Wow. First time we see the river. Yep. Look at the rapids down there. Wow.

You're listening to the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show, the voice of Grand Canyon Hiking. Presented by Hiken. Hiking packs and gear built to help you hike your best hike. Here's your guide, Brian Special.

Yeah. It was a hike full of wows and plenty of ooze and ahhs to go with it, of course. And also, most importantly, a whole lot of inspiration. Jerry Crank doing his first big Grand Canyon hike, a rim to river at 77 years old. Now there is a video version of what you're about to hear.

It's posted on YouTube. Search for the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude show on YouTube. We've gotten so much good feedback on it. Lots of people talking about chills and tears. And, just flat out inspiration for what they were able to watch Jerry accomplish.

This is certainly one of my favorites. I was honored to be able to go along with Jerry and his son Jeff on this adventure. It was about a year ago now that I met Jerry for the first time at Black Mountain here in Cave Creek, Arizona, which is where I do my daily hikes. And Jerry had heard the podcast, and he showed up, and we ran into each other, and he was asking me questions about, you know, mostly whether I thought that he could handle a big Grand Canyon hike. And I took one look at him, and I was like, Jerry, absolutely, man.

You can do this. You got this. He was in great shape. He had great balance and and just strength for for his age. It was it was very, very clear that he'd been he'd been working hard.

So I just looked at him and knew that he could he could get it done, and I told him, you know what, Jerry? If you if you wanna go do it, I will go do it with you so that you can just focus on the physical aspect, and I can show you where to go and just kinda help you along the way. And sure enough, Jerry took me up on it, and we ended up hiking a rim to river along with his son, Jeff, South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch and back up South Kaibab again. It was a day that I will never forget, and I hope when you listen to this that you will be inspired. That is the entire goal to show you that no matter who you are, hey, if you wanna hike the canyon and you're willing to put in the work, you can do it.

Why not you as my mother always said to us? So this is Jerry Crank's adventure at 77 years old here on the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude show powered by Hiken. Support the brand that supports this show at hiken.club. That's h I k I n dot club. Alright, Jerry.

I I gotta tell you, man. I've been looking forward to this one. This is super exciting for me because it was less than two months ago that I met you for the first time on

Right.

On Black Mountain down in Cave Creek. Right. And now here we are at the Canyon. What you remember about that day when we first met?

Well, I was I was, hoping that we would run into each other at Black Mountain and Cave Creek. And, lo and behold, after I finished my hike, I was about ready to come out of the trail. I see this guy and it's Brian walking up with his dog.

Yeah. Little Ringo.

Yeah. Getting ready to do his hike. So I stopped him and chatted for fifteen or twenty minutes about everything, Grand Grand Canyon hiker dude and all that stuff. So and I basically said, I'm looking to do rim to river at some point in time. He says, you can do it.

So that weekend, I went and did Thompson Peak. And Which is a big hike in the Phoenix area. Able to accomplish that. So as a result of that, here we are this morning in the Grand Canyon getting ready to do the South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch and back. Yeah.

I remember you saying to me that that morning. I remember it was like, you're like, do do you really think I could do it? And I was like, Jerry, yes. I could tell just by looking at you, you were in great shape. You're 77.

Right. And I think a lot of people your age will start to question themselves.

Right.

So I'm hoping today my hope is that this is gonna be a day that that's gonna inspire a lot of people, and it's gonna show you too just what you're capable of.

I I'm looking forward to it, and I gotta tell you I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Brian and the encouragement that he's given to me, not only the time we met two months ago, but also all the time on the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude. It's been great, and I really appreciate it. And I'm looking forward to getting started and accomplishing what we set out to do today.

Well, you're far too kind for for those words. This day is all about you, and it's about your son, Jeff. This makes it even better because your son's here with us too.

It does. I'm so excited to have Jeff here. I know he can do it because he's a lot stronger, younger, and He's 47. Right? He's 47, very capable hiker.

And I've hiked with him, and he's always about x amount ahead of me. So he's a he's a fast hiker. And we'll see if he can meet the challenge here today. I'm sure he can.

Are are you apprehensive, nervous at all?

A little bit. Yeah. I didn't sleep great last night. You know, I was thinking about everything and kinda anxious. But now that we're here, getting ready to drop into the canyon, I feel great.

I feel excited, starting to warm up a little bit, get daylight out, so I feel good.

And we're here at the South Kaibab Trailhead just looking down on the chimney and looking at the canyon as the sun starts to rise behind us. Just what do you think when you see this this place?

I think it's absolutely beautiful. And I've been here a few times, but every time you come, it's just just amazing how beautiful this place is. It's just one of a kind and there's nothing else like it in the world.

Can you believe we're going all the way down there?

I can believe it. Better. I'll believe it when we come all the way back up.

Well, this is gonna be fun. We'll we'll document the journey along the way. Should we get after it?

Let's go. Let's go, baby. Here we go, Jerry. You got this, man. Okay.

Thanks, man.

So down we went. So this is called the chimney. Oh, it is? Yep. Look how steep this is.

Super cool. Down the nine steep switchbacks that make up the chimney, past the Victor Vomit sign warning hikers about the dangers of hiking to the river in a day, beyond famed Ooa Point to a spot not far past Ooa where the panoramic views can just about take your breath away. This is my favorite place in the on the whole trail. We've we've made it down below Ooah Point, so we're about 1.2 miles or so down the trail. Overlooking Windy Ridge, you can see all the way down to the red and white switchbacks, down where Skeleton Point is.

You can see Plateau Point over there, Off Bright Angel Trail, where Havasupai Gardens is. Just an expansive view to the East and to the West. Just panoramic. Just beautiful. Just what are your thoughts laying eyes on this?

It's spectacular. It's, one of a kind as I said earlier. And with the sun kinda coming down on the canyon, it's just, it's awesome. It's just something that everybody should get a chance to see once in their lifetime. It's just fantastic.

What have you thought of the hike so far?

I think it's great.

No problems. Right?

No problems so far.

Long way to go.

Feeling good right now. So hopefully, that'll continue as we move on down, but I feel great. Oh, yeah.

In just another quarter mile or so, Cedar Ridge. Wow. The flat expanse a mile and a half down with spellbinding views in every direction.

Yep. I see what you mean. Beautiful.

And pit toilets. Okay. With Jeff now, your dad just went off to, to use the facilities here at, at Cedar Ridge. You gotta be pretty proud of this guy today,

Oh, yeah. Well, yeah. For sure. We've come a long way in our relationship, so I think I'm proud of that, number one. And then number two, his dedication and determination to make this thing happen is, like, given him a whole new reason in retirement to do stuff.

It's pretty amazing to see his excitement in this. And he's a mile and a half into it, I'm sure he'll finish it all. But, yeah, it's really fun to see.

How excited was he going into this? Because you came all the way from California Yeah. To do this almost at the last second because we knew there was gonna be heat coming in later next week when you guys originally had a plan. Today was a nicer day, a nicer forecast. You guys are flexible enough to change your plans.

So props to you for being here, but just how excited is your dad for this too?

He's been dropping hints to me for about a year on this trip. And over the last six months, the hints became more, frequent and louder. And he hasn't asked me to do things in a long time, and this was one thing where he definitely asked me to come along because he's so excited about it. He can't he's we have more snacks and more water and more preparation than I've ever seen him prepare for anything, so he's he's beyond excited

about Well, he's taking

it seriously then. Oh, for sure.

No doubt. No doubt. Alright.

Well, let's just keep this keep this train moving. Cedar Ridge, next stop will be Skeleton Point. Here we go. This next stretch can lull you to sleep, especially coming back up. You lose 900 feet in elevation between Cedar And Skeleton Point, but there are only a few switchbacks.

Instead, there are those often talked about awkwardly sized, awkwardly spaced, jolting steps to deal with. Soon enough, though, you're at Skeleton Point, three miles and just over 2,000 feet below the trailhead, And you're getting your first look at the Colorado River running a gorgeous emerald green today, still almost 3,000 vertical feet below. There's a little plateau right here. This is Skeleton Point. Oh, it is?

Yes, sir.

Wow. First time we see the river. Yep.

Look at

the rapids down there. Wow.

Okay, Jerry. We have made it to one of my favorite places in the in the whole in the whole park, and that is just below Skeleton Point. If you come three switchbacks down, you just suddenly have this expansive, incredible view of just about everything. And it's the first time you see the river too. What what are you thinking right now?

Oh, the it's just amazing. I've read about it. I've seen everybody talk about it on the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude site on Facebook, and it's really special to be able to see that as you round the corner and come to this little plateau right here for the first time. It's absolutely breathtaking, and the water's green today. Yes.

So that's a good thing versus the brown muddy.

And Jeff and I were talking about we were excited that it's the first time you can hear the Colorado, but for you Let

me try that again. I hear it. Yeah. Oh, come on. I can hear it.

Jeff, are you buying that? I can hear it. It's got kinda like a slow roar to it. That's it.

That's it.

Yeah. I got it. That's it.

How are you feeling? How's the how's the hike been? Because now we're just over three miles, it's your first time that you've ever been below Cedar Ridge. How are you feeling? Because you look great.

Your balance is fantastic. I've been behind you most of the way. It looks like you're just doing really, really good.

I feel great. Although, I will say that everybody that's mentioned the downhill, between Cedar Ridge and where we are right now at Skeleton, there's it's a little tough going down. So I appreciate the fact that everybody said it's hard going down in some of those areas. Right now, where we're at has been kind of a coast, so to speak, compared to what we went through before we came here. But overall, I feel great.

And I've noticed with you that your balance is exceptional. You're seventy seven, and you just seem very sturdy on your feet. And that's not by accident.

No. I work out a lot, obviously, four to five times a week. And a lot of that is practicing balance, core work, those kinds of things, strengthening the legs so that I can actually achieve the balance, because I know what it's like when you don't have balance. Before where I'm at right now, I like that. So I try to emphasize the balance part

of it. And you've lost a lot of weight to get here, too.

I've lost about 25 to 30 pounds over the last year. And I wasn't intending to. I just switched to the intermittent fasting diet where you eat within an eight hour period every day. And then I changed my diet to more of a Mediterranean style diet, and the weight just dropped off. So as a result of that, I've been able to hike longer, farther, more elevation, and I feel a lot better.

So obviously, you feel like all the hard work I mean, it's paying off on a day like this.

Totally. Absolutely. And we'll see because I gotta go back up. But right now, yes, I would agree.

Next stop, tip-off.

Okay. Here we go.

Down the red and whites.

You're gonna see

what the red and whites are all about.

Yeah. I'm sure I will.

Oh, those red and white switchbacks. They start immediately as you drop below Skeleton Point and will drop you some 700 vertical feet over about seven tenths of a mile. The red and whites get their name because they mark the geological transition from the canyon's red wall limestone to its moi of limestone, and you'll actually see the dirt on the switchbacks change from reddish to whitish. A mile and a half later, you pass the tip-off, with its pit toilets and shade shelter making for a great place to stop for a break. 2.1 miles after that, you're crossing the Black Bridge over the Colorado River.

Jerry had made it all the way down, six and a half miles and 4,800 vertical feet of elevation to this point, with Phantom Ranch now just under a mile away. Jerry made it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, man.

He's happy he made it too. He's real happy he made it.

Feels good, doesn't it?

It does. Nice breeze, nice sun, green water. Can't beat it.

Alright. We made it to the river in about three hours and thirty five minutes. That's a pretty quick pace. I was honestly not expecting Jerry to be that quick. That's, probably above the, faster than the median time, I would say, which is probably between three and a half and four hours.

So I'm pretty impressed, man. He, he's done really, really well, and it still looks like he has pep in his step. So 77 years old, and he's made it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Now if I could go to Phantom Ranch and get him some lemonade and maybe rest and re rejuvenate just a little bit, and then the long slog out. Got about a I think the temperatures will be in the in the sixties for most of the way out, so it's not a terrible day.

It was supposed to be in the nineties and a 100 next and hundreds next week. So I'm glad he decided to, change and adjust on the fly and come when it's gonna be cooler because you don't wanna mess with the heat, obviously, as we say every just about every show. So Blackbridge, and now on to Phantom, and we'll catch up with Jerry there and see how he's feeling. But, man, super impressed with with his conditioning and his stride and his balance and just his strength. You know, I think he's built some foundational strength for himself at 77, and I think that's really starting to starting to pay off.

Very impressive. Very cool to see. Hopefully, very inspiring to others as well.

I'm not thinking about going back up.

Not yet.

Not yet. I'm gonna wait and think about that later.

Celebrate for a while.

Yeah. Betcha.

You're on the North Side Of The Colorado River.

Amazing.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Alright, Jerry. We have made it to the bottom of the canyon. We are at Phantom Ranch. You dipped your hand in the Colorado on your way over here.

Yes. I did. Oh, yeah. That's cold. That's cold.

Woah. How you doing, Jerry? I'm wetting my fingers, feeling the Colorado, and it is cold and chilly, But it feel feels good.

I think that truly means that you made it to the bottom of the canyon.

I do. I do. But I'm not gonna jump in.

Dude, you you've you've done it.

I am. How are

you feeling, man?

Well, right now, I feel real good. There was a time sort of in three fourths of the way down where I felt a little wobbly, but we rested just a tad at one of the plateaus and then, took off again, and I felt refreshed. Then we came here to Phantom Ranch, and after I touched the cold water of the Colorado River, and after we walked across the Black Bridge, and we're almost the only people here at Phantom Ranch. So it's kinda nice because you read about it, you hear about it, and you gotta go to it at least once. So we did that.

We had our lemonade and, got refreshed probably for about a half an hour, thirty five minutes. It's act actually, the temperature right now is fabulous. It's perfect. I don't know what it is. 65, 70 down here with a nice cool breeze.

And we're looking at straight up to the top of what is partially probably part of the canyon. The inner gorge. Yeah. The inner gorge. Yeah.

And it's absolutely beautiful. And then I'm looking to the left to just look at where we have to go to go back to

the Don't

look up. Look up. And I'm I'm gonna attach myself to Brian and just ride him on up to the top.

You know, it's it's funny because Phantom, the canteen, the inside has been closed. I I believe since COVID. I could be completely wrong about that, but I think it's been closed since COVID and it only just recently reopened when they opened back up here at the April. So we got to go inside. It's honestly the first time I've been in there 1986.

Wow.

Since I

was 13 years old and I did my first rim to rim and stayed down here and had steak and stew in there. Wow. It's the first time I've been in there since then. It's crazy. What's that?

675. Yeah. They they're I'm sorry. They're they're talking about the $6.75 lemonade. Oh, Lemonade's getting more and more expensive.

It's up to $6.75 now. Inflation. Yeah. It's inflation, and it's gonna be a $10 cup of lemonade before long. But what'd you think of the be actually being in the canteen?

I thought it was really cool. I mean, they have the tables lined up, and it's just iconic is the word that Brian uses, and I would

use lot, don't

I? Would use that for here. Absolutely. It's quaint. It's really cool, and it's it's a small little place, but it's very clean.

And they have a lot of electrolytes and different hiking supplies if you need some when you come down here.

Lot of stuff for sale.

Yeah. But it's it's really a neat place to be. And if you come this way, you should absolutely come and enjoy it. It's it's really neat.

And you took time to send a memento to your wife. Where else in the world can you do something like this?

Probably nowhere else. I bought a postcard, and it's a picture of the mules, like nine or 10 mules going back up with their backpacks on. And then I wrote the address, put a stamp on it, and gave her a a nice little message about the fact that we made it down here. I wish she was with us, And I'll see her soon as we get to the top. And then I mailed it.

And it goes back up to get mailed by the mules. So that's that's really a neat little thing too. And my son did the same thing with his wife.

And I oh, there's

a squirrel.

Trying to get into my pack. Yeah. God. That you turn your back for one second. I'm even gonna pick it pick it up and put it on the table behind this.

Yeah. The squirrels are demons. Do not fall for their cute act because it's it's They'll they'll have a hole in your pack so fast. I gotta watch that. I I don't know.

I'm just gonna hold on to

it. Yeah.

Yeah. But yeah. Mail mailed by mule. I think they even have a stay the postmark actually says mailed by mule from Phantom Ranch.

It does.

How cool

is that? Yeah. It's it's really cool. Yeah. And like you said, I don't know in many places that do that kind of thing with the with the mail and the postcards.

Yeah. Well, we just refilled our water because we have to go up South Kaiba because Bright Angel is still closed until May for the waterline project. There's still a lot of activity down here. It's still busy in terms of construction and things just a little disheveled, discombobulated a little bit down here. But I gotta tell you, if you've ever been to the bottom of the canyon, if you've ever been to Phantom before, and I know you haven't, Jerry, and you were wondering why I got so excited about this.

Yes.

But they've got something they're just about to open down here at Phantom Ranch. You know, in front of the canteen is where you can refill your water. Well, what they have now, and it's still wrapped in plastic. They have a double spigot ready to go, you guys. You know how crowded it can get down here in May and October during prime time, during peak season, And there can be a long line, you know, 10 or 12 people just to just to refill your water.

A double spigot makes the line half as long, and they've actually got I don't know if it's a temporary one off to the side, but there could be up to three spigots, the best I can tell down here at the canteen. So Yeah. I got excited about that.

Yeah. You did. You got very excited, and I can see why because when there when the hikers really come down here, there's gonna be a long line. So it'll be nice to be able to fill your stuff up really quickly and not have to wait in line. You don't wanna do that after you've hiked seven, eight miles.

Yeah. Okay. Well, it's probably in the seventies now, I would guess.

I think so. Yeah.

And we're about to head back across the Black Bridge, and then you're gonna find out immediately how difficult South is because we have to go essentially straight up right from the the second we cross the bridge. So this is as far as you've ever gone before, and this is probably as daunting of a hike as you have ever faced before on the way out. So what are you thinking? What's the plan?

Well, the plan is to do my own hike, not go fast if if I don't feel like it or can't do it. And, my plan is to make it out, as best I can, taking breaks and putting one foot in front of the other. I know that I've read a lot of people that say the hike is as much mental as it is physical. So I'm trying to get my mental head around, wrap it around the hike that we have to do and maybe do it in sections where I take go to tip-off, then to Skeleton Oh, yeah. You know, then to Cedar Ridge and so forth on up.

So break it up and just try to get those milestones as we reach each each police area.

I think you've got it just nailed. That is the the perfect plan. I mean, you know, go slow. That that's that's helpful. You know, slow down a little bit.

Realize that we're not in a hurry. The goal is to to get out of here with a smile on our face. And breaking it up into those chunks. The the canyon has a beautiful way of doing that on the corridor trails where you can break it up into two mile to mile and a half chunks. And so like you said, two miles from Blackbridge, 2.1 miles from Blackbridge to tip-off.

1.5 miles from there to Skeleton Point. 1.5 miles from there to Cedar Ridge. 1.5 miles from there to the South Kaibab Trailhead. So it's just little victories along the way.

Little victories turn into a big victory.

Well, you're 77 years old. I am. Jerry, you've been crushing it. I was so impressed watching you come down here, just your your balance and your your strength. You you crushed it, man.

You killed it.

Thank you.

And I look forward to seeing what the what what it's gonna be like going out. It's not gonna be as easy. No. There's probably not gonna be as much talking and No. And and visiting.

It's gonna be, you know, put your head down and and go to work, but Right. This is part of it. And the the reward at the end will be worth it. Don't

you think? I I agree. I think it is, and I'm I'm ready to get started and tackle it.

We'll check-in with you along the way, but off we go. Basically, halfway done at least mileage wise with this, rim to river with Jerry and Jeff here. Let's get after it.

Here you go. I'm ready. Let's go.

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Now the hard part.

Just this plotting along, so to speak.

And it was pretty apparent that Jerry knew it. Little shade coming up. Tough, isn't it?

Yeah. Yeah.

All things being equal, we would have followed the traditional rim to river route and exited via the Bright Angel Trail. But with the ongoing Trans Canyon Waterline project, much of Bright Angel was closed, making the shorter but steeper and more difficult South Kaibab the only way out. Okay. We made it from the river through tip-off, and now we are just starting the the famous. But today, when we're going up the infamous red and white switchbacks, Jerry, what have you thought so far from the from the river?

I noticed you're checking your heart rate a lot.

Checking my heart rate to make sure I don't get into the red zone as much as possible and taking smaller steps compared to what it was and slower so that I can manage my heart rate. Wasn't too bad from the Blackbridge up to tip-off. And then from there, where we're at right now in the red and whites, it's a little tougher, a little steeper. I think we're about nine tenths of a mile into it from the tip-off. So we probably got another six tenths to go.

Probably mostly pretty pretty much uphill. So but if you take it in chunks and you go slow, you can do it.

Probably the toughest part of the hike that we're right, at the beginning stages of right here. The red and whites are no joke. It's middle of the day. It's probably I would guess somewhere in the sixties right now. We got a nice breeze for most of it.

So it's it's manageable, don't you think?

Absolutely. No. I can't imagine a better nicer day to hike than today.

I would take 20 degrees cooler. I'd have no problem with that.

It's not bad, though.

No. It's it's it's definitely not bad. It's definitely not as bad as it's gonna be in a in a couple weeks here when it's

in the Exactly.

When it's in the nineties. But watching that heart rate, you know, I was watching you, and I was encouraging you to it seemed like your cadence was maybe too fast. You're having to stop. So is it has it been easy for you to adjust to maybe slowing that cadence down and just just going slower? Because I know you have a tendency, as do I, of trying to go too fast.

You got this, you know, crazy maybe goal in your head that you don't even know what it is, but you just know you're a competitive person Right. And you wanna go fast. So how is it to just consciously throttle it back, and has it helped?

Well, first, let me say that when I first started out, I was throttling it forward and then having to stop every 50 feet and let my heart rate drop because you got into the red zone high. And so after Brian gave me some coaching in terms of slower and and easier, all of a sudden I could walk a lot longer, like three, four times longer. And my heart rate stayed in the threshold level category four or even low category five. So I can handle that. So that is very important.

And it feels good when I walk that slow because I'm not used to it. I'm used to walking fast. It really feels really good, and I can go a lot longer without stopping.

Yeah. And there's so there's a lesson to be learned there. Right? It's like Definitely. If you're doing something like this that you're not used to, you've never done before, it's extremely difficult.

Yeah.

Right? It's uphill for a long period of time. It's okay to just go slow. It may may feel like you're in slow motion. Yep.

But you're still gonna get to your goal.

Exactly. It's just a matter of how long it's gonna take. And, you know, I don't know what our pace is. Thirty thirty minutes a mile or something like that. Maybe a little bit higher than that in certain spots, but that's okay.

Right? That's okay.

Darn right. Let's get back at it on these, these red And Whites, and we'll check-in again when we get to past Skeleton Point. We're gonna get there slowly but surely.

Alright. Let's

go. Remember when I'd mentioned the part of South Kaibab that lulls you to sleep? Well, here we are again. After summiting the red And Whites, there's a section immediately after Skeleton Point called Mormon Flats, and it lives up to its name, flat and easy for a half mile or so. But afterwards, well, the rest of the slog to Cedar Ridge right at a mile is uphill and made up mostly of those soul crushing South Kaibab Steps.

I call it the staircase from hell. Jerry, is that a good name for

it? Absolutely. Yeah. Definitely.

Okay, Jerry. We survived those awful steps between Skeleton Point and Cedar Ridge. If I'm not mistaken, that's the first time. Correct me if I'm wrong. But that's the first time that I heard what I thought might be a four letter word out of you.

Yeah. Yeah. It it out of me. Yes. It did.

I couldn't help myself. It just ran right out of my mouth. Tough stretch, wasn't it? Oh, I would say so. Yes.

Probably the toughest of the entire trip.

But even after reaching Cedar Ridge, just a mile and a half and about 900 vertical feet below the finish, South Kaibab doesn't get much easy.

I'm tell you it ain't easy. Oh.

We just came up Windy Ridge, aptly named, iconic spot. Super windy. You thought you had to stop there for a second. You thought your hat was gonna blow off.

My hat. Yeah. Because I had tightened my hat. It was gonna go away. So that worked, and now we're it's tied around my head.

We're protected with these rocks here. So

Can you taste it? Can you taste it? I mean, we're getting close to a mile.

Starting to smell the finish. Yep. Yep. I can't wait. Two off points just right around the corner and nine tenths of a mile after that.

That's right. That's right. You've done amazing. I mean, I know it's been a struggle, but nobody ever gets out of here and and says, you know, that was that was so easy, and I I didn't struggle at all. Everyone has their point during this hike where where it gets you, and I think, I think that stretch between Yeah.

Skeleton and Cedars where it kinda got you.

Yeah. Did. No. It nailed me. Yeah.

It got me But you're still going strong. I'm still going I feel good. Yeah. I mean, I'll I'll make it out, but it was that was hard. I can't say it wasn't.

Well, if if if it's not hard, it's not worth it.

Exactly.

Right? That's what's gonna make this so much more satisfying when you get finished tonight and you have a pizza or you go do whatever you do. Right. You're gonna have earned it. So Yeah.

Just over a mile to go. You got this, man.

Wonderful.

Let's finish this off.

Thanks, Brian.

Let's go.

Yep. Thank you.

Soon, we were past Ooah Point, less than a mile, the homestretch, and one last stop at one of my own favorite landmarks, which contains a warning that we had intentionally defied and would now serve as a source of pride. Alright, Jerry. We are at the famous Victor vomit sign at the base of the chimney. You've almost slayed, South Kaibab. I wanna read what the Victor vomit sign says.

It's it's it famously has a guy on all fours overcome by heat and throwing up profusely. It says, warning. Hiking to the Colorado River and back in one day is not recommended due to long distance, extreme heat, and a nearly 5,000 foot elevation change. If you think you have the fitness and expertise to attempt this extremely strenuous hike, please seek advice from a park ranger at the backcountry information office. That's National Park Service's way of saying, if you go to the river, it's probably not a good good idea, but you've just did it, and you've almost finished it.

You gotta be feeling good, man. Even though you're looking up for that chimney going, ugh.

Yeah. No. It's I'm ready for it to be over. It's definitely a challenge. It's not easy, and everything that everybody says on the Grand Canyon hiker dude's side about doing stairs, doing stair stepper, all that stuff is absolutely true in spades.

It's it's very well good advice. You can't do enough of it, I would say, after doing it so far.

Is there anything yeah. I know we haven't finished yet, but is there anything so far that's popped up that that you would have done differently to get ready for this hike?

I would have done more elevation. I would have done more step ups where you have to take, you know, like on a stair step or two steps instead of one. And I would do a lot of that to get a feeling because there's a lot of that coming through the red and white and coming from Cedar Ridge or a skeleton up to Cedar Ridge. So, yeah, that that would be what I would recommend as the number one thing probably to do more of.

It's good advice. So the steps caught you a little bit off guard, but you still were you still did great on them, but I guess you can always do better on those darn steps.

Yeah. Well, I mean, I may have done great. Didn't feel like I did great.

You did great.

It was a challenge.

It's always a challenge.

Yeah. I made it through, and I'm almost done. And I'm glad I'm gonna be done. I've I've had a nice full day, about 17 miles and 5,000 up. So that that's enough for one day.

And looking up that chimney, it it can be pretty daunting. That's what the last set of switchbacks is. Nine switchbacks, I think

Is it?

To the top, over about probably 250 feet of elevation or so. But it looks daunting at the end of a long day like this, doesn't it? You're just kinda looking up there going, really? We gotta do this? Yeah.

I don't wanna look. Well, I do always say don't look up.

Right.

Right. You're only gonna be disappointed all the way to the very end. Alright. We've almost slayed this, so let's finish it off. You did not become Victor vomit today.

Good job on that, but let's finish this thing off, and then we'll talk about everything that we learned today Okay. Because you've done an incredible job. It's been such an amazing day, Jared.

Thanks, Brian.

Big breasts in your belly. Big breasts. Deep in your belly.

Some final encouragement from Jeff. And at this point, the chimney, as tough and steep as it seems I'll switch back. While adrenaline and excitement really seemed to take over here at the end of a long hike and a true life accomplishment. Now go tap that sign. Go tap the sign.

You're done.

Yes, sir.

Good job, Jerry.

Oh, yeah. Yes. Woah. Made it. You did it.

Made it. Hell, yeah. Woah. What a ride that was. Wow.

What a ride. Wow. Five hours and thirty three minutes.

From Phantom to here. Let's go.

Good job.

Thanks for

the long way. You too. It's a long way to go for 77. Good job. Great job.

It was great. Glad it's over, but it was great.

Alright, Jerry. We surfaced about five minutes ago. Your mood has improved drastically. How are you feeling, man? I'm I'm not only am I proud of you, and I know I'm a lot younger than you, but I think I can still say I'm proud of you.

But I'm just so happy for you because this is this is what it's all about right here. Someone puts in all the work and they accomplish something that just a short while ago they didn't even know was possible.

Absolutely. Yeah. Six months ago, I would never even thought about this. And with with all the workout, the hiking, and the elevation hikes I did, those kinds of things, and just putting in the work in the gym, I was able to do it. Was it easy?

No. But it was doable, and we accomplished it in, I don't know, probably about ten hours, which I think is pretty good time really for someone my age.

Oh, yeah. But Even not your age.

Yeah. But I feel good now. After finishing, I feel great. I'm glad that we did it. I'm glad it's done, and I feel good.

You know, I could probably go out and get some pizza tonight or

get I you've earned it. Yeah. And this is and that's so important. You know, when we had Cindy McNaughton on not too long ago, she talked about how important it is to celebrate, you know, celebrate things like this. So you have earned that pizza.

I know you like to watch what you eat, watch what you drink. Right. But tonight's not a night for that.

No. Not at all. This is celebration night with my wife and my son, and we'll probably bore her with all our details about the trip, but she'll just have to listen because we're gonna tell her and tell her all about it and how much fun we had and what a great experience it was.

I know it's kind of an instant reaction that you're gonna change your thought thoughts as the weeks go on, and this really soaks in and you absorb what you just accomplished. But just initially, what does this mean to you, and what does this say about about you, about yourself?

Well, I guess if you set a goal, you you achieve that goal, and you do everything you can to make sure that you do achieve that goal. And I I set out to do this probably six months ago or so, and I kept increasing my training to where I felt like it was more and more a potential chance to do that. And you came along and and obviously decided to join us, which helped tremendously because you've got all the experience in the Canyon, and it just gave me all the tidbits in addition to everything else I already learned from the hiker dude website. So I think what it says though is that Yeah. You set a goal, you work towards it, you accomplish it.

So what about when someone is in their sixties and they're in their seventies, even they're in their eighties? And, you know, we were just talking. Society kinda tells you Yeah. That you're done, and you take that as like, I can't do things like this anymore. But here you are at 77.

You didn't even start hiking that long ago. Right. And you just accomplished hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. What would your message be for someone, you know, your age, younger, older, who might be considering something like this, but maybe doesn't think they can do it?

I I think that you don't necessarily start out with the the big goal. You start out with small goals and small steps, and you work towards that. And then all of a sudden, you build to the next step, And the next step, and all of a sudden, you're ready to do the big thing. And I would say that, you just have to get off the couch, put your shoes on, go do the workout, do the walking, do whatever it takes to get started, sort of jump start your efforts. I would also say if you are dealing with any kind of a weight issue that that would be a good thing to drop because I know I dropped 25 pounds in about six months and that helped tremendously especially for hiking and longer walks and and doing a lot of different things, flexibility, core, everything.

So I would say that losing weight is another thing that folks our age should do and not be sedentary, but get out and do something.

And you've had some health scares along the way too on top on top of all this. You've had plenty of excuses so to speak that would make some people say you know I I just can't do something like that.

I have actually I've I've got afib which I'm sure a lot of people do have because I go to the cardiologist and I hear all the numbers. And I decided even with that, and even with just recently having the Watchman type product put into my left atrium that I was gonna go ahead and do it. And, I did do that. I had to put in in November 13, and here we are, April 6. And, a train between after putting that in and now, and it didn't stop me.

So it it can be done. You just have to make sure that you monitor and don't do anything crazy, but just methodically go about your business.

So now methodically going about your thought process. Listen, Jerry. Listen. I told you at the beginning of this, not only that you could do this, but my prediction was that when you finished it, you were gonna be inspired to come back and do rim to rim. You just finished this ten minutes ago.

I know it's way too early to say something like that, but but not asking you to commit to it right now, but but is that a possibility for you?

It is a possibility, but you're right. I I don't wanna commit to it right now after just what we finished, but I think that it would be doable. I really do. Maybe when it's not hot. Always.

Thing. Because today we had perfect weather for the hike, and I know we moved up our date in order to accommodate the weather. And I'm glad we did because I cannot imagine doing this hike in 90 or a 100 degree temperatures. I mean, it would really be a tough hike then.

It was in the sixties, and I wouldn't want it to be any hotter than that.

I agree. And it was perfect. It was absolutely perfect.

And, you know, now you've been to Phantom Ranch, and you saw what Phantom Ranch is all about. And so, you know, honestly, a perfect hike for you would be to get a reservation at Phantom Ranch and hike down, spend a night, and then hike out to the other rim the next day.

I would absolutely say that's correct. Yes. If I was gonna do a rim to rim, that would probably have to be in the cards. But I would stay overnight, rest up, and then go the next day.

Yeah. It doesn't it doesn't always have to be in one day. Doesn't have to be the one day room to rent.

So don't think I'm ready for one day. At least not right now. Maybe, you know, in six months, I might be. But I I think the the better thing, the smarter thing to do be to stay overnight down at Frantom Ranch and then then go the next day. Yeah.

What do you take away from this? Not only just the physical accomplishment, but people talk about, you know, that the canyon changes them. Just the the beauty of it. And just, you know, you're in awe pretty much the entire time. You get tired and you look up and it's like, wow.

I'm in one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Did that hit you today at all?

It did. And I felt like a guest in the canyon. I felt like a guest where I was able to walk into this beautiful place and see every time you took a step and looked around a different view, a beautiful view. And I had the ability to go all the way to Phantom Ranch and back fifteen, sixteen, 17 miles and enjoy what nature's created. And and that to me was really special.

And now you've joined the ranks of the Canyon Obsessed. Now you kinda see what it's all about,

don't you? Me too. Yeah. No. Absolutely you.

I was obsessed anyway, but I hadn't tipped my toe in. Now that I've done it, there's no question about it. I mean, it's a special place. There is no doubt about it.

And pretty cool being able to experience this with your son one day.

More than enough. Absolutely. It was so great, and he did a great job.

He did.

He he's a young guy.

Strong climber.

Guy. Yeah. And he could easily do a rim to rim

Oh, yeah.

Without a doubt. So, yes, it was very special.

Well, I appreciate you guys letting me tag along and kinda document this because I feel like this is gonna be such an inspiration to, you know, our Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show community, and you've inspired people today. 77 years old, you just finished your first Rim Tour ever, and there's more to come. So I ask people out there, what the heck is your excuse? Get off the couch. Yeah.

Do what Jerry did. Yep. You can do it. Why not you? Yep.

So Jerry, just thank you so much for letting me tag along. This was a this was an honor and it was a it's been an experience I'll never forget.

Ryan, it was special and I thank you for for coming with us because I gotta tell you, you were extremely helpful in in this hike. And without you, it would have been a lot tougher. Can tell you that. So, thank you again. Thank you, sir.

Yeah. So again, I ask you, what I did at the very beginning of this. Why not you? If you've ever dreamed of hiking the Grand Canyon and you're in good shape, if you're willing to put in the work to get in good shape, you can do this. What an incredible goal to set as well to be able to do a massive physical accomplishment such as hiking rim to river or rim to rim or anything in the canyon for that matter.

What motivation it is to be able to do that and have it culminate in one of the the seven natural wonders of the world. And it was a joy to see Jerry accomplish this at 77. You know, you see older people down there all the time backpacking, day hiking, whatever it is. So if you think you're too old for it, if you think you're not in shape for it, hey, you can do it, and we'll help you. I'll help you.

I'll even hike with you if I can, just like I do with with Jerry. If it helps you, I'm here for it because, honestly, selfishly, it fuels my soul to see someone proving to themselves that they can push themselves physically beyond what they thought was possible and to do it again in one of the seven natural wonders of the world. I mean, let's go. Right? As for Jerry, since our hike last March, he has done a lot more hiking.

He says he's in the best shape of his life now at 78 years old, 610 miles, he says, with 137,000 feet in elevation gain in 2025. He spent a week hiking in Glacier. He says, Hiking lets me compete against myself, set goals, and present a mental and physical challenge. He also says he loves meeting people and that rim to rim is still his biggest goal. And I am telling you, if we hadn't had the Dragon Bravo fire and if North Kaibab was open, Jerry would have done rim to rim by now.

So I know he's keeping himself in shape. And that's the thing. When you get yourself in shape for something like this, and you show yourself that you can do it, and you work so hard to do it, keeping yourself in shape becomes important as well. So what's that tell you? It's an entire lifestyle shift.

And when you get to be older, even at my age, you know, I'm 53 now, and you start thinking more about adding years to your life by getting yourself in shape and staying there, and there's no better way to do it than by hiking and well, that's not a medical that's not medical advice I just gave you. I think there's no better way to do it than by than by hiking and keeping yourself strong and just keeping yourself fit. And, you know, surely, it's gonna add years to your life, and and you'll have earned it that way. And, hey, let's segue into coach Arnie now. He he knows a thing or two about earning it as well.

Here is coach with his weekly dose of Canyon wisdom.

With all that's going on, I just wanted to send some encouragement to everybody as you step into your last weeks of training, planning, and preparation. And here we go. You can do it, But what does that mean? Well, for anyone who's been in the canyon, there's a now famous sign that's probably less than ten years old with a fellow named Victor Vomit. And what's his message?

I'm not gonna read the whole message here, but let me give you a summary. It's basically whatever you're thinking about doing, don't. That's right. Because the canyon is not going to save you, and that's a fact. The canyon is not responsible for you.

You are. And I agree with Victor. If you haven't earned it, if you're not healthy, if you haven't done the work, if you haven't planned, but if you have, then you can do it. And you will create such amazing memories because I know a lot of you right now are going through some crazy thoughts in your head. Have I done enough?

Am I good enough to do this thing? Especially those that haven't been in the canyon. But I just want to reassure you, like I said when we started, because of all the craziness that's going on right now, I, coach Harney, just want to reassure you that if you have done the work, if you have earned it, which is one of my favorite words in the English language, earn. If you have earned it, I promise you all those dreams, all those things you've been thinking about. And for me, it's that big smile at the end of an adventure because so many crazy things happen when you're down there.

I always do a prayer before I start, either by myself or with others that whatever happens while I'm in the canyon, help me to manage as best as possible. And that's all I want you guys to do. And if you've done the work, if you've earned it, I promise you, your Canyon adventure will be one of many. One of many. I love you guys.

I'm here for you. Go in there with all the courage, wisdom, and positivity that you can have, and you'll be fine. Love you guys.

Yeah. Kind of the theme of the of the whole day. Do the work and reap the rewards. That is coach Arnie. Arnie Fonseca Jr, our exercise physiologist and canyon coach.

His contact information is in the show notes. Give him a call. Give him a text. Shoot him an email. Find him on social media.

Most of all, find him in our hike club Grand Canyon Facebook group, and you can talk to Arnie about anything you want. Alright. Man, what a show this was. So much fun to experience what I did alongside Jerry Crank and his son Jeff. Inspirations, boys.

What a day that was. I'll never forget it. Alright. That's it for now. My name is Brian Special, and this time, I say the following while asking you to to picture Jerry doing something he didn't think he could at 77 years old.

Ready? Alright. Go hike the canyon. Jerry did. Take that first step.

Jerry did. Embrace the journey. Jerry did. And when you get there, whether it's for time goals or taking your time, just hike your own hike. Jerry did and savor every step in the magnificent Grand Canyon.

Yep. Jerry did that too. Just maybe not so much those steps between a a skeleton and cedar. Alright. We'll see you next time on the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show powered by Hiken.

Check out our front access hiking packs designed below the rim of the canyon at hikin.club. That's hikin.club.