By Max Drobitskiy
“Is anybody not ready?” In 2021, some Boy Scouts from Cranford went to Philmont via another troop and took on the hiking journey. Scouts Max Drobitskiy and Arthur Hrycak, members of Troop 75, were accompanied by their leaders Yuriy Drobitskiy and Orest Hrycak, respectively. Five years later, the same Scouts took on the Grand Canyon, additionally accompanied by Hunter and Matt Quinn. The Scouts and leaders hiked from the North Rim to the South Rim, covering approximately 26 miles.
So you are thinking, hiking 26 miles over 3 days was not anything crazy, right? Well, think again. Hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim is pretty extreme. Just imagine having to hike uphill with over a 3,000-foot elevation gain while carrying over 90 lbs. worth of stuff in your hiking backpack. You know, the crazy part is that we passed so many hikers doing a “rim-to-rim” hike within a day, sometimes even doing “rim-to-rim-to-rim” hikes! Sounds pretty nuts, but if you are willing to do that, please be very careful. Recently, a hiker died while attempting a similar hike.
Hiking from rim to rim in a day is strongly discouraged by Grand Canyon guidance. It’s still crazy that so many people were doing it, like there was a whole marathon going on. At one point, we saw somebody running on the trail after quickly filling up his water. Seriously, running on the North Kaibab Trail? That doesn’t sound so safe. I don’t know if these people think this is a game, but it’s really a big deal out there.
Of course, our trek was challenging enough on its own. Between the distance, elevation changes, heavy backpacks, and long hours on the trail, getting from one rim to the other was no small accomplishment. But that is also what made reaching the South Rim so rewarding. After all those miles, everyone had definitely earned the right to say they had hiked across the Grand Canyon.
At this time, we would like to recognize Eagle Scouts Max Drobitskiy, Arthur Hrycak, and Matthew Quinn for completing this trek. Additionally, the oldest adult, Orest Hrycak, is still pushing it in his late 60s! As a former Scoutmaster of Troop 75, it looks like somebody is pushing it past retirement. And one more thing—we forgot to do roses, buds, and thorns!