After walking along the rim the previous afternoon, we decided that we wanted to go on a big hike. We looked over the map and decided to head down the Bright Angel trail to the Colorado River then along the river to the South Kaibab trail. Mileage wise, it wasn't anything more than what we've done in the past in a day. We figured that it would be late afternoon or early evening by the time we finished do we packed warm clothing, plenty of water, and a lunch. We finally got to the trail head around 10:30 and proceeded down to the 1.5 then 3 mile rest houses. We reached the Indian Garden campground around noon and kept going until we reached the river at 2pm. The climb out of the canyon started along the river across sand dunes then up narrow and steep switchbacks. I had consumed quite a bit of water by this time and remember commenting to Han that my sweat was VERY salty. As it turns out, we made a critical error by not bringing salty snacks or electrolye drinks. I hit a physical and mental wall even before reaching The Tip-Off. Every step was a struggle. It was getting dark and cold and the wind started picking up and my frequent stops were affecting Han's ability to keep warm. Just past Skeleton Point, a couple from Houston came down the trail (it was nearly 8PM) and shared some beef jerky and Gatorade with us and I woke up within minuites. I can't thank Kristi and Jonathan enough. When Han and I finally reached the trailhead, I gave Han and huge hug. What an experience!
