| Getting out of the Grand Canyon along the South | | | | country that is fairly flat. Going up hills requires a |
| Kaibab Trail is a difficult undertaking. You need to gain | | | | different set of muscles than hiking on level ground. |
| 4,780 feet in 6.3 miles. That kind of an effort is not | | | | I live in the Pacific Northwest. We have lots of hills, |
| to be had for the asking. You will be well served by a | | | | and mountains only a hour's drive away. In June,when |
| serious conditioning program before you make the | | | | the snow melted, I started taking conditioning hikes. |
| trek. Here is how I did it. | | | | Short ones at first, but steep--1,000 feet of |
| I began to get ready in January for an October trip. | | | | elevation gained for every mile of trail. |
| There is a football stadium and track at the local | | | | Starting with a hike that gained 1,000 feet, every |
| college that allows the public to use the facility. I | | | | three-four weeks I would find different routes that |
| started going up and down the stadium stairs, 62 | | | | would add 1,000 feet of elevation to the hike, with |
| stairs and a 45-foot elevation gain, twice a week, | | | | the same 1,000 feet per mile grade. I was also |
| working up to 20 flights. | | | | increasing the weight of my backpack gradually until I |
| Once a week I would also take a 6-mile hike in the | | | | ended up with 25 pounds. I carried this weight on my |
| foothills outside of town that had 1,000 feet of | | | | weekly 6-miler, too. |
| overall elevation gain. | | | | The final test was a hike that gained 4,560 feet in |
| Regarding stadium stairs, you might think that using a | | | | 4.6 miles--a sterner test than the South Kaibab. I |
| stair machine would get you the same benefit, but | | | | took that hike two weeks before departing for the |
| that's not the case. To go uphill you have to lift your | | | | Grand Canyon and knew I was ready. |
| body weight up and over. That's a different exercise | | | | There is great beauty on the South Kaibab, and it is |
| than only lifting it up, which is all the machines does | | | | your conditioning that will allow you to enjoy it. Be |
| for you. | | | | ready, have fun. |
| Do your stairs, especially if you live in a part of the | | | | |