logistics are easy. A free shuttle bus runs along the rim to the South Rim general store, where a food truck was parked outside — a lifesaver when you're starving after climbing out of a mile-deep hole in the ground.

For this pair, the canyon was a side trip on a longer mission: the 800-mile Arizona Trail. After the climb, they knocked out another ten miles south on the AZT, including a six-mile stretch of paved bike path into the gateway town of Tusayan, before camping after an 18-mile day. Flagstaff, a few days' walk south, is their next resupply stop.

Why does this matter if you're not a thru-hiker? Because it shows the Grand Canyon's rim-to-inner-gorge trails are doable as a hard day hike — but they demand respect. Steep, exposed, and with water only at limited points, they're a very different proposition from a stroll on the rim trail. Go early, carry more water than you think you need, and remember the climb out always takes roughly twice as long as the walk down.

Story via The Trek.